# Trying to clone Conecuh sausage



## hughart

Some time ago, we found a new sausage on the grocery shelves. We tried these and they were great. The sausages are called Conecuh. they are smaller in diameter than regular sausages. Has anyone ever tried to clone this? I am also wondering about the size of stuffer tube and casings to use.


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## chef jimmyj

It can be hard to clone because it appears to be a Brand rather than a style of sausage...Maybe some of them Southern Boys can help...JJ


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## BGKYSmoker

hughart said:


> Some time ago, we found a new sausage on the grocery shelves. We tried these and they were great. The sausages are called Conecuh. they are smaller in diameter than regular sausages. Has anyone ever tried to clone this? I am also wondering about the size of stuffer tube and casings to use.


Sheep casings, sounds like regular smoked sausage recipe. Conecuh is out of Alabama.

All over in the stores down here.


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## pops6927

They appear to be normal 32mm casings which would fit on a 3/4" or 1" stuffing tube.  If you have it available in your area, try your hand at duplicating it yourself!  The worst thing that can happen is that 1) you perfect your sausage-making, 2) you get to eat your mistakes, 3) you learn of binders and encapsulated citric acid and sodium erythorbate and such things, then post your findings on here and let us know!  I have a Croghan Bologna I want to try to reproduce myself!


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## hughart

Yes conecuh is the brand. I guess my main question is the tube size and casing size. I/m new to the sausage making, but i'm hooked!


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## netbbq

Realize this is an old post, but I have to say the Conecuh sausage is awesome.  I've been eating it for 16 years since I first moved to Slower Alabama (Mobile) .  For my taste, the hickory smoked version is the best.  Better watch it on the grill though....it has so much fat, it will flare up on you.  Chop up some into little discs, an stir into beans for a nice touch.


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## hughart

odd you bumped this post today. Just got off the phone with my buddy that I normally cook with. We are going to try it next time we make sausage.  Anybody know where the best value on sheep casing is. Assuming ordering off the internet.


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## jarhead

I've never seen 32 mm sheep casings before.

Max is about 26, I think.

I get mine from Allied Kenco and buy the Home Pack.

Good luck and post your finished recipe and pics. Plz?


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## toddpipkin

I also want to try to get as close as I can to the flavor of Conecuh sausage.

Anyone have any hints on the cure / seasonings / spices and amounts?


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## toddpipkin

None of you experienced sausage makers have even a guess as to where to start on the recipe??


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## daveomak

toddpipkin said:


> None of you experienced sausage makers have even a guess as to where to start on the recipe??



Conecuh is the name of the manufacturer......


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## jaxrmrjmr

I am just starting my adventures into linked sausage making, so I'll probably be asking more questions than giving answers.  However,  Conecuh and Nettles are probably the two best mass produced sausages in the southeast.


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## toddpipkin

> ~~ Conecuh is the name of the manufacturer......


I understand that.

Of course they do not and will not share their recipe.

I am trying to get as close to the FLAVOR of Conecuh Hickory Smoked sausage as possible, using wild game meat pork and/or venison.

I have made fresh sausage many times, using Legg's Old Plantation Sausage Seasoning. It's pretty fair for a commercial mix, but has sage, which to me is not a grilling sausage.

Was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to where to start on a recipe to get close to Conecuh. If I get in the neighborhood, I can adjust amounts and ratios from there.


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## daveomak

Well, it appears they make several sausage, bacon, turkeys, seasonings etc.....   

http://www.conecuhsausage.com/default.aspx


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## toddpipkin

> ~~Well, it appears they make several sausage, bacon, turkeys, seasonings etc.....


Yes they do.

Any other _*OBVIOUS*_ facts you would care to post?

I am very familiar with Conecuh's line of products. I live nearby, and have used their products for many years. Their sausage is my favorite commercial sausage. I have tried their pre-packaged seasoning blends, but they are NOWHERE NEAR the blends used in their commercial sausages.  

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I want to try to imitate Conecuh Hickory Smoked sausage, using wild pork and/or venison which I have harvested. I just don't know where to even begin to get close to that recipe.

