Advice on smoking.

[cartandpeg]

Hi All,
        I intend to have a go at smoking some thin chicken sausages tomorrow.So I am asking these questions in the hope that some one in their learning experience might be able to give me some insight on what might be the way to try for my first time.

I intend soaking the hickory chips which I will use, for most of the day.

Allowing this is my first time and I do not want to put the rest of the family off smoked food ( being a far to a smokey flavor) roughly how much chips should I add.Being aware that hickory is a moderate flavor,compared to other woods,so I have read.

Should I add the chips directly onto the coals or put them to one side in the basket.

I realise it is each to their own,but I am hoping that as a beginner trying this, that maybe a guide could be given,so the sausages just have that hint of being smoked.

Any help would go a long way.

Thank you

Andy

[gunner]

I would use just a handful or two of wood chips if you are just smoking sausages. Just sprinkle them over the coals and you should be good to go!

[1buckie]

  Andy, Gunner is just right on this.......

Go kinda low on the chips, as any ground meats (incl. sausage) or poultry & fish, will pick up smoke flavor the easist of most all foods................

Just a handful or two for a decent size batch of links will do.......

I don't soak, because the fire just has to work that much harder to burn off the moisture, but opinions will vary on this.............

Have a great cookup !!!!


This is a link to hickory smoked meatoafs I did awhile ago & I only used 4 or six small handfuls for those ~~>

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/other-recipes/hickory-smoked-turkey-meatloaf/msg69095/#msg69095

[cartandpeg]

Excellent thank you very much.

I will try a small handful in this case as I am only putting on 7 sausages and they are very thin compared to what I have seen WKC members cooking.

That smoked turkey loaf looked real nice,might have to have a crack at that.

Update: Sausages turned out great,slight hint of hickory as I used a small amount of chips, the family enjoyed them, relief there, as they never had smoked food. A couple of lessons learned, fire was a bit hot to start with,forgot the drip trays so the chips burnt up before lid was on.Overall for the first time all went well.