How to Smoke Sausages for Oktoberfest

Sausages are an absolute must for Oktoberfest. With rules surrounding social distancing in place, there’s no reason you shouldn’t throw an Oktoberfest celebration right in the comfort of your very own home. In this blog, we’re breaking down exactly how to accomplish the perfect smoked sausages in honor of the occasion.

Choose Your Sausage

You’ve got sausage options depending on your preference. You might even consider a sausage buffet with an array of options. Traditional types include bratwurst, bockwurst, blutwurst and more. You may even choose your own typical store-bought or local type. Whichever you choose, we’re sure they’ll do the day justice.

Indirect or Offset

Which way do you go low and slow? Do you have a Side Fire Box or do you roll with the indirect method all in your barrel? Either is fine. You’ll simply need to adjust your process a bit depending on which option you choose.

First, if possible, start with cold sausages. They will attract smoke much better than warm or room temperature sausages, providing for a much easier smoke session. Keep in mind, if you’re planning to smoke several different types of sausages at once, cooking times may vary.

Smoking Process

No matter what method you choose, get the temperature of your smoker up to around 225-250° using your charcoal. Once you hit the desired temperature, add your wood chunks.

If using the indirect method, place your sausages on the indirect side of your two-zone setup. If you’re cooking a large amount of sausages or just prefer to offset smoke, then simply add your sausages to the grates.

For sausages, it’s always a good idea to add a couple “test” sausages to exclusively probe for an idea of temperature throughout cooking. This ensures all your sausages aren’t susceptible to losing precious moisture and texture.

You may flip your sausages halfway through the cooking time, but it should not be necessary. Cook them to at least 160°F internal temperature, before removing and allowing to rest before serving.

Serve It Up

As for toppings, you have many choices depending on your mood or preference. Optionally add pickles, sauerkraut, onions, potato salad or condiments of your choice. Serve with bread or without and don’t forget the beer!