Casing question

Tiny Tim · July 11, 2008, 11:59:13 AM

I have some Collagen casings that I bought a short while ago to make some breakfast sausages...we now have some meat ready to be stuffed into them, and we're wondering if we had to soak the casings or do any other special things to get them stuffed.

I can probably find the info elsewhere, but I figured it'd be faster to ask here. :D

Habanero Smoker · July 11, 2008, 02:11:25 PM

Here you go TT. Just click on Collagen Casings the link will take you to the answer.

I've never used them but plan to when I make some beef sticks.

http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=36#collagen

Tiny Tim · July 11, 2008, 02:23:36 PM

Thanks Habs...exactly what I needed to know.

jaeger · July 21, 2008, 08:45:36 PM

Here is a link for some snack stick seasoning. The cure is included. I used mahogany callogen casings and used 20# of venison to 5# of pork fat. They were awesome!!! I highly recommend this seasoning!

http://www.northcentralfoods.com/product_info.php?products_id=103&osCsid=056ab977df5a031bda6ac70fc762b564

Stargazer · July 21, 2008, 09:19:08 PM

For breakfast sausage I usually use sheep casing. Collagen for snack sticks. You dont soak collagen casings. Use dry.

This might be of some intrest for anyone wanting to get deeper into the world of sausage making...

INSCA.com

Habanero Smoker · July 22, 2008, 02:35:26 AM

Hi Jaeger;

It's been awhile. Nice to see you posting again.

I'm getting closer to making some beef sticks. Since you first posted the recipe, I've always wanted to make some. I just received my ordered from Sausage Maker; and I knew I should have gotten the mahogany colored type, but didn't.

jaeger · July 22, 2008, 10:04:30 PM

Hi Hab!
I wouldn't worry to much about mahogany casings. The nice thing about the mahogany casing is that the color is uniform. I would just make sure to mix everything at least 24 hours ahead of stuffing and smoking. This will help the cure absorb throughout the meat and help give the final product a nice color.
I like to hang sticks on dowel rods in the smoker, I also like to have the casing stuffed pretty fairly tight, so I have the spot marked on the table where I am going to fold the casing over the dowel so I can ease up on the amount stuffed at this bend over the dowel point. If you have to much stuffed at this spot the casing will split or not hang down nice over the dowel when it is hanging in the smoker.
Also, instead of putting as much casing on the horn as will fit (as this product is intended), I pull off a premeasured size that I need for each piece, so that I have the perfect smokehouse size length for each piece when I am stuffing them.
Hab, I know that I kind of over explained some of this for you, but there may be others out there reading this that have an interest in giving it their first try!

Habanero Smoker · July 23, 2008, 02:19:46 AM

Hi Jaeger;

Thanks for the information. I do the same when I answer a question on the board, or try to when I have enough time. I'm glad you went into detail. Not only so that others can learn, but this is my first time using collagen casings. All of the information you provide is useful for me.

Tiny Tim · July 23, 2008, 06:41:41 AM

Guess I should come clean. The night after I started this thread, Dad asked about the casings, so I went and brought it to him. He opened the package to look at it, then handed it to me. Felt a little dry to me, but we weren't going to stuff until the next day, so I moistened some paper towels and wrapped the whole casing in them and into a ziploc bag.

Sunday we never got around to doing the stuffing, so the casing just stayed in the bag with the paper towel around it. This past Saturday we were going to stuff them and let them sit overnight, but I saw some mold on the casing before opening it up.

Looks like I'm going to have to order more and hopefully get it done sooner than what I did this past time.

Moral of the story....don't be lazy and put off a sausage project.

Stargazer · July 23, 2008, 08:59:15 AM

You only want to soak natural casings. Soak in warm water about 30-40 minutes before stuffing.

If you have any natural casings left over you can save them by vacum sealing in a bag with a heavy brine of salt water. As long as you do this with left overs for natural casings you can keep naturals for up to a year. I have been able to keep for alittle over 6 months but used them all by then.

As for collagen casings, you never soak them. They will get way too sticky to use if you soak them; and also go bad very quickly this way.