twilliams Well everything moved along according to plan, I ended up using the 100lb rate ratio to keep it true to form rather than using the incorrect amount on the breakdown conversion chart…I extruded everything through the small plate, seasoned and mixed by hand to a really gooey protein extraction point…more like concrete mixed with glue…didn’t want to exceed the one ounce per lb rate if I didn’t have to…worked out perfect, dang near left out the pepper jack cheese though lol…anyway loaded up my Hakka sausage press and pumped out about near 65’ of 19 mm smoked collagen casing … I’ll rack them up sometime this morning and smoke them…if they taste as good as they smell and look … I’m thinking we got a touch down here

Jonathon I sent you a pic of the finished snack sticks…this was a 10lb batch, Willies w/pepper jack cheese…60/40 beef & pork…turned out absolutely awesome, especially once the spice mixture and smoke had an opportunity to shake hands…reminded me the pepperoni sticks I used to get at my local neighborhood grocery back in the 60’s…I thought I might have smoked them just a tad too much when they first came out but the smoke must have penetrated and dissipated as the bitterness was not as pronounced but I will reduce it the next go-around…all in all I couldn’t be happier…texture and bite was spot on!

I think the roasted garlic might be better dispersed if you roast the cloves in a given amount of olive oil and add the entire contents to the mix…? Just sayin…

Jonathon Taste is such a subjective thing but certain spice combinations do well together to build layers of flavor…what hits one’s pallet first doesn’t always hold true for the next and so on but one things fo show, Willies has a winner in my book…not sure exactly what the MSG would do but typically intensifies the flavors and that might change the flavor profile somewhat? Anyway thank you for the kind words but always room for improvement…isn’t that what drives us all anyway? Lol I think I’m going to use some Jalapeno snack stick w/HT cheddar and make a summer sausage with it, add a little mustard seed, cracked black pepper…and roasted garlic/olive oil…what are you’re thoughts on the use of snack stick mix for summer sausage…again 60/40 ? Oh, by the by…no apologies necessary, this is no doubt a very busy time for you folks…I would imagine one of the busiest times of the year, then you have to balance a personal life in there somewhere too! Lol Hope you had a great Christmas…now get back to work!