Online Workshop: Project B (August 2012)

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Post by ssorllih » Wed Sep 05, 2012 05:17

CW there are several people in this area that raise sheep for meat and send them to local butchers. have you ever cleaned sheep intestine for casing? If you have, is it worth the effort?
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Post by Chuckwagon » Wed Sep 05, 2012 05:45

Ross ol' pard,
We were on a cattle ranch. Even though the cattle-sheep wars were over about 80 or so years ago, cattlemen just didn't talk about sheep. We saw them alright. Many folks in the county raised sheep. As time went by, people saw how stupid it was to argue over animals and they tried hard to respect each other's rights. In our county, cattle-raising folks got along well with sheep-raising people as long as each kept their animals on their own land.
No, I never got around sheep much. Often we'd trade meat so each faction would have more of a choice for dinner. Once in a while, live animals were even traded. When I left to get an education, I missed a lot of those years where better feelings prevailed. I went back to school three times in all and was away a very long time. I didn't see the real "healing" until I became the county sheriff. To answer your question, no, I've never had to clean sheep intestines to make sausage. I've seen it done but I believe a person would have to have an iron constitution to become a casing provider. Shucks pard, I've got a lot of respect for those folks! :wink:

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
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Post by Mainely Smoka » Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:56

So Sorry for not chiming in sooner but have been real busy with that work thing. I have been reading along and getting supplies in daily. Looks like Sat will be the maiden voyage of my sausage making endeavour. Will try to update over the weekend but will be checking in on a daily basis.
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Post by ssorllih » Wed Sep 05, 2012 13:32

Chuckwagon wrote:Ross ol' pard,
We were on a cattle ranch. Even though the cattle-sheep wars were over about 80 or so years ago, cattlemen just didn't talk about sheep. We saw them alright. Many folks in the county raised sheep. As time went by, people saw how stupid it was to argue over animals and they tried hard to respect each other's rights. In our county, cattle-raising folks got along well with sheep-raising people as long as each kept their animals on their own land.
No, I never got around sheep much. Often we'd trade meat so each faction would have more of a choice for dinner. Once in a while, live animals were even traded. When I left to get an education, I missed a lot of those years where better feelings prevailed. I went back to school three times in all and was away a very long time. I didn't see the real "healing" until I became the county sheriff. To answer your question, no, I've never had to clean sheep intestines to make sausage. I've seen it done but I believe a person would have to have an iron constitution to become a casing provider. Shucks pard, I've got a lot of respect for those folks! :wink:

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Thanks CW. I think that the folks that convert guts to casings earn their pay and then some.
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Post by Chuckwagon » Thu Sep 06, 2012 09:54

Preliminary Notes For: SAUSAGE TYPE 2
"Cured - Cooked - Smoked Sausage"

Okay folks... It's time to start reading and thinking a little about the next type of sausage that we'll be making. Don't start yet, just be sure to put this information away in your memory.

"Cured - Cooked - Smoked Sausage" contains sodium nitrite (NaNO2) (Cure #1) to destroy clostridium botulinum and listeria myocytogenes while being fully cooked (and simultaneously smoked), to destroy any possible spiralis trichinella. Only Prague Powder #1 is used making this type sausage. The cooking-smoking process involves no more than a few hours time with little special equipment. However, it is important to bear in mind, if you have drippings all over the floor of your smokehouse, you are cooking the sausage too quickly with too much heat. Worse, the sausage`s texture will resemble and taste like crumbly sawdust. You must cook sausage slowly, gradually increasing the heat - only a few degrees every half hour or so - until the specified internal meat temperature is reached. All "smoked-cooked-cured" products are perishable and must be refrigerated.

Unlike fresh sausage that crumbles and shrinks during prolonged cooking, smoked-cooked-cured sausage usually contains a binder of soy protein or non-fat dry milk in amounts of 3-1/2 % or less, causing sausage to maintain its volume, bind the fibers together, and retain juices while being fully cooked. Soy protein may be purchased from any sausage supply company and "dairy-fine" powdered milk from a large dairy. Milk powder at your local supermarket is not the correct consistency for use in sausage making, although a few of our member have pulverized it into powder in a food processor.