I keep hoping an experienced sausage maker can help with a starting suggestion.


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## daveomak

toddpipkin said:


> ~~Well, it appears they make several sausage, bacon, turkeys, seasonings etc.....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes they do.
> 
> Any other _*OBVIOUS*_ facts you would care to post?
> 
> I want to try to imitate Conecuh Hickory Smoked sausage
> 
> I keep hoping an experienced sausage maker can help with a starting suggestion.
Click to expand...



Here's the obvious stuff you asked for...... 



Conecuh Sausage Company: Hickory Smoked Original In Natural Casing Sausage, 16 Oz

•In natural sheep casing...
 Pork, Water, Salt, Sugar, Spices, And Flavorings, Monosodium Glutamate, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite.

Sorry about not being experienced in sausage making....  Have a great day....


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## toddpipkin

I can read, and have read the package myself.

Does anyone have any constructive comments or guidance or educated estimates on the correct, or even CLOSE, amounts/ratios of ..........


> ~~*Pork, Water, Salt, Sugar,  ****Spices, And Flavorings,**** , .........Sodium Nitrite.*


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## dandl93

toddpipkin said:


> Yes they do.
> 
> Any other _*OBVIOUS*_ facts you would care to post?
> 
> I am very familiar with Conecuh's line of products. I live nearby, and have used their products for many years. Their sausage is my favorite commercial sausage. I have tried their pre-packaged seasoning blends, but they are NOWHERE NEAR the blends used in their commercial sausages.
> 
> Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I want to try to imitate Conecuh Hickory Smoked sausage, using wild pork and/or venison which I have harvested. I just don't know where to even begin to get close to that recipe.
> 
> I keep hoping an experienced sausage maker can help with a starting suggestion.


The obvious facts would be you are not asking the correct questions for the answers you want to hear.1.You have not said what style of sausage you would like to clone from this Company.2.You can not clone or even get close to a mass produced pork sausage using wild game or venison.

Now if it was me with all the talent on this forum and say I wanted to make a summer sausage or any other style.I would ask for that recipe and help to make it.With these talented people on here you will get some great results that you could play and tweak to your taste buds or likeing.Many of the great sausage makers on here probaly dont even live in your area and have no idea about the Company you are trying to clone.

Dan


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## WaterinHoleBrew

toddpipkin said:


> I can read, and have read the package myself.
> 
> Does anyone have any constructive comments or guidance or educated estimates on the correct, or even CLOSE, amounts/ratios of ..........
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ~~*Pork, Water, Salt, Sugar,  ****Spices, And Flavorings,**** , .........Sodium Nitrite.*
Click to expand...


Ya treat the nice folks on this great forum like you've treated Dave, no ones gonna want to help ya !


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## toddpipkin

> ~~1.You have not said what style of sausage you would like to clone from this Company


I guess more than one person here is reading impaired.......


> ~~I want to try to imitate Conecuh Hickory Smoked sausage





> ~~Ya treat the nice folks on this great forum like you've treated Dave, no ones gonna want to help ya !


If you run across any of those "nice folks", please ask them to respond via private message or email.

Never mind.

Obviously, since I haven't been here for years, I am not part of the clique, and no one has any interest in helping a newbie.

I will seek information elsewhere.

Y'all have fun.


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## smoking b

toddpipkin said:


> I can read, and have read the package myself.
> 
> Does anyone have any constructive comments or guidance or educated estimates on the correct, or even CLOSE, amounts/ratios of ..........


Constructive comments & guidance would be... 

1. As stated above it is not possible to make something that tastes like a commercial pork sausages with wild game - just not gonna happen.

2. As also stated most members - myself included - have never tried their hickory smoked sausage. If you can give just a basic description of the flavor profile I can probably give you a recipe to get started & tweak...

3. If you don't tone down the attitude a little you will have a hard time getting many helpful responses - you came to us for help, we didn't come to you for insults - This is a great group of people more than willing to help you with anything...


