Sausage time

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mike57

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 6, 2015
8
10
OK guys, this weekend I'm finally going try my hand at sausage making. I will be de-boning  2 Boston Butts, then running it through a grinder. I purchased hog casings today at my local butcher shop, and they also sold me what they called "curing salt" which is pink in color. The guy told me to add 4 oz per 100 lbs(or 1 oz per 25 lbs of ground pork.) Is there a recommended amount of time this cure has to be incorporated in the ground meat before stuffing?

Also, I'm not sure what is meant by cold smoking vs hot smoking, maybe someone can clear that up for me. But do I understand that at some point in the smoking process, Is it crutial to get the internal temp of the sausage up to about 165 degrees? Thanks. 
 
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MATE!! Please put the bag of pink stuff out of reach of children and do some research before proceeding.

That said....no one can give you answers based upon your question. I think you may be taking on too much in one hit...ie crawl before you walk....grind your butts and make some great FRESH sausage...soak your casings in fresh water overnight before stuffing. There are some great recipes on Len Poli's site...google it, it will blow your mind.

Once you've got the hang of sausage making (and you will go through the grinder/stuffer debate) move on to smoking & curing. There's a lot to learn to be safe.

I'm not trying to be a dick, just been down this path. And seriously..put the pink salt in the very back of the freezer out of reach. 1 teaspoon of it ingested directly will kill you by restricting your red blood cells from absorbing oxygen! Not trying to be alarmist, it is safe when you know how to use it.

Ask many questions...its the way of learning.

HTH

Dingo
 
 
OK guys, this weekend I'm finally going try my hand at sausage making. I will be de-boning  2 Boston Butts, then running it through a grinder. I purchased hog casings today at my local butcher shop, and they also sold me what they called "curing salt" which is pink in color. The guy told me to add 4 oz per 100 lbs(or 1 oz per 25 lbs of ground pork.) Is there a recommended amount of time this cure has to be incorporated in the ground meat before stuffing?

Also, I'm not sure what is meant by cold smoking vs hot smoking, maybe someone can clear that up for me. But do I understand that at some point in the smoking process, Is it crutial to get the internal temp of the sausage up to about 165 degrees? Thanks. 
http://www.meatsandsausages.com/meat-smoking/hot-smoking

http://www.meatsandsausages.com/meat-smoking/cold-smoking

Cold smoking at 52-71° F (12-22° C), from 1-14 days

Warm smoking Continuous smoking at 73-104° F (23-40° C), from 4-48 hours depending on the diameter of the meat,

Hot smoking is the most common method of smoking. Continuous smoking at 105-140° F (41-60° C),

Temperature Time Temperature Time
°F (°C) (Minutes) °F (°C) (Seconds)

130 (54.4) 112 min... 146 (63.3) 169 sec
131 (55.0) 89 min.... 147 (63.9) 134 sec
132 (55.6) 71 min.... 148 (64.4) 107 sec
133 (56.1) 56 min.... 149 (65.0) 85 sec
134 (56.7) 45 min.... 150 (65.6) 67 sec
135 (57.2) 36 min.... 151 (66.1) 54 sec
136 (57.8) 28 min.... 152 (66.7) 43 sec
137 (58.4) 23 min.... 153 (67.2) 34 sec
138 (58.9) 18 min.... 154 (67.8) 27 sec
139 (59.5) 15 min.... 155 (68.3) 22 sec
140 (60.0) 12 min.... 156 (68.9) 17 sec
141 (60.6) 9 min...... 157 (69.4) 14 sec
142 (61.1) 8 min...... 158 (70.0) 0 sec
143 (61.7) 6 min.......
144 (62.2) 5 min.......
145 (62.8) 4 min.......

Table C.1: Pasteurization times for beef, corned beef, lamb, pork and cured pork (FDA, 2009, 3-401.11.B.2).
 
 
MATE!! Please put the bag of pink stuff out of reach of children and do some research before proceeding.

That said....no one can give you answers based upon your question. I think you may be taking on too much in one hit...ie crawl before you walk....grind your butts and make some great FRESH sausage...soak your casings in fresh water overnight before stuffing. There are some great recipes on Len Poli's site...google it, it will blow your mind.

Once you've got the hang of sausage making (and you will go through the grinder/stuffer debate) move on to smoking & curing. There's a lot to learn to be safe.

I'm not trying to be a dick, just been down this path. And seriously..put the pink salt in the very back of the freezer out of reach. 1 teaspoon of it ingested directly will kill you by restricting your red blood cells from absorbing oxygen! Not trying to be alarmist, it is safe when you know how to use it.

Ask many questions...its the way of learning.

HTH

Dingo
Whoa MATE! Relax. "That said....no one can give you answers based upon your question"- really? Sounded like basic questions to me. "Ask many questions...its the way of learning", apparently I didn't ask the correct questions.  I don't know what I said that would cause you to panick about curing salt. Is the pink variety more dangerous than other curing salts? FYI, I've seen people making sausage before, it's not rocket science-just do what you're suppose to. Let me re-phrase my 2 questions again. 1- some say to let the cure stay overnight to incorporate well, before stuffing, 2-is it necessary that the IT be 165 degrees? Maybe someone can answer these. Thanks.

P.S. Sorry if I sounded like a dick.
 
