A snack stix "How Come" question

[Sailor]

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? 

[SL2010]

Where is NEPAS he will know i have never had this happen to my stix

[lumpy]

It has never happened to me either but Nepas might know the answer. Send him a PM

[Smokin Soon]

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.

[NePaSmoKer]

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.

[Sailor]

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.

[SL2010]

but dont you have to let it rest to get the cure going

[Sailor]

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. 

[NePaSmoKer]

but dont you have to let it rest to get the cure going

no

[SL2010]

well thats good to know that takes a day of the process cool

[pikeman_95]

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].

[smokeitall]

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

[bundy]

I go from the mix good, stuffer, smoker, eat it and I'm still alive?? ???

[classicrockgriller]

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.

[Sailor]

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