to peel or not to peel

ursula · Post by **ursula** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 06:19

Hi all,
Just a basic question. On my property I have hickory, apple, maple, cherry, beech, birch - you name it.
I seem to remember someone in one of the threads suggesting that you shouldn't use the bark, as it deposits black sticky stuff on the meat. (I have had this happen to me.)
Does this mean bark should be removed, or is this only because the wood I burned was not dry enough?Otherwise I'll be finding a new evening hobby peeling wood!
Thanks Ursula

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 06:27

Some woods have a slightly oily bark, birch comes to mind but most are completely benign. I have been using apple ,maple, mulberry,pear , hickory and oak with no unpleasant results. Soot is just carbon that didn't burn it is harmless but not aesthetically pleasing.

ursula · Post by **ursula** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 06:40

Wow, Ssorllis, that was a quick reply!
I had a problem with too much condensation in my smokehouse and this may have exacerbated the problem. The black soot was thick and sticky and coated all top surfaces in the smokehouse. It was really difficult to scrub off. Crusty 04 was a great help in suggesting I try some dry mill ends and this solved the problem, but I really want to use the fruit and other woods I have so freely available on my land. Perhaps I will dry the fruit wood in the oven. That may solve both problems.
Thanks for your help
Ursula

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 08:08

What kind of sausage have you got in the smoker Ursula? Have you made any "semi-dry-cured" sausage yet? Ross is kind of our "wood expert" around here. He knows his stuff.

ursula · Post by **ursula** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 08:23

Hi Chuckwagon,
I'm a total newbie! I've only done salmon, chicken, beef and pork so far, and still learning about that process. It took me nearly 6 months to build my smokehouse,I've never built anything before. I like to thoroughly read everything I can before I jump in.
Ihaven't made any sausages before; don't even have all the equipment, but I must admit I spent a long time this afternoon reading about sausage making on this forum, and drooling over the fantastic photos. Really looking forward to making some too, but want to get this part right first.

Big Guy · Post by **Big Guy** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 13:31

I split my wood at least a year in advance, by then the bark just falls off. Creasote ( the black sticky stuff) can be reduced by removing the bark, using only seasoned( dry) wood and keeping a good air flow through your smoker. That is what works for me

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 13:40

I have a piece of mulberry about 8 inches in diameter and four inches thick that I picked up freshly cut from a power line clearing operation. I weighed it when first cut and then in a couple of weeks the rate of weight loss was rapid .
March 22 6.79 pounds
May 19 4.72 Pounds
August 14 4.32 pounds

Post by **Butterbean** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 21:16

I don't bother with peeling it either but I have plenty of air flow in my smoker.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 23:13

Ursula... see there! You've got a bunch of big brothers here to help you and answer your questions! Be sure to check out our resource list at this link: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=5391
Have you got a good source for casings? Yell if we can help you.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

ursula · Post by **ursula** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 03:56

Thanks heaps everybody. Such a great help. All that info in tandem will be applied.
I am sending the forum link to Terry, a guy I do tai chi with. He has just slaughtered a pig, and will learn a lot from you guys.
Thanks Chuckwagon, I have some potential sources for casings. Have a feeling there might be issues with our quarantine buying them from overseas.
Warm regards Ursula

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 04:13

I doubt that you would have problems with collagen casings.

ursula · Post by **ursula** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 04:24

Thanks Ssorllih,
I'll keep that in mind
Ursula

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 20:48

Hi Ursula,
I have bought collagen casings on Ebay from England as a trial run,I didn't want to buy a whole caddy at first. They arrived here,with the correct paperwork, without any problems.
Maybe Australian members could combine their purchases from an importer to safe heaps of money, for casings, ready made sausage spices, etc etc. The list is endless.
I would be interested.
Regards,
Jan.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 21:07

I am rather astonished that with the abundance of sheep farming in Australia that there is no casing processing industry.

ursula · Post by **ursula** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 07:24

Hi All!
Have been offline for a while now. My smokehouse door warped, and there was a problem with condensation and black sticky coating on all my smoked products. So that needed to be solved. Had to line the internal walls with black plastic to protect the walls, and put a baffle in the bottom where the smoke pipe enters, plus build a pipe around the chimney to keep the smoke from condensing. Seems to have licked the problem, so I am back in business. Yahoo!
Now have a dozen lovely slabs of pork and beef hanging in there going beautifully golden.
Now I can move on to sausages!
Ursula