It is the best of the wurst — Australia's top butchers have battled it out to take home the title of National Sausage King.

Key points: Butcher Franz Knoll crowned Australia's National Sausage King for his traditional Australian snag

Butcher Franz Knoll crowned Australia's National Sausage King for his traditional Australian snag 26 butchers competed for the title at this year's competition

26 butchers competed for the title at this year's competition Their sausages were scored both raw and cooked, and on taste, appearance and smell

Twenty-six butchers came from all parts of the country in the grand final of best bangers.

Some say it is all in the sizzle.

Retired butcher and chief judge Allan Rowan has overseen nearly 30 years of these competitions.

"To me it's the snap of a sausage," he said.

Competition is fierce, with winners expecting a huge jump in sales.

"It can mean a lot to the butcher really. I've seen people go from [selling] 20 kilograms a week to 200 [kilograms] and it's just in no time at all," Mr Rowan said.

"Most people say they make a good sausage, and they do, but the champion ones take just a little bit more time to make sure that everything is just right."

The annual event, run by the Australian Meat Industry Council, judges the best from the country's 3,200 independent butchers.

There are six categories, including traditional Australian, pork, poultry and gourmet, with each score based on both the raw and cooked snag.

They are marked not just on how the sausage tastes, but also on how it looks and smells.

Finalist Tony Scarfo braved heat and long distance to bring his best from Perth.

"We brought two eskies over," he said.

"We had them all lying on two freezer packs and I went on the aeroplane and put them in the top of the hole and the air hostess says you have to turn them. She turned them over and I'm like: `Arrgh'.

"It was a little bit stressful but they turned out OK."

Best practice for sausage sizzles

Gold Coast meat merchant Andrew Loveday's humble snag has come a long way from 20 years ago, when there were basically two flavours — beef and pork. Now he sells 20 different flavours.

"I just hope that the judges like the flavour that I've presented and it goes with everything," he said.

Australians spend $660 million on 94 million kilograms of snags every year.

Australians spend $660 million on 94 million kilograms of snags every year. ( ABC News: Leonie Mellor )

Cook Errol Rees said the best way to barbecue a sausage was over a long, slow heat.

"Too many times you turn the barbie up full roar and throw the sausage on and it will split down the middle straight away," he said.

"In order to get them cooked thoroughly, you sometimes have to get them a little bit overcooked on the outside."

He said they should not be pricked with a fork.

"No look that's the last thing you want to do because inside a sausage, when you've got that water and fat, once you prick the sausage that will get away and it leaves you with a very dry sausage," he said.

"You don't want a dry sausage. You want it nice and moist inside so it gives you that succulence in the bite. Very important don't prick."

Category winners were announced at a lavish awards ceremony on Saturday night, with South Australian Franz Knoll taking out the top prize for his traditional Australian sausage.