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I have posted on this subject before with very little responce, so I am trying again on a different forum.
I use sheeps casings and always get tough skins after smoking.
They are ok before being smoked.
So which is the best for smoking cold, or hot?
How long should a couple of pound of sausage be smoked?
Is there anything you can do to prevent the skins going tough?
Finally has anyone used the Hickory smoke powder purchased from
sausagemaker.org and if so what is like for sausages.
Thanks in advance
wallie

It could be that your sausages are too dry before smoking. By that I mean your fat content is too low and your water content is retained in the rusk. when smoking the casings dry too much. Try a lower smoker temp and shorter time in the smoker. The surface of the casing should be dry before smoking, if its wet you'll get tough skins, if dry the smoke will penetrate and the skins should pop or snap when eaten.

wallie

There is some discussion regarding the Hickory smoke powder http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=879&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=hickory+powder&start=0

Regarding smoking sausages, I don't yet have the facility for cold smoking so have only 'hot' smoked them. They come out well, with no toughness to the skins, as they are being hot smoked and cooked in one hit. I have smoked/cooked them straight after blooming, and after thawing from frozen.

Regards, Paul Kribs

Hi Wallie

I cold smoke my sausages for approx 2 - 3 hours and then cook as normal. I have tried hot smoking and the results were good but I just prefered them cold smoked. IF you hot smoke they freeze very well and can be brought back to life very easily via the micro - just ask my kids as it was their usual after school snack!

I have in the past used Hickory smoke powder but only on bacon, I have not yet tried it in sausages, but I dont see any reason why it should not work.

Cheers WW

The following relates to "hot" smoking, where the sausage is fully cooked when you're finished. I have no experience cold smoking and can't speak to how the results from the two methods are different.

The most likely culprit for tough casings on a smoked sausage is that the sausage was left to dry too long prior to smoking. Even 2 hours in the fridge can be enough to see a difference if the sausage is left uncovered.

I have the best luck wiping the sausage down with paper towels to remove any excess moisture, letting sit in the smoker at low heat (about 80 deg. F) with no smoke until the casings are dry to the touch and then smoking away as normal.

As for how long to smoke? For a mild smoke flavor I'd say 2 hours is fine. For stronger, then 6+ hours might be good. Of course the trick is to ensure that your sausage doesn't finish cooking before you're finished smoking So monitoring the temperature inside the smoker as well as the internal temperature of the sausage is important. Choice of wood can impact these times too, although not too much.

For the longer smokes I try to hold the smoker temperature around 110 - 130 deg. F while smoking. When I'm ready to finish cooking I'll adjust to have a smoker temp of 170-190 deg. F until the sausage hits the desired internal temperature. Then remove from the smoker and place the sausage straight into a cold water bath. [/i]

Hi Mosler
You have hit the nail right on the head, that is just what I was beginning to think.
I hung the sausage in the fridg overnight thinking that was the proceedure.
Actually when I placed them in the smoker the skin looked dry then.
Thanks for a very iteresting post.

wallie

Glad to help Wallie.

you don't need to rush through anything, where each minute counts. But rather you should plan out your time so that you can smoke soon after you stuff the sausage. If something comes up, you can buy some time by placing the sausage on a sheet tray and wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap.

When I make smoke snack sticks (15mm diameter), I often let them dry out a bit as I find people like the tougher bite on these.