Homemade Sausage Making

Posted: **Fri Jan 01, 2010 05:40**

I hope someone can answer my questions. The .com version of this site doesnt seem to have a forum.

I've been reading the "Polish Sausage Recipe" book by the guys who run this site. When garlic is mentioned in the recipes, does this mean fresh garlic or garlic powder? If fresh, do you mince it or use a garlic press?

In the recipe for Wedzona polska kielbasa, cold smoked version.....after you smoke the sausage it says to hang the sausage at 55 degrees farenhiet to dry it out some more. My question is, how long do you hold it like that? And where do you store sausage at 55? The fridge is too cold.

If there is an English version of this forum please reply with a link for it.

Thanks.

Posted: **Fri Jan 01, 2010 08:46**

atcNick wrote:When garlic is mentioned in the recipes, does this mean fresh garlic or garlic powder? If fresh, do you mince it or use a garlic press?

Usually, we prefer fresh garlic and yes, we use a garlic press.

atcNick wrote:My question is, how long do you hold it like that?

As long as yield is 87% in relation to the original (after smoking) weight of the meat.

atcNick wrote:And where do you store sausage at 55?

Well, you can use a ground cellar or you can adapt refrigerator that maintain a required temperature.

Here are some photos of this sausage made by Papla:

Enjoy your meal!

Posted: **Fri Jan 01, 2010 17:18**

Thanks Vtec! Wow...that sausage looks great!!! I remember that when I was a kid.

I think the refrigerator will be my best option. I have a mini fridge that is not being used so that's perfect. I just bought a meat grinder and I tested it out on some chuck roast yesterday and it works great: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/ ... 6989_36989

To start out with I'm going to use the cardboard box smoker method to cold smoke. And if it works out I will eventually build a more permanent smoker this year sometime. I only have a few months left to cold smoke as I live in Texas and after about March it gets hot here and stays hot!

I had so many more questions running through my mind to ask but I cant think of them right now...haha. I wish there was an English version of this forum. I can speak Polish but my reading and writing isnt very good.

Posted: **Fri Jan 01, 2010 18:44**

atcNick wrote:I think the refrigerator will be my best option.

Well, just remember to make air flow in the fridge. Otherwise you may experience some humidity problems when drying.
Cardboard smoker will work, in fact this is the first one I've used.
Finally, well, maybe not an English version, but if you'll insist enough on our admin he can make a subject/topic for English speaking friends

Posted: **Fri Jan 01, 2010 19:02**

Thanks vtec. Do u have any advice on airflow in the fridge? Would opening the fridge door every few hours work? About how long can I expect to dry it after smoking? Ball park figure.

When the recipes call for salt does it matter what kind of salt I use?

Do you use half oak and half hickory when smoking? If not, what combination of wood do you use?

Posted: **Fri Jan 01, 2010 19:37**

atcNick wrote:Thanks vtec.

It was Siara

atcNick wrote:When the recipes call for salt does it matter what kind of salt I use?

I don't have any idea what kind of salt you have in the US. First of all, you should use a non-iodized salt.
I suggest to contact (email or pm) with ChefPaul or ligawa. They live in the US and can help you.

atcNick wrote:Do you use half oak and half hickory when smoking?

Oak and hickory would be perfect. As well as any wood of fruit and citrus trees. Don't use wood of evergreen trees like fir, pine etc.

Posted: **Fri Jan 01, 2010 21:07**

When the recipes call for salt does it matter what kind of salt I use?

atcnick,
"wedlinydomowe.pl" webpage contains good, old, polish recipes, and for curing meat they use mixture of salt and nitre:

Code: Select all

 użyte do peklowania:
1. sól warzonka - 0,10 kg
2. saletra - 0,005 kg

Although nowadays we just use "curing salt" (or "prague powder") instead of mentioned mixture, ie. when recipe says: "sól warzonka - 0,10 kg", we just add 0,10 kg of "curing salt". It's simple and easy.

