Snack stick do's and don'ts

[Drac]

Good day folks,

Keep trying to get something right on the snack sticks.  I tried hanging and the end cooked way to fast.  Tried laying and I got strips from sides that never faced down.  Added soy protein to retain moister and they still shrivel up when cooled.  Mixed the meat until "furry" like the books describe (can't they think of a more appetizing description?) but the texture is still mealy.

I'm needing a stix 101 because I'm ruining a bit of burger.  They are ok but ZI want to do better.

Thx,
Jim

[Sailor]

Can you give us a bit more information?  What recipe are you using?  Using a kit or a personal recipe.  How much water are you using in the mix?  What type of casing.  What are your cooking temps?  What mix of ground beef such as 80/20, 85/15?

[watchdog56]

I have done a few batches of sticks and from what I have found out is if you like a smoother non shriveled sausage, after it hits the IT of 152 take out and put in ice water to cool down for about 30 minutes then take out of water wipe off and let air dry for and hour or so. If you let air cool they seem to shrivel up.

[SL2010]

Drac- i have only done 3 batches of stix to date i lay them down i have never hung them i turn them every hour like Sailor stated there are a lot variables i sure Nepas will be along soon he will help ya out he the stix master

[Drac]

Been using kit spices from various makers.  I've been using 1/4 c water per lb (both 80/20 and 70/30) with collagen casings doing 3 hours smoke at 130 than up the temp to 170 until IT of 152.

I've tried both shocking in ice water and air cooling.

Jim

[SL2010]

This the way i do mine some times i move them into the house oven to finish 
check the sixth post down by ou812
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=19633.0

[Sailor]

Drac, I made 30 pounds of stix for Christmas gifts and each batch was 5 pounds.  Some batches I hung and some I laid in racks.  I found the ones I did in racks cooked more even.  All of the shriveled but that did not hurt the taste at all.  Of all of the pics of stixs on the forum I don't think I remember any that were done that were fully plump and not shriveled.  The only thing that I can think of doing to keep them plump is to smoke em then put them in a hot bath of 160 degree water to bring the IT to 152.  I have not tried this for stix yet but I think a couple of guys did this a few days ago.  I can't remember if their photos showed a finished product that was not wrinkled.  Personally I think wrinkles give the character.  ;D

I can tell you that if you use 5 pounds of meat you will lose about 35% to 40% of weight on the finished product.  Seems to reason that the casing just has to shrink to fill the void that is lost when the moisture is cooked out.

[NePaSmoKer]

With practice you can get plump, non wrinkly stix  ;D




I like em wrinkly too even  ;D

[Drac]

I guess I can deal with the wrinkles but I thought they were a sign of one of the problems that cause the dryness and mealiness.  

Jim

[Sailor]

Well ....paint me red and call me a barn......the Master shows up and shows a perfect batch of stix.  Not sure how he does it.  I think it is a secret  ;D

[NePaSmoKer]

Well ....paint me red and call me a barn......the Master shows up and shows a perfect batch of stix.  Not sure how he does it.  I think it is a secret  ;D

:D  :D

I used to live in a barn  :D  :D


Here is a secret....1 word.....buttermilk  ;D

[SL2010]

Buttermilk????????????????????????????

[NePaSmoKer]

Buttermilk????????????????????????????

Yup

Cant say more cuz its a secret  :D  :D

[Sailor]

I used buttermilk on them and still got wrinkles.  Heck I got wrinkles in my fingers, toes, forehead and other places too  ;D

[NePaSmoKer]

I used buttermilk on them and still got wrinkles.  Heck I got wrinkles in my fingers, toes, forehead and other places too  ;D

That means ya gots lots of character  ;D






See the cup with the cure mixed in the small amount of water?

Never mix the cure with the buttermilk, add it after you have the buttermilk/mix to the meat.