Just made my first batch of Summer Sausage using the following ingredients and it came out awesome.

7 pounds venison & 3 pounds pork fat
H Summer Sausage Seasoning
Sure Cure
Sure Gel Meat Binder
Encapsulated Citric Acid1
High Temperature Cheese
Ice Cold Water

My wife is not a fan of the “tang” from the citric acid, so on the next batch I was thinking of keeping everything the same except omitting the citric acid. My question is, after stuffing I will place them in the refrigerator to cure. How long should I hold them in the refrigerator before smoking…12 hours? How much time is too short or long to hold them? Do they need to come to room temperature before placing in smoker? Anything else that I am missing. Sorry for all the questions, quite the newbie!!

Just made my first batch of Summer Sausage using the following ingredients and it came out awesome.

7 pounds venison & 3 pounds pork fat
H Summer Sausage Seasoning
Sure Cure
Sure Gel Meat Binder
Encapsulated Citric Acid1
High Temperature Cheese
Ice Cold Water

My wife is not a fan of the “tang” from the citric acid, so on the next batch I was thinking of keeping everything the same except omitting the citric acid. My question is, after stuffing I will place them in the refrigerator to cure. How long should I hold them in the refrigerator before smoking…12 hours? How much time is too short or long to hold them? Do they need to come to room temperature before placing in smoker? Anything else that I am missing. Sorry for all the questions, quite the newbie!!