mahogany fibrous casings

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Fueling Around

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Dec 10, 2018
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So Lake Cty, FL
I made up my second ever summer sausage today. This one was all beef and I'll be posting a thread after I finish the cook. My first attempt was 3/4 pork and tasted great, but was not the prettiest to be posting here due to processing errors.
In prepping the 2-1/2" mahogany fibrous casing (from Cabelas) I filed with hot water to soften for the fill. Well, the casing was pre pricked (perforated) and leaked back into the sink. Tried to take a photo, but the water didn't show.
Cabelas casings come from PS Seasonings. Has anyone using fibrous casing found they come perforated?
 
I made up my second ever summer sausage today. This one was all beef and I'll be posting a thread after I finish the cook. My first attempt was 3/4 pork and tasted great, but was not the prettiest to be posting here due to processing errors.
In prepping the 2-1/2" mahogany fibrous casing (from Cabelas) I filed with hot water to soften for the fill. Well, the casing was pre pricked (perforated) and leaked back into the sink. Tried to take a photo, but the water didn't show.
Cabelas casings come from PS Seasonings. Has anyone using fibrous casing found they come perforated?
I got the ones I have from Amazon and they are non-perforated. I don't recall the seller since I bought them a few years ago. I will look at the packaging (I think the remainder are still in it) tomorrow when I get out to the barn kitchen to see.
 
Has anyone using fibrous casing found they come perforated?
Some of the casings are pre struck . I personally don't use those . Supposed to take on more smoke and allow air pockets to purge out . Nothing wrong with them .
They will work just fine .
 
Has anyone using fibrous casing found they come perforated?
The ones I have used were from Waltons and said pre struck. Description said it let air pockets out. It's the only ones I've ever used so I don't have a comparison but they worked just fine. I didn't fill them with water. Just used a bowl full of warm water and folded then down into it for 30 minutes or so. Maybe 45. Shook the water off and filled them. No issues.
 
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Thanks for the feedback.
The casing filled great same as my first round. I don't have a sous vide, but loaned one on my first batch. Knowing they are pre struck, I will never again sous vide naked.
I shared a few casings with Keith JckDanls 07 JckDanls 07 and Don orlandosmoking orlandosmoking so hopefully they see this thread.
Life (Wife?) got in the way and didn't get a chance to finish it today. Laying in the fridge on a paper towel and it is damp but not wet, but I don't use much water in my sausage. I guessed that fibrous is more forgiving for an uncovered fridge dry than the natural which is my usual casing of choice. I'll get it cooked tomorrow

Rich chopsaw chopsaw I was reading the 2020 posts on your pepperoni experience and drying after processing.
I was really wondering if the same fridge dry would work on my SS after I get it cooked tomorrow?
I used TSM Fermento again and sorta followed their recipe with a few adds mostly sodium I&G from Make it Meaty.
 
The casing filled great same as my first round. I don't have a sous vide, but loaned one on my first batch. Knowing they are pre struck, I will never again sous vide naked.
I will be making my venison SS tomorrow. I was thinking I might just vacuum seal and cook in the sous vide?
 
fibrous is more forgiving for an uncovered fridge dry
Yup . I don't cover SS chubs . Let it hang at room temp for an hour or so before going into the smoker . Starts the warm up .
I was reading the 2020 posts on your pepperoni experience and drying after processing.
I was really wondering if the same fridge dry would work on my SS after I get it cooked tomorrow?
Yes . This started after I was storing chubs in a ziplock bag . Outside was getting sticking after just a week . Local meat cutter told me to store it in paper . I had one chub I forgot about . When I found it a week or so later , I was surprised to see that it had lost weight . So I started trying different lengths of time . Ended up around a week , maybe 2 .
This is Bierwurst . All pork .
Out of the smoker , overnight in the fridge .
20211101_072808.jpg
Wrapped up a 1/2 chub in pink paper and fridge at 36 degrees for 2 weeks .
Looked like this when it came out .
20211204_114749.jpg
Sliced up .
20211204_115406.jpg
I let the sausage age some now in vac bags . I still dry some down , but don't do the whole batch . So if you want to try it take a half chub wrap it , and check every couple days .
I do all my sticks like that though . I like them dry .
These are from the knuckle and striploins I just broke down .
Stuffed and smoked a couple weeks ago . Just took them out of the paper yesterday .
These are most likely shelf stable , but I still keep them in the fridge in a ziplock .
20250110_064057.jpg
20250110_063722.jpg
 
Cooking the SS in the oven. What a challenge to keep the oven temp between 170° & 150°
Got about 1/4 tsp of fat out when the temp hit 195°
I'll try wrapping a piece and see what happens.

I will be making my venison SS tomorrow. I was thinking I might just vacuum seal and cook in the sous vide?
That would be my preference, but alas no sous vide.
With the amount of fat that can potentially come out of the casing, I wonder what that would do to the heating coil in a sous vide?
 
Cooking the SS in the oven. What a challenge to keep the oven temp between 170° & 150°
Got about 1/4 tsp of fat out when the temp hit 195°
I'll try wrapping a piece and see what happens.


That would be my preference, but alas no sous vide.
With the amount of fat that can potentially come out of the casing, I wonder what that would do to the heating coil in a sous vide?
You don’t have to SV, you can simply poach in a large stock pot. Heat the water to 170 then off the burner. Then back on the burner once water temp hits about 150 until water is 170 again. Nice range and complete control. I prick almost all my sausage including the big 5” bologna style, zero water issues.
 
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You don’t have to SV, you can simply poach in a large stock pot. Heat the water to 170 then off the burner. Then back on the burner once water temp hits about 150 until water is 170 again. Nice range and complete control. I prick almost all my sausage including the big 5” bologna style, zero water issues.
I don't know about Brian BrianGSDTexoma BrianGSDTexoma , but I don't have anything big enough to hold the 14" long chub of my SS outside of the oven. .
All of my equipment is back in MN, but I don't have enough time to process much in the summer. Here in FL I have the time and a much better selection of affordable meats, but alas ...
 
I don't know about Brian BrianGSDTexoma BrianGSDTexoma , but I don't have anything big enough to hold the 14" long chub of my SS outside of the oven. .
All of my equipment is back in MN, but I don't have enough time to process much in the summer. Here in FL I have the time and a much better selection of affordable meats, but alas ...
Understood.
 
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