Cold smoking sausage

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czntx

Newbie
Original poster
Feb 6, 2015
4
10
This is my first post on this site and I'm hoping for some input from people knowledgeable on cold smoking sausage. For at least 40 years now, I've been making various sausages and learned it from my parents and grandparents as a kid. However, I think my family may have used some less than safe practices when cold smoking, so I'd like to get a discussion going with some people who know a lot about this so I can increase my understanding.

I have cold smoked sausage, both with and without cure in the past. I now know that it is not safe to do so without the cure, so all future cold smoked sausages will contain cure. I've spent some time reading about it and I've talked to several sausage makers, including some professional butchers during my yearly visits to Germany. There seems to be a lot of variation in different people's practices, so I'm really looking to find out all I can about what others recommend.

I have recently built a new smokehouse that is about 320 cubic feet. I've decided to install a smoke daddy smoke generator in it. I've not yet put any meat in my smoke house, but intend to do so soon. So far, I've just been experimenting with the smoke daddy to get the smoke correct. It took much trial and error, but I think I have it figured out.

I guess one of the main concerns I have is temperature. My smokehouse seems to maintain a temp that is only slightly above ambient temperature and so I'm wondering how much of the year I'll be able to use it. Where I live, we get frequent freezing temps in the winter, but by mid February, the temp is typically in the upper 30s to mid 40's at night and then might get up as high as 75 or even 80 during the day. Are these daytime temps too high for cold smoking? I'm thinking that I probably want to hang my sausages in the smokehouse and let them dry for a few hours and then put cold smoke to them for 6-8 hours. This could mean, even if I do it at night, that the temp inside the smoker could range between 40 and 80 degrees while the sausages are in there. Is there a problem with allowing them to reach 80?

I have more questions, but have to go back to work right now, so I'll check back on this thread later. I would appreciate any input from those of you who cold smoke sausage. I intend to freeze them after cold smoking and cook later
 
CZNTX,
Please stop by Roll Call and introduce your self for a propper SMF welcome!!

Welcome, from southern Ohio, to the best forum on the internet if you are looking to learn how to BBQ/smoke/brine/cure/inject. Well you get the picture if you can do it to something you put on a plate to eat then someone here has probably done it then smoked it.

Use the search bar at the top of the page and you will be led to the answer to most every question you can think of. If you don't find the answer there then just post it and someone will chime in with their opinion on the subject.

Always remember the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask!!
Keep Smokin!!!
Wolf
 
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I'll try to get over to roll call and write a proper introduction in the next day or so, wolfman 1955. I have actually been searching the forum and reading a lot of posts on cold smoking for the past few weeks and have picked up on some good info. I still have more questions though, so hoping someone with more knowledge on cold smoking sausage will be willing to discuss it with me.

Just to be clear, what I'm looking for is info on simply cold smoking sausage that will then be frozen prior to cooking. I'm already quite expert at hot smoking, so not needing any info there. I fooled around and didn't get my smokehouse finished as early in the year as I had hoped and now that it is finally ready to start smoking, our weather is beginning to warm up. Therefore, my main interest at the moment is to learn more about the uppermost limits in temperature for cold smoking and any challenges that might be encountered when cold smoking sausage at these temps.

Thanks for the welcome.
 
You stated that from now on you would be curing all your sausages for smoking that is a great idea safety wise. IMHO cold smoking is generally considered to be any thing below 80 deg. smoke chamber temp. so if your chamber runs a few degrees above ambient you should be good to go up to 75 deg. or so ambient. If you cure your sausage, I don't think it will change your final product to smoke it clear up into the low 100 deg. range as long as you freeze it then cook the sausage prior to eating to a safe IT range. I am no expert these are just my opinions, some one with more knowledge than I should be along to help you out.

Keep Smokin!!!

Wolf
 
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You stated that from now on you would be curing all your sausages for smoking that is a great idea safety wise. IMHO cold smoking is generally considered to be any thing below 80 deg. smoke chamber temp. so if your chamber runs a few degrees above ambient you should be good to go up to 75 deg. or so ambient. If you cure your sausage, I don't think it will change your final product to smoke it clear up into the low 100 deg. range as long as you freeze it then cook the sausage prior to eating to a safe IT range. I am no expert these are just my opinions, some one with more knowledge than I should be along to help you out.
Keep Smokin!!!
Wolf
I. I agree whole heartedly this is the way I've always made mine but it seems some don't like this
 
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