# SMOKING HOT DOGS



## Slow42 (Dec 15, 2019)

Anyone have advice on the length of time I should smoke my hot dogs and what temperature? I don’t like extreme amounts of smoke in anything. And at what temperature I should remove them based on starting temperature or is only smoke time important if finishing in water. I want to bring them up to final temperature in a water bath.


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## JC in GB (Dec 15, 2019)

Smoke at 150 degrees for 2 hours. Then finish in water bath.


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## thirdeye (Dec 15, 2019)

I do a gentle smoke for 1.5 hours with a smoker temp of 160°, then check the color and internal temp.  The internal temp is around 100° when they get the color I'm after. Now, if it's winter,  I still smoke around 1.5 hours, but usually transfer to a 180° oven and let the internal come up to 158° - 160°, then go into an ice bath (bus tub), then bloom them for at least 2 hours. 

Since you will do a hot water bath finish, you can go into that once you like the color. I use a Nesco 18 quart roaster for poaching and it doesn't take long.


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## DanMcG (Dec 15, 2019)

I do similar to Jb's method, after the dogs surface is dry, smoke for a couple hours at 130-140° than poach in water @170° till 154.


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## SmokinAl (Dec 16, 2019)

Sounds like we all do it pretty much the same way. The first time I made hot dogs I left them in the smoker until they were done. What a mistake that was! Now just a couple of hours in the smoke then finish in a water bath, then ice them down. My finish temp is 152.
Al


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## Slow42 (Dec 16, 2019)

Thanks for all the advice kinda did a combination of all the above. I put in smoker with tray of hickory pellets and smoked for about 3 hours. The pellet tray, with no heat on in the smoker,  rose the interior temperature to 89 degrees. After the  water bath at 170 degrees and finished at about 155-160 degrees, then ice water bath. In refrigerator overnight and will vacuum seal the next day.

Used sheep casing for the first time and what an experience. There were 19-22mm much to small for my liking. I though they would expand larger, not a chance. After several attempts to fill the casing I found the proper rhythm where they wouldn’t bust open.  They split oh so easy when you attempt to fill to much. Funny they have a lot of strength when you stretch them. Not sure what I’ll use next time around, which will be shortly as these were an experiment in taste.  All beef, 1/2 beef 1/2 pork, all pork and one other recipe that was all beef, New York strip steak.


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## thirdeye (Dec 16, 2019)

Slow42 said:


> Thanks for all the advice kinda did a combination of all the above. I put in smoker with tray of hickory pellets and smoked for about 3 hours. The pellet tray, with no heat on in the smoker,  rose the interior temperature to 89 degrees. After the  water bath at 170 degrees and finished at about 155-160 degrees, then ice water bath. In refrigerator overnight and will vacuum seal the next day.
> 
> Used sheep casing for the first time and what an experience. There were 19-22mm much to small for my liking. I though they would expand larger, not a chance. After several attempts to fill the casing I found the proper rhythm where they wouldn’t bust open.  They split oh so easy when you attempt to fill to much. Funny they have a lot of strength when you stretch them. Not sure what I’ll use next time around, which will be shortly as these were an experiment in taste.  All beef, 1/2 beef 1/2 pork, all pork and one other recipe that was all beef, New York strip steak.



About the smallest sheep casings I've used are 24/26mm , but the store I buy from goes up to 28mm.  I have found out the hard way that since sheep casings are more delicate it's best to buy from a good supplier.  I helped a guy make hot dogs and some kind of lamb sausage that was in coils, he bought sheep casings from a sporting store and they were the worst quality casings I have ever used, the sizing was inconsistent and we had a lot of splits.  I now buy from Syracuse Casing, but there are several other dealers that have top quality casings.


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