Sub-hank quantity of casings?

[plume-o-smoke]

I'd like to try my hand at making sausage & am buying supplies. Casings seem to come in a standard pack (hank) that will make 100-150 pounds of sausage. Let's say, for the sake of argument, I'm not interested in making 100-150 pounds of sausage (imagine that!). Does anyone have a favorite source of a more reasonable quantity of casings?

 

[timberjet]

Have you tried Butcher Packer? The last ones I got I mooched off of my local meat cutter. I hear ya on buying a whole hank. I had to chuck half of one a few months ago. Dang, now i want to make sausage of course.

 

[plume-o-smoke]

Yea, B&P was the first place I tried based on reviews here. Then to Google. Then to Amazon. Found a couple places there selling smaller quantities, but they raised my suspicion when I found they don't also sell Instacure #1 (it's like selling freezer paper and not freezer tape, don't get me started). And yes, I searched the other names for Instacure. I'm not about to pay shipping twice and I'd rather give my money to a 'real' sausage making supply company.

A couple decades ago I made a fair bit sausage, but had poor results with the stuffed sausage. In hind sight, I wonder if my  problem was casings that sat around a long time as I whittled away at the 270 feet of casing that come in a hank. I was hesitant then to buy another 270 feet when I still had 250 feet left over.

 

[daveomak]

Boykjo has a tutorial on how to take care and prep casings...... FWIW, always buy a hank... the small packs are 2nds... garbage casings... and buy from a big supplier like B&P or Syracuse Casing Co.. and there are a few more...

 

[pc farmer]

Yes,buy a hank.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/159729/how-to-handle-natural-casings

 

[timberjet]

Luckily my neighbor is a small wild game processor and has his operation right next door so luckily no end cuts and what not. I had great casings though from B and P. I just ran out of meat. hahahaha..... 

 

[snorkelinggirl]

Hi Plume,

Do you have a local sausage house, butcher, or meat processor?  I often buy small amounts of casings from a local sausage house for those types of casings that I don't use often so don't want to buy a hank of (like sheep casings, for example).  The price is OK, and I can get good quality casings because the sausage house is buying them by the hank.  I'd suggest that you call your local butchers or meat processors and ask if they will sell you small amounts of casings.

Good luck!  

Clarissa

 

[plume-o-smoke]

Yes Clarissa, I do have two butchers. I'll ask them tomorrow, along w/ maybe a quarter ounce of pink salt #1. He might get flexible with purchase of 10-15 pounds of pork shoulder. Thanks for the idea.

 

[pc farmer]

Once you make your first sausage, you will be hooked. 1\4 oz will go quick.

 

[foamheart]

If its your first plunge into the sausage world by all means talk to your butcher. BUT realize you can buy a hank from a commercial vender sizablly cheaper. Thats where the butcher bought theirs.

I bought my first "Bag" from the butcher to do chicken sausages (yuck, btw), after that it was Butcher and Packers.

I have 5 or 6 packages (hanks of different sizes now) I just keep in the reefer. Some are over a year old and still work fine.

Someone above said something about boykjo's casing tutorial, I highly recommend it. After you live thru the local butchers leftover bag, you'll be surprized how easy a hank is to handle when you know how. Read the threads, when you buy a hank know what you intend to do, and what will be your most common, then buy accordingly. I use 46MM most common, but few others have even had a need for that.

Believe me you think you'll never use up a whole hank but............

BTW DigginDogFarm, Martin somewhere here posted a great set of charts to calculate approximate capacity per per size per hank. Its a great resource.