grilling Brat, danger...?

[Nevada Ed]

While looking up ways to smoke and grill Brats on my new smoker..........

I saw where many smoked them on low heat to get some smoke into them before grilling at 225 up to 400 degrees.

However there was one site that stated, that some of the Brats were raw, that you should NEVER cook them with a heat setting of.....
less than 200 degrees!

This leaves out my smoke setting and the next jump up in heat on my pellet smoker.

The statement makes me scratch my head, since cooked Brats are said to be safe to eat, when thet reach a inside temperature of...
155 to 160 degrees.

Is starting them out at 160 degrees at smoking temps ok ?

 

[arjay]

I think I’d just use a thermometer to make sure the internal temp is at least 160

 

[Rustyt1953]

I simmer them in beer and then grill them until they split.

 

[Bekeart]

I am not an expert on food safety.

I have read about the the 160 degree being a SAFE temperature for food.

One thought comes to mind IF you cook with a setting of 200 degrees or lower:
A longer TIME to Reach 160 degrees internal temperature.

The longer time it takes for the internal of a Brat to reach 160 degrees, the longer any bacteria present has to multiple.

The longer the meat is between 40 degrees (refrigerator) and 160 degrees the greater the chance of bacterial problems.

Bekeart

 

[rockquarry]

I make bratwurst from scratch using half & half Boston butt ground pork and elk stuffed into hog casings. I cook the bratwurst in the oven at low heat until done. They won't dry out or burst the casings unless you overcook them or turn the heat up. I haven't made any in a while and I'd have to look up the numbers, but such bratwurst are safe to eat out of the oven.

Prepared this way, you needn't worry about safe temperatures as you would when grilling raw bratwurst. Cooked bratwurst only need grilling to heat through and for the extra flavor that grilling adds. Oven-cooked bratwurst also keep quite well frozen.

 

[Rudi]

Yep, let them simmer in beer first. I grill them till there is some char on there. Crunch, yum!!

 

[Rustyt1953]

On a side note: brats, metts, roasted corn ears and mock turtle soup are the staples of every church festival in the tri state.

Oh, and beer.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Smoke 'em at whatever temperature that you like, then cook 'em on high.

 

[BigBill]

Lately I like everything on a wood fire slightly burnt. With store bought stuff we never are sure how old or good it is. Just get it off the fire before it cracks fully open.

Just can’t find a good cheddar stuffed Bratts nowadays.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Grilling Brat-isn't that taking child discipline to an extreme ?

 

[Jessie]

Smoke them long and low. Grill them a little hotter. Like mentioned, 160• you’re fine.
Only problem you may face is not having enough. They’ll last a while in the frig until reheated.

 

[gregintenn]

I thought brats were usually smoked before you buy them.

 

[kwselke]

While looking up ways to smoke and grill Brats on my new smoker..........

I saw where many smoked them on low heat to get some smoke into them before grilling at 225 up to 400 degrees.

However there was one site that stated, that some of the Brats were raw, that you should NEVER cook them with a heat setting of.....
less than 200 degrees!

This leaves out my smoke setting and the next jump up in heat on my pellet smoker.

The statement makes me scratch my head, since cooked Brats are said to be safe to eat, when thet reach a inside temperature of...
155 to 160 degrees.

Is starting them out at 160 degrees at smoking temps ok ?

220 to 225 degrees F will give brats plenty of smoke flavor. Cold smoking is for fish. Over smoking foods is far worse than under smoking. If you are working with raw instead of precooked sausages, take them to at least 160 degrees internal. Precooked sausages just need heating. I like to take precooked to 160 or more anyway.

 

[Ribwizzard]

You really dont need to go lower than 275 when smoking any cut of meat.
Think about it, 300 - 325 is considered low on your oven. Stretching out the cook cycle with a lower heat adds no benefits but actually increases the odds of drying out the meat.
Except cured sausages. With cured sausages, you want cold smoke as not to cook the fat and bust the casings. Brats are not cured sausages, by definition. So cook them just like you do fresh Italian sausage, grill on medium then pile them up in a mound and hold them on low.

 

[mtgianni]

Starting brats at lower temps allows the casings to toughen up and not shrink early causing splits to loose juice. The heat should be increased after 5-8 minutes to normal temps.

 

[Mr.Harry]

Brats aren’t a sausage I smoke. Not that you can’t. I prefer the beer simmer from raw then a grill or griddle finish. However, the warning you’re getting, like someone else has said too, is just about low temp preparation and them being in the bacteria breeding temperature zone for too long. Brought to 160, all that **** should be dead anyway. Moreover, you’re taking about over an hours cook time of getting through the critical zone, to over 120. Who’s really cooking raw sausage THAT low n slow? By 145 internal, I personally wouldn’t be afraid to eat it. So long as it got there in an hour. That’s pretty easy to do.

 

[Ranger17]

Brats aren’t an item I have thought of having smoked, interesting idea if it worked well. Also for me I like the taste of just the brat, would have to think about it with a smoky flavor.
We too tend to fall in the ‘beer simmer’ group though we’ll let them bath in a slow cooker for a few hours; with beer/onions/butter in the mix...... then brown them up. Melt in the mouth good.

 

[nicky4968]

The pressure cooker is your friend.

 

[kamloops67]

Never heard of beer simmering before guess ill try that this spring when bbqing season starts
Ive always just simmered in water.
Maybe ill try rum n coke too ;-)

 

[Muss Muggins]

I simmer them in beer and then grill them until they split.

Sometimes I put them in a pan of beer and sauerkraut and sort of parboil them on the grill until the liquid evaporates, then I put the direct on the grill rack for a while . . .

If I'm just grilling them, I take the casing off and soak them in Italian dressing . . .