Skins on snack sticks

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

jjpiv33

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jun 29, 2014
64
21
Charlotte
I was cleaning out the freezer and had some beef, pork and venison so i decided to head on over to basspro and pick up a snackstick kit (spicy) I got hi-temp cheddar and dried jalepenos. Watch some vids (bearded butchers) on making snack sticks and read the one paragraph directions. ground the meat, mixed the spice, always rechilled. added the cheese and japs and was looking like gold. stuffed them into smoked collagen casings. tied long links and hung in the 40' electric smoker (easy for low temp control) started at 165 for an hour, then 185 for an hour then 205 till the sticks reached 160. First lemme tell you these thing taste soo dam good. But like the thread title says the skins....well they did not bind. i could slide the stick out if i wanted. So my question is .... Where did i go wrong. Too much water? not enough? too much or too little hand mixing of the meat mix? Any advice would be great.

Oh after stuffing i let them sit in the fridge over night.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5288.jpg
    IMG_5288.jpg
    170.6 KB · Views: 77
  • IMG_5292.jpg
    IMG_5292.jpg
    114.5 KB · Views: 83
First let me say.. WELCOME to your new addiction...

Can you post the video that you watched so we can see their process ??

Looking at pictures they look like they need to be stuffed tighter.. This helps binding ...
When mixing ... What was the consistency when you finished mixing ? Was it real sticky and hard to clean off your gloved hand ?? Or was it a loose/wet consistency ??
When Smoking... I see your temps are WAY to high.... Are you sure you didn't get "fat out" ... This is when the fat starts rendering down and runs to the bottom of the stick... You started at (165)... That's just about how high you want to stop at for a max cooking temp (170/175 max) ... Start at 120 for an hour or so for drying... Then ramp temps up 10` every hour until you reach max cooking temp...

Others will chime in with advice as well...
 
too high starting temp.
too high finishing temp.

Likely fat out from both above which pushed fat to the casing and some pooled just under it. could be not enough mixing, or adding too much liquid before proper salt soluble protein extraction.

Look to be stuffed enough being the length you twisted them tightened them up when put in smoker.
 
an hour then 205 till the sticks reached 160
Too high finishing temp. as well...

You do not need to go to 160*F to finish smoke sausages due to the use of both salt and nitrite cure. Use a pasteurization table; go to 150-154*F and follow the times. Then pull and water bath to quench cooking.
 
You like them thats good.

I dont need to add anything here thats already been said.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jjpiv33
Well, I can see another attempt here in the near future. JckDanls 07 JckDanls 07 think you’re right buddy, may be slightly obsessed. Here is that video you requested

Thank you all for the great feedback, I will definitely adjust my temps.... BGKYSmoker BGKYSmoker indid like them, but there is always room for a better product.
I will change one thing at a time (time&temps, water, mixing time). That way I’ll be sure about my troubleshooting process.
 
OK.. so after watching the video i'm not gonna say they are doing it wrong.. just gonna say they do it different than I was taught (SFLsmkr1, Boykjo and Pineywoods gave hands on tutorial at N. FL. Gathering) ....

Myself, I mix seasoning and cure after grinding is done ... I don't use anywhere near that amount of water as my tutors say to use the least amount of water as possible... And then of coarse the temps for cooking/smoking are WAY lower than what they did...

I read in another thread where you posted and said you had a bunch of grease at the end of the sticks... That's whats called "fat out" and caused from cooking temps being to high ...
 
Last edited:
Being able to peel the casing off is common with collogen. He probably could have peeled the casing off in the video. His casings looked like they were pealing off in the video. You can try fresh sheep casings. Smoke them at lower temps as said. No water bath and paper bag them for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Boykjo
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0240.JPG
    IMG_0240.JPG
    98.4 KB · Views: 57
  • IMG_0256.JPG
    IMG_0256.JPG
    78.6 KB · Views: 47
  • IMG_0254.JPG
    IMG_0254.JPG
    86.5 KB · Views: 47
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky