Need suggestions/hints for water smoker

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Need suggestions/hints for water smoker

Posted: 11/18/2003 7:06:46 AM EDT

Got any suggestions, I have never done this before. I am going to get some natural casings tonight, I ground up about 25lbs of venison and 10lbs of beef fat with some quick cure and various spices. I borrowed my buddies water smoker, going to pick up some alder or apple with hickory as the back-up. Now what???
Here is what went into the grinder last night!www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=11&t=214776

Posted: 11/18/2003 11:02:11 AM EDT

[#1]

Nobody has any ideas on making smokies! Maybe everybody is just holding back on the old family secrets! [Arock] If they turn out tasting like shit I will hold all of you personally responsible and will call your bosses at work to complain! [/Arock]

Posted: 11/18/2003 11:21:31 AM EDT

[#2]

Calling TRG

Posted: 11/18/2003 11:26:05 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Calling TRG

You rang? [/Lurch Voice]

Ok, first, you said you ALREADY ground the meat? What are you going to use to stuff it in to the casings? Hand stuffer, or do you have a stuffing tube for your grinder?

TRG

Posted: 11/18/2003 11:39:42 AM EDT

[#4]

I am going to assume that you have some way to stuff the casings.

From what you wrote in your post, I am not sure if you are wanting info on building a smoker, a water smoker, or how to stuff the cases, how to cook it, how to tie it, how to hang it...

Kinda throw me a bone here, let me tell you what I know.

I do not make my own stuffed sausage any more. It is too much trouble when I prefer the sausage in patties. Patties are more versatile and fit in to other recipes better than links.

Couple of things...

Add powder ranch dressing to your sausae blend. this will recapture some of the moisture and enhance both the mooisture and the flavor. You could also use powdered milk to get the same effect.

Punch the air bubbles (the ones that form when stuffing) with a toothpick to release the air. Too large of bubbles can tear your casing.

As for your temperature, you need to seriously look at your smoker setup. If you cannot keep it UNDER 200 for 12-18 hours, then you are going to cook your sausage too fast. Overnight is the time required. 200 max temp.

You can add small chunks of finely diced cheddar cheese to your sausage blend. But, this has to be added WITHOUT the grinder plate and knive, otherwise you get cheese smeared in to the meat, not recognizable bits of cheese. Works best if you have a hand stuffer. Ditto with jalapenos.

TRG

Posted: 11/18/2003 11:59:00 AM EDT

[#5]

Thanks TRG. Already ground with spices and cure added. Really looking for smoking hints or helpful tips. Using a tube on grinder to fill, will poke holes as you recommend.

Posted: 11/18/2003 4:04:57 PM EDT

[#6]

Smoking hints...

Let's see. Are you going to hang your sausage, or lay it flat?

Hanging will give you a more consistent smoke. You need to hang it from stainlees steel rods. Just kind of 'loop' the sausage over the poles. You don't 'really' need to twist it in to links. You can do that, but it just adds an extra step, doesn't really do anything for the process.

Your 'cure' that you added...? Explain that to me. Normally you don't add a cure to meat that is going to be hot smoked. Odd that you did that. nothing really wrong with that, just probably not a necessary part of the process.

You do understand that this sausage, through this smoking process is going to be 'cooked' meat. It will not be a 'cured' or safe to be left unrefrigerated meat, right?

Cook it as slow as you can. Remember, water boils at 214 or less, depending upon altitude. Excess heating during the smoking process is going to dry your sausage. You want these to be plump and juicy, go sloooooow. 180-200 max temp.

Don't get crazy on the smoke. 12-18 with smoke is going to be alot of smoke. I recommend an electric element to generate your heat, and use your wood chips sparingly.

A good tasting, smoked sausage, to have the right texture takes some time. You do NOT want to just fire the smoker up to 350 and cook it for 45 minutes. The process, done corectly, means you allwo the meats to slowly cook (and tenderize) while remaining moist (low heat) and tender casings (not crispy and crunchy)

Hope that helps.

