Tying Summer Sausage

[Jonathon]

Does anyone know of a reason to do this? Why zip tie and tie and then why not hang from the side with the loop already there? This came through on a product review and it caught my eye, mostly because I have never seen anyone do it before and was wondering what the reason is?

The only thing I have come up with is he wants them at a specific height in the smoker. Also, if we sold food-safe, reusable zip ties, who would do that instead of tying?

[Meateater1]

Jonathon Looks like the string or (tie loop on sausage) is zip tied?

[twilliams]

Jonathon i would say that the different color zip ties is perhaps labeling different flavors. Not sure why they would make their own tied hanging strings. Perhaps they feel that the factory tie will not leak and will keep moisture in the sausage? I question why they are cold smoking the sausage with a smoke tube, maybe the cabinet doesnt have a means of heat source? Perhaps gonna cook in water, but why all the meat IT probes and cabin temp probes? Now, you got me all confused.

[twilliams]

Jonathon and NO, I would not buy food safe zipties to use on my sausage, that what they make hog rings for

[blackbetty61]

twilliams looks to me like the base is a pellet smoker? Since they don’t put off much smoke is the reason for the smoke tube? I know my pellet grill doesn’t put off as much as a cabinet smoker

[Jonathon]

twilliams I didn’t even notice the different colors but I bet you are right, easy way to label. It also makes sense that they would trust the factory tie more than the open side. Good deductions and thanks! Before I had the PK I would add a smoke tube to my vertical to get as much smoke as I could so I don’t know if he is cold smoking this or not?

[akdave]

The strings on both ends could be to be able to switch ends for even heat as before I put my convection fans in my smoker the end closest to the heat would get much hotter faster, but those sticks are short enough that should not be a problem

[chippewa]

akdave that makes sense as a good reason.

[Parksider]

Jonathon This makes no sense to me. We used zip ties on 32mm casings because the hog ring was too big and we couldn’t get them tight enough. I see why you’d zip tie the open end, doesn’t have hog rings. And yes, i do use colored zip ties for different flavors.

[akdave]

I bought a pair of manual hog ring pliers and use my automatic crimpers on the 32mm casings then tighten them with the manual crimpers, I wished somebody would make a smaller pair automatic crimpers as they are sooo fast.