What to do with sheep casings

blaise · Jun 6, 2017

About 6 months ago I ordered 24-26 mm sheep casings from The Sausage Maker----- They were so small I could barely get them on my 3/8 in. horn. When I contacted The Sausage maker, they apologized and said they had a batch that were marked wrong and sent me the correct size. You guessed it----same thing. Contacted them again and they said they must have missed pulling some of the mis-marked ones. Offered to send again----said no thanks----and they refunded the money.

Hate to see these go to waste----don't particular like using the 3/8 horn----even when I get them on, they won't come off properly-----acts like the old Chinese finger puzzles and tightens up on the horn. These were soaked for four days.

If anybody has an ideas, let me know, probably best to file 13 the darn things

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crankybuzzard · Jun 6, 2017

Havew you tried soaking them in fresh water for 48 hours? They should expand a bit and play a bit more friendly.

SmokinAl · Jun 6, 2017

I think this will help you.

I have been doing it this way for quite some time & the casings are very pliable & no blowouts.

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

Al

tropics · Jun 6, 2017

I like to run water thru mine then let them soak a few days

Richie

BGKYSmoker · Jun 6, 2017

Soak in water and add some lemon or pineapple juice (you wont taste a thing)

OR

I will gladly take em off your hands

pugsbrew · Jun 8, 2017

nepas said:
Soak in water and add some lemon or pineapple juice (you wont taste a thing)

OR

I will gladly take em off your hands

What exactly does lemon or pineapple juice do?""

blaise · Jun 20, 2017

Hey guys, apparently I missed some posts here, sorry about that.

I've tried numerous times to work with these casings and I have no idea what size they actually are. The few fully stuffed I managed may have been a half inch.

Tried some vinegar but not lemon juice.

Anyway, I'm done fooling around with them, I just don't have the patience------so anyone who is in the south-central Pennsylvania area or is planning to visit, is welcome to stop by and take them along. Not sure exactly how much is still in each bottle, but at almost $50.00 bucks a piece (no I didn't have to pay for them) you can't be to choosy.

Blaise-

shyzabrau · Jun 20, 2017

When I've had trouble with the casings sticking (usually because I haven't soaked them long enough), I run a bit of olive oil through the length. Squeeze out all the water first, open the top a bit (for sheep casings, I use the stuffing tube to hold the opening open, but a small funnel would also work), and pour a half teaspoon into the casing. Squeeze it through the length. It isn't enough to cause any issues with the sausage, but it is enough to lubricate the casing as it slides off the stuffing tube while stuffing.

BGKYSmoker · Jun 20, 2017

Pugsbrew said:
What exactly does lemon or pineapple juice do?""

Soften the casings and makes viens kinda transparent.

BGKYSmoker · Jun 20, 2017

If you keep your stuffing area wet with clean water you will not need any oils to slide onto the tubes. If you use oil i would use spray pam as it has no taste like other oils will have.

If you run the meat thru the tube and just to the end the casings slide on easier. I know it sounds weird but that small air backup in the tube can make the casings a pita.

Your results may vary from mine.

shyzabrau · Jun 20, 2017

nepas said:
If you keep your stuffing area wet with clean water you will not need any oils to slide onto the tubes. If you use oil i would use spray pam as it has no taste like other oils will have.

Your results may vary from mine.

You certainly have more experience than I do, but a little bit of olive oil poured THROUGH the casing has made big differences for me, versus water.

indaswamp · Jun 20, 2017

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/255662/best-practices-for-sausage-making/40#post_1700572

shyzabrau · Jun 20, 2017

Indaswamp said:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/255662/best-practices-for-sausage-making/40#post_1700572

No argument. Like I said, I usually use the olive oil when I haven't soaked the casings long enough to make them silky soft and pliable. I suspect there are a lot of people in that boat, though, despite the frequent references on the proper way to rehydrate and store the casings. I suffer from poor planning - I had a new hank in the fridge for two weeks, and I still didn't rehydrate them until a day or so before I stuffed...

indaswamp · Jun 20, 2017

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/255662/best-practices-for-sausage-making/40#post_1700572

Shyzabrau said:
Indaswamp said:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/255662/best-practices-for-sausage-making/40#post_1700572

Click to expand...

No argument. Like I said, I usually use the olive oil when I haven't soaked the casings long enough to make them silky soft and pliable. I suspect there are a lot of people in that boat, though, despite the frequent references on the proper way to rehydrate and store the casings. I suffer from poor planning - I had a new hank in the fridge for two weeks, and I still didn't rehydrate them until a day or so before I stuffed...

