Smoking bratwurst and other sausages with skins......

Mornin',

If you are doing the precooked brats,you just need to leave them in until the skin glistens.

Maybe 45 minutes at about 200�.

Now if they[or other uncooked links] are uncooked and you want to hot smoke them
to eat now,I cook at about 190� to an internal of about 153�.

You would not want to skin them or poke holes in the skin.

Now some folks think the skin can be a little tough,and might lightly spray them with oil to crisp them a little.

Most sausages,I don't bother.

If you are wanting to cold smoke them,that is another whole discussion.

AF myself and lived in Stuttgart and I know what you mean. The is a German restaurant here in OKC owned by a friend of my and he get's his brats from out of town, already smoked. I keep trying to convince him to do them himself.

Tom is right on, as always.

Just go with what's already made for the first few efforts. You can also get to the "make your own" step and they are a few people here that do that.

HEHEHE heard that. I have an ex-father-in-law who owns a butcher shop about 5 miles from me and he makes sausage in the skins. Believe it or not we still get along OK. He has a big homemade smoker he made and custom smokes meat and makes summer sausage, etc. He uses hickory sawdust from a local sawmill/handlemill. I bet he can stuff anything I wish in those skins for me! I should find him an old world recipe for bratwurst...oh me now my gears are turning! Thanks for the replies. By the way, Okie, I was attached to a little known Army post at a little town called Gelnhausen.

When I smoke fresh sausage, I normally start it out at 140 for 1 hour, then open the door and let the humidity out. Then smoke it a 180 till it reaches an internal temp of 165. I think the skins turn out better this way and the sausage takes more smoke flavor. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

OK Stuart, we'll do. Gotta go to Memphis this weekend to the Zoo. The kids want to see the Pandas that are on loan from China. I will get some fresh bratwurst on Sunday and go for it.

I know I may be a little late with this reply but if you like some "kraut" with your brats you may try filling an aluminum pan with a jar of kraut and letting it sit on the lower rack...it will catch the juices from the brats and takes on the smoke as well....I usually put the pan in at the same time I put the brats in. I'm not sure about the fresh stuff though, I always use storebought Johnsonville Brats from Sheboygan, Wis.
Let us know how it went!!!

cookin-n-arkansas

Went great Kevin, thanks for asking. Posted results on 'jerky racks'.