Cook the best smoked sausages at home. From smoking temperature and time to meat instructions and topping ideas, here’s how to properly smoke sausage.
Smoked bratwurst combines the best of German beef and American barbecue. More than just an alternative to grilled or smoked hot dogs, smoked sausages marry season beautifully cooked pork, herbs and spices with applewood and smoke.
Many people cook sausages on the grill, but grilling takes things to a whole new level. It’s just as easy and only takes a few hours. Combine it with a good beer bath and you have a winner.
In this BBQ sausage guide and recipe, we’ll walk you through the best sausages, what wood to use to smoke them, ideas for toppings, and more. So, let’s get into that.
What is bratwurst?
Bratwurst is a traditional German sausage that is usually made with pork but can also contain a mixture of beef or beef with pork. The name comes from Old High German, where brät stands for finely chopped meat and Wurst for sausage.
Bratwurst dates back to the 12th century in the Nuremberg region of Germany, where it’s still made today. Since then bratwurst varieties have been developed across the country and even around the world. Each with its own ingredients and flavors. Examples are Franconian Bratwurst, Coburger and Kulmbacher.
The German sausage even made its way to North America, where it’s better known as “Brats.” It is common in the upper Midwest of the United States, where many people of German-American descent also live. Wisconsin is known for its bratwurst, as are Minnesota, Ohio and Missouri.
Wisconsin is also known for “beer brat,” where the sausage is soaked in beer before being seared on the grill. Today’s recipe will reliably add the beer bath as a final step for those of you who want to make something similar to the Wisconsin version of smoked sausage!
Why roast?
I prefer to grill fried sausages over grilling them for several reasons(although grilled sausages are still awesome). For one, we can add a layer of wood and smoke flavoring to the sausage. Another reason is that slow, low cooking in a smoker allows molecules to help the sausage retain moisture and its shape. If we smoke them directly over high heat, we run the risk of deforming and even breaking them.
Ideally this is done in a vertical smoker, which allows us to hold the sausages together while allowing good airflow around them. If you don’t have one, don’t worry. You can still set them up on a regular or pellet smoker, but you may have to separate them so they all fit. You will also need to brush the carcass lightly with oil to prevent the sausages from sticking to the cooking grates.
At what temperature roast?
It is best to grill bratwurst at 107°(225°F). You can go as high as 250°F if you want to get things going a little quicker, but 225°F is the best way to ensure the best flavor and moisture.
How long roast?
Pork and beef sausages only need about 2 hours to smoke. Factors include the size of a roast and the ingredients, but most roasts take about 2 hours to cook.
Your meat is only really ready to eat when the internal temperature has reached 70 °C. This is when the pork is safe to eat. To ensure accurate results, I recommend using an incense thermometer to measure the temperature.
Where can you buy sausage
More and more supermarkets and national stores always stock charcuterie. The bad news is that the quality of these can be questionable, and unless these stores sell premium sausages, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
The best wood for smoked sausages
Your choice of wood will depend on the type of sausage you chose, but in most cases applewood is the best option. It has a mild flavor that doesn’t overpower the meat while offering a solid sweetness that complements the sausage perfectly.
Hickory is also a solid option, but it has a strong flavor that can overwhelm your brats. Rather you mix a few pieces with a softer wood like walnut or apple to be safe.
What about smoke brats?
Bratwurst has a more nuanced flavor profile than regular American hot dogs, so the recipes they can be served with are slightly different. The good news is that it’s best to keep it simple. These are some of our favorite smoked sausage side dishes.
sauerkraut
It’s close by that German sausage is best enjoyed with one of the country’s famous side dishes. The traditional side is made from traditional cabbage and has a tart flavor that makes it the perfect pairing with sausage.
You can buy it pre-made, but I highly recommend trying it yourself. Learn how to make sauerkraut from scratch with our complete guide and recipe.
Mustard
Forget your Dijon or yellow mustard, the Germans have their own condiments. Bratwurst tastes best with stone-ground mustard or Bavarian sweet mustard.
I’m a big fan of Händlmaier’s sweet mustard( Amazon link ) and Inglehoffer’s stone -ground mustard(Amazon link ).
Sauteed onions
This may sound boring, but caramelize a whole white or yellow onion before serving on top of the sausage and you’ll see what I mean. Take it even further by adding a tablespoon of German mustard and you’ll never look back.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
