What R you doing today?

[ceeaton]

Day 1 - ground meat and mixed up a batch of Keilbasa; Day 2 - stuffed and rested uncovered in fridge (for almost 24 hours); Day 3 - started a single strand snake in my WSM smoker to keep temps down and smoking time up, threw on the Keilbasa and waited. Took it's good 'ol time to climb above 90*F (in the smoker, sausage still below 60*F). Eventually cold shocked (once the internal temp of the sausage reached 155*F) and now letting it sit out to "bloom" at room temp for a few hours. Smoked with some pecan, the kitchen smells marvelous!





As I was admiring my work, my Son said "what's that noise". Washing machine was in rinse cycle and water was accumulating quickly on the basement floor. After troubleshooting (running a few loads of laundry) figured out that my wife had a clog in her commode that had moved downstream but was still blocking the house pipe vent, plus my daughter was running the shower and my son had just flushed the toilet and I had just let the sink empty that I had filled to shock the sausage. Perfect storm as some say. Can't get it to overflow again and sounds like the main drainage pipe is running unobstructed as it exits the basement wall. I can't wait till I move to an old age condo and can let someone else worry about this stuff.

 

[ibglowin]

Your making me hungry Craig! This looks awesome!

 

[ceeaton]

Your making me hungry Craig! This looks awesome!

Amazes me that I didn't try this before, it's so easy and fun and a natural activity I can drink while doing.

FYI, I can't believe how much the color has changed since I've let it sit at room temperature for a few hours. I thought this bloom thing was like Linus waiting for the great pumpkin, guess I was wrong on that one.

 

[ibglowin]

I think the "wurst" part is (like in winemaking) the set up and cleanup afterwards. Lots of hand washing, lots of nooks and crannies in the stuffer and grinder. I saw a couple pork butts today that were "woo hoo" priced but I had to walk by as I am getting into deep lack of storage territory for new meat. They also had beautiful chuck roast on sale this past week BOGO for $5.99lb so effectively $2.99/lb...... Poor mans brisket was calling my name today! We got hammered over the Holidays with snow. Over 36" here at the house and my back patio and my Kamado are still covered in snow. Another storm is eyeing us for the weekend as well!

 

[ceeaton]

I think the worst part is (like in winemaking) the set up and cleanup afterwards. Lots of hand washing, lots of nooks and crannies in the stuffer and grinder. I saw a couple pork butts today that were "woo hoo" priced but I had to walk by as I am getting into deep lack of storage territory for new meat. They also had beautiful chuck roast on sale this past week BOGO for $5.99lb so effectively $2.99/lb...... Poor mans brisket was calling my name today! We got hammered over the Holidays with snow. Over 36" here at the house and my back patio and my Kamado are still covered in snow. Another storm is eyeing us for the weekend as well!

Chuck roast for $2.99/lb, oh.

I found myself today at the Giant near my work getting a bag of salad then walking up and down the meat isle. I also pass another Giant on my way home (and a Weis or two) that I check for yellow tagged quick sale items. I think they will some day create a name and call it a disease of some kind. Some sort of meatalustitis or maybe even sausagemakingitis. I felt compelled to buy a small package of boneless pork ribs (2 lbs for $3.45) so I could experiment on a breakfast sausage recipe for my Son. My wife immediately found the package of meat (didn't have a chance to grind it and hide it before she got home). Normally she'll miss an extra gallon of milk in the fridge and ask me to buy another, so I must be a bit over the top with my meat acquisitions as of late.

At least we haven't had the three feet of snow, yet. I think you need a carport or something for your Kamodo.

 

[sour_grapes]

I think they will some day create a name and call it a disease of some kind. Some sort of meatalustitis or maybe even sausagemakingitis.

What do you expect when you are:

walking up and down the meat isle.

 

[ibglowin]

As long as he doesn't start looking like this whilst walking the "meat aisle".............

What do you expect when you are:

 

[sour_grapes]

What do you mean "start"?

 

[ibglowin]

Now that you mention it.......

He might be changing already!

What do you mean "start"?

 

[ceeaton]

What do you mean "start"?

I resemble that comment!

 

[ceeaton]

As long as he doesn't start looking like this whilst walking the "meat aisle".............

Only when hungry ...

 

[ceeaton]

Now that you mention it.......

He might be changing already!

That head enclosure came in real handy this morning. Only part of my body that remained warm on the way to work. This wind is ridiculous. Guess it could be worse and I could live in an area that gets lake effect snows.

 

[ibglowin]

No lake around here but this is what we dealt with over the New Year for days. Winter is coming.......

Guess it could be worse and I could live in an area that gets lake effect snows.

 

[ceeaton]

I liked that post since it snowed there and not here!

Looks like something is brewing for around here on the weekend (Saturday evening into Sunday evening). Usually when it spans that long it can get nasty if all the conditions are right. I don't see a forecast with a low deepening off the coast, so hopefully it stays under 6 inches. Just going to be brutally cold in comparison to the last few weeks (we've had it pretty nice lately).

 

[ibglowin]

Mrs IB got out of two days of work (snow day Lab closure, still get paid and don't have to take vaycay etc.) Just another day for me. LOL

I liked that post since it snowed there and not here!

 

[Johnd]

Mrs IB got out of two days of work (snow day Lab closure, still get paid and don't have to take vacay etc.) Just another day for me. LOL

Crazy how different our winters are this year. Here in the south, it's been warm and wet. Under lots of flood advisories, rivers cresting above flood stages, big rains a couple times a week, and only one night has it gotten down to freezing, and only for a few hours. Last two years the winters have been dry, well below average rainfall, temps in the teens 4 -5 times by now, several instances where the high temps were below freezing for multiple days. We even had snow on the ground several times. I liked the last two years way better than this warm and wet crap..........

 

[mainshipfred]

Crazy how different our winters are this year. Here in the south, it's been warm and wet. Under lots of flood advisories, rivers cresting above flood stages, big rains a couple times a week, and only one night has it gotten down to freezing, and only for a few hours. Last two years the winters have been dry, well below average rainfall, temps in the teens 4 -5 times by now, several instances where the high temps were below freezing for multiple days. We even had snow on the ground several times. I liked the last two years way better than this warm and wet crap..........

I would have never guessed it got that cold down there.

 

[Johnd]

I would have never guessed it got that cold down there.

It normally does. Last year, in mid December, I took the guys from my company on an overnight quail hunt. First afternoon we hunted in sleet / freezing rain (pretty uncomfortable conditions), the next morning we awoke to almost 10" of fresh powder, one of the coolest hunts I've been on. In January, on several occasions, I had my 12 year old son in the deer stand with me when the temps were in the mid teens. Many times when we get to the property for a weekend of hunting, we have to plug in the heat trace tape to thaw the water pipes in our water well building and to our camps, we're not going to see anything like that down here this year.

 

[ibglowin]

Same here. Last year, warm and dry Winter. So warm and dry that the local ski area was not able to open for one single day even with snow making. This year........

Crazy how different our winters are this year....

 

[ibglowin]