What Kind of Sausages do you Smoke?

keilbasa is usually smoked here. i normally grill sausages and hit them with a bbq sauce at the end, it wipes off that bitter smoke, when smoking fresh sausages i see folks splash them afterwards in ice water to keep them from pruning, then onto a hot grill or pan

I love some of the sausages that The Fresh Market produces. I don't have a large set of options for purchasing fresh (uncooked linkage. Chorizo, Italian, Kielbasa....they make it....I cook it. My favorite however is an onion sausage I can find locally at a butcher shop. Unfortunately, it is not located in a convenient spot for me. But will make the trip for special occasions.

We like Italian sausage, but we also really like Roger Wood Lumberjack Sausage.  

I usually don't smoke sausages, I grill them. But I've noticed that milder sausages can be overwhelmed by smoke. There's a place in town that sells their own Polish w/o garlic. Its sort of considered "wedding sausage," w the flavor of marjoram. Not good from the Egg. Can't taste much of anything but the smoke.

I also wonder if sausage in casing takes more smoke. I've tried making my own fresh sausage, hand formed into patties, or cylinders, and they don't seem to me to be too smokey. Likewise, even simple "fatties" using Jimmy Dean regular sausage are fine. Perhaps having the fat render out washes away some of the smoke that would stick to casings.

We do our own family recipe on Italian Sausage and I smoke them occasionally. Usually we just grill them.  The one thing about smoked sausage I've picked up from watching some of Aaron Franklin's videos is that he's always talking about how the sausage is precooked and he's just putting it on the smoker for a short time to heat it up, give it some smoke, and get the fat inside nice and hot to help out the casings. 

gdenby said:

I usually don't smoke sausages, I grill them. But I've noticed that milder sausages can be overwhelmed by smoke. There's a place in town that sells their own Polish w/o garlic. Its sort of considered "wedding sausage," w the flavor of marjoram. Not good from the Egg. Can't taste much of anything but the smoke.

I also wonder if sausage in casing takes more smoke. I've tried making my own fresh sausage, hand formed into patties, or cylinders, and they don't seem to me to be too smokey. Likewise, even simple "fatties" using Jimmy Dean regular sausage are fine. Perhaps having the fat render out washes away some of the smoke that would stick to casings.

it takes on alot of smoke and thats one reason they waterbath smoked sausages, if you smoke over 160 degrees egg temp you lose the tasty fat as well and they shrivel, its why grilling works well with fresh sausage (shorter time in the smoke, less fat loss during the cook). if you want them smoked, 160 grill temp, smoke til low 150's internal, and most smoked sausage has curing salts, thats why smoked keibasi and summer sausage is pink

Several good butchers w/in 30 minutes or less. I like variety: smoked or fresh: mild, med,hot, jalapeno/cheese. Just whatever in the mood for at the time. I know this is sausage thread, but one market makes hot dogs out of boston butts. KILLER

I cook quite a bit of the mild Italian sausage that Costco sells.  I don't cook them low and slow, though, like the OP described.  I'm in a habit of just grilling them (either on the lg Egg or the KJ Jr) at around 350-375 indirect and then maybe finishing them over some direct heat quickly at the end if I feel like it.

tonyled said:

i buy mine from kreuz's market.  they melt in your mouth!

@tonyled speaks the truth.

My other favorite is Johnsonville Original brats.  They are not pre-cooked/smoked.  I usually overcook them slightly at 275-300 as I usually leave them on until one starts to whistle with the sound of a small whole in the casing.  At that point it is obvious that they are done.  I am still working on consistently identifying them as "done" before I reach that point.  It has happened but is not my norm. 

@tonyled speaks the truth.

My other favorite is Johnsonville Original brats.  They are not pre-cooked/smoked.  I usually overcook them slightly at 275-300 as I usually leave them on until one starts to whistle with the sound of a small whole in the casing.  At that point it is obvious that they are done.  I am still working on consistently identifying them as "done" before I reach that point.  It has happened but is not my norm. 

boil them in beer and onions first.  game changer!  when they are finished on the grill throw them back in the beer/onion mixture and keep them on low heat on the stovetop until ready to eat

Pretty much any sausage or brat here but, definitely prefer homemade over mass produced. Cherry chunks can be good but, if ya go crazy it can be overpowering. Lump selection can make a world of difference too. And as always make sure you have good smoke before placing product onto the grid.

^^thank you^^

tonyled said:

no problem.  a friend of mine taught me how to make them and he is a native green bayer.  i have made a game out of finding the nastiest cheap beer i can to make them with and none have affected the flavor.  i typically grab a 6 pack of stove pipe natural light, keystone, white label with the word beer, etc . . . lol  they are by far my most requested item on the grill

Nice!  (lol regarding white label beer)

@YYZegger, Hogtown? Just wondering. 

Personally I don't see a need for low and slow. Hot and fast would seem to work just fine. Would be hard to over smoke then. Also make sure you have the thin blue smoke versus thick white smoke. Thick white smoke is acrid and bitter. Beware poultry sausages too. Poultry over smokes easily.