Best sausage for smoking?

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dixiedog11

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 12, 2013
15
10
Apex, NC
I am fairly new to smoking.  I am smoking a chicken tomorrow night and thought I would smoke some sausage while I was at it.  I am not into making my own.  What would be the best kind to get from the grocery to use?

Thanks!
 
I love to smoke brats....and use the Johnsonville brand.  Take about 2 hours....or less....and they are so good.  You won't grill them ever again after smoking them.

My 2 cents!

Kat
 
I have done Brats as well, they are tasty. I think just about any sausage is good with some smoke on it, even Hot Dogs!...JJ
 
Hey DD. Please fill out your location in your profile. its times like these where members in your area can steer you in the right direction for some local sausage that are available

Thanks

Joe
 
Unless your sausage is pre-cooked, make sure when you smoke them that they get to 152 degrees or more to kill the trichinosis that WILL be in them.  Usually, when you are making sausage to smoke, you put in some dry milk or soy protein concentrate to cut back on the shrinkage but there's nothing you can do about store-bought sausage.

Now you made me hungry again!
 
Not a common practice injecting sausage. What are you trying to accomplish....You can pickle sausage just as long as it has been cured and cooked.
 
 
Good sausage should have enough fat content that it won't dry out as long as you don't overcook it.
 
I have smoked Both mild & Hot Italian sausage links.  As well as Mexican Brand Chorizo (Sold at the grocery around here).  All are still juicy and have their flavor enhanced.  

Don
 
I was just wondering about drying out. I read that others inject meat, I just wondered if it was true for sausage.
I would assume others inject meat to add different flavers, not just to add moisture. even with injecting, meat can become dry if improperly cooked. The leaner the meat the easier it would be to dry out with less fat content. Sausage usually is 70/30 lean to fat ratio so there is enough fat content to keep sausage moist and it also acts as a binder. If you want to make/cook fresh lean sausage and not dry it out I would hot smoke it (180 degrees smoker temp) take IT to 130 then steam to 160. Fresh sausage needs to cooked from 40 to 140 in 4 hrs.
 
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Fresh sausage and hot dogs are awesome smoked. You should remember to adhere to the 40-140° in four hours rule to keep from getting sick. Wieners do have cure #1 in them already I think but the fresh sausage does not and should cook above 140° internal temp within 4-hours....I like using hickory and cherry chips or pellets on my sausage....I made 40# last weekend. Will be posting pics when I get around to it..
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