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Whoa MATE! Relax. "That said....no one can give you answers based upon your question"- really? Sounded like basic questions to me. "Ask many questions...its the way of learning", apparently I didn't ask the correct questions.  I don't know what I said that would cause you to panick about curing salt. Is the pink variety more dangerous than other curing salts? FYI, I've seen people making sausage before, it's not rocket science-just do what you're suppose to. Let me re-phrase my 2 questions again. 1- some say to let the cure stay overnight to incorporate well, before stuffing, 2-is it necessary that the IT be 165 degrees? Maybe someone can answer these. Thanks.

P.S. Sorry if I sounded like a dick.
The info given for the cure amounts was correct...  4 oz. per 100 #'s....   or 0.25% the weight of the ingredients...

Did you read my post #3 ..  ??????
 
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It's extremely important to know which curing salt you have, #1 or #2. You'll want to use #1 (6.25% nitrite). As far as a safe amount, most proven recipes call for 1 teaspoon per 5 lbs. or 4oz per 100lbs as stated by DaveOmak. As far as letting it sit over night, that seems to differ among personal preference. I personally will let mine sit overnight if I'm making summer sausage and stuff the next day. If making snack sticks, I stuff right away. Reason being if the meat stiffens up too much it can be difficult to force it through a small diameter tube. I then let them rest in the fridge before smoking. Hope this helps some.
 
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Whoa MATE! Relax. "That said....no one can give you answers based upon your question"- really? Sounded like basic questions to me. "Ask many questions...its the way of learning", apparently I didn't ask the correct questions.  I don't know what I said that would cause you to panick about curing salt. Is the pink variety more dangerous than other curing salts? FYI, I've seen people making sausage before, it's not rocket science-just do what you're suppose to. Let me re-phrase my 2 questions again. 1- some say to let the cure stay overnight to incorporate well, before stuffing, 2-is it necessary that the IT be 165 degrees? Maybe someone can answer these. Thanks.

P.S. Sorry if I sounded like a dick.
1. Some let it sit overnight some stuff it as soon as the grind it. I prefer to stuff the next day. I add a little water to make it easier.

2. No it is not necessary to get it to 165°

That is the simple answer. Now I will add a little more. Sausage is a very broad word. I don't know for sure what you are trying to make. I think 165° is over cooked for most types. For things like summer sausage or snack sticks you don't want to go over 154° and you want your smoker temps low so as not to render the fat.Cure is very safe just make sure that you use the correct amount and don't use the wrong cure in the recipe because they are not interchangeable. Meaning don't use cure 1 when it calls for cure 2 or tender quick. 

I look forward to seeing your sausage and if you have any questions ask. 

Happy smoken.

David
 
Sorry for being overly concerned for your well being....it wont happen again.

(1) For me I stuff directly after the primary bind, then allow the sausage to bloom overnight before proceeding with whatever the next step may be.

(2) Maybe...
 
Mike, welcome to the obsession. Here's my process and it seems to have been working for me. I've made anything from cured kielbasa, fresh green onion sausage, and cured salami. For anything that uses Cure #1, I'll dice up my meat 48 hours in advance and mix it with the Cure #1 and salt and let it hangout in the fridge. The night before, I'll through that container in the freezer to harden up. The next morning I'll grind and then mix the remaining spices with 1/2 cup of water per 5 lbs of meat. I find this helps with thorough mixing of the spices. I have zero issue creating a nice a sticky meat mixture with this amount of liquid added and I find it help with the ease of cranking the stuffer. And soaking the casings 24 hours in advance makes them very easy to stuff and helps a lot with the final texture.

Like people have said, the most important part of using Cure is to be sure you're using the correct Cure and in the correct amount. Other than, play around with whatever spices and meats you feel like. It ain't rocket science, but we all want you to make something safe and delicious! 
 
Thanks for the responses guys, that's what I was looking for. As far as the correct cure...I purchased it at my local meat market/slaughter house that has been making and selling smoked sausage and meats for as long as I can remember. I told them exactly what I was doing, and that I was planning on smoking the sausage. They in turn told me what cure they use, and thats what I bought.

Dave I did read your post, and thanks alot.
 
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Well, not to beat a dead sausage here, BUT....all good advice above with good intentions by all posters. The big thing here is nobody wants to see anybody have ill effects from sausage making. It's not rocket science but a bad one can ruin your whole day or week. So, that being said....I don't make sausage in a sterile environment but try to be as clean as possible making good use of home sanitizers on the market now. I always bring any pork sausage to at least 160 IT....I give much away and don't want to take the chance of a buddy screwing up the final step of proper cooking. I don't always smoke to full completion being as I'm an impatient type so will smoke for a few hours and often finish in a barely simmering water bath till done. That really hastens up the process...then give them a cool bath and allow to bloom a few hours at room temp. I, personally, like to break up the process by grinding, resting the blob overnight and stuffing the next day. I've never had a problem stuffing with the Lem (yet) although I don't make a huge amount of snack sticks. If you are going to grind, stuff and grill those links immediately no cure would be needed. Freeze what you don't eat immediately for future use. There are 1,000's of sausage styles...you never mentioned what you are actually making. Regardless, take pics, keep records for future reference and use the search bar for research...it's an awesome tool.......Willie
 
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