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Smoked or Unsmoked Bologna

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 00:42
by Rick
I'm wanting to make a nice lunch meat bologna here in the next week or so, and had a question about the common store bought bologna. I don't recall ever tasting smoke on the store bought ring bologna or the packaged slices. To be honest, I'm not a real big fan of smoked products, as the smoke always seems to over power the meat. I know when I buy some ring bologna for bologna mix, I grind it, add mayo, pickle relish and maybe onion, and it always comes out great. I did it once with one of the rings I smoked and the taste was not to the family's liking. It was kind of like eating "sliced smoke" between bread.

So my two questions would be: Is the bologna we buy in our local supermarket of the UN smoked variety?

All the recipes on this forum that call for smoke in the final bologna process could then be used with the elimination of the smoke with satisfactory results? Perhaps maybe just one pan of sawdust would suffice to add just a hint of smoke.

Your thoughts please and thank you!

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 01:21
by ssorllih
It will state on the package if it has been smoked or smoke flavored.

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 01:51
by w1sby
Keep in mind that some things really require a rest after smoking. I always let cheese rest for a month before eating it. If you get into it too soon it tends to have a bitter taste. I suspect that some of the more delicate sausages may be similar.
Another thing to ponder: a LOT of people over smoke.

73 de Allen, W1SBY

Over smoke

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 02:22
by Rick
I agree on the over smoke and I'm sure I'm just as guilty as all the rest. In the case of where one uses hickory sawdust. How many cups full do you put in your pan? How many pan fulls does it take before the sausage gets up to temp? So if my pan were to hold 6 cups of sawdust, maybe that one pan full would be enough? Perhaps it takes 2-3 pan fulls. I don't ever recall anyone mentioning how much sawdust they burn per batch of sausage. Then again, I've read recipes that call for a "heavy smudge"! What defines a "heavy smudge"? I know we all take into consideration our weights and measures of ingredients we use in making the sausage, now lets go a step further and define our smoke applications. I know some folks use chunk wood and others sawdust. Would it be possible to weight out the amount of either that goes into the smoking pan, and how pans are used? Maybe then we can define what constitutes a light, medium and heavy application of smoke. Just a thought!

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 02:43
by Gulyás
Hi Rick!

I spent the day in Chicago, had some over smoked sausages too. Today we use smoking for flavoring, the over smoked one taste bitter. There is a good article about it here.

http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/meat-smoking

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 02:51
by el Ducko
As the proud new owner of a new smoker, I sure would like to know how in detail the "smoke" part operates. I get the heated cabinet bit fine, but... :?:

Looks like there's the pan method, and then there's the "Amaz'n Smoker" method, and then there are all sorts of chip and pellet feeders. Does anyone know enough to contrast the various types and give operating tips on 'em all? Do I need to invest some more $ on a different type of smoke generator? :???:

...and I have to laugh, here. I was Chemical Corps during my brief-but-brilliant U.S.Army career, and we ran smoke generators. They used a heavy oil and ran it through a ram jet sort of contraption to spew droplets into the air, rather than burn the stuff. ...sure don't want to do THAT for smoked meat! :!:

Up until now, I've tried what the celebrity TV cooking show hosts recommend, soaking wood and wrapping it in aluminum foil. I get charcoal and very little smoke. I have better luck periodically placing a soaked chunk or three of wood chips on the fire. ...but now, I've got this pan-thingy, and... :?:

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 02:55
by Gulyás
My smoker is Bradley, it uses Bisquettes. Sorry I can't help.

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 02:58
by el Ducko
Gulyás wrote:My smoker is Bradly, it uses Bisquettes. sorry I can't help.
Tell me, though, how the Bradley operates? Does it have a pan, to which you add bisquettes? Or is there some sort of screw mechanism that adds a certain amount per hour? Or is it a chamber with baffling... (lots of different configurations)?

