# Summer sausage without a stuffer?



## smokinq13 (Jan 4, 2018)

I just made up a 5 lb. batch of summer sausage ready for the smoker tomorrow but funny thing is i used a jerky gun to stuffer the casings. I have a Field & Stream grinder that can be a stuffer but i think its such a hassle to even try and use it like a stuffer that I'd rather use the jerky gun instead. The only problem i ran into is that some of the meat would squeeze out the front where the threads are( as seen in the picture). I also didn't have a actually tube for doing this, so i just used the Double jerky marker tube for stuffing.
	

		
			
		

		
	




















I used the LEM backwoods summer case (5 lbs.) package, which actually made 6 good size sticks which I'm pleased with. If I remember I'll post pictures of the finished sausage when I'm done smoking it. Also I used 100% venison, a lot of people don't like that but how I see it is if i want some deer summer sausage, I don't want any beef or pork in it, I want it to be deer!

The reason I'm really posting this is to show that you don't need a big "fancy" stuffer and all the right equipment to make things like this. Yes, it would help but if its not in your budget there's always ways to improvise.


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## forkin pork (Jan 4, 2018)

Great job improvising wit the jerky gun, not sure about the blow out.
If you like using the gun, maybe buy another double jerky horn and then sacrifice it by cut the horn back to make a larger round hole. 
Creating less pressure in the gun, thus, no blow outs.

Using the gun is a nice idea, I'm gonna start using mine for small batches as well. Thanks


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## tropics (Jan 4, 2018)

If you get larger diameter casing,you can slide it right over the gun
Richie


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## smokinq13 (Jan 4, 2018)

tropics said:


> If you get larger diameter casing,you can slide it right over the gun
> Richie


I thought I had large enough casing to do that but didn't. Cool thing is that one full tube was the perfect amount of meat to fill the casings I had.


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## smokinq13 (Jan 4, 2018)

forkin pork said:


> Great job improvising wit the jerky gun, not sure about the blow out.
> If you like using the gun, maybe buy another double jerky horn and then sacrifice it by cut the horn back to make a larger round hole.
> Creating less pressure in the gun, thus, no blow outs.
> 
> Using the gun is a nice idea, I'm gonna start using mine for small batches as well. Thanks



Thanks for the advise. I thought of doing that to the horn I have right now but didn't want to ruin it for future jerky makes.


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## tropics (Jan 4, 2018)

What make is the jerky gun I have a LEM that was all I used for years making sausage.
LEM sells tubes that fit the gun for making sausage.
Richie


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## smokinq13 (Jan 4, 2018)

tropics said:


> What make is the jerky gun I have a LEM that was all I used for years making sausage.
> LEM sells tubes that fit the gun for making sausage.
> Richie



It's a field and stream jerky gun


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## forkin pork (Jan 4, 2018)

That's good, I think mine is a LEM


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## crazymoon (Jan 4, 2018)

S13, Nice idea on your stuffing method,how did the SS turn out ?


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## ab canuck (Jan 4, 2018)

Well it definitely looks like it stuffed well, How did it turn out? Was there a lot of pressure when using the gun? My son-in-law has a jerky gun that we used to make jerky that did the same thing. I don't know what brand it was though.


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## crazzycajun (Jan 4, 2018)

smokinq13 said:


> It's a field and stream jerky gun


Pretty sure that’s made by lem I have (had) one made for gander mountain and tha accessories for the lem jerky blaster fit both. Except the blaster has an o-ring to prevent blow outs look at your caulking gun part and see if has 2 washers and an acorn nut there’s a plastic peace that goes in between them. Mine got melted in the dishwasher hence the new blaster if so extra parts are cheap good luck


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## SmokinAl (Jan 5, 2018)

That looks like a lot of extra work, but you sure did a darn good job!
Nicely done!
Congrats on making the carousel!
Al


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## tropics (Jan 5, 2018)

smokinq13 said:


> It's a field and stream jerky gun



I took some pics so you can measure your tubes.





