Made some venison summer sausage using this recipe... http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/sausage-recipes/summer.htm ... Except I used 10 lbs pork butt, 10 lbs venison, and 2 lbs cheddar and jack cheese. This recipe calls for a culture for tang, color, and prolonged shelf life. So they were carefully stuffed and incubated in high humidity for 24 hours.

So time to smoke! I wanted a 6 hour smoke at 100 to 120 degrees before I brought them up to 140, so I used a propane burner in the bottom of my smoker warming cabinet like I've done 100 times before. Had hickory chunks in a cast iron pan.

It was cold out so I turned up the gas a bit more than I usually do. (mistake #1)

I put a few extra chunks in for a good long smoke. (mistake #2)

I put one of the grates between the sausage and the chunks to put a smoke/ heat diffuser on it. (mistake #3)

Everything was humming along fine with some nice smoke until about an hour in. I went to check on them, and I noticed no smoke coming out, and the temps were way high. When I opened the door I saw my beautiful summer sausages laying on the grate after everything had lit on fire enough to burn the string off that held them dropping them down in a flame that was prolonged by grease on the grate and grease being melted out of the sausages.

By the time I got there the fire was out but the damage was done. These were to be Christmas gifts for some of my hunting buddies. I was devastated to say the least. After all that work.

Well I reset everything best I could and finished them laying on grates with an 8 hour smoke.

Too ugly to gift, but the flavor was excellent. A very good recipe for sure. Nice savory taste of course black pepper and whole mustard and celery seeds.

Probably would have been a good idea to cover the wood chunks with foil. The pile of chunks got too hot and caught on fire, and the rest is history.:faint:

As I was looking for some comforting words from my wife, she disgustingly said...." Rookie Mistake ". :frusty:

Heres the screw view...
http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr267/kingudaroad/SUMMER%20SAUSAGE/SUMMERSAUSAGE003.jpg
http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr267/kingudaroad/SUMMER%20SAUSAGE/SUMMERSAUSAGE001.jpg
http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr267/kingudaroad/SUMMER%20SAUSAGE/SUMMERSAUSAGE002.jpg

We have all screwed up at one time or another. It looks a little dark on the outside but internally it looks tasty

Keep your head up and your stick on the ice.:bounce:

still looks tasty. you can always mail it here.:thumb:

they really do look good on the inside. Go get some foil trays and slice it up along with some sliced cheese and give em a meat and cheese tray along with a box of crackers.

Inside looks great to me bud. :thumb:

mmmm-fire roasted summer sausage!:thumb: I would jump right in and help eat that.:lol: I will say that's a chicken sh*t way of keeping it all for yourself.:nana2:

like gypsy said, i will take those as a gift!

was that high temp cheese?

The only thing that got screwed up here...was me looking into your wonderful "mess" and getting the crackers and cheese with a beer munchies! Boy I wouldn't send those any where ......but here:bounce: Still looks great to me, sorry about the summer sausage heart break buddy.

you guys are not seeing the big picture...he did this on purpose so he could keep it all for himself...lol lol
just kidding king ..i tell you what i see nothing wrong with those i would be very grateful to have some of those...looks great inside and like everyone else said some cheese , crackers and nice cold one ... i would be very happy

Sorry to hear about the damage, just chalk it up as another lesson that will help you next time around. Mistakes are not confined to rookies.

Thanks for the support y'all. They do taste great, but the casing wont peel where it got charred. We'll call it bark.:lol:

like gypsy said, i will take those as a gift!

was that high temp cheese?


I used Kraft crumbles. They held up pretty well considering.

As I was looking for some comforting words from my wife, she disgustingly said...." Rookie Mistake ". :frusty:


Aint that somethin...? Yeah you can always count on the better half for warm support...:lol:

Wrap it up in Christmas celophane and pass it out anyways. :thumb:

A NICE ROUND COOKIE CUTTER MAY COME IN HANDY ABOUT NOW stupid cap button

C'mon Keith, just call it "Blackened Summer Sausage." Tell them it's a delicacy in Texas.
You're a pretty good buddy, to go to all that trouble. Can I go hunting with you?

Sausage "Bark"... I love it! Lol... Sorry to hear, but it looks good inside. The round cookie cutter sounds like a good idea?

still looks tasty. you can always mail it here.:thumb:

Yeah what he said.:thumb:

I feel your pain , thats sorta what mine turned out like today:lol::cool:

Toss 'em out...MY WAY! Doo Doo do happen... sigh.

LMBO...That was a good in...


mmmm-fire roasted summer sausage!:thumb: I would jump right in and help eat that.:lol: I will say that's a chicken sh*t way of keeping it all for yourself.:nana2:

well that's non-edible casing anyway right ?
you just tell them you such a good chap that you went ahead and pre-peeld the sasauge for them :-)

And I know exactly how you feel having sent my old smoker up in flames earlier this year :-)
You came out better than me. My food was ruined and the smoker might - just might - be usable for cold smoking after a serious rebuild. If I can ever get the burnt rubber smell out of it.

Don't know what you're complaining about really :bounce:
But you can have some sympathy poi-nts ;-)

I know how disappointing it can be when your skill level becomes such that anything short of your expectations is unacceptable but believe me, others will over look the aesthetics if the flavor is still good. Remember, they probably can't do as well as you did screwing up!

And the wife thing, mine routinely waits for me to screw up so she can bring me down a few notches. I think she lives for it!

still looks tasty. you can always mail it here.:thumb:

like gypsy said, i will take those as a gift!

What they said.:thumb:

And if you have any more you need to get rid of, just let me know and I'll send you my address. :lol:

Dave

Sure look tastey! I wouldn't let a little bit a char bother me none, ya can send one ta my place if ya like!

Skin em, slice em, vac pack em, and give em as gifts anyway. They'll still look mighty presentable in their plastic jammies, and the recipients will remark how thoughtfull you were to preslice them all up for them and their holiday buffet!:bounce:

C'mon Keith, just call it "Blackened Summer Sausage." Tell them it's a delicacy in Texas.
You're a pretty good buddy, to go to all that trouble. Can I go hunting with you?

LOL I am with Gunny!
Keith! they look fabulous! and Mrs Keith, should get pts for being such a good smarty pants!! I like her!

i with the rest, it still prolly taste purty darn good i bet... pretaste it and if still good and not all died out heck share away and the taste will overpass that lil bit a char casing you got. next year they be askin if you sure these things are done???:thumb:

hey.. party on garth..

now if ya ever screw up some reindeer andouille & i don't get the burnt offerins'(not the smoked offals).. then there ya go...:lol:

Keith. Peel them,slice them,and party tray them....How do they taste?Looks good from here :drooling:
Like that cheese .....But I know what ya mean when you set your bar high it is hard to settle for 2 best....and yes wives are like that sometimes....:noidea:
Stuff happens well sometimes...:sausage: