Center is off color. Taste and texture are good. I used H-summer sausage season, 17.5lbs venison, 7.5lbs brisket fat (25lbs~70/30), 1oz sure cure, 6oz sure gel, 2qt water, 2lbs high temp cheddar, 10.3oz fresh chopped jalapeño. Used meat mixer for seasoning, cure, and binder to get good protein extraction then added cheese & jalapeño. My mixer was over full so I dumped in a meat tote and hand mixed the 4oz of ECA. Stuffed into 2.4” casings and moved to the smoker. Smoker is a Pitboss pellet. Started on smoke only (~ 125) 2hr, 150 2hr, 175 12hrs. Had trouble getting sausage temperature to 160. I added more pans of water, rearrange hang sticks and then increased smoker to 200 for another 4 hrs. when sausages were between 155 & 160 (multiple sausages were monitored), dropped them in an ice bath. Vacuum sealed and put them in refrigerator.
The center 3/4” is off color, not pleasant to look at but taste good, though not enough jalapeño flavor.

shane102 the color shown is as soon as it was cut open. It hasn’t changed after being exposed. I’ve only cut two of them.

Thanks for all the feedback, great forum. After eating it without I’ll effects I shared with coworkers, they tore it up like a pack of wolves and want more. Doing another batch this weekend. Thinking about doing a water bath after initial 4 hrs of smoking. Also wondering if my stuffer is crushing the ECA prematurely , it’s a homemade water stuffer, 6” PVC shooting through 3/4” copper tube.

Jonathon I assume you’re referring to my water stuffer. It’s 6” PVC well casing, holds 30lbs, the piston is the critical piece.

My second batch of summer sausage turned out well, color is right. Used pepper cheese and partially dehydrated jalapeños. The pepper cheese is very mild in flavor and heat. I think I need to quadruple the jalapeños. Did 25lbs (17.5 venison, 7.5 brisket fat). Added 20.3oz fresh jalapeños dehydrated to 2.3oz.
Still puzzled about the color on the first batch. Maybe I’m getting old and forgot the cure but I’m having trouble believing that.