Nice video, Thank You. We make all of our own summer sausage, sausage, bacon, and back bacon to use in place of ham. Fun part is you can pretty much us any herbs, spices, sugar that you want for different preferential tastes. As long as you follow basic safety protocols in actual processing. I have a question just the same. If you were making these snack sticks and wanted to make them spicy, (hot), how much cayenne powder would you add for 5lbs of sticks? Personally, I can't tolerate spicy, not even to taste test, but my son enjoys it and I want to make some for him. Also, for long term storage what do you recommend. Shelf stable. These will be for a friend that's a guide. Has a habit of filling his pockets when he starts scouting and empties them at the end of the season. lol Thanks again
thank you..... 25 lbs of honey barbeque snack sticks are in the cooker now...... our stuffer always has a small amount left..... about 3 hamburger pattys worth, which we toss on the george foreman grill while we're cleaning up..... those hamburgers were delicious..... i'm sold......h
So, I have a question. I've made quite a few batches of snack sticks. But my problem is that, sometimes, the collegen casings, like the ones you used in this this video, end up seperating from the meat in certain areas. It's not a big deal for me, as I just remove the casing altogether, but what can I do to prevent that from happening?
Do you notice them separating during the cooking process or after? It could be a number of things, understuffing, not enough water in the meat block or cooking too hot too quickly. Do you ice bath after the process?
@@PSSeasoning So, I just made a 5lb batch of snack sticks using the LEM packet for Cajun jerky, and again, the casings seperate from the meat. But I think it was the fact that I was really tired, and didn't put enough water in the meat. It was rather solid, instead of being closer to a consistency of oatmeal. It was 4lbs of ground beef at 80/20, and 1lb of pork shoulder fat. Snack sticks came out dry and crumbly, and I had to keep them in the dehydrator for an extended period of time. I'll try again this weekend, as I have the house to myself for Christmas.
Great Video. I don't have venison, so what cut of beef would you recommend to grind? Also my smoker is the larger Memphis pellet grill style. So lots of horizontal room, not so much vertical room. Is there an alternate method using this type of grill. I think my lowest temp is 180 as well so can't do the gradual temp increases. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hey Brian, great questions! We recommend any lean red meat like a top round or rump. You could also use chuck and skip the addition of pork fat. Smoke at 180 for the full process to avoid rendering out any fat. Good luck!
Hey Rob, we would not recommend adding vinegar to your sausage as it can break down the meat, resulting in a dry and crumbly texture. If you're looking for that classic sausage texture with a tang, we recommend using either a culture or the Encapsulated Citric Acid which is designed to not release until a certain temperature (135°F)
The cheese and encapsulated citric acid should be added in the last 30-60 seconds of mixing and when using encapsulated citric acid it should be cooked or smoked the same day.
Hey Rich, this is great advice to follow to ensure you're not breaking the encapsulate (we kept our meat very cold). We still like holding ours overnight to let the flavor and cure meld - you can also add your ECA the next day and stuff right before smoking!
Absolutely! Beef is leaner and not as sweet overall as pork, but still delicious in a snack stick. We recommend using a beef chuck roast which has a great ratio of lean to fat
I was really excited to get my seasoning for honey bbq snack sticks....but there was no recipe with it. I found this video but doesn't break it down much. I can figure it out except the encapsulated citric acid.
@@PSSeasoning I'm getting ready to make some venison honey bbq and seven pepper snack sticks. But I can't figure out how much water to add. I don't see amounts of water listed anywhere.
That's great to hear! We did 3 oz of ECA for this 25 lb. meat block. Let us know if you have any other questions, can't wait to hear how everything turns out.
Hey there, it's not a bad practice to smoke and cook the same day if you're using ECA. However because it IS encapsulated, it will hold overnight if your meat is chilled properly!
@@PSSeasoning Thanks! I have stuffing horns for my grinder. It can be a bit hard to control for snack sticks, so the hand crack method might be better for me. These videos are great. We learn so much.
They look great. I just ordered a PK100 smokehouse and some of the honey barbecue seasoning. I can't wait to try them. I want to order some of the stainless smoke sticks as well. How many do I need for this smoker?
Hey Tim, congrats on your PK 100! We'd recommend about 4-5 smoke sticks for that unit. We know you're going to love the smoker and that Honey BBQ seasoning!
