Making my own sausage(uppdated and done)(thx you know who you are)


 
Ok so now after this project have been moved infront of me for so long,i did it.
Atleased half way.
The sausage now rests in the casings over night(fridge) before smoked tomorrow.

1) What temp/time should i aim for in the wsm?(should be done so we can taste one,and then reheat the rest on the kettle later)
2) Should i probe one sausage for temp and go after that?
3) does the natural casing let smoke penetrate mutch? or the same amount of wood as on anyother meat?
4) Shall i let em hang to dry the casing before they are smoked @ room temp?

Followed the advice in this thread and the stuffing of the sausages was super easy.

Everything was keept cold,used 1dl water for just under 1kg of meat.

Meat:should have used pork neck but the "meatgrinder" was put together wrong so the meat was purée,skiped that and went with pork loin(only thing that we had access to) and a healthy bit of smoked bacon(total fat around 25%)We did not chop up meat by hand at all(remember this is a trial run)

Spices: paprika powder 50/50 sweet/hot,garlic,thyme,chili,salt & pepper.

Some pics of the making.



 
1. 200 tops. But start the fire small - like a mini-Minion - and let it slowly trend up (I use cool water when I do sausage).

2. That's what I do. If I'm doing a bunch I might confirm with another after the first hits temp.

3. Smoke doesn't really penetrate anything (meat, cased or not, casings, natural or not). I use about the same amount of wood as I do for, say, ribs.

4. I hang them in the fridge. I like loading them in cold, in most cases, when I first start the fire and assemble the cooker. You can hang to dry outside the fridge if more convenient.

Nice looking sausages!
 
Meant to say, in #1, above: if you are looking for a well-smoked finish, keep the fire choked to around 130-140 for a couple hours anyway, then increase to 150-160 for a while, then up from there. I usually do not hit 200 for long-smoked items. For lighter smoked items I'll mini-Minion, load the meat then slowly let the temps rise to as high as 200 - the sausages are usually done by then. But for smokier smoked sausages I control the rise much more closely.
 
I tried to smoke some of my sausages, made in january. They did not pick up much smoke flavour, less than I expected. I smoked mine together with some ribs at 225".
It did not work out as I wanted.
By the way- they are starting to taste "old", so I'll just throw away the rest. Too bad the neighbour's dog is dead..
icon_smile.gif

Please report back on your trial run.
icon_smile.gif
 
Ok now they are done!

Started with 20 unlit(mm) and 8 lit briq still prob keep temd down.

Tryed to keep it low 120-130f for the first 40 mins to dry the casing(but jumped from 120-150)

Took some coals off and the temp was better.

Then for another 50 mins beetween 150-160.

Last step around 170-175 for 1 H,then the sausage inner temp was 141 and we pulled them(exept one that was left on to 160 inner temp for a taste test)

Once 141 they was hung to cool for about 40 min then hit the fridge,and will be freezed tonight(So they can hit the grill later on)

Wood: 3 small chunks of apple.

So resaults: Taste was perfect a little garlic with a punsh at the end from the hot paprika/chili.
Casing:that little great snap when you bite in to it,and very juicy!(guess the snap will be even better after they say hello to my kettle)
Texture: well this is the only down side,they were a bit "grainy" hard to explain in another word,but thats the only minus in the whole prodject.

Will try to perfect this one,and if anyone have a solution to the grainy texture pls enlighten me.

Here are some pics enjoy.

Hit the grill

Probed 1.5h in

141 inner temp all done exept the probed one that will stay to 160inner temp.

Let em hang to cool down for the fridge

Rdy for the fridge

Taste test @ 160f

You can almost see the the grainy texture.


This was a great first try and now i just have to improve!

A big thx to Kevin,biesinger,Geir and Ken.
 
They look good.

Re: the texture. What recipe? 160 might be too high. Did you cool immediately after removing them? If so, try one of those and see if there's a difference.
 
I dident cool them just hang them to cool(read about cold water but i thought that it was only to not let em shrink while cooling,witch i dident se anyway)

The only thing that went in the dog was : porkloin,bacon (half of it was frozen when i grinded),spices and water.

Could it be that the bacon was frozen when grinded?

Havent tryed any of the others yet(have a big chicken on the wsm atm so thats dinner)
But i will come back with the texture issue when i try them.
 
Not likely, however if you include bacon it must be very finely ground. It is already cooked once. If not very finely ground the lean can seize a bit (shrink and firm) and lead to the texture you note, especially if the internals get a little high.

Spraying with cold water stops the cooking and cools the sausages so that they be safely fridged or frozen. (Sometimes very hot water is used first, before the cold water spray.)

Try forgoing pork loin. Its density and lack of internal fat and connective tissue doesn't lend well to sausage (and could be part of the problem with the graininess) unless the sausage is emulsified. Even then though, shoulder meat works better.
 
