Smoked brats will perfectly match Game Day or spending an enjoyable summer’s day with family and friends. It is an easy way to make Bratwurst and will allow you to spend more time watching the game and less time watching and tending to the grill. In addition, smoking food provides an entirely different taste; if you combine it with a good brat beer bath, you have reached the ultimate.
The first step is to soak the brats in beer for a few hours before preheating your smoker to 225°F. Smoke the Bratwurst for about one hour, then increase the temperature to 350°F for a crispy casing. Alternatively, remove when the inner brat’s temperature is 165°F. Remove from smoker and serve.
If you’ve never smoked beer brats before, keep reading. We have found the best combination ever!
Combine good old American-German history from the north Midwestern USA, Bratwurst, Beer, a Smoker grill, and good company for a simple yet outrageously delicious barbeque.
Imagine biting into a juicy sausage, and that perfect combination of light-spicy, salty, and smokey flavors explode in your mouth. It’s possible, and here’s how to do it.
How Do You Smoke Beer Brats
You’ll need your favorite brats, smoker, and ingredients to season the brats. Don’t worry. We’ll share some of our favorite ingredients for smoking brats, so keep reading.
Marinate Your Brats In Beer
This step is the first of two critical steps and should occur about four to six hours before you can start the smoking process of your beer brats.
First, place the brats in a large container and allow marinating for a few hours to soak up all the juiciness and beer flavors.
Preheat Your Smoker
Preheat your smoker to 225°F. Let the grill heat to the proper cooking temperature before putting the brats on the grates.
And remember to monitor the temperature throughout the cooking process.
Place Water In The Smoker
This step is optional. If you have a wet or dry smoker, place a bowl of water in the smoker or fill the smoker water pan with water to maintain moisture.
Because we are dealing with beer brats, you can replace the water with beer.
Put The Beer-Soaked Brats In The Smoker
Once the brats have soaked in beer for a good couple of hours, you can remove them and place them in the preheated smoker. Remember to keep about an inch between the bratwursts to allow the aromas to flow between them.
Once the brats are on the grates, close the lid and try not to open it too often. Constant opening and closing of the grill cause the grill’s temperature to fluctuate, which can impact the cooking time.
Smoke The Beer Brats In The Smoker
This step is the second most crucial step. Smoke the bratwurst sausages for one to two hours. The cooking time will vary depending on your smoker or the number of brats.
So, it is best to monitor them closely and smoke them until their internal temperature reaches 165°F.
You don’t want to overcook or burst the casing of the sausage.
Prepare And Make The Veggies
Chop or slice your choice of onions, peppers, or jalapenos and place them in a frying pan. You can start with this step while the brats are smoking on the smoker or do them inside the smoker alongside your brats if you have a side attachment.
Melt butter in the pan, and add the veggies. Then, add salt, pepper, and other spices and beer and allow to cook for about 15 minutes or until soft.
Remove The Brats From The Smoker
When the brat’s internal temperature reaches 165°F, they are ready, remove them from the smoker and place them on a serving dish.
Then, your smoked beer brats are ready to be enjoyed. However, optionally, you can do the next step to create crispy-skin brats.
The Back To The Smoker Optional Step
The following two options are optional. Once the smoking is complete, the brats are ready. But many prefer their sausage to be crispier outside. So, before removing the brats, turn the heat to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Secondly, others like to add smoked beer brats to the onion dish. Again, turn the heat up to 350°F, and put the brats into the onion and veggie dish. Pour in another beer and allow to simmer for thirty minutes.
Enjoy Your Smoked Beer Brats
This step is not optional. Enjoy as and smother with the beer onions, peppers, sauerkraut, or spicy brown mustard. You can add some jalapenos and Ketchup to taste. No, we did not forget about the buns.
The bun is an essential part of the meal, and optionally, you can have it as is with the smoked beer brats or give it a bit of toast.
But first, spread a little butter on the inside before putting it face-down on the grill. Remember, only for a few minutes or until crispy outside but still soft inside.
Choose Your Smoking Grill
Smoking your beer brats will allow the smokey flavors to enter your foods slowly and thoroughly without the risk of burning like searing over indirect heat flames. Too much heat could bust the casings of the brats, and all the juiciness will run out.
In addition, the burning charcoal of a charcoal smoker is merely just cooking, and you will miss that lovely flavor from smoking.
It doesn’t matter if you use a pellet, charcoal, or electric smoker. But a pellet grill will produce smokier, more flavorful beer brats. In addition, a vertical smoker is best because it allows you to keep the sausages linked.
However, a regular smoker or pellet smoker is okay, but you might need to unlink the brats to fit them all in.
Also, an electric smoker is more effortless and could be your option depending on your cooking preferences. However, use dry wood chips with an electric smoker as the brats do not take long to smoke, and you need the wood chips to smoke immediately for a relatively short time.
Choose Your Wood Pellets
This choice may be difficult because there are a variety of smoking wood pellets, each with a unique flavor.
For example, opt for apple, maple, or cherrywood for that fruity taste.
Alternatively, go for oak or hickory for a more robust flavor or pecan wood for a mild smoked sausage.
In addition, you can mix different pellet flavors to cater to your preference.
For example, combining apple wood, hickory, and oak will provide a mix of sweetness and traditional BBQ flavors. But, again, it is a personal choice and connects with the seasoning types chosen for smoking your beer brats.
Choose Your Bratwurst
Brät means finely chopped meat, and Wurst means sausage in German; this traditional German sausage consists mainly of pork, with optionally some veal or beef mixed with pork.
Use fresh Bratwurst and choose the ones with an excellent fat ratio for juiciness. In addition, it mustn’t be pre-smoked or pre-cooked.
Pre-cooked brats can reduce your cooking time if you’re in a hurry, but you will lose most of the lovely, natural flavors, which defeats the whole purpose of smoking beer brats.
On the other hand, a home-smoked beer brat is super delicious, and you can mix flavors for a unique and new experience each time you smoke them.
Choose Your Ingredients
The primary liquid ingredient is beer, as your brats will soak in all the flavors. Any beer will work ideally – typically, a pale ale or a beer you like drinking will ensure the match to the brats will be good.
For veggies, again, the options are vast. White or yellow onion and bell or banana peppers are favorites. In addition, choose a mix of mustard, garlic, paprika, and Cayenne pepper.
Final Word
Smoking beer Bratwurst is an excellent example of American-German tradition. It is famous for family get-togethers or game days.
It is easy to prepare and requires a few ingredients for a delicious smokey sausage with optional veggies on a bun.
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