So in one session I ground, seasoned with Honeybbq spice packet and other ingredients, stuffed and let sit in fridge overnight. I have never had a sweet snack stick, summer sausage etc. Its slowly but surely growing on me. Sticks are Smokey, skin snaps, no evidence of ECA breaking, has a tang to it and in general a decent stick. Probably wont use cheese next time. Its a bit too creamy..Yeah, yeah I hear it coming already. Its a texture thing for me okay..🤪..i smoked sticks in my home made smoker for 4 to 5 hours then transferred them to my Souvide bath and cooked sausage out to 155°. Would love to finish in smoker but cabinet temperature swings cause meat temps to vary up and down taking too long to come to done temp and that causes product issues. All in all a good stick. I recommend yall try it. Looking forward to using other PS seasoning products.
We'll try not to judge you too much on the cheese...haha. It's everyone's individual preference, we just happen to like it in everything. So glad you enjoyed the flavor, we'll have to try a sous vide method on sticks one of these days.
U say u can add citric acid and refrigerate over night..most references say dont do that and to smoke same day...Whats up and what is correct method. I see no reason why the sausage cant be held overnight. Lil help please
Hey Andrew, the encapsulate is designed to dissolve at 135°F but can break if your meat starts releasing it's enzymes. Overnight is fine if you are keeping your meat really cold (which we did here), but if you want to be extra careful, add it and stuff the day-of smoking. We were just going for the 'tang' here and not looking to create a shelf stable product. Hope that helps!
@@PSSeasoning The ground meat was so dam cold my fingers froze and fell off while mixing!! Naw I am not looking for shelf stable product. I just that tang
just seems like most of what is added is to cheaply increase mass to charge more per /weight at the register. I've made sausage for 40+ years and don't even recognize much of what you're putting in there..... Maybe I'm a caveman... I'm just working with dozens of generations of simple peasant knowledge.... But all I put in my sausage is meat and seasoning..... My equipment was made in Europe too.... so perhaps I don't understand what's happening here...
Hey Joe, we weren't selling these so the intention wasn't to increase mass. We just added seasoning, cure, cheese and ECA for a tangy flavor because that's the flavor combination we like! The beauty of sausage making is that you can keep it as simple as you like or customize it for your tastes. Cheers!
These are the best snack sticks ever !!
Love the Honey BBQ seasoning you guys have!
Thanks, it's one of our favorites too! It goes so well with cheddar too
@@PSSeasoning Haven't tried it w/ cheddar...but guaranteed I will!
Thank you! Very helpful and easy to follow!
Awesome informative video, I will use this knowledge in the future. Keep up the great videos.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it
Nice video, Thank You. We make all of our own summer sausage, sausage, bacon, and back bacon to use in place of ham.
Fun part is you can pretty much us any herbs, spices, sugar that you want for different preferential tastes. As long as you
follow basic safety protocols in actual processing. I have a question just the same. If you were making these snack sticks
and wanted to make them spicy, (hot), how much cayenne powder would you add for 5lbs of sticks? Personally, I can't
tolerate spicy, not even to taste test, but my son enjoys it and I want to make some for him.
Also, for long term storage what do you recommend. Shelf stable. These will be for a friend that's a guide. Has a habit of
filling his pockets when he starts scouting and empties them at the end of the season. lol
Thanks again
thank you..... 25 lbs of honey barbeque snack sticks are in the cooker now...... our stuffer always has a small amount left..... about 3 hamburger pattys worth, which we toss on the george foreman grill while we're cleaning up..... those hamburgers were delicious..... i'm sold......h
Can't wait to hear how the sticks turn out!
We made these and really enjoy them.
My mouth is WATERING!!! Omg these sticks look and sound so incredible!!!!🤤🤤🤤
Thank you! They certainly didn't last long!
Just ordered a bunch of seasonings from y’all. Super stoked to make some sausage.
Awesome! We can't wait to hear what you think!
I bet you weren't disappointed
Looks yummmmy!! Great video 👍
Thank you! Our favorite way to make snack sticks!
They do look wonderful
Thanks, Pamela! This is one of our favorite flavor combinations 🤤
What do you do if your smoker Does not go below 225
I made 25 lbs of honey barbecue snack sticks from PS seasonings by far the best I've made over the years of making sausage
Great to hear! We appreciate it
Awesome great to know thanks.
When hanging in the smoker do you let the bottoms open or tie it shut. I did some tied shut and all the fat pooled at the bottom
Hey Bret, we do not tie for that reason. Also make sure you're gradually raising the temp and not starting out too hot or the fat will render out.
