Summer Sausage Help!
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Hi…first time poster and summer sausage maker and didn’t know how to ask a direct question so I’m using the reply approach . Made venison summer sausage and used fibrous casing, stuffed with no issues looked great. Smoked in my electric smoker for 7 1/2 hrs until 160. All my casings cracked, I started slow and worked up to 200 + and held at that temp . Obvious question was it too HOT ? Has anyone had that type of issue when they first started? Thanks for any help.
strenkarosa Did you soak the casings in water before stuffing?
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Hi…first time poster and summer sausage maker and didn’t know how to ask a direct question so I’m using the reply approach . Made venison summer sausage and used fibrous casing, stuffed with no issues looked great. Smoked in my electric smoker for 7 1/2 hrs until 160. All my casings cracked, I started slow and worked up to 200 + and held at that temp . Obvious question was it too HOT ? Has anyone had that type of issue when they first started? Thanks for any help.
strenkarosa id say 200+ is too excessive. Where did you find the smoking instructions?
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Hi…first time poster and summer sausage maker and didn’t know how to ask a direct question so I’m using the reply approach . Made venison summer sausage and used fibrous casing, stuffed with no issues looked great. Smoked in my electric smoker for 7 1/2 hrs until 160. All my casings cracked, I started slow and worked up to 200 + and held at that temp . Obvious question was it too HOT ? Has anyone had that type of issue when they first started? Thanks for any help.
strenkarosa
I have only made one batch of summer sausage also using an electric smoker. Your smoke/cook time seems to me to be excessively long. Did you follow the smoking/temperature steps recommended by Walton? What was the temperature of your sausages when you placed them in your smoker? My intent is to not be critical of your results but to begin an analysis of things that could have impacted your result. I am an amateur sausage maker with only a few batches made. I will follow along to see what we all can learn here. -
Hi…first time poster and summer sausage maker and didn’t know how to ask a direct question so I’m using the reply approach . Made venison summer sausage and used fibrous casing, stuffed with no issues looked great. Smoked in my electric smoker for 7 1/2 hrs until 160. All my casings cracked, I started slow and worked up to 200 + and held at that temp . Obvious question was it too HOT ? Has anyone had that type of issue when they first started? Thanks for any help.
strenkarosa Thanks for the reply…Yes I did, like I stated they all looked great just like you see on the video, nice and smooth not over stuffed. They didn’t look good after smoking, but they tasted great.
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strenkarosa id say 200+ is too excessive. Where did you find the smoking instructions?
twilliams Thanks for the reply… I saw the Walton’s video about 1hr, @ 125 then 140 1hr,155 for 2hrs then 175 until internal temp is 160. I just thought I’d just go and smoke like I have always done in the past with other meats…ie. ribs, tri-tip etc. I guess I’ll try that approach next time.
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strenkarosa
I have only made one batch of summer sausage also using an electric smoker. Your smoke/cook time seems to me to be excessively long. Did you follow the smoking/temperature steps recommended by Walton? What was the temperature of your sausages when you placed them in your smoker? My intent is to not be critical of your results but to begin an analysis of things that could have impacted your result. I am an amateur sausage maker with only a few batches made. I will follow along to see what we all can learn here.applejack Thanks for the reply…My sausage was cold out of the frig. ,that’s why I thought I could side step the gradual temp increases shown on the Walton’s video. I thought that the casings would warn up slowly and I wouldn’t have to watch them that closely. They didn’t look very nice after smoking because of the splitting , but after they cooled, I unwrapped the casing and they looked good and tasted great. When smoking 6 hrs I checked the internal temp and it was only 120, so I left them in for another 1 1/2 hrs and checked they reached 160. The casings had a split on just one side of the sausage.