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## whistech

toddpipkin said:


> I guess more than one person here is reading impaired.......
> 
> If you run across any of those "nice folks", please ask them to respond via private message or email.
> 
> Never mind.
> 
> Obviously, since I haven't been here for years, I am not part of the clique, and no one has any interest in helping a newbie.
> 
> I will seek information elsewhere.
> 
> Y'all have fun.


Don't let the door hit you where the Good Lord split you!


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## dandl93

toddpipkin said:


> I guess more than one person here is reading impaired.......
> 
> If you run across any of those "nice folks", please ask them to respond via private message or email.
> 
> Never mind.
> 
> Obviously, since I haven't been here for years, I am not part of the clique, and no one has any interest in helping a newbie.
> 
> I will seek information elsewhere.
> 
> Y'all have fun.


I am a newbie on here also and have been treated with nothing but kindness and respect.My questions and responses have been answered by some great people with knowledge and caring.

When you go back and edit your post... This does not make me or anyone else reading impaired. Some people just need to be correct all the time usally they are the ones that learn nothing.

Dan


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## smoking b

toddpipkin said:


> I guess more than one person here is reading impaired.......
> 
> If you run across any of those "nice folks", please ask them to respond via private message or email.
> 
> Never mind.
> 
> Obviously, since I haven't been here for years, I am not part of the clique, and no one has any interest in helping a newbie.
> 
> I will seek information elsewhere.
> 
> Y'all have fun.


Ok I was trying to help you - very mature attitude...

Some people's kids...


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## redwood carlos

Hey while we are at it, you know that dish from that one place? Can I get the ingredient list, preparation and cooking instructions? I had a soda with my meal as well It was called Coke. Can I get that recipe too?


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## nlambert

I grew up one county over from Conecuh Sausage.  As a kid my grandparents would make trips over to buy all our sausage.  I thought it was common until moving to Huntsville in 2001.  I didn't see it again until around 2010.  It's absolutely the best sausage out there (in my opinion of course) and the only sausage my wife ever brings in the house.  Glad to see that others like it.


As for the flavor profile, I haven't tasted sausage like it so I can't really describe it.  Sorry - I am obsessed with this stuff and really shocked to see a post on here about it.  :)


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## palladini

Although I do live far from where this sausage is sold, I have to say this -

I Love a double smoked ham sausage that a company sells up this way, I know I could never try to remake it, doing so will cost me more to make it then to buy it.

I have the grinder, stuffer, smoker all that might be needed to make that product, I have ham making knowledge and the ability to make it

So one would think this is not hard to do, I disagree.

I do not know how they make the ham, nor spices used, and we get it wrapped in plain butcher paper, so no ingredient list is there.

But some day in the future, I will make a ham, and turn it into smoked sausage.

Good luck to your sausage making adventure and try to duplicate that companies recipes.


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## maxbob002

Sad to see the way this thread headed.  I too love this sausage and don't make a gumbo without it.


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## diggingdogfarm

One of the major problems with duplicating commercial sausage is, even if you know what herbs and spices were used, commercial makers tend to use spice extractives which have a different flavor profile than spices themselves...that's likely what they mean by "flavorings" in the ingredient list.


Good luck!!!!
~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm

toddpipkin said:


> I can read, and have read the package myself.
> 
> Does anyone have any constructive comments or guidance or educated estimates on the correct, or even CLOSE, amounts/ratios of ..........
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ~~*Pork, Water, Salt, Sugar,  ****Spices, And Flavorings,**** , .........Sodium Nitrite.*
Click to expand...


Sure.....

100% Pork.
High Fat ~30%
Water 5% to 10%
Salt 1.5%
Sugar .5%
Cure #1 (6.25% nitrite) .25%
MSG .375% to .5%
Black Pepper .2% to .3%




~Martin


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## chef jimmyj

Let's just let this one Die gentlemen...A lack of manners is a sign of the Ignorant and Arrogant. I commend all of you for not dropping to his infantile level and being Rude as well. Great Job!...JJ

@Redwood...