@@PSSeasoning Thanks for the tips. Can't wait to try your honey BBQ
So, I have a question. I've made quite a few batches of snack sticks. But my problem is that, sometimes, the collegen casings, like the ones you used in this this video, end up seperating from the meat in certain areas. It's not a big deal for me, as I just remove the casing altogether, but what can I do to prevent that from happening?
Do you notice them separating during the cooking process or after? It could be a number of things, understuffing, not enough water in the meat block or cooking too hot too quickly. Do you ice bath after the process?
@@PSSeasoning So, I just made a 5lb batch of snack sticks using the LEM packet for Cajun jerky, and again, the casings seperate from the meat. But I think it was the fact that I was really tired, and didn't put enough water in the meat. It was rather solid, instead of being closer to a consistency of oatmeal. It was 4lbs of ground beef at 80/20, and 1lb of pork shoulder fat. Snack sticks came out dry and crumbly, and I had to keep them in the dehydrator for an extended period of time. I'll try again this weekend, as I have the house to myself for Christmas.
Hello, great info in the video! What is the best casing size for snack sticks?
We like 21-23 mm. Can either go collagen or natural sheep casings
When you are smoking your snack sticks do you add water in water pan in your PK 100 smoker
Thanks
Yes, it's just enough to add slight humidity and help even out the temps.
@PSSeasoning is it ok to leave these in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 days prior to smoking? I would not be using encapsulated citric acid.
You could, but don't do any longer than that or your meat could start to break down
Thank you I’m hoping to make some tonight but can’t smoke till Thursday afternoon…. And I also can’t make them tomorrow 🤦♂️
My only other option is make Thursday and cook Friday
Great Video. I don't have venison, so what cut of beef would you recommend to grind? Also my smoker is the larger Memphis pellet grill style. So lots of horizontal room, not so much vertical room. Is there an alternate method using this type of grill. I think my lowest temp is 180 as well so can't do the gradual temp increases. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hey Brian, great questions! We recommend any lean red meat like a top round or rump. You could also use chuck and skip the addition of pork fat. Smoke at 180 for the full process to avoid rendering out any fat. Good luck!
This is been a helpful video you guys should do A video on landjaeger
We were actually thinking the same thing! Stay tuned
I'm about to pull the trigger on the PK 100. What Saug Stuff did you use? Excellent video!
Thank you! Our stuffer is the LEM Mighty Bite 15 lb. version but we recommend getting the metal horns instead of plastic
could you add vinegar to get a tang?
Hey Rob, we would not recommend adding vinegar to your sausage as it can break down the meat, resulting in a dry and crumbly texture. If you're looking for that classic sausage texture with a tang, we recommend using either a culture or the Encapsulated Citric Acid which is designed to not release until a certain temperature (135°F)
How long would those snack sticks last if they were vac sealed and left room temp or in the fridge?
2-3 weeks in the fridge, but several months if frozen.
The cheese and encapsulated citric acid should be added in the last 30-60 seconds of mixing and when using encapsulated citric acid it should be cooked or smoked the same day.
Hey Rich, this is great advice to follow to ensure you're not breaking the encapsulate (we kept our meat very cold). We still like holding ours overnight to let the flavor and cure meld - you can also add your ECA the next day and stuff right before smoking!
Can you use beef in the place of pork, and if so, what’s the difference? Which option is better? What cut of beef should I use if I decide to do that?
Absolutely! Beef is leaner and not as sweet overall as pork, but still delicious in a snack stick. We recommend using a beef chuck roast which has a great ratio of lean to fat
Can you use this for summer sausage
Yes!
Cambria countertops?
How long do you expect them to need after you kick the temp up to 170deg?
It really depends on your smokehouse, airflow, outside temp, etc. but generally anywhere from 2-4 hours.
I was really excited to get my seasoning for honey bbq snack sticks....but there was no recipe with it. I found this video but doesn't break it down much. I can figure it out except the encapsulated citric acid.
Hi Pam, the recipe can be found here: www.psseasoning.com/blogs/news-events/snack-sticks-101-how-to-make-homemade-venison-or-beef-sticks
@@PSSeasoning I'm getting ready to make some venison honey bbq and seven pepper snack sticks. But I can't figure out how much water to add. I don't see amounts of water listed anywhere.
