I just made my first batch of Snack Sticks as well and after reading though Austin’s comments here, I have a few ideas of what I should do different next time. My casings are not binding and I wouldn’t say the sticks “fatted out” but there is some grease on the outside of the stick after the casing slips off. If I can see a junk of fat in the stick, does that mean I’m not mixing long enough to get proper protein extraction?
I’m using a 20lb mixer but only making 4 pounds at a time. I’m not impressed with the mixer and ended up mixing it by hand mostly. For smaller batches like this, I was thinking maybe a Kitchen Aid mixer would work better. Has anyone tried that?
One more question, would a carrot fiber binder help at all with my casing issue?
Thank you!