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Smoked sausage - still a bit crumbly...

Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 03:38
by Webpoppy8
I just did two rounds of sausage - smoked snack sticks and smoked Kranjska klobase. Both were hot smoked around 190°.

I poached samples of each, boiling a tablespoon or two in a ziplock for 4 minutes. I really liked the consistency.

They both came out a bit dry, not exactly crumbly. I think I've maybe got the bind down ok.

I didn't use the water pan. I'm wondering if I should fill the pan with water and keep high moisture in the smoker. Would water help?

Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 14:16
by Sleebus
The reason they came out crumbly is that the hot smoke temperature was too high. I don't go over 150° smoker temp when hot smoking. Fat starts to melt/render at 170°, so 190° is definitely too hot. Even if you are only going to a 155° IT, the outer layers of the sausage are going to exceed that, and the fat will start melting, resulting in what you experienced.

I've had good success using 150° for a hot smoke temp. Generally speaking, the meat won't exceed 145° IT, even after an extended period in the smoker. I then finish by poaching. Even that is riding the line, but I use that temp as that's as low as my pellet smoker will go. I've got some plans with an old smoker cabinet that will lower it further.

Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 16:27
by Bob K
http://www.wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=7096
Rule #20
20. Always preheat the empty smokehouse, add the sausage, then raise the temperature gradually - only a few degrees at a time at twenty or thirty minute intervals over several hours. I have yet to meet a sausage maker who didn`t ruin his first batch by cooking it too quickly. If the fat "breaks" (melts) and grease runs out onto the bottom of the smoker, you may as well toss the batch and start again. Cooked too quickly or too much, it is impossible to salvage.

You might want to start at 145 for an hour or so and then gradually increase to a max of 180 until your target is reached. Low and slow is the rule if you want to finish in smoker. And yes, in an electric smoker the water pan helps.

Thank you!

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 00:51
by Webpoppy8
Thank you Sleebus and Bob K for your tips. I think that the diagnoses you gave is correct. I also rushed a bit on these projects.

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 02:23
by Webpoppy8
Sleebus wrote: I don't go over 150° smoker temp when hot smoking.


Wait a minute....

So you don't do a full cook in the smoke? You finish by poaching? Isn't 165° the requisite internal temperature?

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 03:21
by Sleebus
Webpoppy8 wrote:
Sleebus wrote: I don't go over 150° smoker temp when hot smoking.


Wait a minute....

So you don't do a full cook in the smoke? You finish by poaching? Isn't 165° the requisite internal temperature?
No, I do not do a full cook in the smoker. For some styles, that is how it's done, but I've had very good success just smoking warm until I get the color I want, and then finishing by poaching to 155° IT. Pork is safe at 145°, I do 155°, I think Stanley suggests 151° as the finish temp?

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 11:59
by Bob K
Yes a lot of folks finish by poaching, it saves a lot of time, its almost :lol: foolproof, product is moister.

After smoking sausage to desired color, transfer to pot or steam cabinet. The water at around 170° f until internal temp is 154-155°f. Chill in ice water.

At 165° f you are dangerously close to breaking the fat (happens at 168°)

Nicely smoked and poached sausage: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.ph ... sc&start=0

Cooking and Smoking info: http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage ... t/sausages

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 15:26
by Sleebus
I only take my poach water to 165, that way I stay under the temps for fat melting. Still very easy to hit 155 IT. I've also found that the poach water temp doesn't decrease much with addition of the sausage. I've learned to be at 165 prior to putting the sausage in and not hoping for it to decrease the temp.

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 22:18
by martin
Hi
I use for poaching Anova circulator , and set up for 165 , so the temp never go above that .
My question is do I need to cold water bath after poaching my sausage , I think when my highest setting in anova will be 165 , or even 155 so why is the point to cold water bath , my sausage never reach higher temp then my anova setting , so why just not let them cool at rom temperature

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 22:33
by Sleebus
Force chilling prevents shrinkage and minimizes dwell time in the danger zone.

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 23:03
by martin
Hm ok
But meny recipe np krakowska sausage finish in smoker and hang in air to cool down , for even couple days , so its mean the baked in smoker sausage is more safe then poaching in hot water ?
155 inside sausage is still155 so what's different for a sefty sausage how you rich 155

Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 00:58
by StefanS
martin wrote:155 inside sausage is still155 so what's different for a sefty sausage how you rich 155
for safety it no different but for taste and drying purposes it is....

Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 16:44
by redzed
Polish style sausages that are finished (baked) in the smoker are usually brought up to a higher temp, like 180 for the last 30 minutes. That is done to achieve a specific taste and appearance. Poached sausages are normally cooled with water (dip or spray), while sausages brought to 150+ IT in the smoker are air cooled and will be more intense in flavour, drier and darker and wrinkled. That is the style, flavour and appearance that is desirable in certain sausages. And yes, you have to have perfect temp control when you do that so as not to have "fat out" and dry crumbly sausage. If you want a fail proof sausage, dry in the smoker for an hour (or until the casing is dry with no beads of sweat) at 110F, smoke at 135-140 for 2-3 hours (forget about the advice of bumping up the temp by a few degrees every 10-15 minutes), then finish by poaching. I bring my water to 180F, because the temp will drop once you put the sausage into it, and then keep it at 170. Sausages in hog casing 32-40mm will usually be at 152 in about 20 minutes. I also add an extra 2g/kg of salt to poached sausages.