I just ordered the same stuff from your website excited to try it. How much of that encapsulated citric acid did u use in that recipe
That's great to hear! We did 3 oz of ECA for this 25 lb. meat block. Let us know if you have any other questions, can't wait to hear how everything turns out.
I have a lot of ground beef to get used up,Can you use ground beef in place of the deer for this recipe?
Yes, you can!
How much encapsulated citric acid to 12 1/2 lbs of meat?
We'd recommend 1.5 - 2 oz for 12 1/2 lbs of meat.
I've heard you should always smoke/cook the same day if you use encapsulated citric acid. Is that wrong?
Hey there, it's not a bad practice to smoke and cook the same day if you're using ECA. However because it IS encapsulated, it will hold overnight if your meat is chilled properly!
Do you offer this stuffer?
Not at the moment. This one is from LEM
@@PSSeasoning Thanks! I have stuffing horns for my grinder. It can be a bit hard to control for snack sticks, so the hand crack method might be better for me. These videos are great. We learn so much.
They look great. I just ordered a PK100 smokehouse and some of the honey barbecue seasoning. I can't wait to try them.
I want to order some of the stainless smoke sticks as well. How many do I need for this smoker?
Hey Tim, congrats on your PK 100! We'd recommend about 4-5 smoke sticks for that unit. We know you're going to love the smoker and that Honey BBQ seasoning!
So in one session I ground, seasoned with Honeybbq spice packet and other ingredients, stuffed and let sit in fridge overnight. I have never had a sweet snack stick, summer sausage etc. Its slowly but surely growing on me. Sticks are Smokey, skin snaps, no evidence of ECA breaking, has a tang to it and in general a decent stick. Probably wont use cheese next time. Its a bit too creamy..Yeah, yeah I hear it coming already. Its a texture thing for me okay..🤪..i smoked sticks in my home made smoker for 4 to 5 hours then transferred them to my Souvide bath and cooked sausage out to 155°. Would love to finish in smoker but cabinet temperature swings cause meat temps to vary up and down taking too long to come to done temp and that causes product issues. All in all a good stick. I recommend yall try it. Looking forward to using other PS seasoning products.
We'll try not to judge you too much on the cheese...haha. It's everyone's individual preference, we just happen to like it in everything. So glad you enjoyed the flavor, we'll have to try a sous vide method on sticks one of these days.
@@PSSeasoning I'll be trying it with Pepper Jack next week. About 100 lbs meet and many many ppl waiting to try some
@@bertiljr We know they're going to love it. Keep us updated!
Can this be deep fried?
Never tried deep-fried snack sticks but there's a first time for everything!
What kind of wood chips for the smoker?
We used mixed hardwood sawdust here in the PK 100 but Hickory would be great as well.
👍
How much seasoning per pound?
8 Tablespoons of seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon of cure per pound.
I thought it’s not good to let encapsulated citric acid sit
It's safer not to let it sit, but we find that letting it sit overnight is okay as long as the meat is kept very cold.
U say u can add citric acid and refrigerate over night..most references say dont do that and to smoke same day...Whats up and what is correct method. I see no reason why the sausage cant be held overnight. Lil help please
Hey Andrew, the encapsulate is designed to dissolve at 135°F but can break if your meat starts releasing it's enzymes. Overnight is fine if you are keeping your meat really cold (which we did here), but if you want to be extra careful, add it and stuff the day-of smoking. We were just going for the 'tang' here and not looking to create a shelf stable product. Hope that helps!
@@PSSeasoning The ground meat was so dam cold my fingers froze and fell off while mixing!! Naw I am not looking for shelf stable product. I just that tang
Wtf is the reason for the music??
Did you really say you were using 1 pound of water seriously 1 pound of water
Yes, it's a pint 😊
just seems like most of what is added is to cheaply increase mass to charge more per /weight at the register. I've made sausage for 40+ years and don't even recognize much of what you're putting in there..... Maybe I'm a caveman... I'm just working with dozens of generations of simple peasant knowledge.... But all I put in my sausage is meat and seasoning.....
My equipment was made in Europe too.... so perhaps I don't understand what's happening here...
Hey Joe, we weren't selling these so the intention wasn't to increase mass. We just added seasoning, cure, cheese and ECA for a tangy flavor because that's the flavor combination we like! The beauty of sausage making is that you can keep it as simple as you like or customize it for your tastes. Cheers!
👍