5 logs of Summer Sausage (pre-ground meat?) - Finished!

[Neocrunch]

So, after smoking 2 ducks, country ribs, and bacon-wrapped chicken breasts - all with great success - I decided I wanted to try some snausage!  I asked my wife to pick up some ground beef and ground pork.  I'm not sure she brought home the right stuff (not her fault, I wasn't very specific with my request).  I've got 3 lbs of 73/27 ground beef and 2 lbs of Lee's Mild sausage.  I should have asked her to speak with the butcher for some freshly ground pork shoulder.  Regardless, what are my options here?  I've got a LEM Backwoods SS kit for 10 lbs of meat.  I was just going to make half a batch (5 lbs).  Given that the Lee's sausage already has salt and spices, I wasn't sure if I could use it with the kit.


Thanks for the help. 

[Bear1968]

I would just make another trip to the Butcher and save the Pre-Seasoned  sausage to either cook or make into Fattys .... but hey that's just me ..... any excuse to make a Fatty  ;)

[NePaSmoKer]

Omit all the pork. The 73/27 is good enough for the fat content.

[Neocrunch]

Omit all the pork. The 73/27 is good enough for the fat content.

Right on.  Thanks.  I thought that might be the case.  Looks like this will be a small batch, three 1 lb logs. Any tips for kickin' the LEM mix up a notch?  I was thinking I might do one regular, add some home-smoked cayenne pepper to one, and maybe some spicy brown mustard to the third. 

[NePaSmoKer]

Omit all the pork. The 73/27 is good enough for the fat content.

Right on.  Thanks.  I thought that might be the case.  Looks like this will be a small batch, three 1 lb logs. Any tips for kickin' the LEM mix up a notch?  I was thinking I might do one regular, add some home-smoked cayenne pepper to one, and maybe some spicy brown mustard to the third.

Red pepper flakes
Jalapeno, ancho, habanero powders. even hot sauce

[Neocrunch]

Omit all the pork. The 73/27 is good enough for the fat content.

Right on.  Thanks.  I thought that might be the case.  Looks like this will be a small batch, three 1 lb logs. Any tips for kickin' the LEM mix up a notch?  I was thinking I might do one regular, add some home-smoked cayenne pepper to one, and maybe some spicy brown mustard to the third.

Red pepper flakes
Jalapeno, ancho, habanero powders. even hot sauce

Now I have more ideas than I have meat...   I guess I'll stop by the store on the way home and grab a couple more pounds of ground beef.  My plan is to get them stuffed tonight and smoke them tomorrow. Then I'm going to smoke a 5 lb rabbit on Sunday.  I just love this smoker!

[Neocrunch]

OK... I modified my title rather than start a new thread.  I've just stuffed five, 1-lb summer sausage logs.  All beef.  I used the recommended amount of LEM seasoning (4.5 teaspoons per lb) but upon taste test it's pretty salty.  I hope some of that dissipates with smoking???

Each log is a little different.  The first I used Jack Daniels instead of water to mix the seasonings. 
The second I added some fresh pepper-garlic rib rub. 

The third I added some home-smoked cayenne pepper & home-smoked garlic powder.  The fourth I added two healthy squirts of spicy brown mustard.  And the fifth I added some Roadkill seasoning.  The Roadkill seasoning contained additional salt which (I hope) explains why my taste-test batch was so salty.  I didn't bother to taste the first four mixes.

I'll let them sit in the fridge overnight and then smoke them tomorrow.  I don't have a PID so wish me luck.  I've got nothing else to do so I'll be able to keep a close eye on them.

[NePaSmoKer]

Yeah going to be good.

Post pics so we can drool even.

[Neocrunch]

I put 'em in at 118 for an hour to dry. Now I've got them smokin' on Jim Beam pucks at 126 for 2 hours.  So far, so good.  It's a little windy out so it's been a little difficult to control the temp. I imagine it's easier with a PID. 


I'm rockin' out to Thought Sausage by Widespread Panic while I'm at it. 
http://vimeo.com/16296323
^ That's where my signature comes from.   8)

[OU812]

Lookin gooood!

Try to keep the smoke generator down wind

[Neocrunch]

Lookin gooood!

Try to keep the smoke generator down wind

Thanks for the tip.  I just went out and spun it around.  I've got it nestled pretty close to the house, too.  I just bumped it up to 150 (the IT is 102).  It's still got a couple of pucks before it stops smoking.  Is a hot water bath necessary or can I bring them up to IT 153 in the smoker and then put them in ice water? 

[OU812]

The hot water bath (poaching) is not nessary but on a windy day it could knock 4 or 5 hr off the cook time

[Neocrunch]

The hot water bath (poaching) is not nessary but on a windy day it could knock 4 or 5 hr off the cook time

Gotcha.  I'll just let them cook in the OBS then.  I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't make a difference in the texture of the final product.  I don't want it to be too dry or too soggy.  Thanks for the help. 

[OU812]

Cant wait to here and see how those babys turn out

[Sailor]

Looking good.....taking on some color.  Not sure how you are regulating the cabinet temp.  Are you relying on the door temp or do you have a remote?  Try to keep the cabinet temp below 175 if at all possible.  Don't want them chubs to start fatting out.  You will be fine to finish them off in the Bradley.  As said above you will shave a lot of time off if you poach them in 165 degree water.  Either way you have a nice chub.  Keep us posted.