Sodium Nitrates And Sodium Nitrites

During the mid 1970`s, I became interested in a congressional hearing that took place to define safe limits on the amount of nitrates and nitrites introduced into our meat products. It was determined by a panel of doctors that the maximum limit of ingoing nitrite in immersed, pumped, or massaged products be set at 200 parts per million. To obtain this, it becomes necessary to add precisely 4.2 ounces (120 grams) to one U.S. gallon of water.

In the case of comminuted sausages, the maximum allowed limit of sodium nitrite was determined to be 156 parts per million. In non-cooked, dry-cured (air-dried) fermented sausages, the limit was set at 625 parts per million. At the end of the hearings, it was determined that much more study should be done regarding the subject and it was decided that the panel would reconvene to study the issue further and again make recommendations. After 37 years of waiting, we see that there yet remains a wide controversy regarding "safe" and "effective" levels. However, after the hearings, Dr. C. L. Griffith developed the first practical and safe method of dispersing precisely the correct amount of sodium nitrite into sausage made my home hobbyists.
We have used his calculations and "pink salt" since the mid 1970`s.

Griffith Laboratories And Prague Powder Cure #1

In the United States, the only persons with access to pure sodium nitrite are commercial professionals who cure meat for a living. They basically use the formula above, but substitute pure sodium nitrite in their own formulas in place of the hobbyist`s "Cure #1" which is mixed with salt. By equally dispersing nitrate into salt via a roller "drum", Griffith Laboratories developed "Prague Powder Cure #1" containing 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% sodium chloride. Because many nations around the globe (including the United States) yet do not use the metric system, I`ve found that many people are confused when it comes time to put a specific number of grams into a curing mixture. Let`s see if we can eliminate some of the confusion by posting a few mathematical equations:

1 ounce of Cure #1 = 6 level teaspoons (2 tablespoons).
One ounce of cure weighs 28.35 grams.

4 ounces of Cure #1 will cure 100 lbs. of sausage.
Four ounces of cure weigh 113.4 grams.

1 ounce of Cure #1 will cure 25 lbs. of sausage.
1 ounce of Cure #1 = 4 level teaspoons.

1/2 ounce of Cure #1 will cure 12 lbs. of sausage. This means less than 1/2 ounce will cure ten pounds of sausage.

4.8 ounces of Cure #1 (in the formula above) is equal to 136 grams and will cure 100 lbs. of meat.

In other words, use 2 level teaspoons of Cure #1 (Prague Powder) to cure 10 lbs. of meat.


(Optional Reading)... for the mathematically inclined. :roll:
Calculating Legal Amounts Of Sodium Nitrates And Sodium Nitrites

Is it possible to calculate the amounts needed in your own projects? Sure it is. If you are one of those folks who like to see the "proof in the puddin`, then you may wish to study this next section on how to calculate the legal amounts of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite yourself.

Solving For "n" (nitrite in curing mixture) In Comminuted Sausage:

To calculate formulas regarding cures, it is necessary to convert the weight of all components to a common unit such as pounds, ounces, kilograms, grams etc. Let`s look at comminuted sausage first and solve the question, "If I grind and prepare 100 lbs. of sausage meat, how much cure #1 do I need to add to the mixture?" The formula solving for "parts per million" equals the curing mixture (unknown), times the percentage of sodium nitrite in the cure, times one million (parts), divided by the weight of the meat. Mathematically written, it looks like this:

Parts per million = Curing mixture X % sodium nitrite in the cure X 1,000,000 (one million) ÷ Weight of meat

Knowns:
Cure #1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite. It is written as: 0.0625
Maximum allowed parts per million sodium nitrite in comminuted products is 156 ppm.

