Strange problems smoking venison sausage

[koulbassa]

Hi All

Long time reader, first time poster...  I'm having trouble.

Over the past few years I've processed well over 500 pounds of smoked sausage, some in my bradley, some in other smokers, some in my oven.  Every few batches I run into a problem where I can't get the internal temperature of the sausage up to the right target temp.  Let's say I'm holding the smoker temp at 165 and I'm waiting for internals to reach 152.  Sometimes it gets stuck at about 133 for hours...  I can keep it in the smoker all night and it dries out the sausage, but it won't get up to temp.

The next few batches will likely come up to temp just fine in a few hours.

I've tried with and without water in the pan at the bottom.

I've had this happen on sausage of all shapes and sizes--most recently on a venison salami in 3" fibrous casing, and a venison garlic polish in 35+ natural casing. 

I installed a PID on myBradley, so I'm confident about the chamber temp, and this has happened in my oven as well.  I've been suspicious of my thermometer, but I've checked it several times in boiling water--it seems accurate to me.

Has anyone ever seen this?

Thanks for the help.

[Quarlow]

Try moving your temp probe to a new spot and see what happens. It maybe that the probe has cooked the spot where it was originally and needs to be move to a different spot.

[NePaSmoKer]

If your keeping the heat at 165* you will have your IT come up to temp in...oh about 5 days :D......Ok no i serious. Bump your PID up like shown below.

1. Start 130* for 1 hour (no smoke)
2. 140 (smoke) for 2 hours
3. 150* (no smoke) for 3 hours. Check meat IT
4. 160* (no smoke) 3 hours. check IT again
5. 160* (smoke opt) 2-3 hours check IT
6. 170* this can be from 3 to 6 hours here. check IT

Try not to exceed a final temp of 180* for your meat IT to get to temp.

[Tenpoint5]

I basically do the same as Nepas. But I have had some sausages hit a plateau of sort in that 133-136 range and stay there for a while then start climbing. I just wait it out.

[OU812]

I also do as NePas and 10.5

The size of the load will have a big impact on how fast the sausage cooks also.

[NePaSmoKer]

The stall is normal. When i get back home i will fire up the smokehouse and the 6 rack and show you pics of the stall points.

[OU812]

The stall is normal. When i get back home i will fire up the smokehouse and the 6 rack and show you pics of the stall points.

I'm bettin your smokers miss you.  ;D

[koulbassa]

Thanks for all your responses.  Nepa, I'm very curious about the pics you have!

I've been pretty careful to follow the instructions in the Rytek Kutas book (Great Sausage Recipes and Meat curing), and he's pretty specific about smoker target temperature.  Perhaps he's assuming the use of a commercial smoker that has different characteristics?

Last month I split my batch of Polish into two groups.  The first stayed in the smoker for 12 hours and it never reached temp.  (came out pretty dry)   The second (identical) batch hit temperature in 2 hours.  I put water in the pan the second time.  Unfortunately putting in water didn't help me with the 3" salami... 

10.5, I assume that when you say "wait it out" you don't mean for 10 hours...

[KevinG]

Ditto on the NePaS plan, maybe not exactly, but the same idea. Smoke, then no smoke, increase temp, check, increase temp etc. etc.