I posted that link for the OP. Like NEPAS suggests, fill the tube with meat paste and let it come out about 1/8" past the horn, and fill the inside of the casing with a little water. casing should slide right on.

shyzabrau · Jun 20, 2017

Indaswamp said:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/255662/best-practices-for-sausage-making/40#post_1700572

I posted that link for the OP. Like NEPAS suggests, fill the tube with meat paste and let it come out about 1/8" past the horn, and fill the inside of the casing with a little water. casing should slide right on.

I understood. My comment was also geared for the original poster for when the casings are not properly hydrated - it gives a bit extra grease above and beyond the method that you stated.

dward51 · Jun 20, 2017

When you say "3/8 inch horn", is that the inner diameter or the outer? Most I've seen are the inner measurement.

I see you went with the Hakka stuffer and I think than horn size is 2 1/16" at the base (the smaller 5 pound stuffers such as LEM and Northern Tool, etc... are 1 9/16" which is what I have). I found some stuffing tubes that are 9mm outside on eBay. I had some 17mm casings which could be used on my LEM 3/8" tube, but you had to stretch the bundle of collagen casings out and load them like standard casings instead of the compressed block. Not so with the true 9mm from eBay as it is considerably smaller than the so called 3/8" LEM which is the interior dimension.

I see they have them in 10mm (and 3/8" exterior diameter is actually 9.525mm which would round up to 10mm). Measure the one you have if it's not 3/8" outside diameter, one of the stainless 10mm tubes with a 2 1/16" base is less than $20 from several sellers on eBay. Might be worth a look with that many casings on hand (and give you options for the future).

blaise · Jun 21, 2017

OK guys----been doing this for over 15 years, so not exactly a rookie, though I am always willing to listen to other opinions.

But I think I haven't been clear on the problem or some of the solutions I have tried.

#1 The Sausage Maker obviously knew there was a problem or they wouldn't have been pulling from the shelf-----I also suspect that it was more then size-----it's obvious these are no where near 7/8 inch.

#2 The tube is .380 od----.375 is 3/8 in.---close enough---it is not a Hakka tube----Hakka tubes do run larger in o.d. then other stuffers I have had.

The sausage paste has to be made much more fluid then I like, because the hydraulic pressure becomes intense in such a small tube.

Here are some of the things I have tried:

Soaked casings from two to seven days

Soaked with vinegar

Have oiled the horn with:

Lard.......helped, but messy

coconut oil

food grade silicone spray-----just don't like the concept of silicone in my sausage-----but worked the best

Still, the longest successful -----about ten in.-----on average they would blow out every two, to four in.-----and that leads back to The Sausage Maker probably knew these casings had other flaws.

Could someone make these work? Yes, I think so, but it would have to be someone with more patience, time and better health then me.

Also wanted to point out, that almost all vegetable and nut oils go rancid---some surprisingly quick and may carry pathogens you may not want. The lard---doesn't go bad---and did work well as a horn lube----but had to apply more frequently, so was a little messy.

Do appreciate all the tips----thanks guys-----just getting to old and cranky to deal with the fuss.

Blaise

boykjo · Jun 21, 2017

Soaking in vinegar...not good. Turns casings into rubber....Their history.
Add a cap full to them only when storing.
My 2 cents

Boykjo

blaise · Jun 22, 2017

You may be right about the vinegar------it was suggested to me by other sausage makers to lower the PH from neutral to 5.5 to 6.0----I think that was the concept behind Nepas lemon juice. I didn't notice any significant difference. But I'm always willing to try different ideas. You do realize the vinegar is added to the soaking water, right?

Blaise

donr · Jun 22, 2017

Do you know someone locally who could make you a smaller tube?

Measure the i.d. of the tube, or the wall thickness and do a little math.

Get a Stainless steel tube that will go through the 3/8" tube.

Cut off most of the 3/8" tube, smooth off the end that's left.

Put/press the new tube through the 3/8" tube.

Weld the new tube to the old tube. I would weld both the inside and the outside.

You may want to make your new tiny tube shorter in length than the original 3/8", because extruding the mixture out of that tiny tube will be difficult.

You can get 1ft lengths of tubing from McMaster Carr if you can't find any locally.

https://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-stainless-steel-tubing/=186l1yi

What to do with sheep casings

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