Dave in AZ
Good morning,
Recently, I have been using pork butts 7.5 lbs
And roughly 17.5.lbs of venison. For a 25 lb batch.
When I grind my venison it is very lean.
I have been grinding my pork for my sticks lean. ( meaning I use more straight meat from the pork rather then the fat caps. ) “ could that be the issue”
My process
In the mixing and stuffing process I am doing everything just as the videos show.
My smoker
I built it myself, it is a double upright stainless freezer.
I dismantled it, put it back together with rock wool insulation. My heat source is a burner from a turkey cooker.
That I regulate the temperature with the regulator at the tank. I have a thermometer in the door of the cabinet. I also use a digital thermometer with probes that I place in the product.
I start out hanging my sticks in smoker vents open with temp thermometer in door reading 120 to 140 for about an hour and I physically feel and look for dryness.
I then slowly increase temp and add smoke over next few hours up to 180 degrees for a target temp of 160 internal temp.
I then place naked in a tote filled with cold water for maybe 20 minutes, I then take them out if the water bath and physically dry them with a towel and let sit for about an hour on the table. At that point I either cut them to length or place in the refrigerator as is until the next day.
Then I vacuum seal.
What I have noticed.
When I bring them in from water bath and are drying them you can physically see some of the casings are loose, so prior to vacuum sealing we pull the casings off.
“ could the water be the problem “
I have been smoking meat for a lot of years for my family and friends.
Venison, waterfowl, upland game, fish,
And I make up Summer Sausage, Polish, sticks, and Jerky from venison and I have no problem except for the casings on the sticks . all though sometimes the casings on the polish are loose or chewy as well , but not always
I appreciate all the advice
Thank you!
