akdave I also run two convection oven fans but both are on the bottom of the smoker. If I had to build a new one I think I would build a down draft system. Although since adding the convection fans, fireplace fans and water trays with sponges my cook times are unbelievably consistent.

akdave I didn’t order my fans from Auber but I did build them on my own in a similar design. It made a big difference, especially when my smoker is fully loaded.

Ode -Tom I have had really good luck with my controller that I purchased from Auber Instruments. Holds temp within 1 degree. I did wire in a solid state relay to handle the load of dual electric burners in my smoker. I would 100% purchase again.

https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_28&products_id=702

ctraymond Do you have any pictures? The casings should be VERY tight when stuffing and tying. If the casing was completely tight and you have pockets of water that have pushed to the outside of the casing, almost like a gelatin then you have too much water mixed in.

I try to keep a high moisture content and have had that happen a few times when making snack sticks.

twilliams I’ve had that happen when I didn’t use the entire package and then vacuum sealed the bag closed. I’ve let it soak in the water that I mix in and also used a ninja blender to break it back apart. Both worked good. You could always add a little more seasoning and use it as a test batch.

I personally like strong seasoning so I tend to add more to almost everything unless I’m getting a baseline.

JPAP both suggestions from Parksider and Jonathon are great ideas. You are on the right path!

JPAP Looks good. You will notice a change in flavor in a few days and also if you vacuum seal and freeze them. I personally like everything I’ve made better after a few weeks.

Jonathon Thanks for the mention. Walton’s and the Meatgistics community have been awesome and a great help! IMO this forum is a key element in separating Walton’s from the competition.

I also want to throw a shout out to the rest of the regular contributors. As a relatively new member, the information, time and experience you all provide is outstanding. Thank you! Happy 2020!

Dawson Coates Cooking snack sticks kicked my butt for years… the only way I will finish cooking snack sticks is in a water bath now. Cuts down the total cook time in half and retains all of the moisture.

I’ve been using roasters and warming the water temp to 165. Load the snack sticks in the water, the water temp will dip to about 150, once the water temp is back up to 160 start checking the internal temp of the sticks until they hit 160. This process take about 30 minutes. Just make sure you get your water up to temp and very stable ahead of time. You can make the sticks fat out much faster if you are not carefully monitoring the water temp.

akdave WildWest the convection oven fans helped my home built smoker as well. I took another step further and added two fireplace fans with motors that are outside of the smoke chamber. Between all of the moving air and the added automotive sponges in water pans anything I smoke comes out almost to the exact minute… my smoker actually keeps temp better then our oven…

mcherbies I find that when I use carrot fiber I like to use 1.5 qt to 25lbs of meat for snack sticks. It is boarder line too much water but the finished product is top notch and everyone raves at how much moisture is still in my sticks.

mcherbies what internal temp are the sticks when you pull them? I religiously pull them at 140 IT and go straight to the hot water bath shown in my pictures a few posts above. I had a ton of issues in the past with casings wrinkling before I changed to this process. However, this can also be caused from under stuffing. There is definitely a fine line when stuffing snack sticks. For me I’d rather deal with a blow out when stuffing than have my sticks look wrinkled.

WildWest I would agree with Parksider sausage HAS to be stuffed tight. Pretty sure I’ve pissed off multiple members of my family that want to help when making sausage when I get after them for not getting casings or tying the ends extremely tight.

Also, I will most likely never take any meat past 140 on the smoker anymore. Finishing in a hot water bath is the ticket! You can get roasters at Walmart for $30

PapaSop don’t forget cheese! I don’t really care for the stuff but time drastically changes smoked cheese

denny66 Half of the time I won’t even try any meat I’ve processed without vacuum sealing it and freezing it for at least a week. I’ve also had some summer sausage that I smoked very heavy per a request and It also took a couple weeks to mellow out enough for me to eat it.

Parksider that’s awesome. Temps have been so high here in Nebraska everyone has had to quarter the deer our right away.

weatherbow21 I also go to around 165 on water temp and make sure it is stable. The 2-1/2" sausage casings took around 50 minutes and the 19mm snack sticks were just under 30 minutes. I’ll try and post some better logs from my Fireboard app on the next runs that I make.

Speaking of that, Jonathon I might have went a little overboard on my last Walton’s order.

blackbetty61 It’s much easier to control than adjusting a burner on the grill. I get the water temp to 165 and then throw the sticks or sausage in. The water temp will drop but comes back nicely. What’s been pretty crazy to me is once the water temp is back at 160 the meat is also done. I wouldn’t suggest changing any temps on the roasters once you have it set.

Jonathon my wife is going to kill me but I’ve finally got some use out the 2 roasters that we got for wedding presents 9 years ago. Way more consistent than using the grill or gas Turkey roaster.

craigrice Ha! Not NASA. Just a former Army avionics guy that needs to keep too many projects going at the same time.