"Bacon is already cooked"- not necessarily true here in Europe. For me, bacon is raw salted pork belly, cold smoked. Except some few types, for example "enrisrøkad bacon", that's bacon hot smoked with uniper wood. I'm sure Wolgast is quite familiar with that one, as I have to go to Sweden to get it.

I recognize the graininess- problem, but I have no sure cure. Did you add salt to your meat, and give it a good spin in your foodprocessor to wash out some of the proteines before stuffing?
As far as I have found out, there are two possible causes for "grainy" sossages, either the stuffing is not sticky enough, or the temps during mixing are too high. Use ice water, place bowls and grinder in fridge as much as possible, hang ice packages over the grinder in hot weather and so on.
Just a suggestion.
 
The bacon i used is one that is ok to eat from the package but i always fry em up anyway(love my crispy bacon.

Everything was cold Grinder/meat/ice water and the frozen bacon
icon_smile.gif


Altho the mixing bowl was not (foodprocessor)
and i thought i gave it a well mix in there.

I did add all spices including salt in the foodprocessor,then back in the fridge with the meat and rested for about 1h before stuffing.

Well i will let u know hot the grilled ones come out.
 
I am quite familiar with European bacon. Not all is cold smoked but, regardless, the process of curing alters the lean in ways that can affect texture, especially when heated. If using bacon in the mix it really needs to be puréed, or nearly puréed.

I am not sure what is meant by 'washing out' proteins, but the sausage mixture is kept cold so that it grinds more cleanly, so the fat doesn't smear, and for safety purposes.
 
I only grinded everything once,even the bacon.

Couse i thought if i dont chop anything by hand i still would like some texture when i bite in to it.

Will grill upp some tonight just to se if it feels the same.
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
I am quite familiar with European bacon. Not all is cold smoked but, regardless, the process of curing alters the lean in ways that can affect texture, especially when heated. If using bacon in the mix it really needs to be puréed, or nearly puréed.

I am not sure what is meant by 'washing out' proteins, but the sausage mixture is kept cold so that it grinds more cleanly, so the fat doesn't smear, and for safety purposes.
Click to expand...

Regarding "wash out proteines"- I've been told from my friend, a professional sausage maker for many years, that I should add salt to some of the mixture to- translated from Norwegian "wash out some of the proteines". This makes the filling sticky, and makes the meat mixture capable of holding moisture and bind the sausage together internally. I'm by no means an expert, and since almost noone makes sausages on hobby basis in Norway, I don't have enough knowledge. I trust his advice, though, since it has been his occupation for several years. I have also had this problem with tasty, but "grainy" sausages. I have tried to overcome this by the "wash- process", and I have conluded that it helps a lot.

Thank you for then information about bacon, I have always cut small chunks of bacon with a knife and added after grinding, rather tedious process, to get some texture to the sausage.

Now- if this is "barking up the wrong tree" to cure the grainyness- problem, what is the correct cure.

Wolgast- sorry, not meaning to hijack your thread.
 
Ah, okay. Yes, salt adds flavor so is necessary, of course, but it also denatures some of the proteins - what you are referring to as washing. This process does indeed make the sausage mixture more sticky and more sticky (what we call the 'bind') means that it fills the casing better, in a way that helps prevent a grainy finish because the fat is better assimilated (even if large pieces) into the mixture with the meat. The denatured proteins in the meat help 'hold' the fat in place.

There are, unfortunately, other issues that can cause graininess as well. Each must be addressed separately.
 
Well, I have no excact time, but it's easy to see when it happens. The mixture gets "sticky". I'm quite sure that five minutes should be enough.
 
If you are using a processor rather than a grinder and mixer then 5 minutes is too long. Longer is not better, especially in a processor as they generate too much heat. Heating the mixture can cause graininess after cooking because the fat more readily separates (this is called 'breaking') and the result is a grainy finish.

The meat mixture must be very cold - almost frozen - at the beginning. If using a processor it is wise to chop/mix for brief period, maybe 1-1.5 minutes, tops, then return the mix to the freezer to get almost frozen again. Repeat till the mix is the texture you seek, and is well blended.

It's blending that works the proteins so that they become sticky. Speed is not necessary and it can be done by hand, after grinding - as one works ground beef for hamburger patties - though this takes some muscle working with a mass of very cold ingredients.
 
I started with a grainy texture but have since corrected the problem. I now use a larger hole grinding plate for a coarser grind, and have a dedicated stuffer.

to go with what Kevin states, maybe having larger pieces of fat will keep them colder longer and less likely to smear. Also using the grinder as a stuffer creates a lot of friction and heat.
 
I also use the grinder as a stuffer. I run it at low speed, and hang a icebag over the shaft. It helps a lot.

When I make sausages, usually in January, it's at least -5 degrees fahrenheit outside, so I just place the grinder outside the door, as well as the bowl. Lots of free snow to make icepacks of, as well.

Is it worth the money to buy a dedicated stuffer? I think my machine (not the same as Wolgast, but an old Electrolux) works well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top