Trying to get some help but no one seems to want to comment. I did some Kielbasa and not sure exactly what went wrong. I think I may have poached to high and cooked fat out but its never happened to me so I'm not positive. I did the Started it in the smoker for about four hours of smoke at 140 degrees after an hour of 120 degrees to dry. Pulled and threw in a water bath of what I figured to be 160 degree water. I used a electric thermometer to check but got in a hurry and confused because I was also in the middle of starting some trail. When I went to check them they were done but the casings had all swollen up like they were full of water. When I lifted them they would break and grease shot 6 foot across the room. Might of been funny but not at the time. So I'm sitting around retracing steps and wife says (she was controlling water temp.) Well it was up to 185 for a short time. So I'm thinking that was it but would it really hurt at that temp?
viper I would help but I don't do a water bath.
Maybe someone will respond.
What was the internal temp of the sausage from the smoker and after the water bath?
Well I think if I don't find out i'll probably quit for a while too. Never had a problem in a smoker doing sausage.
Quote from: viper125 on August 30, 2011, 03:30:09 PM
Well I think if I don't find out i'll probably quit for a while too. Never had a problem in a smoker doing sausage.
Came out of smoker around 135 degrees and 153-8 out of water.
Sausage Hot Tub Temp got waaaay too hot. :o
Once fat hits the rendering stage in hot water, there's no turning back.
Fat rendered out & was replaced by water (= greasy water-logged links & greasy pool of water
I speak from experience.... ;)
I keep the water temp no higher than 160-65° MAX. Most times the desired IT is reached within 20-30 minutes or less.
Quote from: Kevin A on August 30, 2011, 03:35:53 PM
Sausage Hot Tub Temp got waaaay too hot. :o
Once fat hits the rendering stage in hot water, there's no turning back.
Fat rendered out & was replaced by water (= greasy water-logged links & greasy pool of water
I speak from experience.... ;)
I keep the water temp no higher than 160-65° MAX. Most times the desired IT is reached within 20-30 minutes or less.
x2
Quote from: Kevin A on August 30, 2011, 03:35:53 PM
Sausage Hot Tub Temp got waaaay too hot. :o
Once fat hits the rendering stage in hot water, there's no turning back.
Fat rendered out & was replaced by water (= greasy water-logged links & greasy pool of water
I speak from experience.... ;)
I keep the water temp no higher than 160-65° MAX. Most times the desired IT is reached within 20-30 minutes or less.
X3
Lets all learn from this. After spending all the money and time to get this far into the process stay with the hot water bath and don't get distracted. Please do not let it sneak over 165 and try to keep it at 160. The fat will stay where it belongs and things will go allright. I had a similar problem when we did the church dogs. The guys that I had in charge of the water tank temp would get shooting the bull and I had to remind them if they screwed up somebodies sausage they were going to have to replace it with theirs. You might want to take over for wife on the temp control. I know that if I asked my wife to watch my bath temperature there is no chance she is going to stay there and keep and eye on it. She always has more important things to do then stay involved in my sausage making. Sorry that is just the way things are here and probably in others.
Kirby I envy the fact that your wife will even look at your sausage water bath. Mine just gives me that look like I have 2 heads and both of them are spinning. If I even remotely ask here to help with my sausage adventures. That's why I have Miss Rachel learning how to do things. She at least makes it look like she is interested and will help. ;D
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on August 30, 2011, 05:43:32 PM
Kirby I envy the fact that your wife will even look at your sausage water bath. Mine just gives me that look like I have 2 heads and both of them are spinning. If I even remotely ask here to help with my sausage adventures. That's why I have Miss Rachel learning how to do things. She at least makes it look like she is interested and will help. ;D
Train her well Chris and she might not go over to the dark side. My wife shines at giving it away. go figure??
