Smoked beef summer sausage

[kihler]

I made my first smoked beef summer sausage and it turned out dry. The flavor was good but the end product was dry. I used 2 pounds of ground beef and 10 oz of bacon plus herbs and spices. I thought the bacon would give it the moisture it needed.  I ground the beef and bacon together several times to give a smooth and even texture. I smoked it at 225 for an hour and finished it covered in the oven for 3 hour at 225. 

Any thoughts on why it was dry?  

 

[sopchoppy]

Probably went too long in the oven. 155 is the usual internal temp. for SS. Also you MUST put it in an ice bath quickly to stop the cooking. I cooked my first batch too long. 

 

[SmokinAl]

The first thing I see is that you smoked it at way too high a temp. You should never let the smoker temp get above 175, when smoking sausage. The fat will melt out. Also I would use some pork in it too, maybe 80% beef and 20% pork. Usually you start the smoker out at 120 & slowly increase the temps over a few hours to 175. No smoke for the first hour or so. I'm sure others will chime in with their ideas too.

Al

 

[chopsaw]

I'm going to suggest you start the post over . Need to know the recipe you used . Did you use cure 1 ?  Milk powder or a binder ? 

Temps above are good if you used the correct amount of cure 1 for the 2 lbs of product . I always use soy protein or milk powder anymore had enough dry sausage to last me awhile , lol . 

 

[kihler]

Thanks for the input. I used Morton tender quick for the cure. 1 1/2 teaspoon per pound of beef. I didn't add any extra for the bacon since it was already cured. I didn't add any binder, does that help with the dryness? By reading the replies, I think I had the temp to high and I didn't give it a fast cool down. Would adding a little liquid to the beef mixture help? When you watch TV shows making summer sausage they add water. 

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I add water or wine or stock when making sausage. Amount varies depending on type of sausage. For summer sausage I do add NFDM to also help retain moisture. As mentioned your higher temp in the smoker and oven also would have contributed to the dryness.

I use a step system for heat when smoking sausage and jerky. Start at 120-130 for first hour then bump 10 degrees every hour until the pit reaches 170. Cook the sausage to and IT of 156. It's a long process but makes a superior end product. I rarely ice bath after.