summer sausage Q view, new pic

[down lowe]

Here is a link to the recipe, etc. that I am using. 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/102536/summer-sausage-questions-please-help

I thought I would post a pic of the product, cased and ready for some chill time in the fridge.  They will hang in the smoker on Monday.  Can't wait.

a pic after a couple of hours in the MES.  using the charcoal trick for the first time.  seemed to keep me smoking pretty good at 130.

 

[les3176]

looking good so far, can't wait to see the finished product!!!

 

[werdwolf]

Lookin good.

Interesting looking stuffer, Can you tell me (and maybe show me) more?

 

[pineywoods]

Looks good I just got some supplies so I can do some soon. Don't forget the Qview of the finished product

 

[fpnmf]

Very nice!!

 Craig

 

[down lowe]

the stuffer is the weston 7lb from Cabela's.  I love it.. I moved to it from trying to stuff using a kitchenaid grinder attachment.  I did that once and will never again.

 

[mballi3011]

Yea your sausage looks really good and I haven't seen those clear casings either. Now your stuffer sure does look interesting too. I can't wait for the finished product either.

 

[beer-b-q]

Looks Great So Far... Nice Stuffer...

 

[down lowe]

clear casing were from butcher and packer.  I love that place!!

You can check out the stuffer at cabela's, but if you want more pics, etc.  just let me know.  it would only take a sec to post.

 

[down lowe]

Well, here are some pics of the finished product.  I love the color.  I would give the taste an 8 out of 10, although I'm not sure what would make it a ten.  I see some opportunity with texture.  I left the fat course and the venison fine.  I think I would do all fine and see what that does.  I like a very firm product and I this is a bit mushy, but not bad.  overall for my first time making SS and only my second time smoking sausage in general, I can't complain.  I had a blast and can't wait until next time.

making this summer sausage sure was a lot of work.  just a painful experience . . . . .

 

[fpnmf]

Looks great!

  Craig

 

[nogoer]

That summer sausage sure looks great. The texture looks perfect, but i too had some issues with not being firm. I always try to get firm texture but often do, even with fresh recipes. Your comment about the kitchen aid grinder was too funny. I had a similar experience too. I bought a grinder but only justified it by saying i'd use the stuffer attachements it came with. One batch and i was online looking for a dedicated stuffer.

I like your MES! Mines so dirty and no pretty window to gawk at the impending heaven coming up. You mention a charcoal trick? I haven't heard of this, can you point me towards more info on it and an MES?

 

[down lowe]

That summer sausage sure looks great. The texture looks perfect, but i too had some issues with not being firm. I always try to get firm texture but often do, even with fresh recipes. Your comment about the kitchen aid grinder was too funny. I had a similar experience too. I bought a grinder but only justified it by saying i'd use the stuffer attachements it came with. One batch and i was online looking for a dedicated stuffer.

I like your MES! Mines so dirty and no pretty window to gawk at the impending heaven coming up. You mention a charcoal trick? I haven't heard of this, can you point me towards more info on it and an MES?

I broke up a chunk of charcoal into quarters and got it burning in the wood tray.  this kept my wood ships smoking even with the smoker set at a low temp.  The MES is so well insulated that the burner does not stay on long enough to generate smoke sometimes.  Do a search on "MES no smoke low temp"  and you will find a ton of information.

Any tips on a firmer texture?

 

[nogoer]

Will do thanks!

As for firm texture, i try to stuff any cold smoked sausage tight. Fresh i stuff loosly because of the high heat cooking expansion. I have only tried summer sausage once though and i had issues with my thermometer readings. The sausage got way to hot and all the fat rendered out.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Nice SS

And congrats on making it to the front page.

 

[que-ball]

It looks from here like your summer sausage turned out great.  What's the "painful experience" you referred to?

I always grind my venison and pork together, once coarse, and once fine, after weighing out the amount of each I will use in the recipe.  For summer sausage, stuff the casings as tightly as you can get them without getting a bunch of blowby past your stuffer plunger.  I don't add any other binders, and I get a firm texture every time.

I'd like to see more pictures of your whole stuffer, too.  I have a Cabela's 30# version made by Weston, and yours looks different from mine.

 

[down lowe]

The stuffer is on sale right now for 99.99 at Cabela's.  Here is the link.  I will try and post some more pics of mine too.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Home...type=GNU&WTz_l=Home;cat104723280;cat104552280

The paindful experience was trying to stuff sausage with the kitchen aid stuffer for the grinder attachment.  I was flying solo on my first time making fresh sausage.  Everytime I would try to pressure some of the meat through, it would slide up around the tool you use to press the meat thrugh because the air had no where to go.  I ended up packing the grinder by hand and then applying pressure with whatever that tool is called, repack, apply pressure, repack, apply pressure.   It sucked.  i can't believe how easy this vertical stuffer is compared to that process.

I think I packed the casings tight.  Johnsonville summer sausage is kind of a bench mark for me.  That's the texture I am looking for.  The product is nice and firm, almost chewy, but that's overstated.  I would decriber mine as maybe a bit softer?

Boy these sausage conversatios could lead to endless jokes, eh?
 

It looks from here like your summer sausage turned out great.  What's the "painful experience" you referred to?

I always grind my venison and pork together, once coarse, and once fine, after weighing out the amount of each I will use in the recipe.  For summer sausage, stuff the casings as tightly as you can get them without getting a bunch of blowby past your stuffer plunger.  I don't add any other binders, and I get a firm texture every time.

I'd like to see more pictures of your whole stuffer, too.  I have a Cabela's 30# version made by Weston, and yours looks different from mine.

 

[que-ball]

Yeah, you can read quite a bit into some of these comments.  I guess I should have said "complete stuffer".

Yours is just a smaller version of mine.  In your original post of just the bottom, it looked to me like a wood frame, and an oversized spout on the bottom that wasn't threaded to accept stuffing tubes.

I've never tried it, but if you like your summer sausage to have a 'tangy' or sour taste, you can add encapsulated citric acid to your sausage mix after all the grinding is complete but before stuffing the casings.  I think it also makes for a firmer texture to the final product.  

 

[smokin relaxin steve]

Great Job! looks yummy!

 

[down lowe]

I used the encapsulated citric acid, 6 oz. for 10lbs  I am very happy with the results.

Yeah, you can read quite a bit into some of these comments.  I guess I should have said "complete stuffer".

Yours is just a smaller version of mine.  In your original post of just the bottom, it looked to me like a wood frame, and an oversized spout on the bottom that wasn't threaded to accept stuffing tubes.

I've never tried it, but if you like your summer sausage to have a 'tangy' or sour taste, you can add encapsulated citric acid to your sausage mix after all the grinding is complete but before stuffing the casings.  I think it also makes for a firmer texture to the final product.