I had the same problem for years until last week I switched to a vertical offset converted to propane. With the burner off to the side instead of under the sausage I no longer get over done bottoms and under done tops. I also can do 24 inch casings now instead of having to settle for 12 inch cases to keep the bottoms from overcooking. Dyna glo signature vertical offset. Paid $150 for mine brand new and robbed a burner from my turkey fryer.

@heagerty666 Good question! Some people let it come to room temperature first but we don’t recommend it. As long as you start out your smoker at low heat you don’t need to be overly worried about blowouts. For both of those products, I would recommend starting at 125 for an hour if you have a smoker that is capable of handling such a low heat. The problem with letting it come up to room temperature is the possibility of growing bacteria in the meat that could affect the taste and safety of the meat. As long as it is stuffed correctly and brought up in stages you won’t have an issue.