Stuffing and smoking your own sausage can be a very satisfying hobby. You can make your own sausages for a fraction of the cost of sausages that you buy at your grocery store. You'll find some helpful hints as well as problem areas to avoid.

You will need a sausage stuffer. I have stuffed with my meat grinder with attachments, and with my hand crank stuffer. I prefer the hand crank stuffer.
I use an electric smoker because temperature control is extremely important for sausages.  I used to use a water smoker but have since built my own smoker using an old refrigerator, hot plate, and a furnace burner control to regulate my temperature.  The summer sausage turns out okay in the water smoker, but not the beef sticks.  (too much moisture)


You will need to find a supplier for casings, cure, and binder. I get some of mine at Bancroft Foods in beautiful downtown Bancroft. They have some pretty good deals on meat too. Some of my supplies come from the west side IGA in Wisconsin Rapids. You can also buy seasoning mixes for bratwurst, Italian sausage, slim jims, kielbasa, and many other of your favorite sausages.  Add seasonings to these mixes to suit your taste.  I always add more garlic.

View my smoker

  • 7½ tsp. garlic salt
  • 3 tsp. garlic powder
  • 4 ounces curing salt.  If you can't find curing salt, you can use Morton's tender quick.  (15 tsp.)
  • 3 tsp. hickory salt
  • 3 tsp. allspice
  • 8 tsp. mustard seed
  • 4½ tsp. black pepper
  • 7¼ ounces of binder.  (I use non-fat powdered milk)
  • 1½ pounds of cold water.

  • Grind 12 pounds beef and 3 pounds pork.  I have been using lean meat.
  • For Venison, use 9 lbs. to 6 lbs. pork
  • Mix all the ingredients except the curing salt, into the water and pour over the meat and mix thoroughly.
  • Add the curing salt and mix again.  (After adding the curing salt, the meat will become very pasty and stiff, so you will want to stuff it soon).
  • Stuff into 2½ inch diameter casings.
  • Refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours to allow the meat to cure.  It can be left refrigerated like this for two days.

Hang in smoker and apply heat at 130 degrees for 1 hour.  Start your timer when temperature is reached.  This is necessary to dry the casings.  If the casings are not dry, the sausage will not absorb smoke like it should.  After 1 hour, turn the heat up to 160 degrees and apply heavy smoke, using your favorite wood for an additional 1¾ hours. [I use apple wood because I have a ton of it] Remove the smoke and finish cooking the sausage (still at 160º) for an additional 5¼ hours.  Total cooking time is 8 hours.  Remove from smoker allow to hang and cool to room temperature. I hang mine for 3 hours.  Wrap or vacuum pack.  Freeze or refrigerate.

  • Correct smoking temperature is very important. 180º will ruin the sausage.

Follow the directions for summer sausage but add one tablespoon black pepper and two tablespoons of crushed red peppers. (The same peppers that you use on pizza). Stuff the meat into sheep casings or small diameter collagen casings.  Follow the same smoking directions as the summer sausage except that total cooking time required is only about 6½ hours.

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