Here is a 3/4" & 3/8" 





2 1/2" bag fits over the barrel 





Congrats on making the Carousel 
Richie


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## smokinq13 (Jan 5, 2018)

crazymoon said:


> S13, Nice idea on your stuffing method,how did the SS turn out ?


Smoking it right now


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## smokinq13 (Jan 5, 2018)

ab canuck said:


> Well it definitely looks like it stuffed well, How did it turn out? Was there a lot of pressure when using the gun? My son-in-law has a jerky gun that we used to make jerky that did the same thing. I don't know what brand it was though.



Im actually smoking them right now as we speak. I dont think there was too much pressure while using the gun, it wasn't any harder then normally using it. Maybe that's just a side effect of using a jerky gun


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## smokinq13 (Jan 5, 2018)

smokinal said:


> That looks like a lot of extra work, but you sure did a darn good job!
> Nicely done!
> Congrats on making the carousel!
> Al



Thanks Al! Surprisingly its alot less work then trying to use the grinder with the stuffer horns/attachments... forming the meat into balls before chilling helps alot and once you get a rhythm going, it goes pretty quick


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## HalfSmoked (Jan 5, 2018)

I just got a jerky gun from Cabela's and reading the instruction that came with the gun for making jerky is to add 1/2 cup water per ibl of ground meat wonder if yours was to dry. Like your idea waiting to see finish.

Warren


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## ghostguy6 (Jan 5, 2018)

I had the same blowout problem when using the stuffer attachments for my grinder. I solved it by making a large aluminum washer that sealed against the stuffer nozzle and inside the threaded collar.


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## smoketrailsteve (Jan 5, 2018)

Looks good. I've stuffed with a jerky gun before by taking off the nozzle entirely. I've also stuffed those big casings just by spooning the batter in and compressing it.


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## smokinq13 (Jan 5, 2018)

smoketrailsteve said:


> Looks good. I've stuffed with a jerky gun before by taking off the nozzle entirely. I've also stuffed those big casings just by spooning the batter in and compressing it.



I was going to do that but my casings weren't large enough to fit. I had some meat left over but not enough to stuff another log, so i just divvied it up between the six ones I had made


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## uncle eddie (Jan 5, 2018)

Good to know!


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## ronf (Jan 5, 2018)

smokinq13 said:


> I just made up a 5 lb. batch of summer sausage ready for the smoker tomorrow but funny thing is i used a jerky gun to stuffer the casings. I have a Field & Stream grinder that can be a stuffer but i think its such a hassle to even try and use it like a stuffer that I'd rather use the jerky gun instead. The only problem i ran into is that some of the meat would squeeze out the front where the threads are( as seen in the picture). I also didn't have a actually tube for doing this, so i just used the Double jerky marker tube for stuffing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## ronf (Jan 5, 2018)

smokinq13 said:


> The reason I'm really posting this is to show that you don't need a big "fancy" stuffer and all the right equipment to make things like this. Yes, it would help but if its not in your budget there's always ways to improvise.



I agree with you. I have a stuffer and for large batches it is the way to go. But just last week I got a Jerky Cannon and made a five pound batch of meat sticks stuffed in collegen casings. It worked great.


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## smokinq13 (Jan 6, 2018)

Here's the finished sausages. I kept them in my smoker for about 7 hours and then transferred them to the oven to finish which took a couple more hours. Immediately hitting target temperature they were put into a ice bath for about an hour then sat on a rack to dry/ bloom for about 3 hours. Pretty happy with the final product!

Thanks for looking guys!


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## BGKYSmoker (Jan 6, 2018)

Nice job on the SS with the gun.


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## crazymoon (Jan 6, 2018)

S13, Your sausage looks good, I was wondering about the texture w/out adding fat. They look like it held together nicely . LIKE!


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## smokinq13 (Jan 6, 2018)

crazymoon said:


> S13, Your sausage looks good, I was wondering about the texture w/out adding fat. They look like it held together nicely . LIKE!



Texture is fine! I believe since summer sausage takes a long time to smoke/cook, it all just melts and combines into one, if that makes any sense


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