deer sausage 2012- the end of a bad season

hi, folks, last night I had all my friends and family over for our after season party. the beer was flowing good, so I didnt get many good pics of the party, but here's one of dad and my bro grinding all the meatAttachment 79747
betweenj all of us we only did 150lbs of sausage, usually its more like 250-375lbs. only made 71 sticks, gonna have to go easy on it this year!! I didn't get any good pics of the stuffing, because I was the man on the "horn" and also the beer was flowing good!:cheers2
so this morning, after some joe and st. brendans, I carried all the meat down to my smoke house and got it all hung up and ready for the fire.we hang all the meat to one side of the shed, away from where the fire will be.Attachment 79748
then its time to lay the smoke to em, old-school style. first we build a fire with dry hickory in an old washtub and get a good bed of coals going, then we add some green hickory and let that catch. now we put the washtub just inside the door of the shed and smother the flames with wet hickory saw dust.Attachment 79749
I will keep the smoke going from sturday, am, unti sunday night. then it all hangs in the shed untill its done, usually around easter, but this warm winter might shave a few weeks off that time. anyhow, I thought I'd share our tradition with ya'all....... now I gotta run and check the fire!

pretty darn cool!:cheers2

That's awesome!
Some fine eating I'm sure. Great job and thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing

Old style takes awhile, huh! Bet it's gonna be good though.Thumbs Up

If you have the time cannot beat the old ways. I know you all will enjoy.

That is really cool .. thanks for sharing. Speaking of sharing, how do I get a hold of one of those sticks? ;)

Sweet!!! Looks great!

that is pretty darn cool south point, thanks for sharing and the pics.

I am amazed...

thanks everyone for the reply's. I know it doesnt have alot to do with crappie fishin, but I think most of us are all around outdoors men, and, for my family, this is as much a part of deer season as hanging the stands and waking up for opening day.

i make my own as well south point, alot of work but you get to spend time with friends and it is sure good when it is finished

WOW! Not trying to be nosey or anything but I would love to see some more pictures...Of like maybe the outside and inside of the shed etc. Sorry, I've always heard about smokehouses, just never seen one in action. Too young I guess.

Southpoint how far south are you? May have to take a trip to see this Smoke House. Sounds great.

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Originally Posted by Matt

WOW! Not trying to be nosey or anything but I would love to see some more pictures...Of like maybe the outside and inside of the shed etc. Sorry, I've always heard about smokehouses, just never seen one in action. Too young I guess.

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well, mat, it aint nuttin pretty but here ya go!!!Attachment 80040 its about a 10 by 8 shed, no windows and only the one door. it was a chicken coupe back in the 50's when my grandpa had the place. the inside is just old barn oak with a wood floor. sorry i dont have any other puics of the inside, i can take some tomorrow if ya want.
its all pretty simple really. hang meat off to one side, and build a small fire ina steel tub. use saw dust to keep fire from getting too hot and to keep it smoldering.

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Originally Posted by RHill

Southpoint how far south are you? May have to take a trip to see this Smoke House. Sounds great.

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im in washington, about 50 miles west of st. lou. be a long drive for ya just to see a shed that needs tore down, but come on!!!:cheers2

Wow dude, impressive!

I'll trade ya a 1 lb. bump in the Twain Tourney for a stick..........well, since it's Twain, how bout a .5 lb bump?

Your making me hungry, cheese, crackers and sausage.

Thats pretty darn cool, hope you and yours keep the tradition going for years to come. You could always come to Spring Camp and bring some of that good stuff with ya.:cheers2

That's awesome, I'll bring the crackers and cheese!

Thanks!!! That's awesome!! So does the outside temperature make any difference? I noticed you said as warm as it is it might not take as long so obviously it does, but let's say it was below freezing for a week or two?? Sorry, one more question: do you use much salt to cure it? I've got some deer sausage in the fridge that I'll be smoking in the morning. Totally different than yours though: I'm only doing 5 pounds and my smoke will only last 6 hours and I'm sure yours will taste much better!! As I was looking at the picture, I remember back to some dumb show I was watching where these tribes would actually smoke their elders...kind of creepy!! They would set them in a chair in a pose that would make the body appear to be watching something. The tradition was for the son to smoke their dad and while the "liquids" were coming out of the body, the son would rub this "liquid" all over themselves. It's really pretty weird, I think. Once they got fully cured, they would set these elders up on the mountain to look over the village.

ya'all, I can't make spring camp or else I would have plenty with me.... that kinda thing is what we make this stuff for..... but I am gonna try for fall camp if its on loz again and I will bring a plenty.
rt U, this deer meat is pretty tasty, its gotta be worth more than a half frikkin pound!


and MATT, I could have gone all week without that story..... YIKES! but to answer your questions, the temps while the sausage is curing definatly affect the cure time. in my opinion the flavor, too. the colder the better my grampa always said. we do have rule of thumb for salting and seasoning.... as far as the basics of enough salt to cure, grampa always said spread all the unseasoned meat out at once, about 5 inches thick, like a great big patty, and then "white with salt and black with pepper" . and thats how we start it out every year.

That looks great, I've been getting into sausage making. It looks like a lot of fun getting together with friends and family doing it.

Do you add any beef or pork? got my mouth watering looking at the pics!!!!!!!! :)

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Originally Posted by south point

rt U, this deer meat is pretty tasty, its gotta be worth more than a half frikkin pound!

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OK, ok..................how about an even trade. I've got some duck/goose jalapeno sausage that some guys here in Q-town mix up and it is downright awesome!

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Originally Posted by Bigby

Do you add any beef or pork? got my mouth watering looking at the pics!!!!!!!! :)

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absolutly. 50/50 pork and venison. I suppose it can be done with just venison, but sausage aint sausage without some piggy!

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Originally Posted by Route U

OK, ok..................how about an even trade. I've got some duck/goose jalapeno sausage that some guys here in Q-town mix up and it is downright awesome!

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now we're talkin! never had goose sausage, but why not? sounds good to me. I know I have tried some others deer sausage with jalapeno and it was very good, I need to try making some like that.

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Originally Posted by south point

now we're talkin! never had goose sausage, but why not? sounds good to me. I know I have tried some others deer sausage with jalapeno and it was very good, I need to try making some like that.

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It'll make you take stuff back you didn't steal!

U gave me some of that goose last year and he's right it is very good.