Yes, sausages can be smoked on a pellet grill with great smoky results!
Hot-Smoking Sausage on the MAKSmoked Italian SausageIf the sausages are cured (with a nitrite cure - such as Cure #1, InstaCure #1, etc.), then you can use an A-MAZE-N pellet smoker or other device to apply cold smoke for two or more hours, then move on to a hot smoke.
However, if they are fresh
UNCURED sausages (not cured with a nitrite curing salt), then it's best to skip the cold-smoke step and limit them to
hot-smoke ONLY! Botulism is NOT something to play with!
OK, the trick to hot-smoking uncured sausages is to get them through the danger zone quickly enough so there's not enough time for C. Botulinum Bacterium to multiply, yet slowly enough so a nice deep smoke ring can develop, giving the sausage that classic pink color on the inside along and a nice mahogany color on the outside that we associate with smoked sausage.
How is this done in a pellet cooker? Follow these steps:
Hot-smoking sausages in a pellet smoker:Note: this will work for both cured sausages (after cold smoking) or uncured sausages (hot-smoke only).1) KEEP YOUR SAUSAGES COLD AND LEAVE THE GRILL OFF!!! That's right, do
NOT preheat your grill!!! Putting sausage on a hot grill will shock them and can cause the fat to start rendering prematurely. You need the sausages to come up to temp as slowly as possible to temper the fat as much as possible in the short time you'll be smoking them. A cold grill helps with this, PLUS the pellets igniting will apply some good cold smoke for a brief period.
2) Prep the sausages by patting them dry and pricking them about every inch or so with a corn-on-the-cob holder, a small brad or big needle. This will prevent them from building up steam and cooking too quickly, which in turn will allow a deep smoke ring to form. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! Trust me it makes a difference.
3) Place the sausages on your grill, preferably on an upper rack if you have one. Stick a temp probe in one of the sausages being sure it's in the center. Be sure the sausages are not touching each other.
4) Now turn your grill on to smoke mode with a temp setting of 165° - 185° (MAX!). This is within the Hot-Smoking range.
Note: You can also use an A-MAZE-N pellet smoker or other device for added smoke during this hot-smoke if you like.5) The target internal temp of the sausage is 152° - 154° and should happen within 3 to 3 1/2 hours. This will ensure that the sausages were maintained at a minimum of 150° long enough to kill any harmful bacteria, but still low enough that the sausages won't have fatted out.
At this point, if not eating them right away, then remove and immediately plunge them into ice water to cool as quickly as possible. This gets the fat cooled back down, prevents shriveling and keeps the sausages plump. After cooling, carefully pat them dry and they are ready to be packaged & frozen as you see fit.
The sausages should be safe to eat after this, but it's still best to fully cook them to 165° before consuming.
Note: If the sausages were
uncured, then they should have a nice deep smoke ring going most of the way through but not quite to the center, like this:
This does not affect the flavor whatsoever! They will still have a nice smoky flavor.
Some more pics - Pellet Smoked Beef Kielbasa (cured) - Cold smoked with the A-MAZE-N Tube smoker, then hot-smoked:
Hope this is helps!
Cliff
