Homemade Sausage Making

carpster, your bacon looks great but your smoker looks like red cedar. After the first couple of runs it won't smell like a gerbil any more.

I'm trying to figure out what looks the best... the bacon or the smokehouse! Great work Carp. I just talked to Ross Hill (ssorllih) today on the phone and he's just used some pear wood on his. He likes apple on his bacon too. How did it work for you? I'm still stuck on good ol' hickory! (We don't have it here in the west, so we have to trade our honey for it).

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

ssorllih wrote:carpster, your bacon looks great but your smoker looks like red cedar. After the first couple of runs it won't smell like a gerbil any more.

It is!!! Native red cedar from Missouri. Funny you said this, because it's the first thing I smoked...gerbils I mean. I figure if someone can do a bird sausage, I can try gerbils

Steve

That is a nice smoker!!!

To be honest I would be cautious as cedar with its wonderfully aromatic oils is Highly volatile.

Never tried Gerbils but have tasted Starlings...how were they?

The apple is really nice, never too strong (I am a Hickory boy myself). I have peach, pear, and Apple from an old Orchard on my place, so I use it often.
The biggest problem is trying to chip it to a good smoking size for my Venturi smoker.

I have a friend who lined a closet with red cedar and his step daughter came in and gave him a hug and asked," Don, Why do you smell like a gerbil"?

ssorllih wrote:I have a friend who lined a closet with red cedar and his step daughter came in and gave him a hug and asked," Don, Why do you smell like a gerbil"?

If you can't do it in Missouri Cedar.....do it in Missouri Oak....or Missouri Hickory, or Missouri Walnut, or Missouri Osage Orange or......but don't do it with Gerbils!!! Lol