How Long

[slider]

Could someone please tell me how long my Deer sausage can be left unrefrigerated since it has been curred and smoked ?

[Tenpoint5]

Slider I will answer your question with a question.

How long did you leave your Deer sausage out after you cured it and smoked it?

[slider]

I have not smoked it yet I just stuffed it and it is in the frig cooling. I mixed it all up yesterday am and it stayed in the frig for about 20 hrs before I stuffed it early this am. I am going to smoke it after lunch.

[Tenpoint5]

You will be fine the cure will keep it safe while it is in the fridge and during the smoke. I thought you where talking about after you had smoked it. I usually hang mine for 2-3 hours at room temp after taking it out of the ice bath.

[slider]

Tenpoint I was talking about after the smoke. Can it stay out at room temp for days or weeks since it was curred and smoked ?

[NePaSmoKer]

Tenpoint I was talking about after the smoke. Can it stay out at room temp for days or weeks since it was curred and smoked ?

Did you cut pork into the venison?

If so you can leave at room temp to bloom for a few hours. If you wanting to leave at room temp (counter) for easy access for snacking, I would not for longer than 1 day. (mine dont last that long on the counter) It get eaten too fast  ;D

Store in a paper bag, glass or plastic jar with holes in the lid. A ziplock makes moisture and causes the sausage to go bad faster.

[slider]

Ok thanks. You know how you see these pics of these meat markets where the sausages are hanging all around. I just thought that I could leave it out since it was curred..I did put 5% ground pork with it. Total weight came to 17lbs.

[Habanero Smoker]

By the time sausages are hung in certain market places they are not being protected by a cure. At that stage they have been fully dry cured and are protected do to a lack of the availability of moisture which bacteria need to grow.

[NewfieSmoker]

If you use insta cure #1 you want to keep in cool and moist after it is cooked.  For sausages that are dry cured, and therefore hung at room temperature for long periods of time, contain insta cure #2 or an equivalent nitrate.  Most smoked sausages do not require #2 or nitrate as this does not even become effective unless the sausages are aged more then 2 weeks.

That being said, small diameter sausages, such as snack sticks, or even small diameter hog casings can be dry cured for 7-10 days after hot smoking , and only require insta cure #1.  This is because the small diameter of the sausage allows it to dry quickly and the ph of the meat drops faster.  The conditions have to be perfect for this to happen safely, temp 12-14 degrees celcius, with humidity of 65 - 80 percent.

So, sausage can stay out of the fridge for a certain amount of time, but it is risky if you do not know what you are doing, and the conditions have to be just right to do so safely.  My recommendation is to smoked it, let it hang at slightly less then 10-15 degrees celcius for 6-12 hours and then right to the fridge.  Hanging it at room temperature for any longer, unless it is weeks will not affect the quality or texture of the sausage, and is not safe for most of us to do.

Newfie Smoker

[slider]

Thank You !!!! Nice place you live.....