TRG

Posted: 11/18/2003 4:08:49 PM EDT

[#7]

I thought this thread was about bongs???

Posted: 11/18/2003 4:13:50 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
I thought this thread was about bongs???

Me too, or Turkish Water Pipes.

Danny

Posted: 11/18/2003 4:28:25 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
I thought this thread was about bongs???

Dude, it is, man. Gotta read sloooower. It's all there, in code.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 4:19:12 AM EDT

[#10]

I have a good friend who used to butcher my deer and I asked him about making smokies, he gave me the quick cure and said it would keep the meat pink inside instead of getting dark in the middle. I guess the smoking is just to add flavor as the curing powder will take care of the bad juju. The smoker I borrowed has two horizontal racks, so the meat will have to lay flat. I was goint to start last night but had a friend call to help with a blood trail. Will start tonight and give an update tommorow. Thanks for all of the help Red! As for the rest of the comments, I had to give that all up long long ago.

Posted: 11/19/2003 6:10:47 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
I have a good friend who used to butcher my deer and I asked him about making smokies, he gave me the quick cure and said it would keep the meat pink inside instead of getting dark in the middle. I guess the smoking is just to add flavor as the curing powder will take care of the bad juju. The smoker I borrowed has two horizontal racks, so the meat will have to lay flat. I was goint to start last night but had a friend call to help with a blood trail. Will start tonight and give an update tommorow. Thanks for all of the help Red! As for the rest of the comments, I had to give that all up long long ago.

No problem. He is correct that the cure will help preserve the color of the meat. The curing powder will help to take care of some of the bad juju, the hot smoking will kill the rest. You will still need to refrigerate the smoked links when finished.

Be sure to go slow or you will crack your casings.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 6:20:16 AM EDT

[#12]

www.sausagemania.com/tutorial.html

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 7:56:54 AM EDT

[#13]

Good site, I would not have oiled the funnel. Sounds like I may have some blow outs on the first round until I get the hang of it. nice touch on the twisting too. I wonder if there is any advantage to doing this as it comes out of the pusher instead of after all is said and done?

Posted: 11/19/2003 8:08:44 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Good site, I would not have oiled the funnel. Sounds like I may have some blow outs on the first round until I get the hang of it. nice touch on the twisting too. I wonder if there is any advantage to doing this as it comes out of the pusher instead of after all is said and done?

I have an uncle that makes hundreds of pounds of sausage each year. He stopped twisting his. He just loops them over a steel rod and hang them when smoking them.

Twisting them is just another way to break the casing. It has to be done very carefully. And it has a tendency to sometimes come untwisted. Kind of a frustrating step in the process.

If you are laying yours flat in your smoker. You probably want to consider laying out a long coil/spiral of sausage. Even heat and smoke that way. Makes sure the spiral has enough air space between the coils to allow even smoke and heat to pass.

Remember that sausage that is laying on top of itself will cause uneven heating and cooking times.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 8:11:40 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
I wonder if there is any advantage to doing this as it comes out of the pusher instead of after all is said and done?

If you twist do it after you have filled all the casing.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 8:45:36 AM EDT

[#16]

what about wood. I have got some maple that was cut this spring, and I could cut on some old apple trees and maybe even some shagbark hickory or red oak(although I would hate to cut on any of my mast producing trees).

Posted: 11/19/2003 8:55:46 AM EDT

[#17]

Well, tell me more abotu the wood. Size? Diameter? Bark?

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 8:59:43 AM EDT

[#18]

How are you all lighting the water on fire, mine keeps putting the match out before I can get it to smoke, Just now, I lit the match and stuck it in a glass full of water, no smoke, no nothing, what am I doing wrong?? Do I have to light the whole book of matches and throw them in there???

