Another batch of Kielbasa in the smoker

[Agustine]

Thanks for the post, always enjoy seeing sausage made.  One of those things I'd like to try.
What'd you use for stuffing the casings?
I love how you have them hanging on a broom handle spanning a couple of your kitchen table chairs with a towel on the floor underneath.   
There's no way the boss would let me do that in our house.   
You had to wake up to a great smell that made you hungry for some sausage and eggs!   

Yes the smell in the morning was great.
The reason you hang them like that is to let them bloom. Blooming is nothing more than letting your sausage dry and "age" at room temperature before you package it for storage. It will assure an even deeper and more uniform color.
For stuffing I used a 12 lb hand crank sausage stuffer. There are many you can buy but the better ones have metal gears that don't wear out.
Not a great picture of it but this is what I use.

[TentHunteR]

I love how you have them hanging on a broom handle spanning a couple of your kitchen table chairs with a towel on the floor underneath.   
There's no way the boss would let me do that in our house.   

That overnight blooming step is TOTALLY Optional!   The only blooming I ever do is whatever time it takes for the sausage to finish coming to room temperature (after a cold water bath).  Then it's into the fridge.


So... since you don't have to hang them in the kitchen, the boss just might let you make some sausage after all!   

Don't be afraid to give it a try. The journey into charcuterie is a fun one!

[Agustine]

Although over night blooming is not necessary, blooming is something that adds to your smoked sausage. It gives it the time to cool off and for everything to settle. It is like cold smoking cheese, you need to let it rest on the counter to let the moisture stop. The secret to smoking meats is not to rush it. I been smoking meats now for 30 plus years and I am still learning technics.
One of the fellows who developed this recipe blooms a whole lot of kielbasa and he showed me how it is done.
Don't skip the small steps, the end product will be amazing