Smoking Sausage

spence · May 2013

Good afternoon folks, I am interested in learning tips to smoke sausage on the BGE. Thanks,

Griffin · May 2013

Are you talking about making your own sausage from scratch and then smoking it at low temps (under 170)? Or taking store bought, pre-cooked and tossing it on the Egg. If its the former and you have no experience making sausage, I recommend getting a book or two and reading up on it. Smoking sausage is not something to play around with and can kill you if you do it wrong (botulism). Read as much as you can before you embark on this journey.

GK59 · May 2013

Hi Spence.

I smoked some kielbasa awhile back on my egg. I had just a small amount of lump and had to play with both vents for some time. I was going to use a 1# coffee can at first.Did't seem to be enough coal.Used one layer of coals. I was able to keep about 150-175*. But as soon as I added some wood chips it shot up to above 200*. It came out just OK. I think I screwed up by adding some bacon to the mix to add some fat. Won't do that again.

I did it indirect .

spence · May 2013

Griffin - I bought the coiled sausage from my butcher. Currently it resides in my freezer and my plan is to thaw and smoke it on the BGE. So the sausage is not pre-cooked. Honestly I do not have a recipe for the smoke which is why I am asking the forum. What are the resources you recommend I should consider. GK59 - no bacon added to this mix. I have an XL, I probably have to have the Egg vented very low to maintain 150 - 175, how long were you planning to smoke at this temperature? Thanks,

Little Steven · May 2013

Is the sausage cured? That's really what Grif is asking. If it's just raw sausage and you do a low temp smoke at the levels you are talking about you can run into serious problems. Essentially if it's cured you wouldn't need to have it in the freezer. If it's fresh , raw you are going to need to do it at temps of 200*+

spence · May 2013

I called the butcher and found out the sausage is not cured. At temperature's above 200 the issue is the fat will dissolve. Sounds like I need to research this cure step.

sumoconnell · May 2013

How did this thread end up more mature than the BBQ smell thread?

@spence - careful with your research terms in google.

Anyway - I buy pre-cooked also. Not worth the risk - suggest you cure some bacon

MrCookingNurse · May 2013

It should just need to be cooked like a hot dog... Unless something I dunno :-??

GK59 · May 2013

Spence , mine had some cure in it. I think it was on for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If this is wrong I'll correct.

dayzedandconfused · May 2013

I buy raw german sausage from my butcher. It is not cured but he does cold smoke it for one day at below 40 degrees temp to give it some smoke flavor. I also have to cook it right away or freeeze it for later. Here is how I have founnd the best way to cook it that pleases my bunch. I use oak lump with one small cunck of raw wood for a little smoke. you do not want smoke boiling out of the egg, you just want a "whisp" of smoke coming out of the dazy wheel. Now raise the egg temp to 225. Very inportant, you want to insert a meet probe long ways into a piece of sausage, and then cook it indirect until the internal temp reaches 165. Pull of sausage imediately. It doesn't take long, maby an an hour or so. We like ti eat it right away with hotdog buns and mustard. No "resting"" the meat. Eat it while it is hot. Drinking a beer or two at the same time makes it even better, Hpoee this helps, Melvin p v

Griffin · May 2013

I've got Warren R Anderson's "Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage" Great read and goes into great detail the differences between fresh, cured and fermented (which I won't even attempt). Since yours is just a fresh sausage, cook it just like you would something like brats (uncooked), breakfast sausage or Italian sausage. 350 would probably be good, maybe 400. Throw in some wood for smoke if you like. With fresh sausage, you don't want to cook it low and slow as you will be in the danger zone far to long. Cured sausage you can keep it low and slow because the cure stops the growth of "bad stuff". Usually contains nitrites, nitrates, tender quick or other products.

If I have ground the meat myself and made the sausage myself (meaning I trust it), I usually will pull fresh sausage around 150. Store bought, I'm a bit more leery and would probably take it to 160-165.

I'm not trying to steer you away from making sausage, just research it some before you go down that path (especially cured sausages). There are plenty of good books out there and the guys on the Smoke Ring Forum are very knowledgeable and can help out as well.

Little Steven · May 2013

spence said:

I called the butcher and found out the sausage is not cured. At temperature's above 200 the issue is the fat will dissolve. Sounds like I need to research this cure step.

I'm by no means an expert but the curing step is the first step in sausage making. The meat is (usually) cut into cubes and then mixed in the cure. The meat sits for 2-5 days in the cure and then is ground and stuffed. You can't do it in reverse.

Griffin · May 2013

Good point @Little_Stven. He mentioned its already coiled. Too late to add cure now.

Smoking Sausage

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