Got Stuffer Ordered now need Casings and Recipe

[BrianGSDTexoma]

I ordered the stuffer. We get butts on sale for under a $1 a pound all the time around here so will be using that. Where do I buy and what size casings do I need? Would love a recipe to get me started.

 

[crazymoon]

BGSDT, IMHO the best casings are from The Syracuse Casing Company. Their site will tell you what size casings are needed depending on what type of sausage you are making. I believe all their casings are USA sourced. I'll leave the recipes up to others. :)

 

[sawhorseray]

For around the last 20 years I get all my seasonings and casings from PS Seasonings, always been happy with their goods Brian. I've stuffed all my sausage into 32-35mm natural hog casings. I get the little packs of casings that say they'll do 25 pounds of sausage, they always do more than that, you can pack the leftover casings in salt and keep them in the fridge . What stuffer did you order Brian?

PS Seasoning: Sauces & Rubs for Home Cooks, Sausage & Jerky Making

Our Seasoning Rubs and BBQ Sauces make home cooking easy. Shop award winning flavor profiles, browse recipes, and learn how to make sausage like a pro.

www.psseasoning.com

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

For around the last 20 years I get all my seasonings and casings from PS Seasonings, always been happy with their goods Brian. I've stuffed all my sausage into 32-35mm natural hog casings. I get the little packs of casings that say they'll do 25 pounds of sausage, they always do more than that, you can pack the leftover casings in salt and keep them in the fridge . What stuffer did you order Brian?

PS Seasoning: Sauces & Rubs for Home Cooks, Sausage & Jerky Making

Our Seasoning Rubs and BBQ Sauces make home cooking easy. Shop award winning flavor profiles, browse recipes, and learn how to make sausage like a pro.

www.psseasoning.com

I will take a look. I got the Backyard Pro Commercial 5 lb. Sausage Stuffer (Vertical).

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Brian

KISS it first.
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid

Use a pre mix, use cure #1 and 19mm collagen casing.

 

[sawhorseray]

I will take a look. I got the Backyard Pro Commercial 5 lb. Sausage Stuffer (Vertical).

A fine looking rig at a great price, you are on your way Brian, grats! RAY

 

[JckDanls 07]

use cure #1 and 19mm collagen casing.

BGKYSmoker ... I think he wants to make fresh sausage... not snack sticks... Not sure tho...

BrianGSDTexoma ... You wanting to make fresh sausage or snack sticks ?? If snack sticks you will need a low temp smoker...

 

[chopsaw]

Last hog casings I bought from Syracuse . They come pre tubed , which I don't like . So I strip them off , and soak like this ,

How to handle natural casings

Thought I would post up what I do with natural casings. I use naturals 99.9% of the time when making sausages be it sheep or hog casings. I get compliments about how the casing are very delicate and have a perfect snap when you bite into the sausage. I believe the quality of the casings is part...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

I agree with using a mix . If the bag makes 25 pounds , I weigh the whole bag in grams and divide by 25 , then write that on the bag . That's the amount per pound in grams . Right or wrong , that's just how I do it .

If you're making a couple different types and using pork butts , grind the whole butt and mix it lightly into itself . Then divide out your batch weights from that . That way it keeps your fat to lean evened out at about 80 / 20 .

Good luck ! I've made several formulas from both Marianski and Poli . So if you see something on one of their sites and have a question , hit me up . Maybe I've tried it .

 

[Winterrider]

Butcher Packer casings for yrs. Agree premix , Owens is very good and reputable.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I ordered the stuffer. We get butts on sale for under a $1 a pound all the time around here so will be using that. Where do I buy and what size casings do I need? Would love a recipe to get me started.

Natural hog casings 32-35mm about the easiest to start with. I would suggest buying the home pack from LEM that stuffs 25# meat. I suggest these because they now come packaged in a solution and not just dry salt like most other home packs. You can pick them up off of Amazon or order directly from LEM.

https://www.lemproducts.com/product/natural-sausage-casings/sausage-casings

What type of sausage do you like Brian? That would help a lot with recipes. I can help you with Polish, Italian, brats, Chorizo a Portuguese chourico, my own chorizo, and some German styles. Just let me know what you like.

 

[zwiller]

All good stuff. For me, I admit I was put off by natural casings so the first stuff I ran in casings were fibrous for SS and also cellulose/strippable/hot dog casings. Still have not run natty's yet. Tried once and the casings went bad (my fault).

 

[mr_whipple]

So many sausages to try.... start with something you like. For the most part the process is the same for fresh sausage so pick something you already like to try. I've watched almost every episode of celebrate sausage on YouTube and have found much inspiration. As to casings, I have bought them from The sausage maker, Syracuse ( I too don't like the pretubed but that was simply a handling issue they eat quite well), craft butchers pantry and even bass pro. I have yet to see any real difference but I still consider myself a newbie at the sausage game.

 

[sandyut]

here are 172 sausage recipes to ponder. let us know whatcha make!

 

[Fueling Around]

How about Nuremburg Brat?

For around the last 20 years I get all my seasonings and casings from PS Seasonings, always been happy with their goods Brian. I've stuffed all my sausage into 32-35mm natural hog casings. I get the little packs of casings that say they'll do 25 pounds of sausage, they always do more than that, you can pack the leftover casings in salt and keep them in the fridge . What stuffer did you order Brian?