Solve for:
Amount of Cure #1 (unknown represented by "n" for "nitrite")

The formula is written: 156 = n X 0.0625 X 1,000,000 ÷ 100
Enter these figures into your calculator:
n (nitrite)=156 X 100(lbs) ÷ 0.0625 X 1,000,000
The answer is: n=0.2496 lbs. of Cure #1.
0.2496 lbs. = equals 3.99 ounces or (113 grams)
113 grams of Cure #1 is needed to cure 100 lbs. of meat.

FOR OUR FUTURE REFERENCE in Project B:

Solving For "n" (nitrite in curing mixture) In Brine-Cured Products

Now consider brine curing mixture. It`s easy to substitute 200 for 156 in the formula for parts per million, but we must remember that in comminuted sausage, the nitrite remains inside the sausage - becoming nitric oxide having been reduced by staphylococcus and micrococcus bacteria. In a brine-cured meat product, a specific amount of nitrite is taken up or "picked up" then the remainder is flushed straight down the drain. There are too many variables in the process, including duration time in proportion to strength, to make precise conclusions or even construct any number of graphs or tables to accurately predict outcome. As Stan Marianski says, "A meat piece can be immersed in brine for a day, a week, or a month, and a different amount of sodium nitrite will penetrate the meat. Brines with different salt concentrations will exhibit different speeds of salt and nitrite penetration." - (Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages by Stan Marianski - Bookmagic).

How is consistency ensured? Commercial meat processors employ an injection process that eliminates conjecture insufficient to ensure reliability. Modern processors, using a "gang" of needles, stitch-pump a precisely measured amount of a defined and particular strength wet cure based upon a ten-percent pickup.

So, if you have a ten pound ham, you needs to inject it with one pound of brine. To calculate the amount of Cure #1 in this case (placing it into a brine), we need to know the weight of a gallon of water. The formula reads, "Parts per million equal the curing mixture "n" (nitrite in curing mixture), times the % of sodium nitrite in the cure, times the pump percentage, times one million, divided by the brine weight". Mathematically written, it looks like this:

PPM = Curing mixture X the % sodium nitrite in the cure X pumped %, X 1,000,000 ÷ Brine Weight

Knowns:
Cure #1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite. It is written as: 0.0625
Maximum allowed parts per million sodium nitrite in brined products is 200ppm.
Hams should be pumped at 12% using Cure #1. Several whole muscle meats require only
10% pumped curing brine.

Solve for:
Amount of Cure #1 (unknown represented by "n" for "nitrite")

Note that this time we are factoring in the pumped percentage required by the particular meat (i.e. 12% for hams). We are also dealing with the weight of the brine rather than the weight of the meat. A gallon (U.S.) of water weighs 8.33 lbs. If that water is saturated (100°), it contains 2.64 lbs. of salt. This is the point where no more salt may be dissolved in the water and the total weight of the gallon of water becomes 10.03 lbs. Because we do not use saturated brine (100°), the weight of brines will vary according to how much salt is contained in them. A very popular brine is that of 40°SAL strength. However, reducing the strength (from 100° to 40°) drops the weight of a gallon to 9.5 lbs.

So, the "curing mixture" = parts per million, X brine weight, ÷ % pump, X 0.0625 (sodium nitrate in the cure) X 1,000,000 (one million). Written, it becomes:

"n" = 200 (parts per million) X 950 (brine weight) ÷ 0.12 (percent pump) X 0.0625 X 1,000,000.

Test yourself now. Let`s say you decide to mix up a hundred gallons of brine to "cure the herd on the spot", pumping not hams this time at 12%, rather beef chucks at only 10%! How much Cure #1 will be needed to add to the water to make a curing brine? Grab your calculators and solve for "n" (nitrate) using the formula above.

n = 200 X 9.5 ÷ 0.10 X 0.0625 X 1,000,000

Check you math here: 200 X 9.5 = 1900. That number is divided by the product of .10 X .0625 X 1,000,000 which is 6250.

