Tough hog casings
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I also experience tough hog casings when making smoke, hot links or kabasa sausage. All has been in my electric smoker. All have had randomly bought hag casings. Soaking time’s varied. All brought to 160 with a slow gradual temperature increase and finished with a ice bath. I have done search on this site with really no answer to this question except questioning to age or soaking of casings and processing temps. So my question is this subject of tough casings one that is unsolvable for us amateurs or are I not looking in the correct place for the answer? Commercial makers of sausage don’t seem to experience this problem. If anyone knows one who works for one maybe they could ask for their suggestions. Anyway I love Walton’s seasoning and website I just wish I could make better sausage.
Jesser Commercial suppliers do see the problem too, it is not just hobbyists, etc. It happens, for basically the reasons given by mrobisr & the nature of the beast. They just tend to have a harder bite & if everything is not done just right, you will get that hard/chewy bite. Piercing the casings before smoking or grilling them helps tremendously too. They make sausage piercing tools, but I just use the tip of a small sharp paring knife to pierce the casings in several places, before cooking.
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Natural casings have a tougher bite compared to collagen unless you get the IT up to 200f or so. I do not mean 200f during your initial processing, but when you do your final cook before consumption. Have you tried collagen that might be more in line with your desired bite.
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Jesser Commercial suppliers do see the problem too, it is not just hobbyists, etc. It happens, for basically the reasons given by mrobisr & the nature of the beast. They just tend to have a harder bite & if everything is not done just right, you will get that hard/chewy bite. Piercing the casings before smoking or grilling them helps tremendously too. They make sausage piercing tools, but I just use the tip of a small sharp paring knife to pierce the casings in several places, before cooking.
calldoctoday does piercing make the sausage dry out internally due to a increase loss of internal juices? Thanks
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When I do brats with hog casings, I cook them on the Treager at 325 for 20 minutes on the top rack. I rotate them half way through and get a great cook and an excellent bite. When I try and smoke a sausage in a hog casing, I also get a much tougher bite. I have a casing pricker but rarely use it. I will try that out and see if it helps mine out.
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I also experience tough hog casings when making smoke, hot links or kabasa sausage. All has been in my electric smoker. All have had randomly bought hag casings. Soaking time’s varied. All brought to 160 with a slow gradual temperature increase and finished with a ice bath. I have done search on this site with really no answer to this question except questioning to age or soaking of casings and processing temps. So my question is this subject of tough casings one that is unsolvable for us amateurs or are I not looking in the correct place for the answer? Commercial makers of sausage don’t seem to experience this problem. If anyone knows one who works for one maybe they could ask for their suggestions. Anyway I love Walton’s seasoning and website I just wish I could make better sausage.
Jesser I had the same problem many years ago with hog casings & smoking but I solved the problem. I can not stress enough about using a water pan in your smoker. Instead of drying out the casing with a dry smoke, by using a water pan in your smoker it gives moisture to your smoke and in turn produces a much better product in my opinion that is not dried out.
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calldoctoday does piercing make the sausage dry out internally due to a increase loss of internal juices? Thanks
Jesser No, it allows the steam to escape and the casings don’t split as easily. I pierce all mine before they go on the grill or the smoker.
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calldoctoday does piercing make the sausage dry out internally due to a increase loss of internal juices? Thanks
Jesser No, but you do need to keep the humidity up reasonably high, usually a water pans works the easiest. Piercing does bring them down to more of a cooked look though, without drying them out or overdoing it.
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Generally the problem is high heat too early and a lack of humidity. I stole an idea from @Jon and put heavy duty sponge in my stainless cans going up past the top. And fill the cans and sponges with water. They help to wick the moisture. Also, my cans have a wide opening for a lot of surface area.
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Pricking sausage is generally to get air pockets out of the links
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I had this problem doing fresh sausage and what I was told was to soak them first in pineapple juice then it water I have not tryed this so if you do let me no if it works
gus4416 I don’t think I would do that. Pineapple is a pretty serious tenderizer & the enzymes can maybe wreck havoc on the casings if you are not beyond real careful.
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I had this problem doing fresh sausage and what I was told was to soak them first in pineapple juice then it water I have not tryed this so if you do let me no if it works
gus4416 Don’t use fresh pineapple juice, you will dissolve your casings. I have been there. Commercial casing processors will use Bromelain (the enzyme found in pineapple juice) to soften casing when they process them, but in a controlled environment. I can guarantee if you use fresh unprocessed juice you will end up will sausages without casings. The enzyme is not present in canned pineapple products since it has been processed and pasteurized to a temperature above 160 degrees which inactivates the enzyme.
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Jesser I had the same problem many years ago with hog casings & smoking but I solved the problem. I can not stress enough about using a water pan in your smoker. Instead of drying out the casing with a dry smoke, by using a water pan in your smoker it gives moisture to your smoke and in turn produces a much better product in my opinion that is not dried out.
mhighland69 with a water pan does it hinder the color of the sausages from smoking? Normally sausage don’t take on the smoke color with wet casings. What has been your experience? Thanks
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mhighland69 with a water pan does it hinder the color of the sausages from smoking? Normally sausage don’t take on the smoke color with wet casings. What has been your experience? Thanks
Jesser said in Tough hog casings:
mhighland69 with a water pan does it hinder the color of the sausages from smoking? Normally sausage don’t take on the smoke color with wet casings. What has been your experience? Thanks
Once the sausages exteriors begin to warm they should not get wet even with higher humidity while they smoking.
Cool and damp sausage surfaces that are subjected to smoke/humidity are where you can get it trouble with developing surface condensation, and not taking smoke color or taking an uneven color.
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Jesser said in Tough hog casings:
mhighland69 with a water pan does it hinder the color of the sausages from smoking? Normally sausage don’t take on the smoke color with wet casings. What has been your experience? Thanks
Once the sausages exteriors begin to warm they should not get wet even with higher humidity while they smoking.
Cool and damp sausage surfaces that are subjected to smoke/humidity are where you can get it trouble with developing surface condensation, and not taking smoke color or taking an uneven color.
processhead thanks for responding and all the good tips from everyone will make same changes to my process based on the info and see if I can make a difference. Thanks again
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mrobisr to get to 200f before consumption what method do you like best to use water boil, oven, grill etc for Walton’s hot links. Thanks
Jesser said in Tough hog casings:
mrobisr to get to 200f before consumption what method do you like best to use water boil, oven, grill etc for Walton’s hot links. Thanks
I have never used any pre-packaged seasoning I make my own and as far as method it depends on what I’m doing. For kraut it will be fried, if in beans water boiled, and my actual favorite is on the grill.
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