Casings a little tough

[Bob Smith]

Hello to everyone! I am a new member. I have been making sausage for a number of years and get a little better every time. I usually only make it around deer season but am branching out. I have a recipe that everyone (my wife!) likes and working on making my sausage better.

I have read on here about tough casings. I know some of you have a process that you go through to make "top shelf" sausage. Could some of you give me steps to your smoking process. My Casings are a little tough. I use good casings that are brine packed. I wash them well. I do cure my meat. I am a little fuzzy about the process after stuffing. Some of you air dry. Also, what is your method for temperature control and where to you start/finish?

 

[torp3t3d0]

I've found that the longer I smoke them, or the higher temp that I smoke them, the casings get tougher......so what I do is to raise the internal temp to 155 digs in a water bath......as one sausage maker said "155 dogs in water is no different that in a smoker, oven or what ever,,,,,,only thing is that you need to be happy with the amount of smoke before you put them in the water (160 to 170 degrees and no higher)

Smoked carolina breakfest.jpg

• torp3t3d0
• Feb 5, 2016

IMG_6644.JPG

• torp3t3d0
• Sep 9, 2017

 

[Bob Smith]

Interesting. That is something I will try.

 

[crazymoon]

Bob ,I usually let the mix or stuffed sausage sit a day in the fridge before smoking. This helps the spices to meld with the meat. Casings are soaked for a day with multiple rinsings at the onset. Into the smoker at 110-120 with vents wide open for a hour plus with no smoke to dry. Add smoke and bump temps 10 degrees every hour but don't exceed 165-170
as higher temps may make your fat run out of the sausage. My internal temps for removal are 152-155.

 

[DanMcG]

With a cured smoked sausage I'll start with refridging for a day after stuffing, then pull them out and hang in the house to bring to room temp then place them in a 120° smoker for an hour or until they are dry, then add smoke and raise temp up to 130°-140° and add as much smoke as you like. then into a pot of 170° water until they hit 160°
Don't go over 170° in your smoker
Don't have to much draft.
Be sure to have some moisture/ humidity or they will dry like leather.
And sometimes casings are tough, right from the pig

 

[indaswamp]

Worth the read:
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/how-to-handle-natural-casings.159729/