Summer sausage

[johnsbrewhouse]

I usually use 40 ounces or 1183 milliliters of water in a 25 lb. batch of sausage so the 566.99 number seems mighty low. My number are slightly lower than yours and my sausages stuff fine and mix well at that ratio as well. But with half as much water, I might think it might be a bit of a drier batch and probably pretty sticky.

[Dave in AZ]

twilliams I don’t know that I’d use directions on a seasoning package as the recipe source to make your sausage batch… it’s just a bunch of spices and salt with some standard recipe pronted on it. All the basics still apply, you are still adding as much water as you can get to bind, especially for a moist sausage like summer sausage. I mean look at the number, they just posted a straight 5% water on a recipe bag, that looks totally generic-standard-answer to me. I wouldn’t let that drive your recipe, there are plenty of reasons to add more water. If you get a good protein extraction, you can add more. If you use binder like sure gel with whey protein and phosphates, both allow you to add more water. If you use part beef, you can add and bind more water.

5% water is just the “standard answer, print it because it’s pretty sure to at least work to that amount, won’t mess up the recipe if we dont have any idea of his meats and additives” answer.

I think if you like the moisture of your normal recipe, use it and use more water. If you’re at all concerned, throw in some sure gel or nonfat dry milk or beef, and mix to good extraction. You’re thinking right, I’d say.
-----One Caveat! If you are actually making summer sausage the original “old school” way, as a semi-dry fermented sausage, THEN 5% may be correct, because after the ferment to reduce pH, the sausage was cooked to low heat then DRIED to semi dry state, and a low Aw, so that it was shelf stable just sitting in a room, and would last from winter production to summer eating. So you didn’t want to add extra water that then had to dry, leaving sausage at risk from high Aw for a bit.

However, most everyone I’ve read here seems to be making summer sausage as a fully cooked product, with artificial acidification from ECA or GDL, and little or no drying, and the product is refrigerated for preservation. In this method, there is no reason to reduce water for drying and low Aw preservation.

Note, Marianski says most pork sausages can easily hold 8% water additions during mixing, even before any water holding binders are added.

Note, Walton’s recipe vid for 25lbs using Excalibur spice mix says add 2 quarts water in the print, but on the video using habanero Excalibur mix they used 1 quart. And on the H summer sausage page, it doesn’t even list ANY water… see where I’m going here? The spice recipes are all over. And the ingredient list for 107 is basically the same as H summer, no added binders in either, so should be same water.

[twilliams]

Stuffed last night and going in smoker now

[twilliams]

I went ahead and used 1000ml of water. Seemed to have mixed and stuffed fine. Unfortunately I won’t be able to cut it open when done and verify texture as this is for a customer. I’m confident all will be fine though.

[Dave in AZ]

twilliams wow those look great in that smoker. I think they are going to be nice. How much sausage do you do in a year for customers?

[twilliams]

Dave in AZ this year I only had two people get deer, my son was given a deer and a returning customer, he had 86 lbs of trim. Typically 4-5 people. These sausages are the last of his. I still have mine to do yet. And my son knows another guy that wants me to do his 12lbs of trim if he hasn’t done anything with it yet. I take all my venison and process it into snack sticks and summer sausage and sell to others that don’t hunt. I charge them for the seasoning and pork added since it’s not legal to sell venison. So really it’s not persay a “customer” since I don’t have a certified business, just people I know. I bet typically I’d be pushing 500lbs finished product a year

[Dave in AZ]

twilliams nice, thx! I was gonna say that looks like 2 deers worth for me! Like 95% of my summer sausage eating has been venison, almost never get one at store, so I’m never really sure how my expected flavor in summer sausage stacks up to a beef commercial product. We eat a lot at deer camp. But I bought a Johnsonville one last week, and it tastes pretty much the same to me.

Do you have another favorite use for ground venison, or would you say summer sausage is the “best use”? I tried some pork venison smoked brats, kinda a German brat/hunter sausage style, but didn’t have any caraway seed… I felt they were kind of blah, so trying to decide a better or best use for the deer!
Thx

[glen]

twilliams I notice you have a string attached to both ends of your tubes, do you flip during your processing?

[twilliams]

glen no, it’s just to tie off the one end, my hog rings are too big to seal them correctly. I just didn’t cut the tags.

[twilliams]

Dave in AZ snack sticks and summer sausage is my go to just because I sell a portion of it. I eat the snack sticks far more than the summer sausage. Ground venison is another good one if you get the proper fat content in it. Typically for some kind of dish that needs ground meat. I like to take the hind rump roast and slice them thin. Then slow cook the slices in au jus, when ready I will make a homemade horsey sauce. Take an itailian loaf and cut in thirds, split the two halves melt butter in a pan and brown the face’s, add meat and top with horsey sauce. It’s so delicious. Could also add onion ,pepper and cheese kind of like a Philly cheesesteaks

[twilliams]

Dave in AZ chili would be good for venison grind too. Our deer around here if a good shot is made and not much damage average is 45-50 lbs of boneless meat per deer. Obviously the older the more meat the younger the less. Then I’m adding pork and fat to it on top so the finished yield is pretty good

[twilliams]

Dave in AZ up above I made a mistake and said he had 86 lbs of trim, it was 68 lbs not 86. With pork and pork fat he is ending up with 100 lbs even.

[Dave in AZ]

twilliams thx, great idea on the roast for that sandwich! I do use a lot of ground in stew, chili, meat balls. I loved it at 40% in snack sticks. Guess I will stick with those and summer sausage for now

[mrobisr]

twilliams My liquid limit is 10%, but not because of any pros or cons just simply that is what the typical USDA limit is on commercial producers for what ever that is worth.

[mrobisr]

twilliams They look fantastic whatever you did.

[caryfr5]

twilliams Check out the DeWalt hogring pliers. Holds a rack of rings like a stapler. Work very good for SS!!

[Dave in AZ]

Question… do hog rings work much better than just tying the end with string? What is their advantage, speed?

[PapaSop]

Dave in AZ said in Summer sausage:

Question… do hog rings work much better than just tying the end with string? What is their advantage, speed?

Yes to both. Be advised though, the 3/8 ring works well for SS. The 1/2 ring not so much. You would have to double over the end.

[processhead]

Dave in AZ said in Summer sausage:

Question… do hog rings work much better than just tying the end with string? What is their advantage, speed?

I think hog rings also allow a tighter stuff than tying with string as well, particularly if you are working alone.

[twilliams]

processhead I agree on working alone, disagree when working with a partner. But like I said my hog rings don’t get tight, I need to look at the size to see if I am using the wrong ones, however there was only one size to choose from when I bought the pliers. Didn’t know there were different sizes available