# Smoking Johnsonvilles



## thenovaman (Jun 26, 2012)

I've grilled brats lots of times, but I'd like to try smoking them.  I did some searching, but there are a couple things I need clarified.  I'll be using "standard" Johnsonville brats:








Johnsonville recommends cooking to an internal temp of 160; is that the optimal brat temp?  What if I want to sear them a little after smoking?

Roughly how long will that take at 225-250?

Should I make some relief cuts so they don't burst open while smoking, or will that just make them dry out?

TIA


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## chef jimmyj (Jun 26, 2012)

Go to 160*F IT if straight Smoking, 150*F if you wish to finish on the Grill. Anywhere from 1-2 hours (1.5 seems avg) depending on maintaining steady temp and IT you are going for. Splitting Skin is pretty good indicator they are done. Cutting them will render the fat and juices, I would not. Stick the therm thru the end to watch IT and be careful on the Grill, the high heat will split the skin and cause Flare-ups...JJ


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## johnnie walker (Jun 26, 2012)

I don't see why you couldn't smoke them for an hour or two at the 225*-250* temps you are talking about, then finish them on the grill. The one thing to remember is these will not have any cure in them, so the 40*-140* in 4 hrs needs to be adhered to!  good luck and take and post some pictures so we can all droll on our keyboards.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	











Chef JimmyJ  Is faster at typing than I am.


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## thenovaman (Jun 27, 2012)

OK, thanks for the tips, and I'll try to get some Q-views.


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## kathrynn (Jun 27, 2012)

I did those on Sunday.  I have an electric smoker and it took about 1 1/2 hours.  I have never tasted such good Brats!  They were the right temp....juicy and my Hubby said I am never to grill them again.  I turned them over about 1/2 way thru...and really didnt need to do that.  Try it...they are the bomb!


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## jack07 (Jun 27, 2012)

I make my own brats...and have only grilled them. I am going to try smoking some and see which method my family likes the best.


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## jrod62 (Jun 27, 2012)

Jack07 said:


> I make my own brats...and have only grilled them. I am going to try smoking some and see which method my family likes the best. :grilling_smilie:



I will never buy store brats again after making my own . Thumbs Up


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## thenovaman (Jun 27, 2012)

jrod62 said:


> I will never buy store brats again after making my own .


One step at a time.


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## thenovaman (Jun 27, 2012)

Q-view!  Took 75 minutes to reach 150*F IT, and then I stoked the fire and seared them a bit.  One exploded a little because it got too hot while searing.

A couple pics under different lighting conditions:













Smoke ring!







Wow, smoked brats are PHENOMENAL!  Cooking them any other way is just going to be a disappointment after today.


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## jrod62 (Jun 27, 2012)

they look great !! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I was lazy one day , wife wanted brats , I told her just do them on the stove. NEVER AGAIN .!!!!!  smoke brats are so much better .


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## johnnie walker (Jun 27, 2012)

Those brats look great! Makes my mouth water!


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## africanmeat (Jun 28, 2012)

It looks yummy .


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## brdprey (Jun 28, 2012)

WOW NICE SMOKE RING.  dag nab it now i have to try them. told the wife i was going to slow down on my brat intake.


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## joshrichards (Jun 28, 2012)

That looks great!!


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## thenovaman (Jun 28, 2012)

Thanks for all the compliments! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	






jrod62 said:


> they look great !!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Stove brats are horrible for sure.


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## couger78 (Jun 28, 2012)

One note on the Johnson brats—and you can see it in the initial photo in this thread— is they tend to be, like a lot of the mass-produced store-bought links, quite high in fat content. Now fat _does_ make for a _juicy, flavorful link_, but when the fat proportion gets in the 40-50% (fat to lean ratio) range, I can't enjoy or serve them in good conscience. Fresh _sausages_  made in the USA _can legally_  contain 50% _fat_  and this is what you _get_  in a supermarket. THAT's where the argument for making home-made brats hits the mark: not only can one control the type of ingredients, but one can also monitor the fat content— ideally in the 25-30% range.

I do like the idea of smoking brats. They look delicious.

Kevin


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## thenovaman (Jun 28, 2012)

According to their website, an 82g brat contains 21g of fat, which comes to 25.6%.

http://www.johnsonville.com/products/original-bratwurst.html


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## couger78 (Jun 28, 2012)

TheNovaMan said:


> According to their website, an 82g brat contains 21g of fat, which comes to 25.6%.
> 
> http://www.johnsonville.com/products/original-bratwurst.html


That may be what they're saying, but one peek at the links in the packages tell me a different story.

Here's some homemade brats made with just pork butt (approx 20%-25% fat), with no additional fat added.

The Johnson brand on left, at least to my eye, appears to have a much higher percentage than their website claims.







But I'm not here to knock Johnsonville nor their products. Just stating my preference and the benefits of making one's own sausages.

kevin


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## thenovaman (Jun 28, 2012)

Your brats look tasty.


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## couger78 (Jun 28, 2012)

TheNovaMan said:


> Your brats look tasty.


They do look tasty!—but they're not mine.

They were made by another SMF member.

Kevin


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## danbono (Jun 29, 2012)

Hi All  Can Any one recomend pre pack seasoning for Bratwurst. I tried the Lem my 1st try, kinda salty for me.Spent 2 years in Germany many years ago, ate lots of Bratwurst.

