Been awhile since i last posted here, or did any meat processing related stuff. Anyway, I wanted to go back to my last project i wanted to take on which was doing a hybrid bratwurst which consisted of a fine and coarse grind pork. From what i remember eating, was the brat seemed to have chunks of what looked like ham/cured pork in it.

My idea is to do a small batch possibly 2:1 fine/coarse grind. Separate them and season them seperately. Then by weight, add cure#1 to the coarse grind seasoning and let set overnight. The next day combine the fine and coarse grind and thourghly mix, then stuff.

Due to the texture of the coarse grind, i believe a long cook will be needed to tenderize it to the point it falls apart when you take a bite. So i think a long 36 hour sous vide bath at 155F will do the trick.

Now, one question i have about my idea/method, is do i need the overnight cure or would mixing it and letting it cure overnight after being stuffed work?

Thanks for reading, and any input would be great.

Well if you do decide to do it, make sure you bag the brats before soaking in an ice bath, otherwise your going to lose all that smoke flavor into the water. Personally i have used this method many times and never got sick. The ice water chills the meat below 40 very quickly.

KillerNoms I am Annoyed you didn’t mention what brand Motorcycle.

What a story.
Jonathon

Send this man a care package, he deserves it for being a pioneer member.

Nice. I picked up a 1612 for $100 on Craigslist. Its was practically brand new. I had to replace the Capacitor, and had to replace the Centrifugal switch with a electronic switch. Works like a charm ever since. Best thing sinced sliced bread, literally.
Cost me like $175 total.

Chef said in Garden Chili:

mikemikemike Spoken from the mouth of a true purest! Likely you don’t care for beans in chili as well…

Actually, I do like beans in what i call stew with beef, beans, and chili powder. I will also add some minced onion, poblano’s, and jalapeno’s. Thats Garden Stew.

KillerNoms said in Masterbuilt won't Smoke:

mikemikemike Our posts are crossing. As I said, I modified it using simple instructions available via a quick google search. It bypassed all of the digital electronics. My MB40 is now just a nice box with a heating element completely controlled by my Auber.

I understand what you did. Its not a easy task for the average joe though. I don’t think pid is needed for electric, but pellet is a whole other ball game. You should look into it, especially if you have the electronic knowledge to modify. You can get a Pit Boss on sale for cheap, and add a Rec Tec WiFi controller.

KillerNoms said in Masterbuilt won't Smoke:

Like I said, I’m just in it for the smoking. I decided I wanted to go PID controilled. And decided I liked the 40" masterbuilt box up on a rolling pedestal. I have no desire to attack or defend the MB brand. The reality is that they are built to a price point and marketed to an audience that is price sensitive. Slaving the MB40 to my Auber has achieved all of my goals without spending way more than I thought made sense.

I do not question that your pellet burner has achieved your goals. I just happen to prefer electrics, now that I have control of the temp via the PID, and over the smoke via the mailbox mod. I’m just a happy smoker sharing my experience, not a brand or technique evangelist looking to save souls.

So you have a Electric MB40. How exactly are you controlling that with a PID controller? As far as i know, once you pull the plug on a MB it resets to zero. I don’t know of any models that keep heating up after power is lost.

KillerNoms

You still have not answered my question. What type of smokers are you working with besides an Electric Masterbuilt?

I can’t inform you on a better alternative till i know what you are working with.

Joe Hell

What other smoker do you have besides a Masterbuilt? Auber AFIAK only sells PID controllers. They might sell a controller and a blower for charcoal, but i am not aware of any Auber product that somehow magicly works with Electric smokers like Masterbuilt that is the topic of this thread. Seems like you and the other guy are barking up the wrong tree? I suggest both of you look into pellet smokers. I have wasted $$$ over the years with electric, gas/charcoal, charcoal smokers over the years. Pellet is the way to go.

KillerNoms said in Masterbuilt won't Smoke:

I’m no expert, but if it won’t hit 275 in anything approaching normal weather, it is either a problem with the element, the control, or the integrity of the box.

Whatever it is, I can tell you that by spending a couple of hundred bucks on a PID device (Auber WSD-1500H-W), and bypassing the internal controls to give the PID direct control of the element, for the first time in many years of smoking with electric smokers I am comfortable it will do what I say without drama.

Not only that, the PID works with any AC controlled analog heat source - for instance controlling a roaster oven to hold a big batch of stock at precisely 185º for 24 hours unattended. A powerful, flexible and accurate tool.

Thats more then an average Joe would do. I have plenty of PID controllers i built over the years, but if i was starting from scratch, with the knowledge i know, I would tell some one to go Pellet smoker. Rec Tec having the best WiFi PID controller for Pellet smokers.

You are either not informed on new technology, or you work for Auber. But if you want to debate, i am more then willing to mention better/cheaper products then Auber.

Sounds good indeed. But garden, and Chili don’t mix well. There is vegetable soup, and there is Chili. You can combine them, but it doesn’t equal “garden chili”

Cailyn

Its worth the $60 on amazon. I used to use my Masterbuilt electric for years before i upgraded to a vertical pellet smoker. Pellet smokers push air so much that bad smoke doesn’t have a chance to linger. But thats a whole other topic im not going to get into in this thread.

18handicapper said in Masterbuilt won't Smoke:

The digital read out says 275 but the actual box temp is 245,that’s on a 80 degree day

Try buying a bag of ceramic briquettes at home depot or lowes, they are fairly cheap. And instead of water, fill the water pan with the briquettes, annd cover with foil if you dont want to clean the briquettes when they get gunked up from drippings, or just put a pan above them to catch the drippings.

Anyway, the point is is the ceramic briquettes will act as a buffer and while it might take longer to reach 275F, it will help maintain that temp throughout the cook.

my 0.02c

18handicapper

Thats a new one for me. I mean, they are set to 275F max, but ive never had an issue with it not reaching 275F unless we are talking dead of winter with heavy winds. Thats said, i have had an element burn out.

pr0wlunwoof
Thanks, now im hungry for sausage sammichez. I too like them with onions, peppers and sauce. What i do is give them a quick grill, or sear on the griddle, then into the Instant Pot submerged in marinara sauce for 30 minutes, then turn off and wait 10 minutes to release the pressure. They come oput like they been simmering all day. Soo tender and still juicy since they were pressure cooked. The best part is they don’t shoot out of the roll like a rocket when you take a bite.

Yeah you need the cold smoker attachment if you want to produce smoke below 200F. Reason being is the wood chip tray relies on the heating element to burn the chips, and at temps below 200F the element just doesnt stay on long enough get them lit, or keep them lit. Some tips using the cold smoker attachment:

Use pellets
And use only a small handful at a time every 15 minutes, or when you see the smoke start to slow down.
This is preference, i prefer a clean subtle smoke flavor. If you fill that thing up it will smoke like a house fire, and probably taste like it too.

twilliams

Maybe try a mix. Pre corned beef brisket is pretty lean since its trimmed. Unless your going to cure a whole packer, I would do a 50/50 corned flat, with some pork shoulder.

twilliams

I meant grind the raw corned beef.

I always have casing separation. Its most likely becuase i like a drier end product. Gives it a “meatier” texture. So my sticks always wrinkle, and i am ok with that.