But please remember, that polish "curing salt" contains 99,4% salt and only 0,6% sodium nitrite and according to english wikipedia.org, curing salt is a combination that is 93.75% salt and 6.25% sodium nitrite, so curing salt available in USA may contain 10 times more preservative than ours! I do not know if this is true, so as vtec said, it is best to contact ligawa or ChefPaul privately in this case.

And finally
Happy New Year

Posted: **Fri Jan 01, 2010 23:15**

atcNick wrote:Do u have any advice on airflow in the fridge?

Some no frost devices do have internal fan build in, so if your fridge is no frost, this should be enough. It not, then it will require dome DIY, and I'm afraid you will need to do some serious modifications. Drilling/cutting inlet and outlet hole. Protecting it with kind of net to prevent insects. In one of them you can install computer cooling fan. Will this work, probably yes, you may also need some fan speed control. This however is just an idea not tested by me, so I can not guarantee.

atcNick wrote:Would opening the fridge door every few hours work?

This will help, but can be not enough, I'm not sure if any of the forum members are using this solution. Normally we use attic, garage or ground cellar. You just need to build cube frame with mosquito net outside, and the dryer is ready.

atcNick wrote:About how long can I expect to dry it after smoking? Ball park figure.

It really depends from the temperature and humidity, airflow. In my cellar it takes from 2 to 3 days to dry about 10%. You will have to monitor results daily.

Posted: **Sat Jan 02, 2010 04:00**

Thank you everyone for your help.

Is there a difference between polska kielsbasa wedzona cold smoked versus hot smoked finished product? Taste/texture/quality? The hot smoked version seems much faster and easier to do. But I want it to be authentic.

I want to use the cardboard box method as shown in the book 'Meat Smoking and Smokehouse Design'. Is it possible to keep the smoke temperature low enough (for cold smoking) in the box by using a hot plate with a cast iron skillet with wood chips in it directly underneath the sausage? Assume the outside air temperature is about 45 degrees farenheit.

Thanks.

Posted: **Sat Jan 02, 2010 04:09**

Hi atcNick
I usingKosher Salt like this:
http://www.diamondcrystalsalt.com/Culin ... -Salt.aspx

or Purified Salt from sausagemaker:
http://www.sausagemaker.com/12099purifiedsalt10lbs.aspx

Posted: **Sat Jan 02, 2010 04:15**

Thanks anik. That's what I use for regular cooking too. Do you change the measurements up at all from what the recipes call for? I have heard that when a recipe calls for salt, one type of salt may be, for example, 1 tablespoon, but another type of salt may require 1.5 tablespoon to get the same amount of salt.

Posted: **Sat Jan 02, 2010 09:37**

atcNick wrote:1 tablespoon, but another type of salt may require 1.5 tablespoon to get the same amount of salt.

True.
And remember the fact that the teaspoon is not equal to a teaspoon

That's why it is important to weight the salt and spices.

Posted: **Sat Jan 02, 2010 16:43**

atcNick wrote:Is it possible to keep the smoke temperature low enough (for cold smoking) in the box by using a hot plate with a cast iron skillet with wood chips in it directly underneath the sausage? Assume the outside air temperature is about 45 degrees farenheit.
Thanks.

It depends on the power of your hot plate, though I suspect it might generate too much heat. Do you have a simple soldering iron? I have tried (succesfully) using something like this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sivMMDnUEpc
[if - for any reason this link is not working, ask youtube for 'soldering iron smoker']

Just to be clear:
a) the soldering iron is not supposed to be working constantly for several hours. I had two of them - 60W lasted for about 3hrs and died; 40W is still working, though I've used it only once for about 5hrs
b) it takes a while to heat the wood chips up to the point where smoke appears. Be patient

c) there's significantly less smoke if compared to any 'live fire' smoker setup
d) the temperature raises about 5 deg. C (I guess it's about 9 deg. F) when using a soldering iron.

If you wish to use a hot plate, try to separate the skillet from the cardboard box and use some kind of pipe to let the smoke cool down. You might consider replacing the skillet with a kettle.

