tough casings

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mrbeef

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Jan 17, 2015
96
23
SE Iowa
I have read alot of threads on here about natural hog casings being tough but can't find what I'm looking for on here or the Internet. So if I could get some help it would be greatly appreciated. I bought a hog hank and made some bratwurst and the casings were excellent, I put some water to cover the casings I didn't use in a plastic container in the fridge with IODIZED salt since that was all I had. So the following week I made more bratwursts after rinsing the casings and when I finished stuffing I pricked holes in the casings to link them. I grilled them as I always do but I could bit through the whole casing or if I could it was very chewy and no good. I stuffed them as full as I could. Would the iodized salt do that? Can I bring them back around? Maybe I put to much water in the container? I hope I didn't ruin them. Oh and the casings were from curleys.
 
Did you re soak the casings when you used them again or did you just flush them then stuff. Next time remove the casings from the salt solution and soak them for a few days before use changing the water frequently and keep returning them to the fridge...... when storing use non iodized salt and store in a mason jar.

sometimes casings can become tough if something has changed in the way it was cooked. a few weeks ago I threw some kielbasa on the grill and it was a perfect snap. I did the same thing a week later and cooked it a little slower and the casings were a little chewy... Same sausage, same casing, same batch.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/159729/how-to-handle-natural-casings

Joe
 
I just flushed and stuffed. What does iodized salt do? The mason jar is an excellent idea.
 
Iodine is an added mineral  (like potassium iodide). using non iodized salt will make the casings easier to get softer.
 
You got to cook the casings at relatively high heat to stop them from being chewy and keep them biteable.  Cant recall the exact temp?  It was on one of Aaron's vids.  Also, turning the sausage only once also made a diffs to my most recent batch when I grilled it. 
 
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Thanks for the replys. I grilled some more and they were perfect this time. Crazy how that is.
 
I like you love a casing that snaps and have experienced chewy casings at times also.  I have recently (within the last year) started boiling all of my sausages off in some water or in my case (beer) until they were cooked about 75% of the way, then finished them off on my charcoal grill with extremely high heat.  Since I started doing that I have never had a shitty bite in a casing.
 
Agreed...I just find that boiling them allows me to not overcook them on the grill.  Get them almost cooked through in beer or whatever and then throw them on the grill to crisp up the casing and add some grill marks.
 
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