Rookie snack sticks. Advice needed.

[whoudoughten]

Today I made my first batch of sticks. I used 73% lean ground beef. I did two 5lbs one of sweet chipotle and the other habanero bbq. I used Excalibur seasoning. I used 19mm smoked casings.
Smoker is a digital electric bradley. I used whiskey oak biscuits. Did an hour at 120° no smoke then 140 w/ smoke and increased smoker temp to 170 in until IT was 160°.
Instantly put in water bath then hung to bloom.
The sticks have great color and texture but im disappointed in the flavor. It has a great smoked flavor but i dont taste the seasonings. I used just over 3oz of season for each and insta cure it called for.
Any advice?

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[Johnny]

Welcome to the forum,
Snack sticks take alot of practice to get things right to the way your satisfied with them, (took me 7 years to get them right) I've never used Excalibur pre mixed seasonings but im sure if you add more seasoning  next time (but keep your # 1 cure to scant 1/4 tsp per lb) you will indeed enhance the flavour. I rearly use pre mixed anymore, I find them great but dont have all the ingredients that im looking for. I usually use a 10% fat to lean meat in my sticks.. eg.  4 lbs moose to 1/2 lb beef fat.

[whoudoughten]

I brought them to my firehouse and they disappeared. Everyone loved the smoked flavor, but agreed the sweet chipotle was nonexistent. Still turned out ok for my first batch i think. May try to make my own seasonings from here on out

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[Johnny]

Glad to hear everyone enjoyed them and if they disappeared thats a good thing! One key thing that I do when making them is have everything so cold that your hands hurt! Grinder, stuffer, meat, water and fat. Almost to the point of frozen. This helps so the fat wont smear and melt into the meat, end results you should see the fat when you bite into the stick. Any advice or help I can offer just ask!
Johnny.

[cherrybergher]

Welcome to the forum whoudoughten

[Habanero Smoker]

As to the Excalibur seasoning, did you purchase the two pound bag of seasoning?

[whoudoughten]

Habanero smoker I bought each season that made 25lbs. Question do you think whiskey oak was to rich for the snack sticks? I see that most ppl use hickory.

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[Habanero Smoker]

That seems to be the two pound bag. If I calculated correctly you should have added 6.4 oz. per 5 pounds of meat.

32oz/25lbs. = 1.28 oz. per pound

1.28oz x 5lbs. = 6.4oz. per 5 pounds

Oak would be a good choice. If you want a little stronger smoke; pecan or hickory will work well. I use pecan when I smoke jalapenos and habaneros.

[whoudoughten]

That seems to be the two pound bag. If I calculated correctly you should have added 6.4 oz. per 5 pounds of meat.

32oz/25lbs. = 1.28 oz. per pound

1.28oz x 5lbs. = 6.4oz. per 5 pounds

Oak would be a good choice. If you want a little stronger smoke; pecan or hickory will work well. I use pecan when I smoke jalapenos and habaneros.

Yeah I noticed after i sent my last reply that they were different sized bags. Time to give it another shot. Thanks for the math

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[Habanero Smoker]

Just in case; I've been known to screw up with a calculator. You better check my math. :)

[Sausage Master]

My recipe and cook cycle:


INGREDIENTS

•   10   lbs      80/20 Ground Beef
•   2   lbs      Water
•   9   oz      Your choice of Seasoning Unit   
•   2    oz      Process Z Compound
•   1    oz      Cure
•   2   oz      Encapsulated Citric Acid


PROCESS

•   Grind beef through the hamburger plate one time.
•   Put 2 # ground beef in the mixer
•   Add all of the Water and Spices
•   Add the Process Z
•   Dilute the Cure and add to the mixer

Mix until you have a good "soup" and then add the rest of the meat.  Mix until the meat will stick to your over-turned hand.  Add the Encapsulated Citric Acid and mix for about 20 seconds.

Stuff into 19MM Snack Stick Casings.  Put in smokehouse and heat process, using the following schedule:


COOK CYCLE:

TIME (Min)   TEMPERATURE      HUMIDITY   DAMPER   SMOKER

60      Drying Time   0      Open      Off
180      125-145      0      Open      On
*      165         0      Open      Off (Until sticks are done)

At the end of the cycle, leave in the smokehouse at room temperature for a couple of hours, and then move to the cooler.  Hold until the sticks take on a shriveled appearance, and then package.



LABEL - INGREDIENTS: Beef, Water, Salt, Corn Syrup Solids, Spices, MSG, Citric Acid, Nitrite