Sure Gel substitute Summer Sausage

[[[global:former-user]]]

Carrot Fiber works as well.

[JohnG5]

Grimpuppy Have you tried carrot fiber binder?

[Grimpuppy]

I have tried the carrot fiber before. I didn’t care for it in summer sausage. It retained to much moisture when done smoking for my liking. It was more like a giant snack stick.

[PapaSop]

Grimpuppy said in Sure Gel substitute Summer Sausage:

I have tried the carrot fiber before. I didn’t care for it in summer sausage. It retained to much moisture when done smoking for my liking. It was more like a giant snack stick.

I’d have to agree. Used it once with snack sticks. Emphasis on “once”. Holds to much moisture for a smoked product. Just my 2 pennies.

[processhead]

If you check the ingredients on Sure-gel, you will see it is milk based with phosphate.
I just use powdered milk in my summer sausage recipe.

1 1/2 cups non fat dry milk per 10 lb meat block.

[Jonathon]

Grimpuppy Yeah |Super-Bind or |Soy-Protein-Blend are your best bets. If you want a more moist summer sausage go with the super bind, if you want a dryer one go with the Soy Protein Blend.

[mrobisr]

Grimpuppy non-fat milk powder 3.5% of meat block or 3/4 cup/5lbs meat block and phosphate https://www.waltonsinc.com/cold-phosphate-sodium-phosphate 11.3g/3tsp per 5# meat block and you shouldn’t notice any difference from sure gel.

[Dr_Pain]

I am late to the party. I too use non-fat milk powder at 3.5% of the meat block

[Grimpuppy]

I will try the non-fat milk powder and cold phosphate since I already have cold phosphate on hand. Thanks guys.

[mrobisr]

Grimpuppy said in Sure Gel substitute Summer Sausage:

I will try the non-fat milk powder and cold phosphate since I already have cold phosphate on hand. Thanks guys.

Have you tried the combo yet… I think you will be amazed just how well it works.

[Grimpuppy]

I haven’t yet. Got the new fridge this weekend and rearranged the kitchen. Hopefully next weekend I can get it done.

[JLane]

processhead Curious, is there a problem if I ordered powdered milk with fat? I found the below item before I seen this and now I’m slightly concerned! LOL It is a Spanish product but significantly cheaper than the other powdered milk products.

NIDO Fortificada Dry Whole Milk Powdered Drink Mix

[processhead]

JLane said in Sure Gel substitute Summer Sausage:

processhead Curious, is there a problem if I ordered powdered milk with fat? I found the below item before I seen this and now I’m slightly concerned! LOL It is a Spanish product but significantly cheaper than the other powdered milk products.

NIDO Fortificada Dry Whole Milk Powdered Drink Mix

I have never used whole dry milk as a binder.
I suspect it would work, but you might want to experiment with it in a smaller test batch of sausage just in case it doesn’t work quite like non-fat dry milk.

Maybe someone else here has had some hands-on experience and can comment?

[YooperDog]

JLane I don’t believe that there should be any issues. What you want to make sure is that you are using the powder that is processed properly for food production. The dry milk product that you can buy in the store and use to make milk at home is processed to a different temperature then the product used in food production, i.e. baking, sausage making, etc…

[JLane]

Thank you! It was hard to find something that was specifically made for baking vs instant. Question, what should someone look for ? To be honest, I took a risk and used the non fat instant powdered mil from Walmart.

[processhead]

I am not sure what difference, if any, comes from using the instant type of nonfat dry milk has on the finished product.
I have used the instant type in summer sausage and it turned out just fine with a tight bind and good texture.

[wdaly]

JLane I used non-fat instant dry milk before I knew about sure gel. I didn’t have any trouble with it.

[twilliams]

processhead I know the suregel has some flavor enhancer in it, I really don’t know if one could pick up much of a taste difference between the use of suregel vs plain nonfat dry milk. Kinda like MSG, does it really make foods taste better? I do like the convenience of the premeasured packets of suregel although I usually need to weigh it out in half as I mostly make half batches.

[akdave]

I have been using Con Yeager spice Company Circle S Binder for years for a binder and believe in it, but when I run out I use Powered Milk and still get great results. In both cases I use 1lb for every 25lbs of meat/fat Mix. and 1 oz of Sodium Phosphate and 1 OZ Cure salt. I think the most important aspect of making summer sausage and snack sticks is protein extraction and I feel that by grinding my fat first at 1/8" and then grind the meat 3/8" and then thoroughly mixing the two keeping them very cold and then regrinding them them 1/8" then adding the binder, spices, cure salt and sodium phosphate mixed together in cold water then again thoroughly mixing them in the product. Thanks to all the Watlons for all the How to Videos and forums I have learned many tricks and the best time saver is the Hot Water Bath for finishing off Snack Sticks and Summer Sausage. I get my product to 130-140 degrees in the smoker and then do a water bath in a big stainless steel steam table pan on my propane burner and get water to 160 -165 degrees and in a matter of minutes it is done.

[YooperDog]

Here is a link explaining some issues when choosing powder milk.

https://youtu.be/R_H5h14Wrq0