I've done exactly what you explain to defrost and grill or smoke at a later date. I had no issues and everything tasted fantastic so it is completely possible to do.

When grinding for hot dogs you want the meet to be very cold. I grind the meat thought an 1/8 plate and then chill it again for 20 minutes or so. The grind depends on the consistency of the meat you want. A true hot dog the meat is emulsified. To achieve this I then run all the meat through a food processor turning it into a paste. Then season and stuff into the casings of your choice. I use a cellulose casing and after smoking it, I peel this off and make a skinless hot dog just like you by in the store. Everyone loves them!!!

The franks can be frozen prior to cooking.

Half of mine I put in a cold smoker for an hour to add some flavor. I do not cure them. They all just get vac sealed into packages of 5
then into the freezer. I cook them like regular hot dogs. Yes you could put a thermometer in the end to check temp.

We always add shredded cheese to our mix. When it melts it keeps them moist. Also make sure you're using enough pork - we opt for about 30%

You can make either with this. Hitting 165 makes freezing and thawing them much better. Stick with the instructions.

For Franks, we would recommend using either Hog Casings or 32mm Edible Collagen Casings, for these casing you would use the 3/4 OD tube. Store bought hot dogs are typically 24-26mm in that case we would suggest using the smallest tube 1/2.