Workhorse 1957 Fire Management Series #6: Cold Smoking Sausage

[@outlawshinemaker]

Nice video ! Nice to see someone using a Real smoker to do this Not a cheater box ! Keep up the great content.

[@maxqbbq]

Thanks! I appreciate the compliment.

[@johnknapp6328]

Great Heat Manegment video for cold smoking

[@maxqbbq]

Need some fresh Salmon. :-)

[@patrickmacleod2415]

Good to see someone actually cold smoking when he says he’s cold smoking. A lot of times guys say they are cold smoking when they are actually hot smoking at the lower end of the temp spectrum (like at 160).

[@maxqbbq]

Thanks. That's very true. I also enjoy curing meats where the goal of the smoke is flavor and keeping the insects away. :-)

[@johnreeves8156]

Great video!

[@maxqbbq]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks!

[@raytrout8272]

Nice! awesome smoker

[@maxqbbq]

Thanks 👍

[@danielmccaf]

Is it a problem to use fresh sausage? Are you not risking listeria or botulism by not curing the sausage first?

[@maxqbbq]

The risk of botulism and listeria is related to the time that the meat is between 45F to 130F. This is a danger zone as bacteria multiply faster the closer you get to normal body temperature around 100F. When meat is held at temperatures in the danger zone for extended periods of time, you run the risk of rapid bacterial growth. This can result in the production of bacterial toxins that may not be completely neutralized by the smoking process. To be safe when cold smoking sausage, ingredients containing Sodium Nitrite are added to slow and inhibit bacterial growth. Fresh sausage should be kept refrigerated until the sausage is cooked. Fresh sausage (without nitrites) is not typically cold smoked as the meat would be in the danger zone for a longer than safe period of time.

[@lamarwilliams185]

I wonder how did it taste. My experience is to always have a hot fire. When I tried smothering the flame or letting it smolder. The food did not have a great taste. I purchased the a-maze smoker and used wood chips. The wood chips would not stay lit. Great video. Thanks for not doctoring the video and letting viewers see the fire going out and the process to get the smoker back to temp!!!!

[@maxqbbq]

All the fire management videos that I’ve seen show an idealized view of the process. They make you scared to have any smoke or allowing the temperatures to vary. The reality of it is that wood fires are dynamic and quite variable. You can screw up your cook if you don’t pay attention. However, good smoking wood is very forgiving on beef and pork.

[@lamarwilliams185]

@@maxqbbq If you decide to sell the 1957 smoker in the future?? Make sure I get first dibs!!!!

[@jimbop4499]

Why not just use the pellets on their own? Why do you need any heat for a cold smoke?

[@maxqbbq]

It if is warn enough outside, you don't need supplemental heat. The ambient temperatures were pretty cold in a couple of my cold smoking videos so I used a small bed of charcoal to provide a little heat to help dry out the sausage and get a little snap out of the casings. It all depends on the meat that you are preparing and how much heat that you want to apply for your preparation. Over the last 1,000 years man has been using smoke to preserve and dry meat so it would last longer and delay spoilage. So much of the knowledge of smoking meat came from cultures using smoke and pepper to keep the flies and insects away while using salt to dry and cure them meat.

[@gregorymakosz6756]

Why would you use colaggen casings crap. Boy stick to natural casings I have been in sausage salami business for over 35 years and I remember when our idiots management start using colaggen. Everybody hates it.

[@maxqbbq]

I couldn't agree with you more. I much prefer natural casings. I keep the collagen casings around for times when I run short on the natural.