# Best Sausage to use in Electric Smoker



## peach

Hey all,
I got a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker last weekend and made some terrific brisket.   This weekend I'm trying out a Boston butt and potentially some smoked sausage. However, I don't know which type of sausage I should use.  Could you give me some input to which type I should use and some times and temps?

Thanks!


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## GaryHibbert

I'm not much of a sausage guy but I once tried smoking some from Costco on my MES 30.  I did Hot Italian and Honey Garlic. Like just about everything I smoke the temp was about 240*--I just cooked to IT not by time.

The HG turned out great but the HI were a disaster.  They must use different casings on them.  The casings were SO TOUGH you couldnt bite through them.  Ended up gnawing the meat out.

Gary

T


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## shyzabrau

Are you stuffing your own sausage and then smoking, or are you smoking sausage from other sources? This makes a difference - if the sausage has cure, you can smoke at a lower temperature for a longer time.


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## peach

Thanks for your reply Gary!  Shyzabrau I'm planning on buying the sausage.  I have no idea how to stuff my own haha


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## dward51

Well, pretty much any sausage is great in a smoker.  But some have more flavor than others.  Smoke what you like to eat, that's the best!!!

PS - start reading here. There is a ton of info on making your own sausage.  Once you start, its a lot of fun and it is the next logical progression after buying a smoker.


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## shyzabrau

Peach said:


> Thanks for your reply Gary! Shyzabrau I'm planning on buying the sausage. I have no idea how to stuff my own haha


Any sausage is fine - you just want to hot smoke. You have two objectives which don't necessarily go well together with your smoker - smoke flavor and crisp bite of the casing. Since you have an electric smoker, I'd suggest two hours of smoke at a low temp (less than 160 if you can) and then a hot smoke (320 or so) until you get an internal temperature of 160. You don't want to go too much higher or the meat will start to get granular in texture as the fat escapes. It is difficult with an electric smoker to get a good, crisp bite on a sausage, but I've gotten pretty close...


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## peach

I appreciate the input!   I'll give it a try


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## Bearcarver

Peach said:


> I appreciate the input! I'll give it a try


Don't try to get to 320° with your MES---The Max is 275°.

Electric Smokers are Great for Smoking Sausages.

I know a lot of guys who don't like Electric smokers for most things, but keep an old MES just for Sausage.

Bear


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## uncle eddie

Uh-oh - This is the message after Bear's and I am going to offer a different opinion.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






I have had the same tough-casing experience (as Gary above) with smoking sausages in my MES40.  I typically smoke sausages, brats, polish, etc. at high heat (300F-350F) in my Brinkmann Charcoal Smoker to avoid the tough casing issue.


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## Bearcarver

Uncle Eddie said:


> Uh-oh - This is the message after Bear's and I am going to offer a different opinion.
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> I have had the same tough-casing experience (as Gary above) with smoking sausages in my MES40.  I typically smoke sausages, brats, polish, etc. at high heat (300F-350F) in my Brinkmann Charcoal Smoker to avoid the tough casing issue.


LOL---That's OK Uncle, You're allowed to have a different opinion. I just stated what so many have said about keeping an old MES for smoking sausages.

I think one of their reasons is because they can move to temp to where they want it, quickly & easily.

My sausages are all "Unstuffed" (no skins) so I never had any trouble with skins.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I think NEPAS uses a Bradley, and unless I'm mistaken, they max out at 250°.

Bear


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## BGKYSmoker

Bearcarver said:


> LOL---That's OK Uncle, You're allowed to have a different opinion. I just stated what so many have said about keeping an old MES for smoking sausages.
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> I think one of their reasons is because they can move to temp to where they want it, quickly & easily.
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> I think NEPAS uses a Bradley, and unless I'm mistaken, they max out at 250°.
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Yup

250 if that. I ditched the Bradleys couple years ago

Went with a 100% better smoker.













tsm30d.jpg



__ BGKYSmoker
__ May 26, 2017


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## Bearcarver

nepas said:


> Yup
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> 250 if that. I ditched the Bradleys couple years ago
> 
> Went with a 100% better smoker.


What's the Max on that?

I can't remember needing any high heat to finish sausage.

Bear


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## BGKYSmoker

Bearcarver said:


> What's the Max on that?
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> I can't remember needing any high heat to finish sausage.
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> Bear


On TSM smoker the max is 200* even with a 1000w element. If it had a better digital controller you could get 250 easy. But as any sausage make knows you dont need nuthin higher than 170.

