Sausage shrinkage!

sincitydisciple01 · 05-17-2012, 09:56 PM

Smoked some polish sausage a few weeks ago and was really, really happy with it. One question though... after taking off the drum to cool for a few minutes, the casing began to wrinkle up. No doubt the casing was stretched out a bit and when the pork began to cool, it returned to normal size... leaving the casing less than impressive looking.

I read online somewhere that dunking the sausage in an ice water bath will prevent such shrinkage (the opposite of what happens when I jump in the pool...). Does this work? If so, how long do you dunk it for?

Puppyboy · 05-17-2012, 11:37 PM

Made some sausage last night with collagen casings. Cooked them on an electric skillet. This leftovers today had the wrinkling effect and I just cut em off. This does not happen nearly as bad as when I smoke/grill the sausage.

KnucklHed BBQ · 05-18-2012, 12:36 AM

You need to be careful that you don't get them too hot during cooking, If you want them to look plump, and minimal wrinkles, bring them just up to temp to be safe to eat or slightly lower is fine if you plan to freeze them and then will toss em' on the grill again before eating (so long as you will bring them up to safe temp before eating).

The ice water trick is to stop the cooking process by rapidly reducing the temp. I prefer not dunking them, just cook them to a lower temp.

And remember, friends don't let friends eat wrinkled sausage.

gtr · 05-18-2012, 10:24 AM

I've run 'em through boiling water right after the ice bath to tighten up the casings - just real quick, not long at all. I like Knuck's idea of cooking them to a lower temp - I'm gonna give that a shot next time, maybe let 'em just coast up to where they need to get.

1FUNVET · 05-18-2012, 10:27 AM

Old age also increases sausage shrinkage.

gtr · 05-18-2012, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1FUNVET

Old age also increases sausage shrinkage.

Well I wouldn't suggest the boiling water for that.

big brother smoke · 05-18-2012, 12:19 PM

Blue pill time, no?

1FUNVET · 05-18-2012, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big brother smoke

Blue pill time, no?

Not yet

colonel00 · 05-18-2012, 01:50 PM

I agree with lower temps. I have not made a bunch of sausage but we do routinely make summer suasage out of venison. When we smoke that I try to keep the smoker between 170-180. It can take a long time but the results come out good.

jacksedona · 05-18-2012, 02:05 PM

I like to get precooked sausage which I boil in tom yum soup for 10 minutes then I throw it on the grill. For 2 minutes with no shrinkage or need for Viagra.

http://thebarbecuemaster.net/hot-guts-review.html

05-17-2012, 09:56 PM	#1
sincitydisciple01 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-18-08 Location: Prairie Village, KS Name/Nickname : Jason	Sausage shrinkage! Smoked some polish sausage a few weeks ago and was really, really happy with it. One question though... after taking off the drum to cool for a few minutes, the casing began to wrinkle up. No doubt the casing was stretched out a bit and when the pork began to cool, it returned to normal size... leaving the casing less than impressive looking. I read online somewhere that dunking the sausage in an ice water bath will prevent such shrinkage (the opposite of what happens when I jump in the pool...). Does this work? If so, how long do you dunk it for? __________________ UDS x 2 Pitmaster iQue 110 Vertical offset Bandera knockoff KCBS: 2010 CBJ: 2011 Damn near impossible to lose [COLOR=Lime]BRIGHT GREEN[/COLOR] superfast Thermapen On Twitter @BigIronBBQ

05-17-2012, 11:37 PM	#2
Puppyboy Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-07-06 Location: Osage City, Kansas	Made some sausage last night with collagen casings. Cooked them on an electric skillet. This leftovers today had the wrinkling effect and I just cut em off. This does not happen nearly as bad as when I smoke/grill the sausage. __________________ www.facebook.com/BarkinDawgsBBQCatering

05-18-2012, 12:36 AM	#3
KnucklHed BBQ Babbling Farker Join Date: 10-14-09 Location: Kalispell, Montana Name/Nickname : Head KnucklHed	You need to be careful that you don't get them too hot during cooking, If you want them to look plump, and minimal wrinkles, bring them just up to temp to be safe to eat or slightly lower is fine if you plan to freeze them and then will toss em' on the grill again before eating (so long as you will bring them up to safe temp before eating). The ice water trick is to stop the cooking process by rapidly reducing the temp. I prefer not dunking them, just cook them to a lower temp. And remember, friends don't let friends eat wrinkled sausage. __________________ [B]1967' Int'l Harvester M1100 Food Truck, 220ci 6cyl - 5' ABS Judge - Plethora of Weber Kettles - 2 WSM 22.5's – Bunch of Thermapen Mk's - 36” BlackStone - 3 Bayou Classic Fryers - Ice Cold Kegerator[/B] [B][I]“We shall throw our bacon wrapped all beef justice upon the wooden skewers of truth to be held on high and let them know that we will not stand for this.” ~Butz[/I][/B]

05-18-2012, 10:24 AM	#4
gtr somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-16-10 Location: Culver City, CA	I've run 'em through boiling water right after the ice bath to tighten up the casings - just real quick, not long at all. I like Knuck's idea of cooking them to a lower temp - I'm gonna give that a shot next time, maybe let 'em just coast up to where they need to get. __________________ 50" Klose BYC, Spitjack XB85, 22.5 WSM, Backwoods Chubby, UDS, WRK, 26" & 22.5" Weber Kettles, Jumbo Joe, WGA, WSJ/MUDS, Kanka Grill, a piece of expanded metal I throw over the fire pit sometimes, Stealthy Black & Vol Orange Thermapens Displaced East Tennesseean Proud recipient of a Tick Former outlaw MOINK baller, now IMBAS Certified, but still lookin' over my shoulder. "Relax, it's only BBQ." - Bigmista, 2013 "Don't worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one." - Miles Davis Avatar by my son! WTFWGALD?

05-18-2012, 12:19 PM	#7
big brother smoke somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 05-03-06 Location: Ventura, CA	Blue pill time, no? __________________ Peace and Smoke, BBS Powered by the West Coast Offense: Big Poppa Smokers and Simply Marvelous BBQ - "Walk with Us" My weapons: Humphrey's Smokers

05-18-2012, 10:27 AM	#5
1FUNVET Babbling Farker Join Date: 04-16-09 Location: Lake Charles La	Old age also increases sausage shrinkage.

05-18-2012, 01:50 PM	#9
colonel00 Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-03-10 Location: Shawnee, KS	I agree with lower temps. I have not made a bunch of sausage but we do routinely make summer suasage out of venison. When we smoke that I try to keep the smoker between 170-180. It can take a long time but the results come out good. __________________ Brad [URL="https://www.instagram.com/bradsimmons00/"]Some of my photos on Instagram [/URL] [SIZE=1][I][COLOR=red]Proud owner of the PentaZero[/COLOR][/I][/SIZE] :whoo: [B][COLOR=red]WWWWFBBQADD[/COLOR][/B] [B]0 out of 1 members found this post helpful[/B] :thumb: “I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

05-18-2012, 02:05 PM	#10
jacksedona Take a breath! Join Date: 03-11-12 Location: phoenix,arizona	Stop the shrinking I like to get precooked sausage which I boil in tom yum soup for 10 minutes then I throw it on the grill. For 2 minutes with no shrinkage or need for Viagra. http://thebarbecuemaster.net/hot-guts-review.html __________________ alan weber smoker,one touch,go anywhere,masterbuilt