Venison Lebanon Bologna Textile Casing Question?

[Flyfrod]

I’m going to try to make some venison lebanon bologna using textile casings. Would I still need to do a cold water bath after smoking? Do I need to fill the entire casing or can I only fill to a certain length because of height limitations in my smoker?

Thank s for any advice.

[processhead]

Yes, you still want to do a cold water bath. A cold water bath drops the temperature of the cooked sausage and sets the fats and liquids in the warm meat into solids. Generally you want this to happen quickly. Cold water transfers heat faster than cold air, so that is why dipping or showering in cold water is preferred.
If you have long casing you can cut them down to whatever length works best for you. After you cut them, one end can be tied with string or clipped shut with a hog ring prior to stuffing.

[Dr_Pain]

for sure. I always do a cold bath to set everything and it does prevent some of the shrinkage/wrinkling

[Mean Dean]

I use textile casings for Lebanon Bologna rather than the plastic or fibrous casings. I get a little better smoke flavor with the textile casings. If you are preparing the Lebanon Bologna using the seasoning from Walton’s, prepare the same as you would do summer sausage.

If you are using traditional methods using a fermenting culture and a 48-60 hour low temperature smoke, then you won’t need to finish in a water bath. The traditional method requires the use of a bacterial culture, and also a GOOD pH meter to measure the level to ensure it will be safe to eat. If you don’t have these items or the right equipment to ferment the Lebanon Bologna, stick with the Walton’s seasoning method.