Quick report back. So I made a 1.5lb batch. It came out pretty good but I think I’d cut back a little on how much I added. I used 30 grams for the 1.5lbs. Every rub is going to be different. This is a saltier rub so I’d probably knock it to 20 grams next time. Feedback so far was that it was preferred over the PS seasonings Cajun mix with pepper jack cheese which really surprised me.

@jac1 Thanks for the reply. I took a look and those are actually priced pretty well, but I definitely want something with humidity control this time around. Don’t want to have to mess with water bowls and sponges like in my pk100. The one I mentioned above is the only one I can find so far but $10k is a big gamble for something I can’t test first or find any reviews on.

@armyguy You have hit the nail on the head with your initial post about the dangerzone. What I would recommend is adding sure cure to whatever water you are adding to the meat but then treat the mixing and stuffing like it is a fresh brat. That would give you extra leeway to cold smoke your brats before packing and then grilling them. Another very good option is like @Joe-Hell said, adding Hickory Smoke Powder

@armyguy I am finding out now, will post once I have a solid answer. My thought is that it would depend on the dies you were trying to use.

@jonathon said in Question about brats and smoked sausage: Maillard effect Did you ever get an update on all this Jon?

@armyguy Oh heck yeah, nice pick up on that Talsa Mixer! Those things are awesome! You can really get great protein extraction without smearing any fat in those. The first time I used one I thought it wasnt working because the meat just looking like ground meat that had been mixed a few times, and didnt have the look it gets when mixed in retail mixers. But sure enough, I picked it up and it was stretchy and sticky but still have great particle definition!

@smokinbubba my kitchen aid is the artisan and 5 lb tends to ride up past the top of the bowl , hand mixing at my age and other considerations added is at times difficult

@MCURRAN I can’t guarantee this but I’d be pretty shocked if you weren’t happy with the smoke flavor from the PK100

@armyguy glad your starting out, it’s a fun hobby/obsession! So, if you want to smoke them then they can’t be bratwurst, brats are a fresh sausage that you don’t add cute to and just grill or cook in a pan or oven. What it sounds like you want to make is cured sausage. The processes are similar but there are 1 or 2 differences that can heavily effect your outcome. The main one being that with cured sausage you want to achieve protein extraction during the mixing process. This will bind up all the meat, fat, water and additives and prevent the fat from cooking out during the smoking process. The other major difference is that you don’t add cure to a bratwurst. You should check out the cured sausage section of meatgistics university, then watch the basic cured sausage processing video and article. I think that will answer more of your questions for the type of sausage you want to make! I’d link you right to it but I’m on my phone. Good luck and let us k ow if you have any other questions!