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Featured Replies

On 5/15/2025 at 8:29 AM, dcbc said:
On 5/14/2025 at 9:55 PM, Baboontyme said:
That stuffer is very similar to mine. It works. Not fun, not easy but I don't get the sense that has anything to do with the type or quality of the stuffer. 

From what I've read, the manual stuffer is the way to go though. My grinder will do it, and I got a cheap foot switch to control things. So I'll probably try that first since I have it. But looking down the road, the manual route may be the way.

Shitty video quality but you don't need equipment...
 

 

Shitty video quality but you don't need equipment...
 
 
That's nuts
  • 1 month later...

Second go at it.  Got a manual stuffer for the occasion.  Letting them sit in the fridge overnight and will cold smoke tomorrow.

 

Sausage.jpg

Edited by dcbc

18 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Second go at it.  Got a manual stuffer for the occasion.  Letting them sit in the fridge overnight and will cold smoke tomorrow.

 

Sausage.jpg

leonardo-dicaprio-roll-eyes-thats-hot-da

26 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Got a manual stuffer for the occasion.

A phrase you should be really careful with.

After some delay. I hit them with four hours of cold smoke and vacuum sealed up for later.

76ee4ad6a032a12db0c32d82d0a911ec.jpge348123bb6e8fc73c3fb8fa8dc9f5309.jpg

On 6/16/2018 at 7:47 PM, Baboontyme said:

Major fail thus far. Got some pork cubes in the freezer. Going to give it another run in a minute with the grinder bit facing the proper direction and see if that helps any.

My dad and I have been making sausage for 50 years and we did the same thing last month.

On 8/8/2025 at 4:53 PM, dcbc said:

Second go at it.  Got a manual stuffer for the occasion.  Letting them sit in the fridge overnight and will cold smoke tomorrow.

 

Sausage.jpg

Uncle used to have a 20ft*20ft cold smoke shed with nothing but sausages hanging from the ceiling.  Smelled like heaven 

14 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Uncle used to have a 20ft*20ft cold smoke shed with nothing but sausages hanging from the ceiling.  Smelled like heaven 

Nice.  I think my wife would notice if that project started before I stained the deck and installed new bathroom faucets though.

 

This go 'round, I used some pecan pellets in a smoke tube in my offset and walked away for four hours.  Worked like a charm.

  • Author

Asking because I don't know... Why cold smoke? When I have made batches, I always smoked them in the 250-300 range until they were 160. I'm not saying that's the correct way by any means it was just what I did because I didn't know any better. They were pretty tasty. 

Edited by Baboontyme

9 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Asking because I don't know... Why cold smoke? When I have made batches, I always smoked them in the 250-300 range until they were 160. I'm not saying that's the correct way by any means it was just what I did because I didn't know any better. They were pretty tasty. 

I'm new at this, but based on that video posted above, by cold smoking initially you're aiming more smoke (and color) without rendering the fat.  Once the fat is renders, it can form a barrier between the meat and the casing, making for a chewier, less snappy sausage.  It seems like a lot of people will go ahead and cook them off (after shocking them in a cold water bath) to 150 or so after the cold smoke before vac-sealing them, but it's just a matter of preference if they've been cured.

Sausage making tip of the day:  If you don't want to pay $20 per pound for high-temp cheese, you can dice up a block of store bought cheddar into 1/4" or smaller cubes and put it in the refrigerator uncovered for 2--3 days.  It dries out and doesn't melt as readily.

4 hours ago, kevwun said:

You can get it cheaper than that.  This is the greatest website ever if you like making sausage.  All of the stuff we have tried from here over the years has been good.

https://lemproducts.com/products/backwoods-high-temp-cheddar-cheese.html?searchid=0&search_query=cheese

Cheapest shipping puts it at $18 before tax for 1 lb of cheese..  3--5 day shipping would put it at $22 before tax.  Again, this is an "I forgot to plan ahead and don't even want to spend $11 on cheese before considering having it shipped bit of advice.   I can cut up a block of Tillamook in short order and toss it in the fridge without too much trouble.  That said, I've used the LEM casings before and was happy, but I got them off of Amazon with shipping not being a factor.

 

Edit: Looks like I can order high-temp cheese for $14 per pound from Amazon before tax (free shipping).  My inner cheapskate is definitely doing the 3-day method still.

Edited by dcbc

  • Popular Post

I cooked some up tonight. Man, am I ever pleased with how these turned out. Good snap and great texture.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm being left to my own devices; just the dogs and I this weekend.  So I'm making cheddar hot guts.  I've got the cheese drying out and found a cheap, select, 10 lb brisket.  Point end is seasoned up and going into the sausage while the flat was cubed up and frozen for ground beef at some point.
 
OU Sucks!



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Edited by dcbc

Cased some chicken bacon ranch links yesterday. Haven't decided if I'm gonna leave them fresh or smoke them... didn't use pink salt, so either way I'll vacuum seal and freeze.

1 hour ago, Masshole Horn said:

Cased some chicken bacon ranch links yesterday. Haven't decided if I'm gonna leave them fresh or smoke them... didn't use pink salt, so either way I'll vacuum seal and freeze.

How do the unsmoked/raw sausages do in the vacuum sealer?  I vacuum sealed the ones I cold smoked and they dried out enough to keep their shape.

They've done fine in the past, I usually hit the seal button pretty quickly. You can also freeze them on a sheet pan and seal the already frozen links.

We seal fresh ones all the time with no issues.  You can fit two whole ones in an 8" bag if you interlock them and they will stack well in the freezer.  You don't have to freeze ahead of time. 

Edited by kevwun

23 hours ago, kevwun said:

We seal fresh ones all the time with no issues.  You can fit two whole ones in an 8" bag if you interlock them and they will stack well in the freezer.  You don't have to freeze ahead of time. 

This is correct, we make 50 lbs at the end of deer season , smoke overnight, place in bags and seal for the next year. I’ve never had any issues with anything going bad. I’ve found some two yrs old that I thought I ate, cooked it and it was great.

I got lazy after the game and just ground and mixed the meat. Stuffed them this morning and will try to get them smoked off later this afternoon.

3da912d921f59d6cb493d41e260ec972.jpg

Packed up a couple of the cold-smoked, finished product for a friend. Turned out pretty good.

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