PS Seasoning: Sauces & Rubs for Home Cooks, Sausage & Jerky Making

Our Seasoning Rubs and BBQ Sauces make home cooking easy. Shop award winning flavor profiles, browse recipes, and learn how to make sausage like a pro.

www.psseasoning.com

I second Ray!
PS Seasonings hog and lamb casing are top quality even in the little 25# "Home Pack" packages. They are not ends and pieces. They come in a salt slurry so do need a couple weeks in a liquid brine to hydrate a bit. Hog is a much better start than lamb. I get them at Cabelas / Bass Pro Shop.

Natural hog casings 32-35mm about the easiest to start with. I would suggest buying the home pack from LEM that stuffs 25# meat. I suggest these because they now come packaged in a solution and not just dry salt like most other home packs. You can pick them up off of Amazon or order directly from LEM.

https://www.lemproducts.com/product/natural-sausage-casings/sausage-casings
...

I tried a "home pack" of LEM casings and they suck. Bag filled with poor quality ends and pieces.

 

[tallbm]

I ordered the stuffer. We get butts on sale for under a $1 a pound all the time around here so will be using that. Where do I buy and what size casings do I need? Would love a recipe to get me started.

What type of sausages you looking to start with? Fresh or cured & smoked?

As for castings I've used the 32mm (or in that range) natural hog casings from Lem, The Sausage Maker, and Syracuse and never had an issue when prepping them properly but would avoid the home packs that come in the little vacuum sealed plastic packs. They are the odds and ins. SmokinEdge was stating LEM is now packaging the 25# home packs in solution those may be the exception.
You probably want to avoid natural lamb for now. They are more delicate and can cause more fighting and a tougher time stuffing since you push meat through a smaller diameter tube. Smaller the tube diameter the much harder you have to crank to stuff :D

As for recipe, I don't have any very simple ones but did see a post for "Lockhart" style sausages which were just like SPG, Cure, and Cayenne (could sub paprika for no heat and a slightly different taste).
If you want to get a store bought seasoning I have the PROPER measurements for LEM Brat (fresh but should be same for cured), LEM cured Franks, and Owens German Bologna.

I haven't found a store bought seasoning that nails it, they measure by volume so what works at 5 pounds may be ok but then may be bland or too salty at 20 pounds. It's wild like that.

I have some good recipes but they have a number of ingredients that you may not have on hand. Simplest one I have you could convert to be simpler. You would need to have ground mustard (actually a more common sausage seasoning) and then you could omit dried jalapeno, omit cheese, omit cayenne. This would leave it with SPOG + Oregano and Paprika. Oh and Non Fat Dry Milk (NFDM) for binder. That would be a simple conversion that would make a sausage you are familiar with in TX.

Finally, the black striped cellulose (not collagen) casings are a breeze to work with but only work for smoked sausages AND you will need some higher strength butcher's twine (550lbs break strength) like this one to tie your links off or hang sausage should you get to that point $8:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CF5CO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cellulose castings need no prep, come up super easy, make skinless dogs, need no special storage, and basically do not fight you when you use them. Just gotta tie off links with twine which is not bad AND i just make big long ass links that I cut in half and vac seal once they are smoked so even linking is easy like that :D

 

[tallbm]

Oh BrianGSDTexoma Tom Thumb and Market Street stores both have $1/lb pork butt starting tomorrow so perfect timing for you :D

 

[chopsaw]

Brian , don't be overwhelmed . Start slow , and like said above keep it simple to start out . Advanced info for a beginner doesn't help . You have time to learn that part of it .
Thing about this is to get started , find what you like , and how you like to do it .

 

[Gonna Smoke]

here are 172 sausage recipes to ponder. let us know whatcha make!

As if I need yet another bookmark... Thanks David, bookmarked...

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

BGKYSmoker ... I think he wants to make fresh sausage... not snack sticks... Not sure tho...

BrianGSDTexoma ... You wanting to make fresh sausage or snack sticks ?? If snack sticks you will need a low temp smoker...

Yes fresh. I do snack with the jerky cannon and MES40.

Natural hog casings 32-35mm about the easiest to start with. I would suggest buying the home pack from LEM that stuffs 25# meat. I suggest these because they now come packaged in a solution and not just dry salt like most other home packs. You can pick them up off of Amazon or order directly from LEM.

https://www.lemproducts.com/product/natural-sausage-casings/sausage-casings

What type of sausage do you like Brian? That would help a lot with recipes. I can help you with Polish, Italian, brats, Chorizo a Portuguese chourico, my own chorizo, and some German styles. Just let me know what you like.

I like several. That was what I liked about going to Hirsh's meats. They had a ton and all good. My favorites where the Cuban and Cheeseburger. I thinking of giving that Colombian chorizo a go. Sounds right up my alley. Should I get some sodium erythorbate?

What type of sausages you looking to start with? Fresh or cured & smoked?

Fresh. I see people smoke ahead of time after they make than freeze? I thinking I would rather just cook as needed. I sure miss going to Hirsh's Meats.

 

[chopsaw]

Fresh. I see people smoke ahead of time after they make than freeze? I thinking I would rather just cook as needed. I sure miss going to Hirsh's Meats.

I've been going right to the freezer with mine , then smoke / cook as needed . I like it way better like that .
Been using my pellet grill . Not text book , but makes a great sausage .

If you order from The Sausage maker , use Amazon prime if you have it . Saves the shipping .