Sausage Casings:Non Animal Guts

RL Reeves Jr · Feb 7, 2013

Anybody working with non animal guts casings on their sausage projects? We just spent the last few hours banging out a mammoth batch of sausage using hog intestines and are wondering about other products.

We had about 4 dozen ruptures over the course of the evening/afternoon and after tearing half our hair out are left to wonder if there's not a better way.

We did the warm water soak and have been working with handmade sausage for about 18 months now.

Probably just got a weak gut batch but are curious about what else is out there?

Anybody working with plant protein based casings?

---k--- · Feb 7, 2013

I've used the collagen casings from Sausage Maker several times.
http://www.sausagemaker.com/collagencasings.aspx

I don't have problems with them blowing out. They work well and are really easy to use. But they don't twist tie. You have to tie them off with butcher twine (unless I'm doing something wrong). That can be tedious. They also don't roll / bend as easily. I find the fresh ones a good thickness. The smoked ones are a little too thick when bitten into. I think these might be better in some respects, but worse in others... I'm not sure because I haven't used natural yet, but have some in my fridge for next time.

Teamfour · Feb 7, 2013

I use collagen for breakfast sausage. Tried them for andouille but didn't like the texture. Back to hog casings for my big sausage.

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · Feb 7, 2013

Collagen is an animal extract. Sausagemaker also sells a vegetatarian casing which they say is very similar to collagen. I haven't tried it.

http://www.sausagemaker.com/27801vegetablecollagencasings23mm.aspx

IamMadMan · Feb 7, 2013

I use both casings, Collagen (Standard) and Animal (Pig and Sheep).

The Collagen casings are slightly tougher when eating the sausage and do not give the "crunch" when you bite into them like the Animal Intestines do. The trick to to using either is to let the stuffer do the work for you. Too much resistance when filling and either can rupture...

Yellowhair42 · Feb 7, 2013

You're probably not putting enough water in them when you put them on the stuffer horn.It should have lots of extra water INSIDE the casing for lubrication when stuffing.Use one hand to guide the stuffed casing and the other to keep tension on the unstuffed casing.Keep the wad of unstuffed casing near the end of the horn where the sausage is coming out.Also,make sure you soak them long enough before hand so they're fully hydrated and flexible.

cowgirl · Feb 7, 2013

I use both natural and collagen. Last batch I used these pre-lubed natural casings...
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148471

They were great!! Pricey but really handy!!

RL Reeves Jr · Feb 7, 2013

Thanks for all the great advice y'all. Taking notes, at least we got the flavor part down right.

RL Reeves Jr · Feb 10, 2013

Everybody freaked out on the sausage last night at our big food party. We're slowly converting Austin into a boudin town! Looking forward to experimenting with those collagen casings, got a big batch on order.

Sausage Casings:Non Animal Guts

RL Reeves Jr

Knows what a fatty is.

---k---

is One Chatty Farker

Teamfour

is One Chatty Farker

HeSmellsLikeSmoke

somebody shut me the fark up.

IamMadMan

somebody shut me the fark up.

Yellowhair42

is one Smokin' Farker

cowgirl

somebody shut me the fark up.

RL Reeves Jr

Knows what a fatty is.

RL Reeves Jr

Knows what a fatty is.

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