Link Sausages

[KuyasKitchen]

I still have some trouble with stuffing sausage. Although, less now that I have borrowed a friend's sausage stuffer (the kind where you push down the plunger and the meat gets shoved directly via a piston rather than pushed through the grinder again).

Now, I'm having trouble making links. I'm doing something very wrong. Probably something simple. Does anyone have a good link to instructions or a Link Sausage for Morons? I've tried the hints and methods from the sites I find on Google and apparently, I'm either finding the wrong sites or finding the right sites and doing it wrong (likely, the latter).

Thanks.

[thirdeye]

Oh they are easy once you get the right technique.....go ahead and crank out an entire coil. If you are working by yourself use a pizza pan in front of the stuffer. Crank out a foot or so, spin the pan, repeat. Leave the filling kind of loose because you will need spaces between the links.

When your coil is all filled, start on one end, measure off your first link, pinch and twist one direction. Measure off the next link, pinch and twist in the other direction. Kind of squish the meat as needed to make a nice link before twisting. Anyway repeat this, in opposite directions until you have a length of links.

One other thing to think about is making rings or double links. Crank out an 18" long piece, leave plenty of gut on each end. Tie the ends together with gut or with cooking twine.

[Roo-B-Q'N]

Yep that about sums it up. Don't try to do it as it is coming off the stuffer as it will drive you nuts. I actually saw a guy twist in the same direction with success. But do it as Thirdeye instructed and you will get the hang of it after 35 - 3500 pounds lol

[Rookie'48]

From the "Sausage for Dummies" book, chapter 16: soak the casings in warm water before stuffing.

A lot of places that sell the casings don't bother to tell ya that.

[KuyasKitchen]

Thanks guys! I'll try again.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by Rookie'48

From the "Sausage for Dummies" book, chapter 16: soak the casings in warm water before stuffing.

A lot of places that sell the casings don't bother to tell ya that.

Right, that helps to dissolve the salt packing and make some of that "off" odor go away.

From the thirdeye Book of Sausage, chapter one...."after rinsing the outside and the inside (think water balloon here) of the casings, put them in your bowl, in order, leaving a tag end hanging on the rim. Later on when you are ready to use one, apply the last one in / first one out rule. You will never have a tangled casing.....just be sure to cut off the dried end before going on the tube".

From somewheres later on in chapter one....."if you are having problems getting the casing to start on the tube, run a little nub of sausage out the end. The casing will dang near slip on itself".

[KuyasKitchen]

Thanks for the photos, thirdeye. Love your site!

[blues_n_cues]

it also depends on if you are using natural or no soak collagen casings. the naturals are much easier to tie.

[jerrykr]

A couple of minor tips to add to what has been said about making links, that I learned the hard way: (what other way is there? )

If you are twisting links as you stuff the casings, either from a stuffer or directly out of the grinder::::::

1. Don't stuff too tightly. The casings will shrink to fit, and you won't burst them, and you won't feel so rushed. If you want big fat links, buy big casing.

2. As the casing and meat are coming off the tube, when it is time to twist, just pull off about an extra inch or so of casing before you twist. The meat will fill up the extra casing, you won't waste any, and it sure makes it easier to twist on the go.

I know people say it's impossible to stuff right out of the grinder, but I don't see much difference in stuffing from the grinder then from a vertical stuffer.

The trick to stuffing from the grinder is to select the final plate size you want, grind only once, and stuff at the same time. If you try to stuff on a second grind, I have to agree, it's next to impossible.

Hope this helps.

Jerry
www.homesausagemaker.blogspot.com
.

[Trucky1008]

Here's a different "twist" on making links. After you've stuffed the casing, measure for the first link and twist any direction. Now, instead of twisting the next link in the opposite direction, measure the distance and proceed to the third link, measure again and twist. This method allows you to contiune twisting in any direction and makes the process go faster while still making a twist at each end of the link.

[TysDad]

James,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVuIeK5_YuQ

This is from the Discovery Channel's show "Dirty Jobs"...and he's making Boudin sausage down in Louisiana. 3:35 and you get a few seconds of a pro stuffing the washed and softened casings and then the host, Mike Rowe, trying it. Almost makes me want to try it....


.

[KuyasKitchen]

Thanks for all the tips, guys!

Originally Posted by TysDad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVuIeK5_YuQ

Thanks! Wow, that guy is good at it.

[JamesB]

Originally Posted by thirdeye

From somewheres later on in chapter one....."if you are having problems getting the casing to start on the tube, run a little nub of sausage out the end. The casing will dang near slip on itself".

This was probably the single BEST tip given to me when I got started making my own sausage! I dang near quit when I could not get the casings on the tube... Doing it this way is so easy!

[Meat Burner]

Thirdeye is the master so take good notes. My two cents is make sure the grinder,stuffer, and most importanty the meat is very very cold when you get with it. Others will chime in here that do a lot of this. Enjoy!!

[KuyasKitchen]

Originally Posted by Meat Burner

Thirdeye is the master so take good notes. My two cents is make sure the grinder,stuffer, and most importanty the meat is very very cold when you get with it. Others will chime in here that do a lot of this. Enjoy!!

Oh, I'm definitely reading it all ... and scouring his site.