I'd appreciate a descriotion, even though it's too late and I've bought a competing smoker. Thanks. :mrgreen:

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 03:05
by Gulyás
The new ones, (digital ones) are programmable, they smoke for hours automatically.
Please read about them here.

http://www.bradleysmoker.com/products/

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 03:29
by Baconologist
el Ducko wrote:As the proud new owner of a new smoker, I sure would like to know how in detail the "smoke" part operates. I get the heated cabinet bit fine, but... :?:

Looks like there's the pan method, and then there's the "Amaz'n Smoker" method, and then there are all sorts of chip and pellet feeders. Does anyone know enough to contrast the various types and give operating tips on 'em all? Do I need to invest some more $ on a different type of smoke generator? :???:

...and I have to laugh, here. I was Chemical Corps during my brief-but-brilliant U.S.Army career, and we ran smoke generators. They used a heavy oil and ran it through a ram jet sort of contraption to spew droplets into the air, rather than burn the stuff. ...sure don't want to do THAT for smoked meat! :!:

Up until now, I've tried what the celebrity TV cooking show hosts recommend, soaking wood and wrapping it in aluminum foil. I get charcoal and very little smoke. I have better luck periodically placing a soaked chunk or three of wood chips on the fire. ...but now, I've got this pan-thingy, and... :?:
I think I've tried every possible option over the years!
The A-Maze-N smokers are a revolution!
The only way to go!

Re: Smoked or Unsmoked Bologna

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 03:32
by Baconologist
Rick wrote:I'm wanting to make a nice lunch meat bologna here in the next week or so, and had a question about the common store bought bologna. I don't recall ever tasting smoke on the store bought ring bologna or the packaged slices. To be honest, I'm not a real big fan of smoked products, as the smoke always seems to over power the meat. I know when I buy some ring bologna for bologna mix, I grind it, add mayo, pickle relish and maybe onion, and it always comes out great. I did it once with one of the rings I smoked and the taste was not to the family's liking. It was kind of like eating "sliced smoke" between bread.

So my two questions would be: Is the bologna we buy in our local supermarket of the UN smoked variety?

All the recipes on this forum that call for smoke in the final bologna process could then be used with the elimination of the smoke with satisfactory results? Perhaps maybe just one pan of sawdust would suffice to add just a hint of smoke.

Your thoughts please and thank you!
If the smoke flavor bothers you, there's nothing wrong with eliminating it all together, or you may want to try something mild, just a kiss of apple smoke.
I agree with what was said above, many things benefit from a rest after smoking.

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 04:58
by ssorllih
I am still primitive and burn chunks of wood in a remote fire box and cook the meat in my 800 dollar oven.

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 07:45
by Cabonaia
I have an Amaz'n and can't say enough good things about it. I used to smoke by getting some briquettes going, then adding oak chunks over them, then continuing to add oak chunks as long as I needed to. This was a fairly hot smoke, and took a lot of attention. With the Amaz'n, I set it up and forget about it. I don't have experience with bisquettes, but I know they are more expensive. I can get a nice cool smoke with the Amaz'n, on the cheap.

Lil Harry Smoker

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:28
by Rick
I've had my Lil Harry Smoker now going on 30 years, as close as I can guess. It continues to serve me well in my smoking needs.

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:06
by Rick
Another reason for my not preferring smoke just came to mind. Years ago I made some ring bologna and stuffed it in natural beef middles as best I can recall. Now I do enjoy a nice chunk of pickled bologna and extra sharp cheddar for a quick lunch. I recall adding chunks of bologna to a gallon glass jar of pickling mixture where it sat on the counter. After about 4 days I noticed a cloudy scum and smoke smell forming in the solution. Eventually it grew worse and I was forced to discard the works. It certainly didn't look anything like the big 3 gallon glass jug of pickled bologna sitting on my local butcher shop meat case, nice and clear with the spices and bay leaves visible. I did use my smoker after that just for heating without smoke applied and the pickled bologna turned out great. I believe the smoker has its place in sausage making, but not for every sausage. I remember Tasso coming out nice and smokey and a great addition to a pot of pea soup.