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twilliams Thanks for the reply… I saw the Walton’s video about 1hr, @ 125 then 140 1hr,155 for 2hrs then 175 until internal temp is 160. I just thought I’d just go and smoke like I have always done in the past with other meats…ie. ribs, tri-tip etc. I guess I’ll try that approach next time.
strenkarosa ya id say thats what happened. Im glad they turned out good, i thought maybe the outside of the meat would be dry and hard. When you do ribs and roasts that temp is needed but not for sausage. You wanna dry then smoke then cook for sausage. Definitely follow the summer sausage instructions and i bet you will have no problems. Thats how we all learn and get better. Happy smoking
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Hi…first time poster and summer sausage maker and didn’t know how to ask a direct question so I’m using the reply approach . Made venison summer sausage and used fibrous casing, stuffed with no issues looked great. Smoked in my electric smoker for 7 1/2 hrs until 160. All my casings cracked, I started slow and worked up to 200 + and held at that temp . Obvious question was it too HOT ? Has anyone had that type of issue when they first started? Thanks for any help.
strenkarosa
The problem as I understand is one of ‘split’ casings. I offer this theory. If the drying phase of the recommended dry/smoke/cook instructions was by-passed perhaps this is what may have happened: The factory closed end of the casings is probably an excellent seal. The sausages were firmly stuffed then placed in the smoker without performing the drying phase. Say you did a leak proof closure seal that was enhanced by congealed sausage. Temperature control of a typical oven or smoker can fluxuate several degrees above a set point which could cause an increased internal vapor pressure inside a casing thus causing a split. The sausage was evidently not damaged and tasted good. Enjoy the fruits of your labor while making another batch. -
strenkarosa 200°+ is probably a good portion of what caused the issue. I am however pretty intrigued that the casing split but you didn’t have any taste/consistency issues with the meat. When casings split it is usually from too much internal pressure which normally comes from cooking too high too fast…I also wonder if you bought Pres Stuck(PS) casngs or not? The perforations in the PS casings allow some pressure to blead out during the cooking process and allow the casing to form tighter to the meat, so if they weren’t the PS version then this might have contributed to your issue as well.
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strenkarosa 200°+ is probably a good portion of what caused the issue. I am however pretty intrigued that the casing split but you didn’t have any taste/consistency issues with the meat. When casings split it is usually from too much internal pressure which normally comes from cooking too high too fast…I also wonder if you bought Pres Stuck(PS) casngs or not? The perforations in the PS casings allow some pressure to blead out during the cooking process and allow the casing to form tighter to the meat, so if they weren’t the PS version then this might have contributed to your issue as well.
Jonathon I think your right, I tried to rush the smoking and the temp was too high. You mention Pres Stuck (PS) casings…what are they and do you guys sell them?
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strenkarosa Yes, all of our Mahogany Firbous Summer Sausage Casings are pre-stuck, we have 1 clear (https://www.waltonsinc.com/2-9-x-20-clear-fibrous-summer-sausage-casings that isnt). They are tiny little holes that are in the casing which allows for pressure to escape during the cooking process and lets the casing form to the meat tighter.
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Hi…first time poster and summer sausage maker and didn’t know how to ask a direct question so I’m using the reply approach . Made venison summer sausage and used fibrous casing, stuffed with no issues looked great. Smoked in my electric smoker for 7 1/2 hrs until 160. All my casings cracked, I started slow and worked up to 200 + and held at that temp . Obvious question was it too HOT ? Has anyone had that type of issue when they first started? Thanks for any help.
strenkarosa I’m thinking it was the heat. The same thing happened t me my last batch. I held at 170 for 7 hours. I was almost at temp, but it was 1:30am and I wanted to go to sleep. I bumped it to 210 and be for you know it, half the casing split. DANG! I originally thought it was because I was using casings which had been warmed in the past and then dried out because they were not used. I think they were stuffed too tight and the temp was too high.
The cases split length wise on the sausage, with a v-grove shape about 3/4" deep. I let them cool and to my surprise, the gap had completely closed once the sausage was cool. They still taste great, however not to be given away to the neighbors.
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