Perfectly Cooked Bratwurst

How to Grill Perfect Bratwursts

This isn’t so much a recipe, but just some sound, plank grilling advice.

Sausages are one of the quintessential foods of BBQ’s, tailgates, Oktoberfests and grilling get-togethers the world over. They are easy to eat while standing and mingling, and pair famously with pretzels, mustard and beer.

All too often sausages, franks, bratwurst, and weisswurst are abused on the grill. Grilled to dried, blackened messes, or cooked so quickly that they split and release their flavorful juices.

The key to grilling highly flammable bratwurst is to have plenty of patience and grill them low and slow until the internal temperature reaches 170ºF, which usually takes around 25 minutes.

Plank grilling sausages not only infuses them with a nice smoky-wood flavor, it also helps them from catching on fire because the soaked plank acts a barrier between the meat and the flames.

There are two ways you can grill sausages. With direct heat or indirect heat.

Direct Heat Method: When you cook with direct heat the brats will cook directly over the flames.  On a gas grill use medium heat, once the juices begin to flow, lower the heat to a low heat.

Indirect Heat Method: Indirect meaning that the fire is one side or opposite sides of the grill and the food is cooked over the unlit portion. Grilling sausages using indirect heat is the safest bet. There will be no change of burnt skin using this method. 


** Purchase some Cedar Grilling Planks today to cook the perfect brats. You may find other flavors of planks just as enjoyable!

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