STRYKER ACE I have the same smoker and if you moisten the sawdust or chips you won’t have to add them as often. Also remember you don’t have to have the smoke going the whole time you cook either, usually an hour or two will get you a good smokey flavor without over doing it. Also as was pointed out a couple times your temp was too high, which would also lead to you having to add chips more often.

I think you have a couple issues at hand here, first you should’ve used a binder, second too much total water and if you didn’t chill the meat in between grinds then like someone else said you probably got the meat to warm during your process. But a #29 grinder plate (https://www.waltonsinc.com/300-x-29-triumph-plate) would be a good investment. I’d only grind 3 times, using the plates you currently have for your first 2 and the #29 plate for your 3rd and final grind. The last issue I believe you had was your cook schedule, it was too hot to soon, you really want to start low and step it up until you reach an internal temp of 160.

Nice, congratulations to you both. I have yet to go, my hunting buddy and I have both been too busy, hopefully soon.

@ndmike I bought a winch that goes into the hitch before the season last year and glad I did. I have a Titan XD Pro 4 X and there is just no way I would’ve gotten that deer in the bed without it. I’ve had two spinal fusion so I have to work smarter vs harder some times.

Got my mount back last week,

I’m retired Air Force, went overseas and worked as a contractor for a little while after I retired. I took a few years off after having my second spinal fusion to just heal and relax. I work at a small family owned business in sales now and really enjoy what I do.

That looks amazing!

processhead That electric stuffer also has a small line that states it is not for small diameter products so he wouldn’t be able to use it for snack sticks.

johnsbrewhouse It is my wife’s favorite and she doesn’t like real spicy stuff. The batch I made yesterday was split into a 15 lb portion and a 10 lb and I added ghost pepper cheese to the smaller portion for me and it pairs very well with it.

I just made 25 lbs of Willies yesterday and it is my favorite, I’ve made it several times but this last batch was my best one so far. It definitely does have some pepper in it, not overwhelming but if someone doesn’t like heat then you would need to either make another flavor and I’d say maybe try the W beef stick, it’s a good flavor and mild. The other option is what you are asking about and I’m not sure how much more meat you would need to add or less seasoning per pound but I would start at 10% and go from there.

Christopher Beach I have the 11 lb stuffer and love it, it’s worked great for anything I’ve stuffed with it including snack sticks

Jonathon I think I would be an amazing guest…I’ll even pay for my own transportation to Walton’s.

JoeB That’s one way to look at it, or you can look at the ease of use for most of us home processors who got into this later in life. My grandfather made his own sausage but has long since been gone and no one else in the family does it so when I decided a few years ago to start making my own I really didn’t have an idea of where to start. The prepackaged seasonings I buy from Walton’s is perfect for me and as I’ve gotten more experienced I can make adjustments based on my own taste. I can add more spices or change the ratio of seasoning to meat to make subtle changes to the flavor of the end product. There are some seasonings that I make just as they are intended to be made and then there are others that I use the seasoning package as a base/starting point and make it my own.

JoeB Yes there is salt in the seasoning mixture and if its supposed to be a cured product the cure is in a separate packet.

I’ve made the Kielbasa before and it is absolutely one of my favorite seasonings I’ve used. I didn’t find it overly salty but that can be a subjective thing. Not sure what could’ve happened but as was mentioned you can always take a little bit and fry it up prior to stuffing to make sure everything is good to go. Personally when I am using a seasoning for the first time I make a small test batch to make sure I like or if I need to make any adjustments. This is not a necessary step but I usually am making products from venison so I’m a little more cautious since I can’t just run to the grocery store and buy more if I don’t like the final product.

Bozy Smoked meat stabilizer is a cure accelerator so there is not really a need to add to meat after holding overnight. Also if you are going to hold overnight stuff your casings when you are done mixing the meat, it’ll be a lot easier on you and your equipment to do it that way. As far as flavor development, I’ve never had any issues when using a cure accelerator and going straight to the smoker.

There were a couple tips in there that I’ve been doing for a few years now, like the bread in the stuffer and grinder, always works like a charm. Also have used the wild game rinse in the past, I just bought a quart bottle and sprayer and mixed it up in that and had no issues. I would keep that mixture for a weekend and change it out the next time I went hunting.

I have a Vac Master VP 112S that I bought from Walton’s a couple years ago and love it. Vac Master discontinued that model not that long after I bought mine but I’m not to worried about it. I use it whenever I make sausage, process a deer or even going grocery shopping. I usually buy my meat from a local butcher shop but they don’t always have everything I need or want so if I buy a big pack of chicken legs, thighs or leg quarters I’ll break them down into serving sizes when I get home and vac seal them. Having a chambered machine is worth every penny you will spend on it and you won’t regret it.

Chef I appreciate the tip