THAT DISH

2Lbs Some Meat

1C That Green Stuff

1C Liquid Something or Other

3Tbs Granulated Widget

A Handful of Chopped Thingamabob....Sorry this is only available in Specialty Markets 

S & P to Taste

Mix well to combine, heat until done...

Serves...A Bunch

Glad I was able to help before you resorted to falling on the floor, Kicking and Screaming...


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## reinhard

Palladine---here is start on a basic Ham Sausage.  You can always tweek it.  Make this small batch and see how you like it.

Hog casings

1 1/2 lbs. smoked ham [the good stuff off a bone in ham]

1/2 lb.  pork fat

1 T  salt

 2 tsp. crushed fennel seeds

1/2  tsp black pepper

1  T  paprika

1  tsp  dried oregano crushed

3 crushed garlic cloves

2  T  dry  red  wine

Reinhard


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## brooksy

Chef JimmyJ said:


> Let's just let this one Die gentlemen...A lack of manners is a sign of the Ignorant and Arrogant. I commend all of you for not dropping to his infantile level and being Rude as well. Great Job!...JJ
> 
> 
> @Redwood...
> 
> THAT DISH
> 
> 2Lbs Some Meat
> 1C That Green Stuff
> 1C Liquid Something or Other
> 3Tbs Granulated Widget
> A Handful of Chopped Thingamabob....Sorry this is only available in Specialty Markets
> S & P to Taste
> 
> Mix well to combine, heat until done...
> Serves...A Bunch
> 
> Glad I was able to help before you resorted to falling on the floor, Kicking and Screaming...:th_crybaby2:


  Awww man I love that stuff!!!  Thanks for sharing the recipe!!


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## chauncey hall

If you do not know how to make it, then say you don't know.

Listing a lot of obvious things is polite, but gee whiz..its not very investigative.

It is made in alabama and sold in walmarts, ask southern people. 

I do not have a clue about the recipe for Conecuh.  I wish I did.  

It is sheep casing - there are two sizes of conecuh.  one is 32mm one is 18.  

Several different styles listed.

A couple of things jump out at you -

it is very coarse ground.

there are pepper seeds - not sure if cayenne or some other type of hot pepper seeds

there are coarse ground peppercorns

it smells and tastes sweet, but the mixture is light in color - that suggests light cane syrup/corn sweetener

it has a liquid smoke smell and taste too - but i know for a fact that they smoke it -

the factory is on exit 93 

on I-65 and you can see the smoke when it goes into smoke cycle.

There is just a tiny tiny hint of anise or something like liquorice..

I'm guessing this: 

Salt

Coarse Black Pepper

Crushed Cayenne (seed and pulp)

Light Karo

Liquid Smoke

MSG

Garlic Powder

Light Sage

Light Thyme

Sodium Nitrite & Erythorbate

black liquorice extract in the smallest amount possible or maybe cloves.


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## rgautheir20420

This was indeed one of my favorite sausages when I was going to U of A about 8 years ago (wow that feels like ages). I'm up in the midwest now, so I can't get it, but I wish I could. If anyone ever take a shot at it do let me know. I'd be more than happy to throw a batch together also for comparison.

Edit: So this indeed has me thinking of wanting to try this. The post above with these ingredients sounds like a decent place to start, but I've never added karo for sweetness. Anyone have any idea of what amount I'd be looking to add the sweetness?


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## smokeburns

I would love to dublicate these as well. I live in Navarre Florida ( next to Pensacola ) and you can get conecuh sausage everywhere down here. There processing plant is slightly north of us in Evergreen Alabama. As for the small casings they use , they are from lamb. This is what I have always heard. Not sure if it's fact though. I'll have to research it.  But I do know lamb casing is very small approx. 1" in diameter. Hope this helps.


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## smokin phil

.