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:04:25 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
How are you all lighting the water on fire, mine keeps putting the match out before I can get it to smoke, Just now, I lit the match and stuck it in a glass full of water, no smoke, no nothing, what am I doing wrong?? Do I have to light the whole book of matches and throw them in there???

Cat like reflexes work for me.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:04:37 AM EDT

[#20]

it is a limb cut from the top of a sugar maple, about 3" in diameter with bark on. still fairly wet and I have it soaking in water now. I was going to cut it in discs to place on the coals.

rak - did you get your water from the tap? I get mine from the river and it burns just fine!

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:07:44 AM EDT

[#21]

Ok, Im spooning mine outta the john, that must be where Im going wrong, Hey figured if it was good enough for the dog, it oughta work for me.

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:08:47 AM EDT

[#22]

Does this help?

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:10:01 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
it is a limb cut from the top of a sugar maple, about 3" in diameter with bark on. still fairly wet and I have it soaking in water now. I was going to cut it in discs to place on the coals.

discs? What thickness? 1-2" should work best. Consider removing the bark.

rak - did you get your water from the tap? I get mine from the river and it burns just fine!

Bottled lights best. Fewer contaminants.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:11:41 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
www.thegrillstoreandmore.com/image/products/big-pics/m5030.jpg
Does this help?

Yes, it does.

An R2D2 smoker. Hmmm...seriously, they are tought to use for a long slow smoke. The heat is pretty direct and gets above 200 if you are not careful.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:16:25 AM EDT

[#25]

so with the mixture of quick cure and temps of 170 to 220 how long should the venison stay in "R2D2"

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:21:13 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
so with the mixture of quick cure and temps of 170 to 220 how long should the venison stay in "R2D2"

In my opinion 8-10 hours. Watch your temp, it is going to be over 225 pretty easily.

Higher temps, as said before, equals dry meat, cracked casings, lost juices from the meat.

You should probably do this as a daytime smoke. Grab a 12 pack, and keep an eye on your setup. I would not just 'set it and forget it' on an R2D2.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:23:22 AM EDT

[#27]

You are wanting a finished product that looks like Store-bought kielbasa, right?

Not grilled brats.

You want this to be sausage you can freeze, and then later go grab the pre-cooked sausage, whittle off a link and warm in a pan?

Not a grilled, crunchy brat.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:24:40 AM EDT

[#28]

I think its going to rain here all weekend. I was thinking about setting uP in my garage. I could watch the buckeye game and check on it every so often, do they put off tons of smoke.

I want something I can just keep in the fridge and then grab one out and eat 2 or 3 with a 6pack. I was going to save a handful for brats and not smoke them. I guess they get mushy if you try and heat them up after smoking.

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:34:31 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
I think its going to rain here all weekend. I was thinking about setting uP in my garage. I could watch the buckeye game and check on it every so often, do they put off tons of smoke.

I want something I can just keep in the fridge and then grab one out and eat 2 or 3 with a 6pack. I was going to save a handful for brats and not smoke them. I guess they get mushy if you try and heat them up after smoking.

If you slow smoke them, properly, they will NOT get mushy if you reheat them. They will be moist and the casing will 'snap' when you bite in to it.

You are right that you should watch a game while smoking them.

Carport or Garage?

Wind is a factor, you know.

Setting up a black smoker, in the shade, is always a good idea. Sunlight can really adversely affect your smoking temps. When I smoke cheese, in the Winter, I cannot get the smoke cool enough if the sun is shining on my black smoker.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 9:45:17 AM EDT

[#30]

p2-car garage, could go under covered porch though.

oops, p2, it is just your ordinary 2-car garage

Posted: 11/19/2003 10:01:22 AM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
p2-car garage, could go under covered porch though.

oops, p2, it is just your ordinary 2-car garage

Do it under the covered porch.

TRG

Posted: 11/19/2003 10:09:10 AM EDT

[#32]

Will it matter that much that it will probably only be around 50. How often do you add wood, water? A co-worker suggested adding a few cans of beer to the reservoir!!