Need some troubleshooting advice. I’ve been making venison summer sausage with 50/50 pork butts. I’m mixing until I get good protein extraction, adding sodium phosphate, encapsulated citric acid & binders. I’ve got an electronic meat thermometer so I can monitor my temperature which I’m cooking to 155-160 internal temperature. After I reach temp I’m submerging in ice water for about 10 minutes. They taste great and the casing comes off easy but it looks like they are “shrinking” a little and I get a wrinkled final product. Any ideas on where I’m going wrong?
I’ve been cooking in a propane cabinet smoker (I’m thinking this is part of my issue, as I can’t get good humidity from my water pan), I just ordered a new PK 100 smoker today.

Joe Hell, I like mine, it’s a beast going from a #32 Big Bite. But out of curiosity, what issues does yours have?

Appreciate the feed back. I have a Thunderbird AMG-50 that I just got. Just ordered a full set of new plates and blades today. Got the machine used with just an 1/8” plate, definitely was experiencing a mushier 2nd grind.

Novice question, most all the info I read says to first grind with a 3/8” plate than re-grind with an 1/8” plate. why not just grind the 1/8” plate twice? TIA

New to the sausage making game. I see all these different cures, if I’m wanting to try my hand at summer sausage can I use the Sweeter than Sweet cure? Do all cures serve the same purpose?