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## chauncey hall

Most forums have a common problem.  Nobody wants to say "I don't have a clue", so they post something mostly irrelevant, but in the ballpark of an answer.  The regular traditional flavoring and the "hot & spicy" have hints of licorice/anise,oregano and some rosemary in it..not a lot, but some.  The founder of the original slaughterhouse and freezer plant that became Conecuh Quick Freeze was a WWII Vet that fought in the Italian campaigns and stayed during part of the occupation, until 1947. It's possible that he remembered some of the italian sausage flavorings using anise.  My grandfather was a trial lawyer in conecuh/covington counties in the 60s and 70s, and was good friends with the Sessions family and represented them a couple of times.  He would buy a lot of it just before christmas and gifted it to his contacts and lawyer friends in north alabama and georgia.

I have dissected some of the raw sausage and you can clearly see fairly large pieces of black peppercorns, so they probably aren't using fine grind pepper.  They list sugar, and when you look at the uncooked sausage it doesn't have enough of the caramel color to make me think brown sugar..so it's probably white cane sugar.  It has some garlic flavor in it - but I don't think a lot..and i have never tasted any onion in it.  They are definitely using some liquid smoke in it.  I've eaten a few pieces of it raw, and you can taste the liquid smoke.  

I am going to make several 1lb batches, and play around with ratios of anise, coarse freshly ground black pepper, white sugar, karo white, garlic powder, morton tender quick, and cayenne powder.  I have the 19mm sheep casing on order from midway.  It looks like they are using a very coarse grind so i will use the coarse plate.  I will start out cutting the shoulder into 1" cubes, and soaking them in brine with all those spices in it for a few days.  There is just enough of a hint of italian in it to distinguish it from the other traditional hickory smoked sausages from that area of south alabama.  The trick will be not overpowering it with the anise, rosemary and oregano


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## bill ace 350

Great post. 

You are absolutely right.

Many times the responses received to an inquiry are irrelevant.


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## jaxrmrjmr

chauncey hall said:


> Most forums have a common problem.  Nobody wants to say "I don't have a clue", so they post something mostly irrelevant, but in the ballpark of an answer.  The regular traditional flavoring and the "hot & spicy" have hints of licorice/anise,oregano and some rosemary in it..not a lot, but some.  The founder of the original slaughterhouse and freezer plant that became Conecuh Quick Freeze was a WWII Vet that fought in the Italian campaigns and stayed during part of the occupation, until 1947. It's possible that he remembered some of the italian sausage flavorings using anise.  My grandfather was a trial lawyer in conecuh/covington counties in the 60s and 70s, and was good friends with the Sessions family and represented them a couple of times.  He would buy a lot of it just before christmas and gifted it to his contacts and lawyer friends in north alabama and georgia.
> 
> I have dissected some of the raw sausage and you can clearly see fairly large pieces of black peppercorns, so they probably aren't using fine grind pepper.  They list sugar, and when you look at the uncooked sausage it doesn't have enough of the caramel color to make me think brown sugar..so it's probably white cane sugar.  It has some garlic flavor in it - but I don't think a lot..and i have never tasted any onion in it.  They are definitely using some liquid smoke in it.  I've eaten a few pieces of it raw, and you can taste the liquid smoke.
> 
> I am going to make several 1lb batches, and play around with ratios of anise, coarse freshly ground black pepper, white sugar, karo white, garlic powder, morton tender quick, and cayenne powder.  I have the 19mm sheep casing on order from midway.  It looks like they are using a very coarse grind so i will use the coarse plate.  I will start out cutting the shoulder into 1" cubes, and soaking them in brine with all those spices in it for a few days.  There is just enough of a hint of italian in it to distinguish it from the other traditional hickory smoked sausages from that area of south alabama.  The trick will be not overpowering it with the anise, rosemary and oregano


It will be interesting what you find out.


