ttinidaho That’s GREAT !! I am happy for you !! I only used the citric acid the very first time I ever made snack sticks . I usually make a batch from 12-18# and with my equipment it takes about 3 hours start to finish and with the citric acid you need to begin your cure immediately after stuffing which makes for quite a long day and also the citric acid added quite a " TWANG" to that first batch . I found it works better to do my complete processing the night before smoking and here in Florida l allow the product to rest in the fridge overnight………

ttinidaho Hey Idaho !! Wow , you’re a lucky individual !! I make all my sausage and snack sticks from deer meat , and l use a combination of added fat. I start with 1 each Boston Butt (3-4#) per 10# of meat then add the proportion of beef fat for the original 10# of venison . I have had all 3 meats and would certainly mix them together myself !! Have fun , good luck !!

Chicovt I only used a binder the very first time l made snack sticks , l will typically stuff 19mm , 23mm , 32mm , and 1 1/2" all in one batch using only a 12mm tube . I experiment with something different almost every time l stuff n smoke . I DO ALWAYS grind mix/season and stuff as my prep procedure then allow the stuffed products to rest in stuffed form for about 12 hours refrigerated , good luck Chico !!

Chicovt Hey PapiChico , did you find a reason/solution ? I think under the meat in your pic is a vent screw that allows compressed air pockets to release without blowing a gasket . Mine was snug from the factory and l backed it off a bit until l could hear pressure releasing when l first start cranking…

Chicovt Hey Chico !! Wow , l’ve only used the citric acid once , and yes the “twang” was definitely detectable . Mainly l’ve gotten into the ritual of doing all my prep in the evening and allowing my snack sticks to rest about 12 hours prior to smoking so the acid isn’t necessary. If you enjoy a BOLD flavored snack stick as l do l highly recommend the " Tex/Mex " !!

okkipp That’s another exact question l myself had , 2 or 3 hours into my 175* cycle the product was only gaining about 1 degree per hour and l simply had no intention of smoking another 8 hours ………Since then , l run my first , second and third cycle as directed , 1 hour at 175 , 30 min at 180 , 30 min at 185 . At the end of the 185* period l am at 160 consistently. I make batches of snacksticks at 19mm , 23mm , and 32mm and always make at least 1 one foot long 1 1/2" dia " summer sausage " and keep my temp probe in the summer sausage . My major problem PRIOR to learning about Waltons was my processor was very poorly mixing my sausage and l ran over 250 lbs of summer sausage with EVERY 25# batch totally " fatting out ". Now l have the knowledge l attained through watching Jonathon and Austins videos along with the equipment available @ Waltons and ALL my previous issues are a distant memory…

Ed_Orum Hey Ed , my EXACT goal is the same as your own !! I want to duplicate traditional pepperoni . l have tried following the ingredient parts of the Waltons recipe and altering the smoking a bit . Bottom line is the end result is very tasty but not near what my vision is. l don’t have any way to hang my product due to the climate here so next batch will be totally different . l am sure that you like l realize the look of pepperoni is TOTALLY different than snack sticks , it can not possibly be mixed to the " proper " protein extraction and have the visual fat/meat contrast that pepperoni displays when sliced . l have not tried but l think if we start with the lowest smoke temp possible and end with a dry cool hang we should get closer to the wanted result

jbarrone I smoke a LOT of summer Sausage on my Masterbuilt electric smoker , it goes as low as 100* , digital , perfect every time vertical or horizontal .

vjbutler Is your end product a dense , firm , dry stick similar to “real” pepperoni ? What size grinder die do you use ? 1 or 2 grinds ? Thankyou very much VJ , as soon as l know your whole process l will try it myself barring the 50 degree room which is difficult to attain in Florida

vjbutler Hey VJ , Wow , you’re doing something far different than l , l’ve only been dabbling with making sausage a few weeks now and the snack stick recipe l follow from Waltons is about a 6 hour smoke process , l have used the 17 or 19 mm casings , 32mm and even 1 1/2" like a summer sausage casing . l smoke to an internal temp of 160* , everyone loves them but they are not near what l wish to produce . I have been using the TexMex and wpepperoni seasoning. My wish is to end up with a product like an authentic pepperoni without a cold smoke multi week process and my result is a far cry from such . Do you care to tell me about the consistency and texture of your snacksticks when they’re finished including cooking temps and duration ? I am wondering if you’re achieving the result l am hoping for , thanks for the reply

vjbutler 1 Quart water ? I think the recipe calls for 2 quarts Bro .

I am smoking summer sausage , the last step is 175 degrees until internal temp hits 160 degrees . How long should this take ?? I have been at 175 for 3 hours and the internal doesn’t get any higher than 150 degrees ?