# Smoked Deer Sausage. How long?



## JWS.HOOKEM (Jun 24, 2008)

Have my first batch of deer sausage hanging in the smoker. Just looking for taste not to cook or dry. Using mesquite. How long should I smoke?


----------



## tbdoppler (Aug 27, 2011)

Hold temp around 110- 120 degrees without smoke to dry for an hour. Add smoke and gradually raise house to 160 degrees. Leave until internal temp of sausage reaches 145degrees. Should take 5-6 hours dependent on how crowded your smokehouse is.


----------



## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

tbdoppler said:


> Hold temp around 110- 120 degrees without smoke to dry for an hour. Add smoke and gradually raise house to 160 degrees. Leave until internal temp of sausage reaches 145degrees. Should take 5-6 hours dependent on how crowded your smokehouse is.


 A few mods to this. We use a small inline fan in our smoker to draft through to dry the meat/casings. We smoke between 160 and 190 degrees. We always cook our meat to at least 150 degrees internal temp. That temp kills the bacteria.


----------



## txbigred (Aug 7, 2007)

Did you use a cure?

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk


----------



## tbdoppler (Aug 27, 2011)

Yes, you want to use cure. With the relative low temps, moisture and lack of oxygen in a smokehouse botulism spores can grow. Getting the internal temp to above 138 degrees is considered fully cooked per USDA eliminating trichnea.


----------



## JWS.HOOKEM (Jun 24, 2008)

*Yep*

Pink salt. I smoked for 2 hrs. Batch is "ok" but not great. Maybe too much seasoning or too much smoke. I'll back off both next go round.


----------



## patfatdaddy (May 29, 2004)

We smoked ours for four hours and it was really smoky but after it was frozen and then thawed out it was just right.
Question: Could you smoke a small batch in a BBQ smoker?


----------



## Big Guns 1971 (Nov 7, 2013)

More than likely the problem is because you used mesquite wood to smoke. That is not the wood of choice for most people. Try Hickory, pecan, postoak or peach next time.


----------



## P (Nov 18, 2012)

*smoke*

I cold smoke mine when the temp is around 40 degrees or so and I use pink salt . I have a good size smoke house . Get em hangin put some charcoal in a skillet get it burning good then slide it in the smoke house and set a piece of wood on it (green red oak) it will last 5 or 6 hours then do it again 10 to 12 hours .:texasflag


----------



## JWS.HOOKEM (Jun 24, 2008)

Big Guns 1971 said:


> More than likely the problem is because you used mesquite wood to smoke. That is not the wood of choice for most people. Try Hickory, pecan, postoak or peach next time.


No, I like mesquite. I cooked too hot too long. Gonna try again next week with this buck.


----------



## tbdoppler (Aug 27, 2011)

Here is a picture of 30# I made a few weeks back. First pick hanging in smokehouse, 2nd out of house after cooling with water spray, allowing to cool and bloom. 1 hour low heat to dry casing at 120 degrees, 5 hours at 150-160 degrees smoking with hickory sawdust until inter temp reach 150 degrees.


----------



## cajundiesel (Jul 30, 2012)

It has to be really cool outside. I hang mine to let them dry a little then i use a weed burner to bring the temp in the house up to 190-200 degrees. i do not point the flame at the sausage i just wave it at the bottom of the house. I then have a metal bucket that has some coals going that i put in the house and throw a piece of pecan on and smoke for 4-5 hrs. i leave them in the house over night to cool down then package the next day


----------



## dirtdobber (Jun 23, 2009)

I heat mine from 120 -140 for 4 hours


----------



## bowmansdad (Nov 29, 2011)

We normally make 300-450 lbs. of links at a time. We hang them and dry with a box fan till they get dry. We then start a couple of wash tubs with oak and let that burn down to coals. We slide them into the smoke house with pecan from here on out, cover the tubs with tin and let it smoke. Keep low heat for 6 to 8 hours and wait for the sausage to get that mahogany color, put another pecan log in and leave it till morning. Been doing it the same way for 50+ years and it's always great!


----------



## spur (May 30, 2004)

*Just finished smoking some sausage*

Before and after


----------

