There is no single time. NDSU Extension smokes summer sausage at 140°F for 1 hour, 160°F for 1 hour, then 180°F for 2 hours or until 155°F inside; its venison recipe ends at 152°F. FSIS gives smoker air of 225 to 300°F, 4 to 8 hours, and 160°F for ground meat. Finish by thermometer.
A summer sausage smoking schedule is the set of smokehouse temperatures and times a source gives for smoking the sausage until it reaches its internal temperature. This guide puts the summer sausage smoking schedules side by side, shows where the sources disagree on the finish temperature, and covers the cooling step NDSU gives after smoking. It does not invent a schedule or pick a winner.
How Long Do You Smoke Summer Sausage?
It depends on whose schedule you follow, and the sources do not agree on when the sausage is done. The table compares the two NDSU Extension papers with the general FSIS smoking guidance.
| Question | USDA FSIS | NDSU FN176 (Oct 2022) | NDSU FN155 (Aug 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoker air temperature | 225 to 300°F | Staged 140°F, 160°F, 180°F | Staged 140°F, 160°F, 180°F |
| Stage times | 4 to 8 hours to smoke meat or poultry (general, not summer sausage) | 1 hour + 1 hour + 2 hours, “or until” the endpoint | 1 hour + 1 hour, then 180°F until the endpoint (no time given) |
| Internal endpoint | 160°F for ground beef, pork, lamb and veal; 165°F for poultry | 155°F | 152°F |
| After smoking | Not covered on the smoking page | Hot-water spray, then cold shower or slush tank to 100°F, dry 1 to 2 hours, cooler | Hot-water rinse, then cold rinse or ice water to 100°F, dry 1 to 2 hours, refrigerate |
For the electric-smoker method and the FSIS comparison in more detail, see how to smoke sausage in an electric smoker.
What Is the NDSU Smoking Schedule for Summer Sausage?
NDSU’s The Art and Practice of Sausage Making (FN176, revised October 2022) gives this summer sausage smoking schedule after stuffing:
- Smoke at 140°F for one hour.
- Raise to 160°F for one more hour.
- Raise to 180°F for two hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 155°F.
NDSU’s Wild Side of the Menu No. 3 (FN155, reviewed August 2022) gives a venison summer sausage version. It stuffs the sausage into 3-inch diameter fibrous casings and smokes at 140°F for 1 hour, 160°F for one hour, and 180°F until the internal temperature reaches 152°F. It says to insert a calibrated meat thermometer in the thickest part of the sausage to check. That paper gives no time for the third stage.
FN176 says fibrous casings are more suitable for summer sausage because of their greater strength and the variety of sizes available.
Why Do the Sources Give Different Endpoints?
The two NDSU papers come from the same extension service in the same year, yet one ends summer sausage at 155°F and the other at 152°F. Both are below the FSIS figure of 160°F for ground beef, pork, lamb and veal.
NDSU also gives a separate Polish sausage schedule in both papers: 120°F for one hour, 150°F for one more hour, then 170°F for two hours or until the internal temperature reaches 141°F. That endpoint belongs to Polish sausage, not summer sausage.
FSIS’s 4 to 8 hours is general guidance for smoking meat or poultry at 225 to 300°F. FSIS says cooking time depends on the type of meat, its size and shape, the distance from the heat, the temperature of the coals and the weather. SaltRail’s own venison summer sausage recipe finishes at 160°F, following FSIS. We show the NDSU endpoints as published and do not call them safe or unsafe.
What Do You Do Right After Smoking?
Both NDSU papers give the same cooling steps after smoking:
- Spray or rinse with hot water for 15 to 30 seconds.
- Follow with a cold shower, cold rinse, slush tank or ice water until the internal temperature drops to 100°F.
- Let the sausage dry for 1 to 2 hours.
- Refrigerate it (FN176 says to place it in a cooler).
SAFETY: FSIS says to cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb and veal to 160°F and all poultry to 165°F, measured with a food thermometer, and to use one thermometer for the food and one for the smoker. NDSU says to keep meat as cold as possible (40°F or lower) during processing.
How Do You Know the Summer Sausage Is Done?
By the internal temperature, not the clock. FSIS says that because smoking can take 4 to 8 hours, it is imperative to use thermometers to monitor temperatures. FN155 says to put a calibrated thermometer in the thickest part of the sausage. Check your probe first with our guide on how to calibrate a meat thermometer, and see the best meat thermometers for sausage and jerky if you need one.
No source we opened gives a rule for smoking time per pound or per inch of casing diameter, so we do not give one.
How Long Does Summer Sausage Keep After Smoking?
The FSIS storage chart covers commercial summer sausage, not homemade logs. See how long does sausage last for the full chart and what it does not cover.
Smoking Summer Sausage: Quick Answers
Can I smoke summer sausage at 225°F?
FSIS gives 225 to 300°F smoker air for smoking meat in general. NDSU’s summer sausage schedules use lower, staged air of 140°F, 160°F and 180°F instead. Whichever you follow, finish by the internal temperature, such as 160°F under FSIS.
Does a thicker summer sausage take longer to smoke?
No source we opened gives a rule for smoking time by diameter. NDSU’s venison recipe names 3-inch fibrous casings and gives no fixed time for the last stage, so use a thermometer in the thickest part.
Do I need an ice bath after smoking summer sausage?
NDSU gives a hot-water spray for 15 to 30 seconds, then a cold shower, slush tank or ice water until the internal temperature reaches 100°F, then 1 to 2 hours of drying before refrigerating. Our venison summer sausage recipe has its own chill step.
Is summer sausage cooked?
FSIS says semi-dry sausages such as summer sausage are usually heated in the smokehouse to fully cook the product and partially dry it. For homemade sausage, check the internal temperature with a thermometer.
Your next step: make a batch with our venison summer sausage recipe and the manual sausage stuffer guide.
