Smoking deer sausage

[philsweeney]

When I put my deer sausage on the grate too much fat is cooked out of the sausage. If I can keep the sausages protected from direct heat I think I can make it work. Usually make 8 pounds and that covers the grate. I am thinking about putting in at the halfway mark a solid steel disc which hopefully will deflect some of the direct heat and only allow smoke to the sausages. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[JCGrill]

What kind of smoker?

[JCGrill]

Ah sorry, just noticed you posted this in the PBC channel. I usually read by recent posts and wasn't looking at the channel.

[Jerod Broussard]

If you go too much over 225-F it will render it out regardless. Are you keeping tabs on internal temps?

[mountainsmoker]

I smoke my sausage at 200 the lowest that Meathead considers safe. Don't put it directly over any coals. Take it off when it reaches 155 for fully cooked sausage. For every degree above 200 you smoke your meat it dries out more as it looses more fat and juices.

[Huskee]

Have you experimented with hot smoking, say 325? Bear with me, let me explain my though process. I'm not a sausage person so I'm only theorizing, but I know meats that are lean like turkey breast and pork loin benefit from a hotter quicker cook to avoid the extra time spent cooking which can dehydrate. This of course is different from sausage losing fats, but makes me wonder if you've tried it and if it might help shortening the overall cook time in this manner. Aside from my wonderings there, sounds like a disc might help, but a PBC with a direct line from the radiant heat and convection may simply not be the best sausage machine for your type of sausage.

[FireMan]

Talk about wonderings, "not the best type of sausage machine for your type of sausage". Is it a lousy sausage machine for all sausages or is it good for a particular type of sausage or was it the wrong sausage? Hmmmm! Wondering minds might want to know. Then again, who gives a rip.

[Huskee]

FireMan So many sausages and sausage machines, so little time, so few rips.

[Skip]

I have only been making and smoking sausage a few times but I've wondered if smoking in the PBC wouldn't be a good thing. Just build a very small fire to stay in the 200 degree range and hang it until it hits 150 degrees. In the past i smoked in the BGE which worked ok too.

[FireMan]

So, what you say man, is it the wrong machine for all sausages or that sausage? 🕶

[Skip]

I believe if you can control your temperature just about any cooker will work FireMan

[philsweeney]

Have you experimented with hot smoking, say 325? Bear with me, let me explain my though process. I'm not a sausage person so I'm only theorizing, but I know meats that are lean like turkey breast and pork loin benefit from a hotter quicker cook to avoid the extra time spent cooking which can dehydrate. This of course is different from sausage losing fats, but makes me wonder if you've tried it and if it might help shortening the overall cook time in this manner. Aside from my wonderings there, sounds like a disc might help, but a PBC with a direct line from the radiant heat and convection may simply not be the best sausage machine for your type of sausage.

I actually do a thing that I call hot smoke where I take sausages and cook them on a regular charcoal grill. I’ll start the charcoal then put on The sausages for a quick sear. Then I move the sausages to the other side of the grill and I add all my Apple wood. Finish at 160°
this works fantastic. Just wanted to smoke the sausages before I freeze them.

[philsweeney]

If you go too much over 225-F it will render it out regardless. Are you keeping tabs on internal temps?

I have measured the temperatures to be as high as 295° And stop cooking when sausage is 160°