Let me start by saying I like the Bradley Smoker because it lets me achieve the lower temps needed for doing my summer sausage. Having said that, I did a temp test on my 6 rack digital Bradley Smoker. I found that the digital temp on the readout was always 20 - 23 degrees higher that a calibrated ambient thermo pro probe held in the middle of the box. The temp fluctuations taken with the ThermoPro were as follows given a oven set temp of 120 degrees. High temp was 123 degrees and the low temp was 103 degrees. When the heating element turned off the temp fell at a rate of 1 degree per minute, so 20 minutes from 123 degrees down to 103 degrees. On the heat up cycle it only took 2.5 minutes to go from 103 degrees up to 123 degrees. These test readings were taken with an empty cabinet, no smoke, no water, 80 degree outside temp, and no wind. I use a large water/drip pan when smoking and this should slow the temp cycle and I can adjust for the incorrect temp readout.
Is this 20 degree temp swing normal for electric smokers or is the heater element going bad?

Jonathon I have the sous vide equipment, in fact just received a new vessel with silicone top and insulation jacket for the new tub. It’s only twelve qt. capacity but still could do a dozen of the little 1 pounders. I have watched the 205 advanced video, it made up my mind to get a new tub. I guess I could fashion a bracket to mount the sous vide unit in one of my coolers for the full size summer sausage size.
Doing a batch of Blue Ribbon Brats tomorrow. I have 9 lbs of ground pork shoulder left from my summer sausage test. How much venison would you mix with the 9lbs for a juicy brat? Thanks for the tips.

50/50 venison pork shoulder 5 lb. meat block, H seasoning, carrot fiber, sure cure, ECA, and HT cheddar stuffed in red string 1 lb fibrous casing. Just a little rind after removing the casing. I think the rind was caused by the wild temperature swings in my Bradley smoker. At the lower temps I was seeing +/- 30 degrees. Sausage has plenty of smoke with starting at the 140 degree stage thru the 155 degree phase, so 3 hours of smoke. It took 12 hours in a 175 degree oven hung on sticks to finish at 160 degrees. The long finish was most likely do to the extra water I added for ease of stuffing. Another reason for the rind could have been caused by my water pan in the oven going dry at the very end. Overall very happy with the taste and texture. Just need a nap today to catch up. Thanks for all of the online content and assistance we have here at the Walton community.

Thanks a bunch. I have everything else ready to go and thought I had this info but I did not. Here goes I’ll try to take some pics and post them. Jonathon saves the day!

I want to do a 5lb. test batch of Summer Sausage. What is the conversion for the ECA for my 5 lbs meat block? Can I just divide the 4oz per 25# by 5?

Jonathon Hi Jonathon, I have a venison ring bologna follow up question. Was the 70/30 ratio pure pork fat or pork shoulder? If I used pork shoulder to bulk up the weight of my finished product, what would my meat block ratio be?

Thanks Jonathon, great info as always.

Looking for suggestions for venison meat block ratio, add ins, cures and casing type and size. FYI, thanks for the community input for the venison breakfast sausage. It came out perfect.

@boudreaux Exactly my situation, I love the added pepper and the warden does not. I’ll get some H-110 C Hot on the way.
What are you thoughts on thawing my venison? This year I froze our venison in 12 to 18 lb. blocks. I was thinking I should do the slow refrigerator thaw to the point where it is just below the ice crystal stage, then grind.

@boudreaux Thanks a bunch. I have the Holy 1 on hand and planning on using boneless pork shoulder. Could I firm the finished sausage up in the freezer a bit before vacuum sealing to slow the juice flow into the seal?

What would be a good starting point for a venison & pork fresh bulk breakfast sausage blend percentage wise? I will be bagging 1 lb. bags and or weighing out and or vacuum sealing for storage. Thanks

Hello all, I’m Daniel from the rolling hills NW IL. I’m truly impress with the kind folks that hangout in this community. They are a wealth of information on all things to do with meat processing.

I was thinking about storing my grinder parts in the freezer after sterilizing and drying. I’m thinking, this way they are ready to oil, assemble and grind anytime I need them. Is there a down side to my thinking.

Jonathon Thank you for the fast response. Looks like it time to get another order in. While I love my bacon, pork sausage and other meaty delights, I have been struggling with my weight. In the passed year I have managed to drop 50 lbs. with Weight Watchers and they subscribe to eating more lean proteins. I’m trying to broaden my menu choices using the lean poultry breast to create new flavor profiles. Will definitely check out the turkey brat video Thanks again and have a Merry Christmas.

@boudreaux Thank you so much. I like the people that hangout here at Walton’s Community, it’s a super resource for beginners like myself.

Looking for tips, tricks, and ideas for making lean poultry sausage. Are there additives that can be employed to offset the lack of fat and make a better sausage?

Jonathon I was planning on using the encapsulated citric acid and right into the smoker. I just found a flaw in my plan. I won’t have room in my Bradley smoker with adequate spacing for my 12 inch summer sausage casings. I will have to make my batch to fit my smoker. This is why I plan out every step before hand. Have a great day and thanks for the information. Maybe I can talk the warden into a 30 lb electric stuffer for Christmas.

Jonathon I think I’ll just opt for the hand crank and stick to the 8 minute mix time for my first run. I only have access to a 5 lb. stuffer at this time. Can I mix 25 lbs and stuff 5 lbs at a time or just season and mix a 5lb batch at a time? Don’t know if the lag time between 1st batch and the last will cause any problems. Thanks again

Jonathon Thank you so much, I’m looking forward to stuffing my first venison/pork summer sausage & bratwurst this year. Your tutorial videos recommend mixing the meat in both directions. I have a LEM mixer that can be hand cranked or powered via my grinder motor. Would you recommend hand cranking to get to directions or just power it up? Don’t want to over mix if that’s an issue.

What are your recommendations?