Need Some Recommendations

[Gonna Smoke]

The new LEM #8 is here, 5 lb. stuffer and a couple other size plates are on the way. I'm looking for some advice on casings, both type and size. Initially my plan is fresh sausage(s) and mostly bulk, but I really like some of the fresh stuffed sausages I've been seeing on here lately. After that, I plan to try some smoked sausage, but that's another rabbit hole to go down in the future...

Baby steps...

 

[hoity toit]

I use fresh hog casings on most everything I stuff. Syracuse Casings has quality casing at a good price point. I might also add they are an old American company 100% AMERICAN MADE & PROCESSED! and FREE shipping.

 

[Brokenhandle]

I'll follow along... usually make sticks with 18 to 20 mm sheep casings, summer sausage I like the cloth bags I've seen Winterrider and chopsaw use. Or just fresh sausage. But might try more stuff at some point... so maybe I'm at toddler steps!

Ryan

 

[Gonna Smoke]

so maybe I'm at toddler steps!

When it comes to stuffing, I'm 100% a newbie. Made plenty of bulk venison sausage back in the day, but always with a pre-mix spice blend. Now I'm going to follow some specific recipes with homemade spice blends...

 

[chopsaw]

I'm looking for some advice on casings,

Well , lets see . You're gonna need
Hog casings and some bags ,

High barrier waterproof for poaching lunch meat .

Cellulose for skinless .

Sheep , for dogs and sticks .



Cloth bags , as mentioned above .


A bread pan for slicable loafs .


That should get ya started .

 

[SmokinEdge]

Not sure what types of sausage you want to stuff, but if they are Polish, Italian or German types then the hog casing in the 32mm range will serve you well. There are a lot of places to buy them but I would suggest you buy by the “hank” these are in a solution and not in dry packed salt, this is an important difference for casing quality. Then if you store them like you are supposed to they keep for years. Mine don’t last that long but you get the idea.

 

[mr_whipple]

Funny you posted this. I just stuffed my first natural hog casings a few days ago. Been lazy posting pics. Will do tomorrow.

 

[cptnding]

The new LEM #8 is here, 5 lb. stuffer and a couple other size plates are on the way. I'm looking for some advice on casings, both type and size. Initially my plan is fresh sausage(s) and mostly bulk, but I really like some of the fresh stuffed sausages I've been seeing on here lately. After that, I plan to try some smoked sausage, but that's another rabbit hole to go down in the future...

Baby steps...

Glad you posted this question.
I'm in pretty much the exact same place. Just got the LEM #8 and if I dropped the right hints Santa should be bringing a 5 pound stuffer. I've been making simple bulk sausages for a while using store bought ground pork and want to take the next step forward by stuffing some and eventually smoking. Like you said. Baby steps!

 

[cptnding]

Well , lets see . You're gonna need
Hog casings and some bags ,
View attachment 682788
High barrier waterproof for poaching lunch meat .
View attachment 682790
Cellulose for skinless .
View attachment 682789
Sheep , for dogs and sticks .
View attachment 682791

View attachment 682792
Cloth bags , as mentioned above .
View attachment 682793
View attachment 682794
A bread pan for slicable loafs .
View attachment 682795
View attachment 682796
That should get ya started .

chopsaw Thanks for posting all of that!
Do you have a recommendation for where to purchase?
Those waterproof "casings" look interesting. I don't think I've seen those before. Should work great with the sous vide. I've been wanting to make a chopped ham type sandwich meat and thinking the sous vide would give a better result.

 

[chopsaw]

Thanks for posting all of that!

You're very welcome . I joined here to learn sausage making . The least I can do is to show what I've learned . Bad thing is some of the guys I learned from don't post much anymore . I still look back through the old threads , and suggest you do as well .

Do you have a recommendation for where to purchase?

I used to get the hog casings from TSM . That quality went down in my opinion , and the last purchase was from Syracuse casings . There's a link in post #2 .
The water proof can be hard to find , and yes they work great with the SV cooking .

I've been wanting to make a chopped ham type sandwich meat

I have more threads on this stuff , but here's one for chopped ham . I use an old butter tub , or a foil bread pan . Firm up over night , then vac seal . Poach or SV . The Chopped ham I think I smoked , then poached ? I don't remember , but you can look through that link .

Chopped Ham Loaf .

I bought some " Sugar cured Country Ham pieces " at the store the other day . When I got around to them I realized they were raw . Not smoked or cooked . They were fully cured though . So when I made the franks the other day I saved a pound of grind and used it to mix with the chunks ...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Here's one where I used the waterproof . They work great , but you have to stuff them tight . The pressure inside the casing has to be greater than the water in the bath , or they will leak .