Posted: **Sat Jan 02, 2010 16:45**

In the answer to questions from your first statement.

... When garlic is mentioned in the recipes, does this mean fresh garlic or garlic powder? If fresh, do you mince it or use a garlic press? ...

It doesn't have a big difference. However remember about the principle, ... "herbs and dried and ground spices have a more intense taste and the smell, - 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs chopped up corresponds to 1 teaspoon of herbs and dried spices and 1 / 2 teaspoon of minces.
Of course, the fresh garlic we are chopping very finely or we are letting in through a garlic press.

... In the recipe for Wedzona polska kielbasa, cold smoked version.....after you smoke the sausage it says to hang the sausage at 55 degrees farenhiet to dry it out some more. My question is, how long do you hold it like that? And where do you store sausage at 55? The fridge is too cold. ...

Recipe for Cold Smoked Polish Sausage of our Friend Stanley, you will find here http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/sausage-re ... smoked.htm
I have the climate similar to yours (I live in Florida). I'm successfully making this type of sausage and store in the fridge for a weeks, (best type of refrigerators are "side by side" with the separate chamber of the freezer - then you have the appropriate ventilation and air flow).
About drying ... I am drying in my garage in the temperature about 65 - 75*F and everything is in very goood quality. Avoid only a too great humidity.

About salt and curing salt.

... I have heard that when a recipe calls for salt, one type of salt may be, for example, 1 tablespoon, but another type of salt may require 1.5 tablespoon to get the same amount of salt. ...

By a few experience with the "saltness of salt"

personally I am using the "Canning & Pickling Salt" from "Morton". Saltness depends from the "Sodium" content in the salt. The mentioned salt which I am using, is a plain salt, not-iodized, without any additions.
For a curing the meat, I,m blending Prague#1 with the salt in following proportion:
... for 100 lbs of meat: 23oz of salt with 4oz of Prague

... Is there a difference between polska kielsbasa wedzona cold smoked versus hot smoked finished product? Taste/texture/quality? The hot smoked version seems much faster and easier to do. But I want it to be authentic. ...

For me, it is a big difference, both in the taste as well as the permanence of the sausage (and of other meats) smoked cold.
Climatic conditions where I live, lets me use this method (cold smoking) only for a few weeks in the year.

BonAir wrote: ... True.
And remember the fact that the teaspoon is not equal to a teaspoon
That's why it is important to weight the salt and spices. ...

False
In culinary recipies (what I have written previously on this forum) terms such as: a cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, are not determined with any interpretation... measures of volume are standardized and have the patterns like on the picture below.

In conclusion,... people have different tastes and preferences. We can treat recipies as certain guidelines, ... fitting them into our own and our guests for use.
And finally ... kitchen is not a pharmacy

Regards

Posted: **Sat Jan 02, 2010 22:48**

golaszm wrote: If you wish to use a hot plate, try to separate the skillet from the cardboard box and use some kind of pipe to let the smoke cool down. You might consider replacing the skillet with a kettle.

I think this is what I'll do. I have the perfect big cardboard box to hang sausage in and I will house the hot plate, iron skillet, wood chips in a separate smaller box and use aluminum dryer duct about 5 or 6 feet long to funnel the smoke into the meat. I know galvenized metal is not safe around food. Im assuming aluminum is.

ChefPaul wrote: About drying ... I am drying in my garage in the temperature about 65 - 75*F and everything is in very goood quality. Avoid only a too great humidity.

That's interesting. So you have no problems drying with temperatures up to 75? I bet it dries a lot fast that way. Do you cover the sausage while it's hanging in the garage with anything to prevent dirt and bugs? Im sure this happens in FL too, but here in east TX the temperature varies so much throughout the day. For example, this morning it was 27F, and now, 330pm it's 55.

If 75F is a safe temperature to dry then I can probably hang the meat in a spare room in the house, correct? And keep a fan in the room to circulate air. We keep the house between 68-72F.

Homemade Sausage Making

Need sausage help

Need sausage help