How do I know if my hog casings are good?

[imbecky]

I'm new to making sausage. This is the first time I've used hog casing. I'd like to know how I can tell if a hank is bad. The package I just bought has an unpleasant smell; is the normal? If it is spoiled, how would it smell? Also, any recommendations on what brands are best?

Thanks for the help!

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I'm new to making sausage. This is the first time I've used hog casing. I'd like to know how I can tell if a hank is bad. The package I just bought has an unpleasant smell; is the normal? If it is spoiled, how would it smell? Also, any recommendations on what brands are best?

Thanks for the help!

The smell is normal.
Your nose would know if they were spoiled and you may see the spoilage on the casing. Im assuming they are salt packed.

 

[Brokenhandle]

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

There's a great read on how to handle and care for natural casings. I had some sheep casings I had gotten had a not so pleasant smell ( lol, they stunk!) But followed that post and were all better after that.

Ryan

 

[PolishDeli]

It's normal for them to smell a bit.
Beef casing have a stronger smell still.

If they are packed in salt, they are good.
Keep them refigerated and stored in dry salt, they'll last forever.

After rinsing, the funky smell will be gone.

I get my casing from sausagemaker.com