Collagen casings

[ffmedicman]

You never see it in the videos, but I assume you tie the casing in a knot before you stuff just like the fresh casings right?

[Joe Hell]

ffmedicman I actually don’t tie fresh or collagen casings.

[Jonathon]

No, both smoke and fresh collagen are strong enough to be hung without tying. You might get a little bulb on the end of the stick but it usually isnt much. You can sort of see it in this picture, the stick that is slightly shorter is an end that wasn’t tied.

[ffmedicman]

Joe Hell Sorry I wasn’t very clear. I’m talking about when you place them on the stuffing tube. Prior to stuffing do you tie it in a knot or just twist it?

[Joe Hell]

ffmedicman I just pull the casing a few inches past the end of the stuffing tube and pinch the casing a bit letting any air escape as the first bit of meat fills the casing. It seems to work pretty well. You can see a bit of a tail on that smaller length in the first photo. After stuffing I will lay it out on a long table and roll it bit with two hands to even everything out and use a sausage pricker to eliminate any air pockets. I will often tie the links and hang them in the processing room windows for a little eye candy. This also allows time to air dry them a bit which helps give the natural casings a good snap when you bite into it.

[ffmedicman]

Joe Hell great thanks for the info!

[Bobc]

Good work -like this

[Jonathon]

ffmedicman We do the same thing as Joe Hell does, no need to tie them off. We also dont normally tie the end of natural casings either, same thing just pull a few extra inches off the tube.

[Joe Hell]

Jonathon I’d like to add that until recently I haven’t had the luxury to ‘spread out’ as you see pictured but you can still apply the same technique at home. Just apply the same principles in shorter lengths. You will lose a bit in regards to casing but a consistent product is worth it. Collagen has many benefits but the real deal is…the ‘real deal’.