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## SonOfTheSouth

chauncey hall said:


> Most forums have a common problem.  Nobody wants to say "I don't have a clue", so they post something mostly irrelevant, but in the ballpark of an answer.  The regular traditional flavoring and the "hot & spicy" have hints of licorice/anise,oregano and some rosemary in it..not a lot, but some.  The founder of the original slaughterhouse and freezer plant that became Conecuh Quick Freeze was a WWII Vet that fought in the Italian campaigns and stayed during part of the occupation, until 1947. It's possible that he remembered some of the italian sausage flavorings using anise.  My grandfather was a trial lawyer in conecuh/covington counties in the 60s and 70s, and was good friends with the Sessions family and represented them a couple of times.  He would buy a lot of it just before christmas and gifted it to his contacts and lawyer friends in north alabama and georgia.
> 
> I have dissected some of the raw sausage and you can clearly see fairly large pieces of black peppercorns, so they probably aren't using fine grind pepper.  They list sugar, and when you look at the uncooked sausage it doesn't have enough of the caramel color to make me think brown sugar..so it's probably white cane sugar.  It has some garlic flavor in it - but I don't think a lot..and i have never tasted any onion in it.  They are definitely using some liquid smoke in it.  I've eaten a few pieces of it raw, and you can taste the liquid smoke.
> 
> I am going to make several 1lb batches, and play around with ratios of anise, coarse freshly ground black pepper, white sugar, karo white, garlic powder, morton tender quick, and cayenne powder.  I have the 19mm sheep casing on order from midway.  It looks like they are using a very coarse grind so i will use the coarse plate.  I will start out cutting the shoulder into 1" cubes, and soaking them in brine with all those spices in it for a few days.  There is just enough of a hint of italian in it to distinguish it from the other traditional hickory smoked sausages from that area of south alabama.  The trick will be not overpowering it with the anise, rosemary and oregano



I am very interested in what you come up with in your test runs, I am a avid sausage maker and this is my favorite sausage I ever ate!


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## BGKYSmoker

You can use just about any mix, you will need to add salt (if not already in the pre mix) dextrose, sugar, msg, sodium erythorbate and nitrite. To get the original taste you will need some msg.

Conecuh is just the brand name from Alabama.


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## travisntexas

I'm glad to see that someone woke this thread up again.  We used to not be able to get Conecuh west of LA, but they recently expanded into Texas.  I've been bringing it home from Mississippi for 15-20 years.  I love the smaller diameter Hickory Smoked and Hot types.  Only sausage I use in Gumbeaux and Red Beans.  Love to fry it up for breakfast and throw it on the grill as well!  I would love to be able to clone it and look forward to the results!


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## Jasbeth

Hello all, I see this thread has been inactive for a while so I thought I would wake it up again. I am from just south of Conecuh County. I have eaten this sausage most of my life but have yet to have anyone in this area even talk about Conecuh sausage spice recipes. This is a recipe I came up with after years of trial and error, searches and asking God knows how many people. It doesn't hurt that my wife is a chef and could pick out most, if not all of the flavors in this profile. Yes, Conecuh does have liquid smoke, just a hint. We refuse to use it in our recipe and opted for home smoked sea salt and cold smoking the finished sausage. It isn't an exact clone but it is pretty damned close.

I know most on here have made their fair share of sausage but this is written with a beginner in mind as well. We process, cure and smoke any kind of meat that we eat. We do not eat "store" bought or factory processed meat.

So here it is, feel free to let us know, good or bad. I'm sure everyone has their own routine but this is how we handle home processed meat products. If there is anything you can think of that you might add, let us know and we can run a small batch for tasting. I know some have detected a hint of Rosemary but we just can't find it in there.

We made a 20# first run, Coarse Ground (8mm plate) and stuffed in Sheep Casing. All measurements are in grams.

20# pork (75% meat, 25% fat from pork belly)
Prague #1- 22.68 grams
Smoked Salt Coarse Ground- 113 grams
Black Pepper Coarse Ground- 58 grams
Cayenne Pepper (Red Pepper Flakes)- 58 grams
Garlic Powder- 41 grams
Sage (Fine Ground)- 3 grams
Thyme- 3 grams
Marjoram- 3.33 grams
Ground Clove- 3 grams
Smoke Paprika- 3 grams
Mustard Powder- 20 grams
Karo Light Corn Syrup- 113 grams
Water, as needed. This has varied on each run we have made. (Do NOT fold this recipe to much in order to keep the coarse grind, if you use water, use just enough to get the consistency you like. Over working the meat with this mix will result in a mushy sausage mix). If you question this or how to do it, be safe and do not add any water and stuff with the original coarse grind.