EH


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## shyzabrau

Bearcarver said:


> LOL---That's OK Uncle, You're allowed to have a different opinion. I just stated what so many have said about keeping an old MES for smoking sausages.
> I think one of their reasons is because they can move to temp to where they want it, quickly & easily.
> 
> My sausages are all "Unstuffed" (no skins) so I never had any trouble with skins.:biggrin:
> 
> I think NEPAS uses a Bradley, and unless I'm mistaken, they max out at 250°.
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> Bear



I have a Bradley Electric and it goes to 320...


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## BGKYSmoker

Shyzabrau said:


> I have a Bradley Electric and it goes to 320...


I was a tester rep for Bradley and had a 1000w element in my 6 rack, a 750w in my 4 rack both with a PID and fan and never got to 320. I might add that both of these tester elements were not avail for the US mkt. Did Bradley up the elements now? Dont know as i no longer use Bradleys. Closest i ever got a Bradley to 300 was in the propane portable smoker and that temp nearly burnt out the foil cover.


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## shyzabrau

nepas said:


> I was a tester rep for Bradley and had a 1000w element in my 6 rack, a 750w in my 4 rack both with a PID and fan and never got to 320. I might add that both of these tester elements were not avail for the US mkt. Did Bradley up the elements now? Dont know as i no longer use Bradleys. Closest i ever got a Bradley to 300 was in the propane portable smoker and that temp nearly burnt out the foil cover.



I just bought my Bradley Electric a couple months ago. I know I can set it to 320, but I haven't confirmed that it can go that high with an independent thermometer. I'll try to do that when I get back to Virginia.


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## Bearcarver

nepas said:


> On TSM smoker the max is 200* even with a 1000w element. If it had a better digital controller you could get 250 easy. But as any sausage make knows you dont need nuthin higher than 170.
> 
> EH


Gracias Mi Amigo!!

Bear


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## BGKYSmoker

Bearcarver said:


> Gracias Mi Amigo!!
> 
> Bear


Si


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## indaswamp

nepas said:


> Bearcarver said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> LOL---That's OK Uncle, You're allowed to have a different opinion. I just stated what so many have said about keeping an old MES for smoking sausages.
> 
> I think one of their reasons is because they can move to temp to where they want it, quickly & easily.
> 
> My sausages are all "Unstuffed" (no skins) so I never had any trouble with skins.
> 
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> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I think NEPAS uses a Bradley, and unless I'm mistaken, they max out at 250°.
> 
> Bear
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> Yup
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> 250 if that. I ditched the Bradleys couple years ago
> 
> Went with a 100% better smoker.
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> tsm30d.jpg
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> __ BGKYSmoker
> __ May 26, 2017
Click to expand...

That is a cadillac smoker right there...which one is that? The 30lb.?

I modeled my build off the 100lb. dimensions...and plan on the auto upgrade at some point.


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## BGKYSmoker

Indaswamp said:


> That is a cadillac smoker right there...which one is that? The 30lb.?
> 
> I modeled my build off the 100lb. dimensions...and plan on the auto upgrade at some point.


Yeah its the 30lb. I dont think you could put 30 in there, maybe 20. Most i had in there was 10.


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## indaswamp

nepas said:


> Indaswamp said:
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> That is a cadillac smoker right there...which one is that? The 30lb.?
> 
> I modeled my build off the 100lb. dimensions...and plan on the auto upgrade at some point.
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> Yeah its the 30lb. I dont think you could put 30 in there, maybe 20. Most i had in there was 10.
Click to expand...

The promo pic, has sausages crammed tight with about 1/2" space between them...so you'd really have to fill it up to get 30lbs. in it.


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## tallbm

I get pretty good crisp casings that snap when bitten in my MES, BUT mine is heavily moded which includes a convection fan.  Sometimes I get some slightly chewy spots but that is when I use qmats and only on the sausage side down on the mats but it only seems to be on about 3-4 out of 24 sausages links or so.

I think that drying the sausage links first for an hour or more helps. 

Now I have never hot smoked sausages so I can't speak to how that may turn out.  I have only done cured smoke sausages at temps walking up to 165-180F smoker temp to avoid melting the fat.

Best of luck!


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