My buddy gave me about 20 lbs of venison.So, for my first time making sausage, I opted for a kit I bought a Cabelas. Comes with cure, spices, and casings. Cracked pepper and garlic. Did 6lbs of meat. 4lbs deer, 1 1/2 lbs pork and 1/2 lb pork fat. The casings with the kit hold about 3lbs each. They need to sit in the fridge for 12-24 hours. I wil be smoking them tomorrow afternoon. Results to follow.

Anybody have some good sausage recipies? Italian or bratwurst? I still have plenty of deer meat left. Some is going for jerky and some for stew and chili.

Excited to hear how this turns out. I love summer sausage and I have plenty of hamburger for it.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

I used to make my own spice mix but I find it much more cost effective to buy a mix these days. The best mix company that I've found is Legg's Old Plantation.

I'm probably preaching to the choir but don't over smoke them. I smoke mine for about 1/3rd of the cook time. I use fruit wood like apple and peach and they come out heavenly.

I have never made summer sausage but I have made snack sticks and jerky. That brand you bought has some good products. I use thier Jalepeno snack stick mix. Works great. Made about 50lbs this year.

Let us know how it goes!

For me deer is too dry for brats or breakfast sausage. I tried it by mixing about 30% pork. It was still too dry for my taste.

Had hickory smoke on them for about 1hr. Found it difficult to smoke at the lower temps the recipie recommended 1hr @ 120F without smoke, 1hr @ 140F with smoke, 1/2hr @ 160F with smoke and 170Fwithout smoke unitl meat temp reaches 156F (oven recipie said 180F until meat temp reaches 156F). I couldn't get the smoker below 175. I may have overcooked it. Meat temp was 170 when I pulled it. Going to cool it down overnight, and report back tomorrow.

It should be ok. I smoke mine between 225 and 250 until the meat is 165.

The verdict....Tastes like garlic bologna, not summer sausage. Thinking it has to do with the texture. Would you guys agree, or do you think i I should have had a higher ratio of pork and fat? My grinder has 3 dies, coarse, med, and fine. I did it on med. It doesn't really have a gamey taste which is good. Tastes pretty good on a Ritz cracker with some pepperjack cheese.

If I had to guess it could be a a couple of things. I like to grind my meet and fat really cold. This keeps the fat from melting as I grind. I also like to keep mine a little on the course side for summer sausage. I find the finer grinds to be more bologna like. Just my two cents.

If I had to guess it could be a a couple of things. I like to grind my meet and fat really cold. This keeps the fat from melting as I grind. I also like to keep mine a little on the course side for summer sausage. I find the finer grinds to be more bologna like. Just my two cents.

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