The next steps are done in one rapid sequence to avoid the ground sausage from getting to warm, you want to keep everything chilled! You should have already rinsed your casing inside and out and have been soaking them per the makers instructions.

Now is the time to chill your grinder (it needs to be cold when grinding) and get your sausage stuffer ready. We cubed the meat, applied the spice mix and placed in the freezer to firm up before grinding. (Do NOT allow the meat to freeze solid, you will end up with mush freezing the meat solid and re-thawing numerous times between grinds. You want the meat firm but not hard as a rock (See below for instructions on chilling meat before grinding). Since we are leaving this as a coarse ground sausage we always apply the spice mixtures before the first grind. This helps the coarse ground salt dissolve and helps marry the flavors since there is no "folding" of the meat and limited handling of the mixture  once ground. After the first grind, we placed the meat back in the freezer, clean the grinder and place back in the freezer to chill before the second Coarse Grind. (30 minutes should be good) The mix will not freeze solid in this time but will stay firm. Grind the mixture once more with a 8mm plate. Some consider this 2nd grind unnecessary but we do to help distribute the spices through the meat, this is your choice. After the second Coarse grind, place the meat in the refrigerator to keep cool and place your stuffer "can" in the freezer, this will help keep the meat cool while stuffing the casings. Load your casing onto your stuffer tube. Remove the stuffer can from the freezer (we spray the inside with a little oil) and load with your sausage mix. Place a pan under the tube and put a dozen ice cubes and a 1/2 cup of water in the pan. This will help keep the cased sausage cool as well as letting it slide while you are making your links.
Once the links are measured and cut it's time to smoke, hot or cold, it's your choice. Conecuh is raw sausage when you buy it at the store and must be fully cooked.

*Smoking your finished sausage. Hot or Cold?*

Hot Smoking the sausage makes it safe to eat, where Cold Smoking is done strictly to enhance the flavor of the sausage and the sausage must still be cooked before serving.
For hot smoking sausages, maintain a temperature range of 140-180° Fahrenheit.
On the other hand, when you cold smoke sausages, temperature requirements are significantly lower at 85° Fahrenheit and below.

When it comes to cold smoking sausages or any type of meat, the general rule of thumb is the longer, the better. Your sausages should stay on the grill for at least eight hours, but to avoid any health risks, it’s best to cold smoke sausages for 24 hours. That’s why it’s essential to have patience when cold smoking sausages. Since you aren’t technically cooking the meat, just imparting a smoky flavor, you’ll need to cook it afterward. For cold smoking, the sausages need to reach 85° Fahrenheit internal temp. To be safe for consumption, cook them at temperatures up to 160-170° Fahrenheit.

*Cold Smoking*
We keep our smoker ~ 90° when cold smoking, Cold smoking takes significantly more time and you want to avoid cooking the sausage. Remember, with cold smoking it's only for flavor, the sausage will still have to be fully cooked before serving. Smoke the sausage until the internal temp is ~ 85°. This could take up to 24 hours. This is how we avoid the "Liquid Smoke" and still get a great flavor.
*Hot Smoking*
We keep our smoker at ~ 130° to begin with so we can smoke the sausage for a few hours before the cooking process is started. After 3 hours we raise the temp of the smoker to 180° to finish the cooking. We probe the sausage and remove from the smoker when the internal temp reaches 160°. 145° internal is considered safe to consume pork products. When Hot Smoking sausage we plan to freeze and eat later, we remove the sausage from the smoker and immediately place it in a ice bath to cool the sausage. This is done because the fats in the sausage are liquid when you remove them at the finished temp and we don't want that "goodness" seeping out before vacuum packing. The ice bath will also give the casings a good "snap" when biting into them.

