Something wrong with my smoked sausage?

[scubasmoker]

  First off I just want to say to everyone, thanks for all the great info. I bought one of the new 4 rack digital BS in Nov. and have used this forum for alot of help. But I've got a question now that I can't find an answer to.

  I've made 2 batches of smoked sausage now that just don't taste right. I should say it's more of a texture problem rather then taste. My wife calls it mealy, but I don't like that description so I call it dry & crumbly, her description is probably more accurate though. I'm using a hot & spicy reciepe I found online. I used a 5# piece of pork loin with quiet a bit of fat on it so I didn't use any extra, 8oz of beer for extra liquid, different seasonings you would expect for hot & spicy, instacure #1 from sausage maker (1t).

  I mixed everything up and ran it through the fine plate of my grinder. I also use my grinder as my stuffer so i put the correct stuffing tube on and stuffed away. Never having done this before I thought the stuffing went rather well. Then I smoked it following the reciepe. No problems with the smoke. But when I tasted it, the texture just wasn't right. The flavor was good though. So I did some research and found that I should've had a spacer plate for my grinder/stuffer. I just used the same grinding plate when I stuffed the casings. So I got my spacer plate and tried again this weekend. I did try cooking a bit this time, and my taste/texture problem is there even before I stuff. So I'm thinking it must be something with the reciepe. I'd already stuffed the casings so I smoked them anyway. No problem with the smoke again.

  Any tips or advice would be appreciated, hope I gave enough information, if not just let me know and I'll try to give whatever's needed.    Thanks.

[Wildcat]

Welcome to the forum scubasmoker!  I have never done sausage and will leave that to the experts on here.

[iceman]

Sounds like a plate size problem scuba. You might want to go to a larger grid size. Also running it through the plate and knife twice changes the texture dramatically. What temp are you smoking at? If it's to hot you cook the fat right out of the sausage and no matter what you do it will get that "pasty" texture. If you don't have a stuffer you might try putting the horn on the grinder and stuff on your first grind. Even with the spacer on, the auger mushes the meat on a second run thru. The less the meat is handled after the grind the better the texture will be. Also make sure the meat is almost frozen when you grind it to keep it from "smearing " when it goes through the plate. Just a couple of things to check. I'm not sure what type of sausage you shooting for so I really can't get to detailed. Keep us posted. Oh before I forget, Welcome to the fun zone. :D

[scubasmoker]

  Thanks Iceman, I do it in 4 steps. As its preheating I put the sausage in to dry for 1 hour. The lowest my BS will go 130' so that's why I put them right off the bat. Then I go to 140' for an hour, then 150' for an hour, then up to final temp around 190' till cooked, internal temp of 155 to 160'. This last batch I did about 3 hours of smoke. As for the style, I guess you'd call it a hot & spicy pork summer sausage. Or at least something along those lines.   

[Mr Walleye]

Hi Scuba

Just wanted to say welcome to the forum. Unfortunately I'm not one of the resident sausage experts so I'll leave that for them. I'm sure they'll get it nailed down.

Mike

[dogbreath]

I've found pork loin, even with the fat on it, very lean for sausage. I add olive oil to mine and that helps. I use loin when I'm trying to be "healthier".  Try it with some pork shoulder, and if you like the texture then the problem is using the loin. I cube my partially thawed (or partially frozen) pork, hand mix in the spices, and then only grind once with a medium plate, stuffing as I go. I poke any air bubbles with a straight pin...then the collagen casings won't rip.

Hope this helps,  Dan

[NePaSmoKer]

Welcome scubasmoker

What you need is a binder.
flavor binder 86 Reduces shrinkage while binding meat and fat together. Formulated from Hydrolyzed Milk Products and Lactose Whey.
Also sausage tang encapsulated Citric Acid, similiar to dry cure

OR

Whey powder can be used as a binder. Produces a richer sausage product.

OR

Soy Protein Concentrate is used as a binder. The soy protein helps to bind fat and meat together when making sausage.



Any of these are real good, But just use one of the binders. You can use the tang with any binder.

nepas

[scubasmoker]

Thanks for all the tips so far guys. How much binder should I use, for say around 5#'s of sausage.

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

  Thanks Iceman, I do it in 4 steps. As its preheating I put the sausage in to dry for 1 hour. The lowest my BS will go 130' so that's why I put them right off the bat. Then I go to 140' for an hour, then 150' for an hour, then up to final temp around 190' till cooked, internal temp of 155 to 160'. This last batch I did about 3 hours of smoke. As for the style, I guess you'd call it a hot & spicy pork summer sausage. Or at least something along those lines.   

