How long should you really smoke sausages in a smoker? It is dependent on a couple of factors. The kind of sausage you’re smoking and the size of it are some of the basic things that would affect how long you have to smoke your sausage and have it come out good.
Another thing that would affect the cooking duration is the temperature at which you’re smoking. While there is no strict rule guiding sausage smoking temperature, it is always advised that you don’t cook at a very high temperature, to prevent your sausages from drying out. Nevertheless, if you compulsorily have to smoke sausages at 275 degrees, we will attempt to provide an answer to the question of how long you have to smoke your sausages.
How Long Does It Take to Smoke a Sausage in an Electric Smoker?
Averagely, smoking sausage in an electric smoker can take 1.5 – 3 hours, depending on the size of the sausage and the temperature at which you cook. Naturally, sausages that are on the thin side will take less time to cook than thicker sausages. When smoking sausages, the important thing is what internal temperature you smoke them to and not just how long you smoke them.
For uncooked sausages, you’ll need to cook them until they get to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll also have to be careful not to cook your sausages at a very high temperature, because they run the risk of drying out.
Good Related Article: Effective Tips For Smoking With An Electric Smoker
How Long to Smoke Sausage at 275 Degrees?
If you’re smoking your sausages at 275 degrees Fahrenheit, it will typically take 45 minutes – 1 hour to have them fully cooked. Cooking sausages at a high temperature like this is not the best practice as the fat can easily be cooked out and the sausages run the risk of drying out easily.
However, if you compulsorily have to smoke sausage at this temperature due to personal preference or time constraints, you’ll have to keep a close on the sausage through the entire cooking process. Better still, you can turn the sausage around when the internal temperature hits 80 degrees, to ensure even cooking all the way through.
How Long to Hot Smoke Sausage?
The hot smoking duration for sausages is dependent on a number of factors. Nonetheless, the 30 minutes per pound rule will always give you a rough idea of how long it would take you to hot smoke your sausage. For example, a 5-pound sausage will typically take around 2.5 hours of hot smoking to get ready to consume. The important thing is to ensure that the sausages attain an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
How Long to Cold Smoke Sausage?
Just like with hot smoking, cold smoking is dependent on a number of factors, with size being one of the most important ones. As a rule of thumb, thinner sausages will take a shorter time to smoke than thick sausages. Overall, cold-smoking sausages takes a longer time compared to hot smoking.
With cold smoking, you are not necessarily cooking the sausage. Instead, you’re mostly infusing the sausage(s) with a smoky flavor. To eliminate health risks and ensure that your cold-smoked sausage is safe to consume, we recommend that you cold smoke for at least 24 hours.
Types of Sausages
The exciting thing about cooking sausages is that there is an unending variety of ways you can serve them and there are different types of sausages available to choose from. Your choice of sausage comes down to personal preference at the end of the day, but it surely doesn’t hurt to know about the plenty of options available. Here are some of the different types of sausages to choose from.
Kielbasa
The word “Kielbasa” is the word for sausage in Polish, and it is used to denote a “Polish sausage” in most of the western world. It is a pork country sausage that comes in the shape of a horseshoe. It typically tastes a bit smoky with a hint of sweetness to go along with it.
Andouille
This spicy smoked sausage originally comes from France, but it has become so popular as a part of Cajun cuisine in the south of Louisiana. Its highlight is that it has the ability to heat up any dish it is served with, and that is thanks to the rich spices it contains. It is commonly used in dishes like gumbo and jambalaya.
Bratwurst
Bratwurst is a German sausage that’s been around for a very long time, and there are several varieties of it. Its highlight is its typical salt, nutmeg, ginger, and caraway seasoning. Nowadays, the sausage is commonly made of veal and pork.
Italian Sausage
Italian sausages are of two different types – sweet and hot. While they are both typically made from pork, the sweet type is seasoned with salt, anise seed, and garlic. On the other hand, the hot type features the same lineup of ingredients in addition to red pepper flakes. Italian sausage is a common feature of different Italian dishes, and it is just as suitable as a side dish as it is the main course.
Chorizo
This is arguably one of the most versatile sausages that go well with many dishes. It has a well-rounded flavor, that’s responsible for its suitability for different dishes. It is traditionally Mexican and characterized by a spicy kick with a peppery and garlicky hint.
Important Sausage Smoking Tips
To ensure that your sausages are safe to consume, allow the internal temperature to reach 160 degrees
- When you place the sausages on the smoker, ensure you leave at least 1-inch space between each sausage to allow them to get sufficient smoke and cook evenly.
- Depending on the cooking duration, you may have to change the wood chips. A filling of wood chips will typically take about one hour to one hour and a half to burn out. To ensure that smoke is being constantly produced and that your sausages get evenly smoked, be on the lookout and be ready to add more wood chips after every hour and a half.
- Cold smoking is not necessarily the best method to smoke sausages. This is especially true for uncooked ones. During cold smoking, the high temperature that is needed to kill the bacteria present in the meat is not attained, and as such, cold-smoked sausages could be a potential health risk.
- Turn sausages when you’re halfway through the cooking process to ensure even cooking.
- Don’t smoke sausages at excessively high temperatures, as that could cause the fat to be cooked out and cause the sausage to come out dry.
Conclusion
Smoking sausages is just one of the different ways to cook them. However, it is a great way to infuse an exciting flavor into the meat and improve the overall appeal of your dish. With all its excitement, smoking sausages can be a bit tricky if you’re not familiar with the process and the right temperatures to cook at. Ordinarily, it is not recommended that you smoke at high temperatures, so as to prevent them from drying out. However, when it comes down to smoking sausages at 275 degrees, heartfelt advice from Hempen Hill BBQ is: “you’ll have to pay a little extra attention and ensure that they are not overcooked”.