How to handle natural casings

[boykjo]

boykjo When you place the unused casings back in the storage container you mention that you drain the excess water and add the salt. So the casings are just hydrated and not stored in a brine “solution”, correct? Also, after you add the salt, how to you mix the casings/salt? By hand, shake the container?

The casings are in a large bowl of water after rinsing the salt off them. It makes it easier to remove what you need while the casings are submerged in water. After you have taken what you needed there is no need for the extra water to store. The casings are saturated enough so all you need is to add the salt to the casings and store. The saturated casings and salt will be enough to keep them brined. I mix like I'm scratching my scalp. Hope this helps

 

[jdranchman]

The casings are in a large bowl of water after rinsing the salt off them. It makes it easier to remove what you need while the casings are submerged in water. After you have taken what you needed there is no need for the extra water to store. The casings are saturated enough so all you need is to add the salt to the casings and store. The saturated casings and salt will be enough to keep them brined. I mix like I'm scratching my scalp. Hope this helps

Ditto. I'd really advise against shaking, stirring or otherwise aggressively mixing the casings in the salt. Just gently pour salt around them. If you get aggressive you will get a tangled mess that is hard to undo.

 

[bobrap]

Just ordered hog casings from Syracuse casings and had a question about storage. I read where people take them of the tube and soak them before use. Do you take them off the tubes also for storage or store them as they come? Just wondering how Syracuse casing users store their casings. Thanks.

 

[chopsaw]

Just wondering how Syracuse casing users store their casings. Thanks.

I took the hog casings off to soak / store per this thread . The sheep casings I left on . The sheep don't need the room that the hog did . Both from Syracuse .
Just ordered and received a batch of hog , but this time I bought from Butcher packer . No tubes .
I don't like the tubed casings myself .
Tubed sheep from Syracuse .

 

[tallbm]

Just ordered hog casings from Syracuse casings and had a question about storage. I read where people take them of the tube and soak them before use. Do you take them off the tubes also for storage or store them as they come? Just wondering how Syracuse casing users store their casings. Thanks.

I store on the tubes with no issue.

 

[bobrap]

I store on the tubes with no issue.

I do as well. Wondered if in a tub was better than in the bag. Thanks.

 

[tallbm]

I do as well. Wondered if in a tub was better than in the bag. Thanks.

I prefer the tubed but my bias is due to speeding up time when doing like 150 pounds of sausage. For me the tubes are faster. When it comes to lamb castings I really prefer them because those casings are a pain to some extent no matter what. So much so that I swore them off even though I LOVE the sausage I make with them.

For smaller diameter I've switched to skinless cellulose (plastic from corn) casings that are a dream to work with. Hell for almost all my smoked sausage I now use the cellulose casings and leave the natural for fresh sausages or my franks which I rarely smoke so I stuff in fresh and grill them but can still throw the links into the smoker to make smoked franks. Flexibility and simplicity are nice :D

 

[crazymoon]

Just ordered hog casings from Syracuse casings and had a question about storage. I read where people take them of the tube and soak them before use. Do you take them off the tubes also for storage or store them as they come? Just wondering how Syracuse casing users store their casings. Thanks.

I too use Syracuse casings and leave them on the tube for storage but remove the tube before soaking . It seemed like the casings came off the horn harder when stuffing if I used the tube.

 

[slavikborisov]

I get mine from
Syracuse and take them off the tube right away and store them exactly like boykjo suggests and never been easier to use…. I found the plastic tubes to Be a pain in the ass… also i always add baking soda when using/rinsing the salt brine off to make them more slippery and easier to handle

 

[chopsaw]

It seemed like the casings came off the horn harder when stuffing if I used the tube.

The tube is used for loading , then removed after on the horn .

 

[JIMSMOKES]

The tube is used for loading , then removed after on the horn .

Like crazymoon I find them wanting to be kinda tuff coming off the horn. When I use the tube to get them on the horn. No matter how I soak and rinse.

 

[jdranchman]

Like crazymoon I find them wanting to be kinda tuff coming off the horn. When I use the tube to get them on the horn. No matter how I soak and rinse.

Do you add any baking soda to the soaking water?

 

[JIMSMOKES]

Do you add any baking soda to the soaking water?

I rinse salt then soak. Then rinse again detube and then soak overnight with baking soda.

 

[processhead]

I have had similar experiences with tubed natural casings. I think some of it comes from how long the casings have been in storage on the tube. After a while in storage, they seem to have a tendency to dry out where they are overlapped on the tube and no amount of soaking makes them pliable while they are still on the tube.

They probably work fine for the commercial packers that are turning over their inventory of casings and using them while fresh from the supplier. The tubed casings most of us home sausage makers purchase are likely not as fresh to begin with, and have been in storage longer after they are purchased before getting used.

Like others have noted, if you take older tubed casing off the tube, run some fresh water down the inside of the casing the full length and then let them soak overnight in fresh water, the casing become soft, pliable, and slippery again.

Once you reach the point of having to remove casings from the tube, you might as well just buy loose casings and save a few bucks. Thats what I have started doing.

 

[chopsaw]

I find them wanting to be kinda tuff coming off the horn.

I kind of read that , as he was using them with the tube on the horn .
I agree that soaked on the tubes won't get as soft .

 

[crazymoon]

The tube is used for loading , then removed after on the horn .

I understand that but the insides don't seem to be lubricated enough. I still do an internal flush on the casings after soaking and the tube is removed before soaking . :)

 

[JIMSMOKES]

I understand that but the insides don't seem to be lubricated enough. I still do an internal flush on the casings after soaking and the tube is removed before soaking . :)

It's really noticeable on sheep casings but you'll pull you hair out. Trying to get the small size open after you pull it off pretube.
I soak them still tubed. When I go to do my final soda soak. I slide them up to the install side then cut pretube short. That let's me get the final rinse but still be able easily get started on horn.

 

[chopsaw]

I understand that but the insides don't seem to be lubricated enough.

I figured you did , but the way I read .,

It seemed like the casings came off the horn harder when stuffing if I used the tube.

Sounded to me like you were leaving the casing on the tube and putting that on the horn .
Never mind , I should have not said anything .

 

[mike1779]

boykjo When you place the unused casings back in the storage container you mention that you drain the excess water and add the salt. So the casings are just hydrated and not stored in a brine “solution”, correct? Also, after you add the salt, how to you mix the casings/salt? By hand, shake the container?

Syracuse Casing is definitely the best for quality and service. Here is the storage info I found on the website https://www.makincasing.com/instructions.asp