Estimating casing length

[purecharger]

Does anyone have a good method for estimating how much dry, salted casings they need for a batch of sausage? I've been doing 5lb batches into 32-35mm casings, and I've either wildly overestimated or come up short when I cut a length off the dried/salted hank.

[Tater]

I always prepare more than I need.  Just salt down what you don't use and put it back in the bag.  This stuff will keep forever.

[Habanero Smoker]

As Tater pointed out, you can always re-salt what casings you do not use. Depending on how tightly you stuff them, 10 feet should be enough. I always have very little left over, and have never run short.

[NePaSmoKer]

Natural casings are random lengths and i do the same when i have a couple not used. Just ring the casing out from the water and resalt back into the packed salt they came in.

[Mr Walleye]

Here's some information I had picked up a number of years ago.

Casings

Casings come in a variety of sizes and are usually sold by the hank, bundle, cap or ounce. It is always difficult to estimate how much casing you will need to stuff your batch of sausage. A few rules of thumb:

1 pound of meat will stuff about 2 feet of medium-size hog casing (32-35 mm)

1 pound of meat will stuff about 4 feet of medium-size lamb casing (20-22 mm)

1 ounce of medium-size hog casing (32-35 mm) will stuff about 8 feet of sausage

1 pound of medium-size lamb casing (20-22 mm) will stuff about 16 feet of sausage

Mike

[3rensho]

I always make more than I need and just salt the over stock back in the packet.  I've got some over two years old and it is just fine.

[purecharger]

Thanks for all the replies! I'll do 11' just to be on the safe side for my 5lb batch.