Newbie question - smoking sausage on it's side?

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shooter57

Newbie
Original poster
Feb 21, 2009
18
10
Curious why sausage is sometimes cured while hanging instead of laying on a rack? It's sure a lot easier laying them down, so I figured there must be a reason it's not done that way at times.

Anyone have any info ?

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(note: edited to omit my stupidly generalized observations, after reading another thread here showing links being smoked on a tray)
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Welcome to the forum, Shooter. It's customary to stop by Roll Call and introduce yourself and let us know where you're from, type of equipment, smoking experience, etc. You can smoke sausage by laying it down. It tends to leave "grill marks" and if placing on a pan, the smoke doesn't penetrate all the way around. Maybe someone can come up with a better explanation for you.
 
I started by laying them down, but no smoke by the grill marks or where they touch.

I bought some small stainless steel S hooks at ACE hardware. now I hang them over the hook and just use the top shelf of mt MES. I also put toothpicks in the bottom of the sausages to keep them apart.

No reason not to lay them on the rack
 
Thanks for the welcome. Sorry I didn't introduce myself. I thought I had signed up, and posted up in Roll Call, prior to the change of hosting software but there doesn't seem to be any record of my registration now.

So... grill marks are the defining difference. I can see that. Thanks, all.
 
I think this is the best answer. Can get a lot more sausage in the typical smoker by hanging. Also allows for airflow around the sausage for even smoking/cooking.
 
Personally I hang the "big stuff" and lay the smaller stuff, and yes the only diff is the grill marks and the quantity that you can fit in the smoker.
 
I made a minor mod to my Cabela's so I could hang sausages by drilling two holes in it and using a hardwood dowel:



Might put another one in going 90° to it also underneath it a ½" or so too.
 
It's for the same reason that hams and bacon slabs are hung in a smoker-better smoke and air circulation = better color as long as you have good seperation between them. If you don't you'll end up with a white spot where the meat was touching together or touching the sides of the smoker.
 
I agree with dutch..the main reason is airflow so they dry properly prior to smoke and so the smoke hits the entire surface of the sausage. You'll notice most books mentioning proper spacing hand in hand with hanging the links.

I think it's also just really common because it allows for quite a bit more sausge to be smoked when thier hanging versus when thier laying flat.

On a side note...i've been away from here for a bit and this thread had someone mention the "event"...did i miss something good?
 
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