Another DIY link sausage question

[Bill M]

I have no "smokehouse" for the slow smoke process. Can I use my smoker at low temp and if so, does anyone have good suggestions? Thanks.

[rtarcher]

I usually make about twenty 1lb links, tied with twine into the horseshoe shape. I cut some hardwood dowels to hang the links from inside my offset smoker. Make sure you use the proper amount of pink salt in your mix and smoke your links for 4-6 hours around 170* or until you reach an internal temp of 152-154. I dump them into an ice bath after that to stop them from cooking and to cool down. Leave them in that for about an hour. Vacuum pack and freeze after drying them off. I'm sure you'll get several different responses, but this has always worked well for me.

Todd

[diamond10x]

You don't have to have a smokehouse, just makes it easier smoking entire batches evenly. You can build a portable smokehouse really quick and easy though, if you want to.

You can use anything to smoke the links as long as it will allow the smoke to heat the links to your desired temp, it doesn't have to be anything special.

When I would make large batches with my family at the end of the season we would use the smokehouse. Now that I only make sausage on my own its all in my electric smoker.

[eradicator]

I usually make about twenty 1lb links, tied with twine into the horseshoe shape. I cut some hardwood dowels to hang the links from inside my offset smoker. Make sure you use the proper amount of pink salt in your mix and smoke your links for 4-6 hours around 170* or until you reach an internal temp of 152-154. I dump them into an ice bath after that to stop them from cooking and to cool down. Leave them in that for about an hour. Vacuum pack and freeze after drying them off. I'm sure you'll get several different responses, but this has always worked well for me.

Todd

Pretty much what I do except I let the sun dry the sausage after ice bath to allow the sausage to bloom.

[Walker]

I cold smoke my link sausage for about 2 hours. Just fresh sausage with some smoke.

[Lincoln Hawk]

This is definitely ghetto, but I've used a steel garage shelf wrapped in cardboard to cold smoke. Cut a little chimney up top, and put a small fire in a smallish steel bucket. Bucket is on the bottom shelf sitting on a paver. Hang the sausage off the wire racks with paper clips.

It's not fancy but it gets the job done.

[mbf]

Yes sir you can, just stuff the casings full, let them dry before putting them in the smoker and keep the temp below 180 so you don't melt all the fat out. Take them off after they are around 150-152F. Cool them off quickly with cold water and let them hang and bloom for a while. I like to hang them overnight in my walk in cooler then package the following day.

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

I smoke until internal temp is 155. As said above, low temp to not melt fat. This is my favorite use of a pellet smoker compared to a stick burner. Some ice water bath after pulling. I do cool for at least an hour until it reaches ambient.

[Bill M]

I appreciate all the responses, very good info to have. My pellet gives me fits under 200. One question, how to you temp probe it without puncturing the casing?

I like the metal wire shelf idea and will try that next year.

Almost 50/50, 13.5 lbs, venison, 10.5 lbs. pork, season and sitting overnight. grinding, cooking flavor testing samples, and stuffing tomorrow.

[Gumbo Man]

Smoker will work but doesn’t hold much sausage. Anything can be used to hold smoke in. You can make a wire frame with a heavy tarp to smoke sausage as long as common sense is used not to burn it down. Build a fire in a wash tub or whole dig in the ground. You can use a fish fryer with pan on top with wood or chips. As mentioned already don’t let your smoking temp get above 180* or you’ll render your fat before safe internal temp has been achieved. I don’t do an ice bath because I normally make large batches at a time. I just open the smokehouse door and start spraying with a water hose until sausage temp is around 100* and then leave to dry and bloom for minimum 1 hour or more. Your links will remain full and plump and take on a nice reddish color with this process. Have fun with it.

[rtarcher]

I appreciate all the responses, very good info to have. My pellet gives me fits under 200. One question, how to you temp probe it without puncturing the casing?

Have a meat probe in one in the middle of your setup. It'll leave a hole, but that hole will seal up in/after the ice bath more than likely. If it doesn't, your mix might barely spit out but not enough to worry about.

Todd

[Gumbo Man]

One question, how to you temp probe it without puncturing the casing?

]

You can’t. Just stick the probe in the top of 1 link to monitor temp. You won’t loose enough moisture to matter.

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

I always sacrifice 1 link and put my temp probe into it. It will also be the taste test piece for that batch.

[Joe H]

That will be pretty lean sausage

[Stuck]

How many pounds are you stuffing today?

If it's the little you have in the picture id just smoke it and cook it. If you have a 100lbs your welcome to throw it in the cooler and bring it to my.camphouse. should be a good night to smoke.