Snack Sticks - Casing falling off?

[msspengler]

Hi - we’re having a problem where the 19mm casings for our snack sticks are falling off (sliding off). We’re smoking them slow and then soaking in cold water…should we stop soaking them in water? Thoughts on why this is happening? Thanks!

[Jonathon]

msspengler We need a little more information to try to determine the cause. Let us know meat block, including fat content, level of mixing, what your smoke schedule is and where the casings are coming from. Anything else you can think of would be helpful as well. Are you adding a cure accelerator or are you stuffing the product and then holding it overnight before smoking?

[msspengler]

Jonathon - We’re making 25 lbs…18 venison, 7 pork - mixing in seasoning and cure, then stuffing…smoking at 120, increment 10 degrees each hour until meat is at 180. 19mm Mahogany casings from Waltons. We’re adding the cure accelerator

[msspengler]

Jonathon - one other thing, after giving them a cool down in cold water, we then refrigerate them…not sure if we should be doing that or letting them sit out?

[AdamCA]

I’ve had that happen to me and it was because I messed up and added the encapsulated citric acid to early and never got the proper protein extraction. The fat had rendered out in some parts of the sticks and got trapped between the meat and casing and in those spots the casing would just slide right off. What cure accelerator did you use and when did you add it?

[msspengler]

AdamCA - it’s the one ounce of sure cure that comes with the seasoning…Im trying to remember I think we mixed it with the water and then added it towards the end of mixing. Getting ready to make a new batch soon, so Im hoping not to run into this issue again.

[Jonathon]

msspengler Mixing in the cure with water is no problem but if you adding Encapsulated Citric acid to the water and then to the meat that could be your problem as the acid would denature the proteins and make protein extraction almost impossible. If you don’t get protein extraction then the fat is going to render out of the meat and it could get stuck between your meat and the casings. This would cause the casing not to adhere but there would also be obvious evidence of the fat rendering out. You would see large amounts of what would look like grease between the casing and the meat.

After cooling in an ice bath or shower you should let them sit out for about an hour at room temp before moving to the refrigerator or cooler. If you have been putting them in the fridge wet I would guess this, more than fatting out, is your issue. Unless you are seeing large amounts of grease between the casing and the meat.