Smokin' Snack Sticks

[Hunter115522]

I'm still new to this snack stick game. Trying a tex/mex blend this time with fresh diced jalapeños. In the smoker now, I hope the weather doesn't make it difficult to maintain temp. We'll see

[electric10162]

Yum! Good luck on your smoke.

[Bucndoe]

What kind of smoker ?

[Hunter115522]

Just now, Bucndoe said:

What kind of smoker ?

Masterbuilt Electric. I've had really good results with wings, ribs, pork butt, etc. This is the 2nd time I'm trying snack sticks in it. first time came out good, not great. I have higher hopes for this batch 

[DJ0808]

54 minutes ago, Hunter115522 said:

I hope the weather doesn't make it difficult to maintain temp

You should make yourself a smoker blanket.  I ordered this Felt welding blanket from Amazon.

Cut it to fit and sewed it together with wire. Keeps temps very stable during winter including sub-freezing.

Your snack sticks look great too!!

 

[Hunter115522]

2 minutes ago, DJ0808 said:

You should make yourself a smoker blanket.  I ordered this Felt welding blanket from Amazon.

Cut it to fit and sewed it together with wire. Keeps temps very stable during winter including sub-freezing.

Your snack sticks look great too!!

 

Appreciate the tip. Seems like a great idea to add some insulation. Going to look into them now, thanks !

[SoxFan]

Awesome!!

[308federal]

I think what you need is some impartial samplers.

If looks are an indication of taste, then they should be pretty awesome.

If you require a hand sampling and want some unbiased opinions, I can rally a dozen or so guys with beer to help you out. I am sure they would make quick work of that for you, and you would have your recommendations in no time flat. You need only reply to this thread.

[Hunter115522]

2 minutes ago, 308federal said:

I think what you need is some impartial samplers.

If looks are an indication of taste, then they should be pretty awesome.

If you require a hand sampling and want some unbiased opinions, I can rally a dozen or so guys with beer to help you out. I am sure they would make quick work of that for you, and you would have your recommendations in no time flat. You need only reply to this thread.

Beer and snack sticks? I don't think a better combination exists on Earth lol. I think they should be done in about 2 hours, maybe less. 

[MGHunter66]

I love snack sticks and your post inspired me to go for it and make my own. Getting them from the butcher is ridiculously expensive anymore. Any tips or do’s and don’ts?

[Rusty]

Those look really good!   I’ll bring you your favorite beer if you bring some to Lou’s next month!   

[Hunter115522]

17 minutes ago, MGHunter66 said:

I love snack sticks and your post inspired me to go for it and make my own. Getting them from the butcher is ridiculously expensive anymore. Any tips or do’s and don’ts?

So I'm still learning but a few things I picked up so far.. 

-Doing them with a jerky gun is a pain in the ass, I'd recommend a sausage press. My wife got my one from amazon for christmas. They are super easy to use.

-MAKE SURE the casings you buy are the right size. I had casings that were too small to fit on the nozzle, and it make me nuts. Most say 17, 19, or 21mm for snack sticks. After trial and error, I like the 19mm.

-I ice bathed them the first time I made them, and didn't let them completely dry before vac sealing them.. that was a mistake. They were kinda wet/mushy. This batch I'm going to air dry at room temp for 1 hour, then put in the fridge.. no ice bath.

-I tried doing them in the oven, and wasn't happy with the results. I'd stick with a smoker if you have one.

-Resist the urge to open the smoker. Just let it do it's thing.

-As far as timing, it seem like around 4 hours is about right, give or take. 

-There's a couple good smoking forums that have some helpful info. Also YouTube has a bunch of good stuff.

-If your smoker doesn't have a meat probe, buy one on amazon. This way you don't have to keep opening your smoker and losing temp.

That's pretty much all I can think of for now. This batch should be ready soon. I'll give an honest review when they're done lol

 

[Hunter115522]

19 minutes ago, Rusty said:

Those look really good!   I’ll bring you your favorite beer if you bring some to Lou’s next month!   

I think we can definitely work something out 

[Rusty]

1 minute ago, Hunter115522 said:

I think we can definitely work something out 

  

[MGHunter66]

4 minutes ago, Hunter115522 said:

So I'm still learning but a few things I picked up so far.. 

-Doing them with a jerky gun is a pain in the ass, I'd recommend a sausage press. My wife got my one from amazon for christmas. They are super easy to use.

-MAKE SURE the casings you buy are the right size. I had casings that were too small to fit on the nozzle, and it make me nuts. Most say 17, 19, or 21mm for snack sticks. After trial and error, I like the 19mm.

-I ice bathed them the first time I made them, and didn't let them completely dry before vac sealing them.. that was a mistake. They were kinda wet/mushy. This batch I'm going to air dry at room temp for 1 hour, then put in the fridge.. no ice bath.

-I tried doing them in the oven, and wasn't happy with the results. I'd stick with a smoker if you have one.

-Resist the urge to open the smoker. Just let it do it's thing.

-As far as timing, it seem like around 4 hours is about right, give or take. 

-There's a couple good smoking forums that have some helpful info. Also YouTube has a bunch of good stuff.

-If your smoker doesn't have a meat probe, buy one on amazon. This way you don't have to keep opening your smoker and losing temp.

That's pretty much all I can think of for now. This batch should be ready soon. I'll give an honest review when they're done lol

 

Thank you much, yes I intend on using a smoker also