1. Before adding the full teaspoon of salt: check your gochujang. Brands vary quite a bit in saltiness. If yours tastes particularly salty, I'd reduce the kosher salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
2. And I'd check the ingredient label for corn-derived ingredients, since commercial gochujang formulations vary.
3. Why only 1 tablespoon water?
4. The gochujang itself brings moisture. I don't want this mixture getting loose enough that stuffing becomes messy or the finished stick becomes spongy.

Mix

1. Combine the gochujang, water, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and seasonings.
2. Add to the cold beef with the nonfat dry milk.
3. Mix until very tacky and cohesive, about 2–3 minutes.
4. If you can grab a small handful, turn your hand upside down and have the meat stay stuck to your palm, you've developed a pretty good bind.

Fry-test it

1. This one especially deserves a small test patty before stuffing.
2. Cook about a teaspoonful in a skillet and taste.
3. You're checking primarily:
4. salt
5. gochujang intensity
6. heat
7. ginger
8. sweetness
9. I'd rather discover that it needs another teaspoon of gochujang before we've stuffed 1.5 lb of it.

Stuff and smoke

1. Stuff into the same 17–21 mm collagen casings.
2. Then:
3. Smoker: about 200°F
4. Smoke: yes
5. Cook to 160°F internal
6. Cool promptly and refrigerate
7. Again, because we're using ground beef, USDA's target is 160°F.