*Chilling (Freezing) meat before Grinding.*
First thing to understand is that meat needs to be partially frozen before grinding and not rock-hard, fully frozen.
If your meat if already in the freezer, you should thaw it until it reaches a partially frozen state before running it through your meat grinder.
One way to know if meat is frozen enough for grinding is to simply touch it to check that it is nice and chill and a bit tough, and not hard as a rock.
Regardless of whether you use a refrigerator freezer or standalone freezer, leaving meat in these appliances for roughly 30 minutes will probably bring it to grinder friendly state.
Meat should be stored in the freezer before grinding and never the fridge, as the latter won’t partially freeze the meat, but will only keep it cold.
In terms of temperature, meat should be kept in the freezer before grinding until it reaches 28 degrees F. You can check the temperature of the meat easily to avoid any guesswork using a meat thermometer.
There are several reasons you should freeze meat before grinding, most notably to help it maintain its shape well, and keep it firm, so that it can be ground by the grinder easily.
Another reason to grind frozen meat is it greatly reduces the chances of bacteria growth, resulting in less chances of food contamination.
Freezing meat before grinding also gives the meat a great texture, and allows the grinder blade to easily cut rather than "mulch" the meat.
It’s also worth mentioning that the grinding action does heat the meat up a bit, so it will "squish" through the grinder if not properly chilled. This is fine for some sausage blends but Conecuh is a Coarse Ground Sausage.
Along with the meat, you should also chill certain meat grinder parts such as the hopper, auger, grinding plates and blade to reduce the heat generated by the grinding process. The spinning blades of the meat grinder create friction, causing the meat to melt, resulting in "smearing", which is a texture you absolutely want to avoid at all costs when making this recipe.


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## Steve H

I remember other threads about this sausage. And found some at Lowes while shopping for dinner. Bought 5 packs. Thinking I'll get more.








While on vacation. I'm always looking for new things to try. Also bought a sack of Carolina Plantation stone ground grits.


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## mike243

These are my very favorite in the hot for making jambalaya, the regular is good and I will mix them 1 hot to 2 regular to keep the heat down on it so others can enjoy it with me lol


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## radioguy

Thanks 
J
 Jasbeth
  for the recipe, going to make some soon.

RG


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## Jasbeth

radioguy said:


> Thanks
> J
> Jasbeth
> for the recipe, going to make some soon.
> 
> RG


Let us know how it turns out.


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## 912smoker

Jasbeth said:


> Let us know how it turns out.


Also try their rubs if you get a chance !
I have only seen them on 2 occasions at a small town Piggly Wiggly. But the meat Mgr had placed a new order  !

Keith


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## kelbro

One of my favorites. The only place that I can find them here is at Publix grocery stores.


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## Jasbeth

912smoker said:


> Also try their rubs if you get a chance !
> I have only seen them on 2 occasions at a small town Piggly Wiggly. But the meat Mgr had placed a new order  !
> 
> Keith
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 641262


We tend to make our own rubs depending on flavors we or someone else wants. Appreciate it though.


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## bill ace 350

Steve H said:


> I remember other threads about this sausage. And found some at Lowes while shopping for dinner. Bought 5 packs. Thinking I'll get more.
> 
> View attachment 641231
> 
> 
> While on vacation. I'm always looking for new things to try. Also bought a sack of Carolina Plantation stone ground grits.


I buy it at the commissary. Just had some of the cracked black pepper ones. Decent sausage for sure.


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## jaxrmrjmr

Jasbeth - I sort of tried your recipe tonight.  I had 1.7 lbs of ground pork left over from another project and decided to scale down the seasonings that you listed.  Thanks for listing them in grams because measuring by weight is SO much easier to scale vs volume.  I mixed it up and pan fried some patties.  Your recipe is definitely headed in the right direction but it's hard to tell the nuance without the bloom and additional smoke.  I used a cherry smoked salt (because that is the only smoked salt I had on hand) for a quick taste test and left out the pink salt.  I don't get the cure taste so I'm not sure that they included it.  I think it might be missing a "twang", maybe a little citric acid?  I'm not sure that the heat comes from cayenne pepper - it might come from a heavier dose of black pepper.

Again, I think you and your wife have created an excellent starting point.  I could not have done that or I would have.


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