Natural or Callogen casings?

[shooterrick]

Ok so I got a grinder. Which casings do you folks in the know prefer? What are the benefits of a Callogen casing vs a natural casing?

 

[pops6927]

I've never used collagen casings myself, couldn't tell you the benefit, always used hog and sheep casings, but I'm sure someone will be along who would know!

 

[smokininiowa]

Shooter,
Callogen VS. Fresh I use both, not sure what you are planning on making? You can eat both but some people I know will go so far as to peel the callogen casing off of a deer stick, it is pretty easy to peel off if you water bath your finished product, they say they don't digest them well, I do not have that problem.

Callogen do not need washed, fresh will more than likely come packed in salt and will need washed inside and out. I like using them both. I use fresh for brats, landjaegers, and some smoked sausage. I use the callogen on deer sticks.

Hope this helps you some.

 

[desertlites]

Rick I use hog caseings for most my sausage,I buy a hank $20 enough for many pounds of sausage-rince and store in salt-in the freezer.I can't find sheep here so I use callogen when doing snack sticks ( slim jims)if I could find a smaller mm natural caseing for my sticks I would use.

 

[smokininiowa]

Desertlites,
Where are you buying your hank of casings? I have a couple places but I am paying more than $20 for them.
Thanks

 

[shooterrick]

I have not gotten that far yet. I have seen a few places on the internet but not done it yet as I am still accumulating some of the things I need.

 

[desertlites]

Iowa theres a old neighborhood asian food market here-so many things u can't find everyday-I love the place-17 teenth street market-I love the place.and yes hanks for right around $20.

 

[cajunsmoke13]

I use natural hog casings for my sausage. I pay $36/hank at the local butcher...

 

[pops6927]

I get mine from Syracuse Casing, here's the address:

http://www.makincasing.com/mm5/merch...ategory_Code=2

Excellent casings!

 

[DanMcG]

I use natural for everything except my beef sticks, for them I use a 19mm collagen.

 

[pantherfan83]

Natural for everything except sticks.

 

[weconway]

I've used collagen for my limited experiments with sausage making. Next time I'm going to use natural casings. Collagen casings were way too tough and didn't have the same snap as natural casings.

 

[marknb]

ShooterRick,

I've been using colligen, no special storage needs, no pre-rinsing or soaking. Not sure if they're the best or anything, but for the beginner they certainly are the simplest. I've only used snack stick sizes so far 19-22mm, and have had a couple batches where the cases did not adhere to the sausage very well and just peeled right off. The last stuff I made, a batch of Kabanosy, I hung in the basement for almost a week, and they were bonded tight, no problems.

I'm finding the whole sausage making thing to be a great learning experience, even horrific mistakes end up tasting not too bad!


Mark

 

[shooterrick]

Thanks for all the info and I have decided to use natural for all but snack stix.

 

[DanMcG]

Rick, if your local grocer makes their own fresh sausage then they have casings and they will usually sell ya some if ya ask.

 

[coffee_junkie]

Rick,
I would suggest using a kit, if this is your first time making sausage, there are many available and make a very nice sausage. The kits run about $15 to $20 and come complete with casings, cure, and spices. I use High Country kits (made in Lincoln MT) they will make 30lbs of sausage.

 

[meat hunter]

Just my 2 cents here, but I prefer natural because they are natural. The only area that I can see where collagen might be beneficial would be in the making of summer sausage where you will get a nice uniform diameter. And making hot sticks, (slim jims). From my experience, when you twist the ends, they dont nearly hold up like naturals do when making brauts or polish sausage. Most larger stores will have them like gander mountain and cabelas, and I have ordered them off ebay several times. Natural casings take a bit more patience to work with, but I think they are just plain better. Thats my story and Im stickin to it.

 

[okie joe]

If it is your 1st time might go with a kit spices and cologen case.....I only use natural hog caseings and a hank runs me $15.00 a hank (hank does about 100lbs )of brats and susage runs about 30mm to 32mm my 2 cents....and I buy local threw my butcher but He might sell to me at cost...? But I tip him

It dont hurt... I buy about 300lb boneless pork loin a week in the month of May for a Ren Fest...Sell a pork loin sammy for $5.50 for 1/2" porkloin sliced and tenderized and 180 tenderized again. I buy it for $2.00 a lb.

 

[smokininiowa]

www.curleyssausagekitchen.com I buy quite a bit of stuff from here, great folks and very good finished products. They do sell kits with everything you will need.