Making Kaminwurzen yourself: South Tyrolean classics
Kaminwurzen are the pocket-sized South Tyrolean raw sausage: thin calibre, often with a portion of game, juniper in the seasoning – cold smoked and then air-dried until they are robust and firm. Their advantage over large raw sausages is the speed: thanks to the thin calibre, they mature in one to two weeks. The name tells you where they come from: from the chimney ('Kamin') of the farmhouse parlours.
Last updated: 23 July 2026 · Author: Michael Vering, Beelonia GmbH · All prices: as of July 2026
Reading tip: The raw sausage basics – fermentation, pH reduction, casing choice – are explained in detail in the Landjäger & raw sausage article; the Kaminwurze is its round South Tyrolean sister.
The recipe process
| Phase | Conditions | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Sausage meat & filling | Meat well chilled, thin casings (22–26) | 1 afternoon |
| 2 · Reddening | 18–22 °C, humid | 1–2 days |
| 3 · Cold smoking | 2–3 cycles of 8–10 h, 15–25 °C | 3–5 days incl. breaks |
| 4 · Drying | 12–15 °C, airy | 1–2 weeks until 30–40% loss |
The South Tyrol features: game portion (venison or roe deer) plus pork belly for the fat, juniper and garlic in the seasoning, round thin calibre instead of the Landjäger press mould. The spice mixture with curing salt component takes care of the critical dosage – there is no room for improvisation in raw sausage craftsmanship. And as with all raw sausages: smoke-permeable natural casing, filled without air.
Beelonia setup: The sausages hang in pairs on rods in the F2 – cold smoke comes from the cold smoke insert or smoke generator, drying takes place in a cool cellar or drying cabinet. Season: October to March, just like the entire cold smoke calendar.
Frequently asked questions about Kaminwurzen
Why do my sausages get hard on the outside and soft on the inside?
Dry rim – drying too fast in air that is too dry. Let them mature at 70–75% humidity; mild cases balance out in a vacuum.
Can I hot smoke Kaminwurzen?
No – as a raw sausage they remain raw; heat would render the fat and stop the maturation. Cold under 25 °C is mandatory.
How do I store finished Kaminwurzen?
Hanging in an airy and cool place, they last for weeks – the drier, the longer. Not in plastic: raw sausage in one piece must breathe; the rules are in the shelf life table.
Reading tip: The big brother from the south – South Tyrolean speck with PGI rules – appears in the raw ham guide; the timing is provided by smoking in winter.
South Tyrol in your own smoker
Spice mixtures, cold smoke technology and smokers with hanging height – from Beelonia GmbH, from Beelen since 1880.
Sources and technical basis: Sausage dossier (Kaminwurzen as cold smoked raw sausage, fermentation and cold smoking rules, calibre logic); meat dossier (maturation climate, weight loss). Prices: as of July 2026.
