What Size Stuffing Tube To Use? (Sausage Casing Size Chart)

Austin

What Size Stuffing Tube To Use? (Sausage Casing Size Chart)

What size of stuffing tube do you need for Read the highlights here, and then post your comments or questions below.

Why Use the Best Fitting Stuffing Tube?

If you choose and use the best fitting and largest stuffing tube that can fit the appropriate casing, it will make sausage stuffing much easier. For example, a 19mm Collagen Casing can be stuffed by using both a 10mm stuffing tube or a 12mm stuffing tube, but, if you use the larger 12mm stuffing tube, the slight difference in the opening of the stuffing tube will make it easier to force sausage out of the sausage stuffer into that small stuffing tube and thus your casing.

What Size of Stuffing Horn For Natural Sausage Casings?

Natural casings are more flexible and stretchy prior to stuffing than collagen, so you have a bit more leeway on choosing the correct stuffing tube or tapered stuffing horn. This is Walton’s recommendation for sizes:
Natural Sheep Casings – 1/2" Stuffing Horn (12mm)
Natural Hog Casings – 3/4" Stuffing Horn (19mm)

What Kind Of Casing And Size Should I Choose For Different Sausages?

Most casings can be used in a variety of sausages. Here is a chart that contains some of Walton’s recommendations.

Shop waltonsinc.com for Walton’s Stuffing Tubes

Shop waltonsinc.com for Walton’s Stuffing Horns

Shop waltonsinc.com for Collagen Sausage Casings

Shop waltonsinc.com for Natural Sausage Casings

Shop waltonsinc.com for Fibrous Sausage Casings

19mm Stix Smoke Collagen Sausage Casings

Tubed Natural Hog Sausage Casings

65valiantwin

Hi guys, thanks for the great info. I have a question…I recently tried to stuff some 17mm Collagen casings with a 10mm tube. I have your 11lb stuffer and it was VERY hard to get the meat to come through the tube. So much so that I actually bent the tabs that hold the cannister a little bit. Is there another style of stuffer (ie. direct drive) that would be better suited for doing alot of snack sticks/small diameter items?

Jonathon

65valiantwin Using the smaller casing with a hand crank stuffer is always going to be difficult, I never do anything smaller than a 19mm (and honestly a 21mm most often) for this very reason. You can do a few things to help make it easier if you are wanting to stay with the smaller casings. First, use 2 quarts of water per 25 lb batch, this will make your mixture almost soupy but it will stuff a lot easier and the extra water will cook out during your cook cycle. The second thing you can do is make sure you are at at least 20% fat ratio as a leaner product is harder to stuff.

Let us know if you need anything else!

65valiantwin

Jonathon Thanks for the help! I’ll try this and let you know how it works out.

WIJIM

65valiantwin When I do small casing I use a smaller stuffer with a worm-gear instead of the direct type Waltons has. I have a large Waltons stuffer (26# i think) that works great for brats and larger sausages but is dangerous with the pressure required on snack sticks. Keep in mind that the larger the stuffer gets the larger the plunger gets and we are dealing with pound per square inch to move the meat, bigger plunger has more square inches so it gets hard to move meat with big plungers.

Parksider

I’ve tried every kind and type of stuffer and ultimately I ended up with a hydraulic stuffer and it still has trouble with 17 mm casings. My recommendation would be to never go below 21 mm casings on any Stuffer it’s just too hard on equipment unless you have a high-end commercial stuffer. Even with a hydraulic stop for I still have to add water to get the consistency just a little bit for dinner so will fit through the tube better. It doesn’t seem to have an impact on the quality of the product be there after it smoked.
It’s also easier to stuff fresh sausage like breakfast sausage for example the minute you add cure to a product it makes it stiffer so you’ll have to add more water without question.

Jonathon

Hey everyone, it was pointed out to me here that I said to not go below 21mm on smoked collagen. I should note that this is a good rule of thumb for beginners, people who have made sticks a few times and are comfortable with stuffing should feel free to use smaller sizes. I, myself usually use 19mm as it stuffs a lot easier than smaller sizes. Maybe I will do a video where I time stuffing a certain amount of meat in 21mm, 19mm and either 17 or 16mm casings to show the difference? Thanks to mtnjim for pointing this out!