Sausage - Why Tight Temp Range?

[PaulD]

Wondering about why sausage requires such a tight temperature range.  I understand that it can not be heated past 160 - 165 degrees or the fat melts away.  But why would that require a "tight temperature range"?  Wouldn't that just require a close monitoring of internal meat temperature as it gets closer to beinig done?



Part of why I question this is it seems like those guys that smoke with a firebox could never keep a tight temperature range.  My guess is they would have a hard time keeping their temp under 300 degrees.  But we both know they are able to make very tasty sausage.

[Tenpoint5]

The exterior of the sausage will achieve higher temps and fat out long before the interior if ths t is how your monitoring temps.

[NePaSmoKer]

The exterior of the sausage will achieve higher temps and fat out long before the interior if ths t is how your monitoring temps.

X2

[Sailor]

Wondering about why sausage requires such a tight temperature range.  I understand that it can not be heated past 160 - 165 degrees or the fat melts away.  But why would that require a "tight temperature range"?  Wouldn't that just require a close monitoring of internal meat temperature as it gets closer to beinig done?



Part of why I question this is it seems like those guys that smoke with a firebox could never keep a tight temperature range.  My guess is they would have a hard time keeping their temp under 300 degrees.  But we both know they are able to make very tasty sausage.

I have never tasted anyones sausage that smokes them at 300 degrees so I can't say that I know that they make tasty sausage.  ;D  You are cooking sausage at temps above 200 degrees and not "smoking" them.  Lot's of guys "cook" fresh sausage in the stick burners but they are not "smoking" them.  I think you would be hard pressed to find a professional sausage maker "smoking" sausage at temps over 160 degrees.  Just like when you are "smoking" or dehydrating jerky you want to keep the temp at 150 and no higher than 160.  You do jerky in a stick burner at 300 you will cook it and have a nice hunk of leather.

Bottom line is that Rick and Chris are correct in what they said.

[PaulD]

So what I'm hearing is that you wouldn't define the firebox guy's sausage as "smoked" sausage.  It is really grilled sausage that had some smoke applied during the grilling process.  Right?  Wrong?

[Sailor]

Yep.....that is what I am saying.  I grill fresh sausage all the time and apply smoke as I am grilling.  I am cooking it not smoking it.  Smoking sausage is a completely different process than cooking in a firebox or even in an oven. The smoked meats you buy in the store have a pink color to the meat because of the cure used in the process.  Those meats are not cooked but smoked.

[NePaSmoKer]

If your using a stick burner with off set firebox and at 300* your hot smoke/cooking. Its like going to The Salt Lick and eating sausage thats been on his pit all day.

[PaulD]

No guys, I have a Bradley.  I'm just trying to decide how critical it is to get a PID because I know that the way my digital is right now, it will not hold the tight temp ranges people say are necessary.

[tskeeter]

No guys, I have a Bradley.  I'm just trying to decide how critical it is to get a PID because I know that the way my digital is right now, it will not hold the tight temp ranges people say are necessary.

Paul, a PID free approach to this situation might be to factor the temperature variation into the maximum temperature you set.  (The issue here is how high the temp gets, not the fact that the temp swings up and down.)  That is, if your smoker swings +/- 20F, and you want to keep the temp to no more than 160F, set your temp at 140F.  When the heating element kicks in and out, the carry over heating will run your cabinet temp up to 160F and then the cabinet will start to cool down.

I suspect this approach might make it hard to get your sausage IT up to 152F, because the cabinet will spend so much time below your target IT.  You might plan for a hot water bath after you have completed the smoking part of the process.  Several folks here use a hot water bath to finish cooking their sausage after applying the smoke because a hot water bath significantly reduces the cooking time required.  Water is a much more effective heat transfer medium than air.  Once the IT is reached, a dip in an ice water bath stops the cooking process.  Then hang the sausage to dry and bloom.

[cobra6223]

Finally read far enough to reply... I also have digital and most of the time I smoke sausage or ribs...my temps will swing +/- 20* but I never let it go over 160....so I if check the temp when it's time to bump it up say from 130 to 140 and it reads 138 for example I will still bump it up because it will stay below 160... if I'm going from 140 or 150 and it's close to 160 I leave it and keep checking it and if it drops lower I will bump it up but check it way more often... also a cheaper fix than a PID as I understand the PID don't control some things on a digital, I have a Maverick dual probe thermometer and then you can use the cabinet probe and set it for a high range or a low range and the alarm sounds. I also use a hot water bath so I don't let my IT get very high before giving it a finishing bath