Mortadella Lyoner - Marianski

Ran over to GFS for my weekly run . Grabbed a pork butt ( and a strip loin and some petite tenders ) . Been wanting to do some SV'd only bologna with water proof casings . I liked the looks of this Mortadella recipe from Marianski . No visible adds for this . Looks like bologna . Had to sub a...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[Cajun Smokes]

Well , lets see . You're gonna need
Hog casings and some bags ,
View attachment 682788
High barrier waterproof for poaching lunch meat .
View attachment 682790
Cellulose for skinless .
View attachment 682789
Sheep , for dogs and sticks .
View attachment 682791

View attachment 682792
Cloth bags , as mentioned above .
View attachment 682793
View attachment 682794
A bread pan for slicable loafs .
View attachment 682795
View attachment 682796
That should get ya started .

Love the assortment

 

[cptnding]

You're very welcome . I joined here to learn sausage making . The least I can do is to show what I've learned . Bad thing is some of the guys I learned from don't post much anymore . I still look back through the old threads , and suggest you do as well .

I used to get the hog casings from TSM . That quality went down in my opinion , and the last purchase was from Syracuse casings . There's a link in post #2 .
The water proof can be hard to find , and yes they work great with the SV cooking .


I have more threads on this stuff , but here's one for chopped ham . I use an old butter tub , or a foil bread pan . Firm up over night , then vac seal . Poach or SV . The Chopped ham I think I smoked , then poached ? I don't remember , but you can look through that link .

Chopped Ham Loaf .

I bought some " Sugar cured Country Ham pieces " at the store the other day . When I got around to them I realized they were raw . Not smoked or cooked . They were fully cured though . So when I made the franks the other day I saved a pound of grind and used it to mix with the chunks ...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Here's one where I used the waterproof . They work great , but you have to stuff them tight . The pressure inside the casing has to be greater than the water in the bath , or they will leak .

Mortadella Lyoner - Marianski

Ran over to GFS for my weekly run . Grabbed a pork butt ( and a strip loin and some petite tenders ) . Been wanting to do some SV'd only bologna with water proof casings . I liked the looks of this Mortadella recipe from Marianski . No visible adds for this . Looks like bologna . Had to sub a...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Thanks for the info. Especially on the hog casings.
Already had your post on chopped ham bookmarked. Vac sealed foil bread pans looks like the way to go.

 

[Fueling Around]

Congrats on the start to a new lifestyle.
I got back into sausage making for my wife and her low sodium diet.

Start small
hoity toit and SmokinEdge gave the best advice to start with hog. They are a forgiving casing and easier to learn the tricks.
I fought my way through the dry salt packed crap and the slurry packed crap. They work, but either take about a month of prep to make them usable.
Do not buy LEM casings. I wasn't happy with them.

chopsaw is the graduate level and I'll be starting my studies next summer when back home. Son wants me to make sticks and other specialty. I want to make hot dogs so I can eat my guilty pleasure without 2 days allotment of salt.

 

[cptnding]

so I can eat my guilty pleasure without 2 days allotment of salt.

Same here.

 

[bill ace 350]

Sounds like you're ready to go.

I like Syracuse casings.

 

[jcam222]

Well , lets see . You're gonna need
Hog casings and some bags ,
View attachment 682788
High barrier waterproof for poaching lunch meat .
View attachment 682790
Cellulose for skinless .
View attachment 682789
Sheep , for dogs and sticks .
View attachment 682791

View attachment 682792
Cloth bags , as mentioned above .
View attachment 682793
View attachment 682794
A bread pan for slicable loafs .
View attachment 682795
View attachment 682796
That should get ya started .

Rich that all looks great but you really got my attention with that olive loaf!! I would devour that. Charles I am getting ready to jump into stuffing casings as well. Have some 2 1/2" fibrous casings on the way to try some German sausage. Would like to do before Christmas but may end up being after. Going to use a recipe and step by step disco posted

 

[chopsaw]

Rich that all looks great but you really got my attention with that olive loaf!!

Thanks . I did some pickle loaf , then saw boykjo did Olive loaf . I used the Mortadella Lyoner formula from Marianski as the base . It's addicting .
The slicable loaf stuff is really fun to do .

 

[jcam222]

Thanks . I did some pickle loaf , then saw boykjo did Olive loaf . I used the Mortadella Lyoner formula from Marianski as the base . It's addicting .
The slicable loaf stuff is really fun to do .

Do you have a link to the pickle loaf recipe?

 

[JLeonard]

Looks like your gonna need a part time job to feed your new addiction!!
Cant wait to see what you come up with.

Jim

 

[chopsaw]

Do you have a link to the pickle loaf recipe?

Here's the link from when I made it .

Pickle Loaf and Jalapeno White cheddar Summer Sausage

Love pickle loaf , and have been wanting to take a run at it . So I've been looking around at some spice profiles . Nothing really on pickle loaf . Found some olive loaf and some Dutch Mortadella that had green and red peppers in it . So I used the Dutch Mortadella from Marianski as a base...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Gives the " How I did it " . Glad I looked at it , because I used the Dutch Mortadella from Marianski as the base , not the Lyoner like I said above . All about the same though .
I'll get you some info .