ok ready to go with Brauts

[Boar]

Ok got my seasoning, got my casings, boy, ive got a lot of casings, im gona do the brauts next weekend, Phyllie cheese steack, from mossy, I love phyllie cheese steak anything. fave pizza is Dominos phyllie cheese staek, Ill eat a large in ten min. shut up smurf. anywho... how dose one prep the casings, or is there prep. they are in a bag that looks like tape worms, is ther something to do before they go in the stuffing horn? ( to much funny material ther)  chime in with your vast knowledge please. smurf, try and keep up buddy.

oh and Im gona do a half batch fresh and half batch smoked.

[waker]

Natural salt packed casings or collagen? 

No prep needed for collagen casings.

Natural salt pack casings need to be soaked in warm water for an hour than rinsed by running water throught them

 

[Jim Almquist]

What I like to do when rinsing is to take your stuffing tube and start your casing on the tip. Have a sink filled with a couple of inches of water and slowly run the water thru and let it fill up. Then I slowly start pushing the casing up the tube till its completely on and then start another until its filled or you think you have enough. Leave it sit in the water until you are ready to start stuffing so they soft. Then end ones take a little more work to move down once they cool and dry out but will still work fine.

[leechlake]

Boar-

I've been stuffing sausage for years and yesterday was the first day the butcher had the casings not fresh but as you described.  It was easy, as posted put in warm water for 30-45 minutes...but they are super salty so I got them soft and then rinsed and changed water a few times.

Then the fun began.  My huge cast iron stuffer had a part missing, there is a round metal part that you need to add a rubber "washer" style thing to so when you push the handle the washer keeps the meat moving forward toward the casing.  I couldn't find it in the kitchen and my wifes out of town  who always knows where these things are.  So I used my grinder to stuff and it doesn't work as fast.  My back got sorehalf way through stuffing ring bologna so I've got more to do today also my daughter was helping me and I could tell she was losing interest, frankly so was I at that pace.  

[Boar]

great infor guys, thanks alot!!

Cool beans kris,! I have the natual casing in salt water from a butcher shop. that videoabouve is very helpfull. thanks for ur input.!

[waker]

Glad the video was helpful, sorry about the commercial aspect of it. On youtube or their page they have realy good series of help videos ranging(primarily using wildgame)from above video to muscle and formed beef jerky and the different ways to dry dehydrate them to smoked sausage to summer sausage to fresh sausage to snack stick with and without casing to the use of protien binders  and use of cures and the importance of being sanitary. Verry helpful for beginners like me. 

I have not used their spices but I have eaten their jerky and meat sticks when in Montana verry good eats. Ive visited the trading post store in lincoln quite the enjoyable experience.

Edited November 21, 2015 by waker

[reinhard1]

I take the natural casings  much like these guy's and flush them and put them in a container with cold water.  Then I leave the container with the casings in the fridge overnight for the next day's stuffing.  This makes them softer and easier to put on the stuffing tube.  I have never seen casings flushed and ready to stuff even after letting them sit in warm water for an hour.  They should have explained that in that video.  When putting the casing on the stuffing tube make sure the tube is wet.  Looks like this guy put a little water in the casing before putting them on the tube.  That would degrade the flavor of that first link in my opinion.  Never have seen that in over 36 years in the buisness, nor have I done this at home.  Another thing is, after you put the casing on your tube push it forward toward the front of the opening like I have done here.

 

 

This prevents the "tightening up" of casings causing the casings to  burst or make holes in them.  This also makes the sausage easier to handle while stuffing.  Then there would be no need to be pulling the casings from the stuffer like the one guy did.  You can stuff the links by yourself.  It's nice to have help stuffing but for  me one guy can stuff and feed the casing and the other guy can make the links if you need the extra help.  Don't mean to be critical of the video but i do understand that they wanted to give a general idea of everything and make the video short and informative.  However in my opinion this process needs more detail in all aspects so the first time sausage maker doesn't get frustrated with his first time doing this.  good luck.

Edited November 23, 2015 by reinhard1

[Boar]

Wow thanks R! nuthing more frustrating than doing all the prep and then have your cassing burst, .

[smurfy]

Wow thanks R! nuthing more frustrating than doing all the prep and then have your cassing burst, .

boar......who is helping you???????? I heard you burn boiling water????????????

[leechlake]

Stuffing sausage right is harder than it looks.  Frankly, I have to be in the right mood to do it right.  When I'm impatient things go south in a hurry; the casing gets kinked, I force things and the casing blows, or I under stuff the thing.   Take your time and have a helper.

[Boar]

oh my little smurfette, so funny but yet so nieve......