Snack Stick Questions

[AggieBQ72]

I bought some pepper/garlic snack sticks from Hi Mountain.  A couple of questions for the gurus here.

1.  What do you use to tie the casings before filling and at the end?

2.  How long to smoke/dehydrate using a DBS4R

3.  Any other ideas that might help before doing my first batch?????

[drano]

AggieBQ72
I made a batch over Christmas break, but used a different brand mix.
1.  What do you use to tie the casings before filling and at the end?
  - I used twist ties every time I started stuffing a new casing.  The other end was left open--the meat will not fall out. 
2.  How long to smoke/dehydrate using a DBS4R
Here's notes from my log

1 Jan 09   60 deg   no wind
21mm snack stick casings
9 Maple pucks (would have used hickory, but ran out)
Time:   Smoker:
1115   140   meat on for drying
1200   140   smoke on
1300   170
1400   175
1630   done   Door sticks done first, and were about 160 deg at 1600

Big picture, mix and stuff, let them sit in the fridge over nite.  Set them on the counter for an hour or so to start warming up.  Put in 130-140 deg smoker until dry, then start smoke and eventually raise the temp to 175-180 until the meat is 152 deg.  Throw in ice water for a few minutes, and package.
Good luck, but be carefull, they're addicting. 
get smokin
drano

[AggieBQ72]

Thanks Drano.

What did you use to check the temp of 152?

[NePaSmoKer]

you can use butchers twine to tye the ends off, also hog rings.







chorizo bbq links


Alot of members do different ways. I been doing this for years, i never ice the sticks.

nepas

[drano]

AggieBQ72
I have a High Accuracy version of the Super-Fast Thermopen from Thermoworks. 
http://www.thermoworks.com/
The high accuracy model reads to .1 deg (instead of whole digits), and accuracy is slightly better than the Original Super-Fast Thermapen.  $90-100 is a lot of money for a meat thermometer, but they sure are nice, especially for sausage.  The model MTC is slightly cheaper, and you can plug various K-type thermocouples into it.
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/handheld/mtc.html
If you take the plunge for one of these, and decide on the MTC model, get a thermocouple that is thin for the fast response time--model 113-159 is the same probe for the MTC as is mounted on the Thermopens.   
Of course a thin probe meat thermometer will work for about 10% of the Thermopen cost. 

***Edit to add:  a low cost meat thermometer will take longer than a few seconds to get an accurate reading.  The Superfast Thermopens, which have a small tip, give a reading in 4 seconds.

Also, as NePa shows you above, you can hang the sticks, or lay them on racks.  I've done both.  My last batch I hung, and really liked that.  I spiraled them around the dowel rod, then cut them afterwords.
Here's a link to my post of my last batch.  http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=8840.0
good luck
drano

[smokeitall]

I always tie mine and have never had a problem.  I liked hanging them on wooden dowels, I haven't tried laying them on the racks yet.  Drano is right, they are addicting, Out of anything I think I enjoy making snack sticks the most.....so far.

[AggieBQ72]

Well here is my first batch of Snack Sticks!  I know....I only used 1.2# of very lean hamburger meat for this first batch.  I took the instructions on the Hi-Mountain box that said to start with a small batch first!  It is not any harder to make 5# thant o make 1.2# but this will have to do for the first batch.



I had a 1# of Jimmy Dean sausage so I added some Maple Seasoning from Hi-Mountain and made a batch of Breakfast Sausages.



Is there a such thing as overfilling the casings????

Hey, Drano, I bought one of the Hi-Accuracy thermometers.....what IT temp should I go to on the breakfast sausages?

These will go on the DBS about 8:30 tonight using Maple seasoning.  I am getting ready to leave so I don't want them smoking while I am gone.

[Habanero Smoker]

Nice looking sausage. Yes! you can over stuff sausage. Over stuffing can cause them to burst when you either tie or twist to make links. Sausage also expand when cooked, so over stuffing can cause them to burst while cooking.

For meat I generally take the sausage to 152°F. For poultry I generally take it a little higher, closer to 160°F.

[AggieBQ72]

Maybe a good idea I only made a small batch of each.....just to make sure of the amount to fill before ruining a huge batch!

[Smokin Soon]

About the thermapen, I realize that 90 bucks is way too much for any instant read thermometer. But I am very happy with mine, as sausage batches are perfect now. I do not think it is a neccesity for anyone who does not do sausage, but it is great for everything. I have never seen another instant read with such a non-intrusive probe. Even my wings would not be the same without it!

[drano]

AggieBQ72
Those look great!  Now that you know what works, the bigger batches will get you even more great sticks w/out much more time to make them.  I found that 10 lb of sticks looped around 3 dowel rods worked well in the OBS, so I'll be making either 10 or 20 lb batches.
I do the same as Habs, 152 internal for pork/beef/venison sausage.
Yep, Thermapens are great for sausage.  Not required, but very nice.  Since I've had it, I've found out I've been way over cooking burgers, brats, etc on the grill.  Now I cook to recommended USDA temps, and its amazing how much more juicy they are.  Before I've always been concerned about undercooking them.  Now I know, w/in about 3 seconds.
I noticed you tied the ends off--sure looks nice.  As you make bigger batches, you don't need to tie them off--the meat wont fall out.  I use a bread bag twist tie (don't have any string) to hold the end closed to start stuffing, but leave the other end open.  But if you still want to tie them, you'll have some real nice looking sausage.   
get smokin
drano

[AggieBQ72]

And now the finished product!  Drano, I used your time and temps exactly.  I used 8 maple briquettes and during the smoking time I had a bowl of water to catch and extinguish the burned ashes.  After the smoking was finished I removed the water bowl.  It took at total of 4 hours to reach a IT of 152F.  (The Thermoworks was well worth the $98!!!!!).  The snack sticks  are cut into 5" sections.  The breakfast sausages are on the right.  I can't wait for breakfast!!!!  Next time will be a 10# load of snack sticks!

[Habanero Smoker]

I read my post and it seems confusing. So I'll try it again.

For meat sausage I use 152°F; and for poultry sausage I will go up to 160°F.

[drano]

AggieBQ72
Those turned out great--bet they are gone by now.  No problem--just make a bigger batch!
If you don't have it, I recommend buying the book Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Rytek Kutas.
That's where I got my smoker temp settings from.  And its got lots of great recipes, and general sausage making info.  Well worth $30. 
get smokin
drano

[smokeitall]

Aggie....Those look great....it makes me want to start a batch today.

One question, On the breakfast sausage seasoning was there a cure included in that seasoning box?

Also one more question for Drano, do you have a picture of your smoker with a 10lb load of snack sticks in it?  I put wooden dowels in mine also and could not get over 7lbs in the smoker, any more and they were touching.  I would love a tip on how to do more at once before my big smoker is done.  The smallest seasoning packet they have is for 25lbs, so after the meat, water, jalepenos, etc, + weight of seasoning I end up with over 28lbs before smoking.  Took me four separate smokes at 7 hours each.