How come the casings seem to be very loosely attached and come off very easy? It seems like when I make up a 5 pound batch and put them right in the smoker the casings are fine and adhere to the meat. However if I make a 10 pound batch and put 5 pounds of stuffed stix in the fridge over night the casings are very loose after the smoke. All the same batch and mixed together. The 5 pounds that go right into the smoker are fine. The 5 pounds that go in the next day are loose after the smoke.
The only thing that I can think of is that the over night rest takes a lot of the moisture out which would bind the casing to the meat.
I use the same PID settings for both smokes. Bumping from 130 to dry, 140 to smoke. 150 for 2 hrs, 160 for 2 hours, 170 for 2 hrs and 175 to finish to IT of 152. Sure has me baffled because I use the same collagen casings from the same roll and use the same mix.
Anyone know why this would be happening?
Where is NEPAS he will know i have never had this happen to my stix
It has never happened to me either but Nepas might know the answer. Send him a PM
I kind of did the same thing a while ago, I was stuffing some polish and it seemed to be resisting a bit and added some distilled water. Smoked the first batch, looked fine. Next day did the rest and it looked kind of sad but tasted great. I think that the amount of h20 is the only thing that can do that. Nepas will help I am sure.
The moisture in the meat is being drawn into the casings, thus makes the meat shrink. You notice that when you take the sticks from the fridge that they are pretty damp or even wet.
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on January 02, 2011, 07:49:03 PM
The moisture in the meat is being drawn into the casings, thus makes the meat shrink. You notice that when you take the sticks from the fridge that they are pretty damp or even wet.
Yep.....they are a lot wetter than just coming of the stuffer almost dripping wet. I think I will change my way of doing things. It does not change the taste at all just that the casings are very loose and peel off. It is a texture thing that I would rather not have. Will start making only the amount that can fit in the smoker and no more overnight in the fridge.
but dont you have to let it rest to get the cure going
Quote from: SL2010 on January 03, 2011, 05:18:48 AM
but dont you have to let it rest to get the cure going
It is my understanding that the colder the meat the less the cure will act. I was letting the meat rest overnight to let the spices marry and not to let the cure act. From what I understand is that as long as you mix the meat up good and get the cure throughout the meat you can go right from stuffing to the smoker.
Quote from: SL2010 on January 03, 2011, 05:18:48 AM
but dont you have to let it rest to get the cure going
no
well thats good to know that takes a day of the process cool
It is the heat that sets off the meat cure. I once had a fellow worker who brought in some 2 1/2 inch summer sausage that he had made at a commercial shop. You could tell that the sausage had not reached a proper IT. It was pink about 1 inch in but had a brown core that was about a 1 1/2 across. I told him that I taught it was not completely cured and we took a thick slice and put it into the microwave and cooked it. guess what it turned pink. Try is your self. If you take a patty of meat fight out of the stuffer put into the micro wave for about 20 seconds and it will be hot as hell and will be pink[crued].
hmmm..that's very interesting. I always stuff mine and put in the fridge for an overnight rest, I thought it was required to get all of the meat cured. If this in not the case that will def save some time.
SIA
I go from the mix good, stuffer, smoker, eat it and I'm still alive?? ???
Just a question.
Could it be the length of time After the smoking that the
sausage/snack sticks rest in the fridge before Vac-sealing?
That has to attract some moisture.
I don't think it has anything to do with after the smoke resting in the fridge. The batch I was talking about was a 10 lb batch. Used the same casings from the same roll so it was not the casing. I stuffed all 10 lb then put 1/2 in the smoker and 1/2 in the fridge. The 1st 1/2 came off the smoker and bloomed the put them in the fridge overnight. The casings were nice and firm and attached to the meat. Then I got the other 1/2 out to get up to room temp to smoke. The casing were very wet and dripped moisture. They got smoked and during the bloom I noticed that the casing were lose. I put them in the fridge overnight. I bit into one of the 2nd batch and the casing wanted to peel off. The 1st batch was still in the fridge and the casing was just fine.
Lick Nepas said, it has to be that the meat lost its moisture from being in the fridge overnight before smoking.
I am going to add more rails to the OBS and get more racks so I can do 10 lbs at a time and I guess I won't have that problem. Nothing at all wrong with the taste it is just that I don't like the feel of biting in a stix and having the casing come off and wanting to peel off. ;D
I know exactly what you mean, I do not like the casing coming off of a snack stick when I bite into it.
When you smoked your second 5lb batch that was in the fridge all night did you let it sit in the smoker at 120-130 for about and 1 to 1-1/2 hours or more to dry the casing before letting the smoke roll? I find that on snack sticks, because of my 7/16" stuffing tube that put extra water in the meat so it pushes through easier that I have to dry it a little longer in the smoker to get the casing dry enough for the smoke to penetrate. My last batch I had at 130 for 2 hours before the casing was dry enough. Just a thought....don't know if the casing is still wet when you heat the snack stick up if that will create a loose casing.
SIA
Quote from: smokeitall on January 08, 2011, 08:19:58 AM
I know exactly what you mean, I do not like the casing coming off of a snack stick when I bite into it.
When you smoked your second 5lb batch that was in the fridge all night did you let it sit in the smoker at 120-130 for about and 1 to 1-1/2 hours or more to dry the casing before letting the smoke roll? I find that on snack sticks, because of my 7/16" stuffing tube that put extra water in the meat so it pushes through easier that I have to dry it a little longer in the smoker to get the casing dry enough for the smoke to penetrate. My last batch I had at 130 for 2 hours before the casing was dry enough. Just a thought....don't know if the casing is still wet when you heat the snack stick up if that will create a loose casing.
SIA
Yep....as the 2nd batch came out of the fridge I let it rest on the counter to come up to room temp. Then into the smoker to dry. By the time I rolled the smoke the casings were dry. It was clear to me that I lost a lot of moisture during the overnight in the fridge. So it has to be that the meat lost the moisture which caused the meat to shrink which in turn caused the casing to be loose.
I put mine in a tote with a tight sealing lid when I do the over night thing.
Yep must have been the moisture loss.
I do the same as OU, in a meat lug with a lid for overnight.
SIA
Guess I will need to get a meat lug with a lid. I stored mine in the open. I guess that is the problem. Thanks for all of the input.
Is a meat lug a plastic bucket or tupperware or ...?
Thanks,
JJ
Jigger Here is what they are talking about.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=&q=meat+lug&rlz=1B3GGIC_en___US359&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=17339691688477267287&ei=DGUrTfXMFc2AnAeGm7jsAQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CB4Q8wIwAQ#
I recently purchased two large food grade gray tubs from Sams for $12, they hold about 50 lbs and came in a two pack. They do not come with lids, I am searching for ones that will fit right now. Figured I would visit a different Sams first to make sure my Sams wasn't just out of the lids when I was there.
SIA
95% of the time i stuff and put right in the smoker. Yeah i understand some of the members don't have time due to work and all. When the sticks are covered in whatever container they put off moisture which stays in the covered container thus making the sticks wet. Air should be able to get to the collagen to keep it dry. The meat once getting warm in the smoke will expand against the casing again.
Ever notice red stains from your mahogany casings in the container.
WHEW :D
I feel like a USDA/FDA pellet extruding sci-en-tist :D
Thanks for the link Chris.
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on January 11, 2011, 02:38:43 AM
Ever notice red stains from your mahogany casings in the container.
Nope. ;D