Scubasmoker;

Welcome to the forum. 190 is too hot. You should go no higher than 160, with an internal temp target of 152. The bible is by Rytek Kutas; you should get a copy. I also agree with the other posts regarding grinding. I usually go with 3/8 inch plate and only one pass grinding. For brats, soy protein is usually added for more body. Keep experimenting and let us know how it goes! Next step is pictures.

Arcs_n_Sparks

[winemakers]

dry milk, run thru your spice grinder to a very fine consistency results in a binder element very inexpensively.  I concure with the opinions that the loin is just too lean, more fat is just what the doctor ordered, that and temperature control in the smoker is vital.  Overtemp and you will render the fat out, with the direct result you describe.

The bible according to Kutas recommends box temps much lower.  Welcome, good luck, and stuff it! ;D ;D ;D ;D

Mark

[NePaSmoKer]

Thanks for all the tips so far guys. How much binder should I use, for say around 5#'s of sausage.

Use 1/8 to 1/4 cup binder for 5 pnds. Loin is way to lean for sausage. try some butt grind course then grind fine and remember to soak your casing in some slightly warm salty water, An Amish dude tought me that.

nepas

[coyote]

Hey Scubasmoker,
                      As you've heard...a little more fat to the mix might help.remember low and slow is the way to go. With an oven temp of 190 you'll be rendering the fat  resulting in a dry sausage. And the
texture will be a little out of wack. I learn something with every batch I run. Thanks to the gang here at the forum and trial and error, we've been enjoying some very good sausages.....It's a food and fellowship
kind of thing.....The rewards of both are well worth the time.

                                                                           Good to have you aboard Scubasmoker,

                                                                                                                  Coyote

[jaeger]

Welcome to the forum scubasmoker!
I see you have received a lot of good advice.
When I look at your quote  "so I call it dry & crumbly",  I think of a product that is too lean AND did not bind well. I wonder if 2 things.
#1- Did you use enough salt.
#2- How well was everything mixed.
The salt in the recipe is what brings out the protein in the meat when it is mixed. It has to be mixed well. It should be very tackie, and if it is a summer sausage don't get carried away with the amount of water.
Now I am prolly going to make everyone mad.  ;)
I always grind twice, mix and stuff. If using the grinder to stuff, I leave off the plate and blade. My grinder has a spacer attachment to keep the meat flow more even. ( I highly recommend a stuffer- even a 5# size)http://www.alliedkenco.com/catalog/popup_text.php?fld=howto&tbl=howtos&key=26
NePaSmoker has some great suggestions, I would warn you though if you are not careful with a starter culture or citrus acid, your sausage will taste spoiled and not tangie. I mean the dog will not even eat it. I agree, a tang can be awesome, but beware......trust me.
The only other possibility I can imagine you are having, is if the meat is not flowing out nice and evenly out of the grinder head you may have a dull knife and plate or one highly likely suspect.....your head is not on tight enough....grinder head that is.  
Let us know how your next batch turns out with the advice everyone gave and pics are always nice!

[headgames]

Darn ........  sausage can be nerve racking ....have had 10 pound batches go in the trash myself..... I agree some with NePaSmoker meat binder . the one I have excellent results with is  http://www.butcher-packer.com/pages-productinfo/category-26_103/product-318/sausage-making-supplies-meat-binders-special-meat-binder.html  only need 1 TBS per 5 pounds . I deal with all Venison when I do my sausage , used to think I hated fat in my sausage ....... learning curve I now like (and need) 15% as a minimum for flavor and texture .... one added opinion is tempature ......... all materials at all times throughout the sausage making process need to stay cold and chilled .....  I have even gone to putting my grinder head in the freezer  before grinding/stuffing to keep my sausage from smearing ........ and this time of year is nice if I am using the stuffer the batch stays outside till the stuffer is in need of a refill then inside for a short period of time to refill then back out in the cold. and as said by Jaeger . SALT ....... very important  reviewing my current favorite recipe I am using  2tbs of kosher non-iodonized salt  per 5 pounds............... 2 tbl dextrose .  sweetner that provides assistance to  fermrntation for that tang taste .......and like you 1 tsp pink cure.... only other question I have is .......... are you letting it cure after being mixed and stuffed  at least  over night  before smoking ?? ............. thats all I got man .  good luck

[coyote]

Ya know guys , as I think about it . the best reason for my suasage turning out good might be the
meat mixer...everything gets really mixed well. the venison , the beef and pork fat , the seasonings.
Everything becomes one. I really thing that makes a difference.............

                                                                                Coyote