I agree with the water temp being at 160 degrees. I do not have have turkey roaster yet so I use a big pot on our electric stove. After many hot water baths I know what setting to put the burner on to keep that water at 160. Last weekend I made up 10 pounds of basa and on the last load of giving them a bath I fell asleep. I woke up about 3 hours after I put the last batch in and was in a panic. Pull them from the pot and they were fine. No fat out at all. They just had a few hours more of 160 temps then the rest but they came out great.
Same thing with smoking. If the cabinet temps get over 175 one runs the risk of having a fat out problem.
Quote from: classicrockgriller on August 30, 2011, 03:25:51 PM
viper I would help but I don't do a water bath.
Maybe someone will respond.
Ditto
Only hot water sticks 1 time
Old fashion way for me.
I used to use the pot on the stove an only 1 time I had the fat shooting all over the house, learned the lesson and never left a pan after that, now I have the electric roaster and can just set the temp but still don't leave it alone, no problems since the mess we cleaned up from the fat. people didn't like the collagen casings as they felt they were to tough, read on here where someone used the water bathfor sticks, that's what I've been doing now and really has seemed to make a difference in the casing, or at least my toothless family members think so. I'm a lucky one my wife enjoys making the sausage with me but then does complain about doing all the clean up !!! Can't win em all. In my sort time of doing this I would always check a temp coming out of the smoker, constantly watch the water temp and more than 15-20 Min's in the water is way to long and your thermometer is probably not accurate. Viper you are right though it was fun watching the fat shoot it as far as it did till we cleaned it up.
Sailor;
With your PID and a hot plate, you can control the water in your pot very accurately. Just hook up your PID to a hot plate, place a pot of water on the plate, and carefully insert your probe into the water. I use a holder from a candy thermometer to hold my probe in place.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on August 31, 2011, 01:08:18 PM
Sailor;
With your PID and a hot plate, you can control the water in your pot very accurately. Just hook up your PID to a hot plate, place a pot of water on the plate, and carefully insert your probe into the water. I use a holder from a candy thermometer to hold my probe in place.
Now that is a gooder idear. ;D
Quote from: cobra6223 on August 31, 2011, 06:41:44 AM
I used to use the pot on the stove an only 1 time I had the fat shooting all over the house, learned the lesson and never left a pan after that, now I have the electric roaster and can just set the temp but still don't leave it alone, no problems since the mess we cleaned up from the fat. people didn't like the collagen casings as they felt they were to tough, read on here where someone used the water bathfor sticks, that's what I've been doing now and really has seemed to make a difference in the casing, or at least my toothless family members think so. I'm a lucky one my wife enjoys making the sausage with me but then does complain about doing all the clean up !!! Can't win em all. In my sort time of doing this I would always check a temp coming out of the smoker, constantly watch the water temp and more than 15-20 Min's in the water is way to long and your thermometer is probably not accurate. Viper you are right though it was fun watching the fat shoot it as far as it did till we cleaned it up.
Hey Cobra
You might really think about trying the cellulose casings. I have now made two 10 pound batches of Kielbasa up using them and I am so happy. They peel right off and do not take any meat off them and the skin is nice and smooth and has an very nice skinless texture. I don't think I will every use the collagen casings again except for the snack stix. I will be trying the cellulose on some dogs and if they come out like the basa then we will have a great skinless dog.
Well thanks everyone.Pretty much what i thought after talking to my wife about temps. But it really was my fault. I waited till just about 20 minutes before heating water. So tried to get to temp and balance it in a short time. If I would have done it correctly I think it would have been better to start water 1-2 hours a head of time maybe. Then start low and work up instead of the other way around. Just never in all my years have I messed up like that and wasn't sure. always finished in smoker or oven. But i'll try the water thing again and see. Seems like a way to safe a lot of time. Who knows if not i'll try like Hab said with the PID.
But got to say Im lucky to have a wife like her. She helps with grinding ,stuffing and any thing I need. Wont give my meat away either LOL. Hell she comes out drags brush,holds limbs and helps with the splitter when doing wood. She loves to work and help. Be lost without her.
Well thanks for all the responses.Thought for awhile I made some one happy. But again you all come through. Thank You.