Thanks Dan


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## couger78 (Jun 29, 2012)

In lieu of pre-mixed, here's a simple 11-pound recipe for brats you can make yourself—

*Simple Brats*

10 lb. Pork shoulder/butt

1 pt.   Cream 

3 Tbs. Kosher Salt  

2 Tbs. Dextrose (or 1.5 Tbs of sugar)

1 Tbs. Black pepper

1 tsp.  Nutmeg, ground 

1 tsp.  Coriander, ground 

1 tsp.  Mace, ground

Kevin


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## kathrynn (Jun 29, 2012)

told ya!  My Husband is in love with the smoked now!  No more grilling them ever!


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## billyj571 (Jul 5, 2012)

Looks good


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## savannahsmoker (Jul 5, 2012)

I am surprised at the smoke ring.

Nicely done.


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## weisswurst (Jul 5, 2012)

i am with Kevin on this one. the store brand Johnsonville looks like they have more than 82% fat. One question would be " how does Johnsonville define and quatify "fat" I am not knocking Johnson ville or the idea of smoke cooking them. To be smoked they need cure. they would have a different flavor than the fresh , uncured , smoke cooked brat than the cured , smoked brat wurst regardless of who made it.Homemade , cured , smoked brat wurst is easy to make. But if you prefer the uncured smoke cooked  brat , stick with it. Happy SM  weisswurst


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## jaybaks (Jul 8, 2012)

I gave smoking sausages a whirl today on the Weber kettle today instead of smoking them.  Used 4 Johnsonville brats and 4 venison brats.  The venison brats are the larger ones in the picture.  Picked a couple peppers out of the garden to go with them.  I'll never grill one again.







Used cherry and apple tree prunings with the briquets for smoke and basted with vinegar, oil, and mustard sauce.


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## smokinhusker (Jul 8, 2012)

They all look great! How did your venison brats turn out? I've smoked brats and they are the bomb!!!


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## billyj571 (Jul 9, 2012)

you can't beat home made


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## ercookin (Jul 31, 2012)

I tried smoking johnsonville's today and they were delicious! however, they were done (160*ish+) after 50 min at 240* and the casing was so tough that my crooked teeth couldn't bite through!! any explanation for this or remedies? I didnt sear before or after..


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## thenovaman (Aug 2, 2012)

I'm smoking some Johnsonvilles again today even as I type.  ER, what setup did you use?  I was and am using my Weber kettle, and the casings on mine didn't come out tough at all.


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## thenovaman (Aug 2, 2012)

The brats I smoked today came out with more snap and a thinner smoke ring than the first time, but they were still delicious.  The extra snap may well have been because of some fairly bad flare-ups during post-smoking searing.


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## ercookin (Aug 2, 2012)

I'm cooking on a masterbuilt gas unit with applewood. I use a cheapo wireless thermo from lowes and I probed two brats to be sure they were at 160* IT. they were done in just under an hour which surprised me but they were definately cooked through. I'm just curious as to what causes the rubbery skin. do I need to sear or boil?


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## thenovaman (Aug 3, 2012)

Although I still consider myself a newbie, I doubt there's anything wrong with your setup.  Brats usually turn out fine when they're grilled quickly, and mine turned out a touch on the snappy side after being smoked for longer than yours, so it doesn't seem like it should be a time or temperature issue, but maybe the more experienced smokers will chime in soon.  Until then, perhaps try simmering the brats in some beer and onions after you smoke them?  If you poke around on the internet, you'll find there are people who are absolutely fanatic about how to cook brats; some insist you must simmer or soak BEFORE grilling, and some say the only proper way to do it is to simmer AFTER grilling.  We're adding an extra layer of flavor by smoking them, so I'd say we have them all beat, but I think simmering after smoking makes more sense if you want a more tender casing.

Edit: the only other thing I can think of is have you checked your thermometer in ice water, at room temp, and in boiling water?  I cooked my brats to 150*F internal measured with a verified thermometer, and then seared them.  I didn't check the temp after searing, but with the heat they took today, I'd be surprised if they were under 175 internal when I took them off the grill.


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## ercookin (Aug 5, 2012)

thank you for your insight. I have become suspect of my thermometer as my last 5 cooks have been pulled earlier than expected due to acquiring my IT sooner than expected. I will check my meter and  hope to get a dual probe unit! I've been using my current thermometer as my oven probe until my temp stabilizes, then moving the probe to the meat to monitor internal temp. I am suspicious that this is the cause of my possible inaccurate readings.


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## mneeley490 (Aug 5, 2012)

Also a newbie to this, and I may be totally off, but I've read that "snappiness" in sausages is usually determined by what kind of casing is used? They say collagen casings tend to be softer, while you will get a good "snap" with natural ones.

BTW, I will be smoking 4 lbs of brats on Tuesday. They are better than homemade, in that they are made by my local butcher (no mess for me!)  He does about 30 different kinds of sausages, and they are all better than anything I could ever make. I never buy commercial store sausages anymore.


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## ercookin (Aug 10, 2012)

ERcookin said:


> thank you for your insight. I have become suspect of my thermometer as my last 5 cooks have been pulled earlier than expected due to acquiring my IT sooner than expected. I will check my meter and  hope to get a dual probe unit! I've been using my current thermometer as my oven probe until my temp stabilizes, then moving the probe to the meat to monitor internal temp. I am suspicious that this is the cause of my possible inaccurate readings.


checked my thermo with boiling water and found it was 10* off. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   I want a maverick!


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