The answer is: n=0.30 lbs. of Cure #1 (based on 9.5 lbs. per gallon) 0.30 lbs = 4.8 ounces or 136 grams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ :cool: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please read the following:

Okay, folks... we should start thinkin' about the finer points of our next sausage project, the Polish "kabanosy" snack stick. Having as much moisture loss as it does, it could technically be called a "semi-dry-cured" sausage but it does not use a starter culture. It is so thin, it dries very quickly, rendering the sausage safe as it drops quickly under .85 Aw, a measurement we will soon learn about.
_______________________________________

The USDA has made the statement, "A potentially hazardous food does not include a food with a water activity value of 0.85 Aw or less". What does this mean? To make meat safe to eat, we must destroy pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. Because all microorganisms need water to live, the easiest way this can be done is to "bind" or lock up their water supply. When this is achieved, the measurement is called "water activity" and it is abbreviated Aw. Of course there is a scale used to indicate levels of water activity. Thus, when a sausage loses enough moisture, the bacteria is no longer a threat. However, for each different bacterium, the level of dryness varies depending how "resistant" each strain is. sausage must be dried to a point below 1.0 to take out the campylobacter and e.coli and about 0.95 to eliminate cl.botulinum and salmonella, and somewhere about 0.91 to destroy listeria and shigella. However, the nasty staphylococcus aureus will thrive until the Aw drop reaches a point below 0.86 on the scale, and that is a fairly dry sausage.

The other practical method of destroying bacteria is to introduce it to an acid. The most sensible and cost effective is lactic acid, produced when lactobacilli or pediococci bacteria react with natural sugars to produce lactic acid. In turn, this "lactic acid" also limits pathogenic and spoilage bacteria as well as giving the sausage a unique "tang" or "sour flavor".

Later, as we discuss "fermented" or "tangy" flavor in sausage, you'll have to consider these two factors in making a successful "semi-dry-cured" sausage. For now, please read and study the following and ask any questions you may have.

What is "Semi-Dry Cured" Sausage?

Depending upon the amount of moisture they contain, sausages may be grouped as:
moist - 10% weight loss, OR...
semi-dry - 20% weight loss, OR...
dry - 30% weight loss.

Semi-dry cured sausage may be made with or without cultures and may or may not be pre-cooked although nearly always, they are indeed cooked. Due to modern health concerns, it is recommended that all semi-dry cured sausages be par-cooked. Commercially, this application is now required. Semi-dry cured sausage is usually cured by fermenting the sausage at least 48 hours rendering an acidic content of pH 5.2 or lower, then by drying it to a point below Aw 0.89 or lower.

Please note that this type of sausage is normally cured using Cure #1 (nitrite), as reservoirs of nitrate are not needed in short-term fermentation. (Sausage known as "fully dry-cured" or just "dry-cured", use Cure #2, which has BOTH sodium nitrite (to act immediately), and sodium nitrate (which breaks down over time into sodium nitrite and then into nitric oxide).

What makes it different?

Refrigerated "fresh" sausages must be used up within three days or frozen for use later. If the same sausage however, contains a prescribed amount of sodium nitrite and is smoke-cooked, it becomes a delicious "smoke-cooked" type sausage. Can this sausage be further preserved?

1. What if we "bumped up" the sausage a little, by quickly fermenting it - that is, BY USING A PRELIMINARY CURING STEP in traditionally-made (no culture used) sausages, OR by using a culture to drop the pH level to 5.3 or less.

2. What if we "bumped up" the sausage a little, by drying it to a point below Aw 0.85, where most bacteria no longer had an effect upon it? We could then store it at around 45°; F. in 75% humidity and the sausage would be "ready to eat" for an extended period of time. (Does "jerky" come to mind?) :wink:

Unlike dry-cured sausages, the semi-dry variety is usually pre-cooked (par-cooked) to about 148°F after fermenting and smoking have taken place. By reaching and surpassing the temperature of 138° F., the threat of trichinella spiralis is eliminated. Often this cooking step is accomplished simultaneously, while the smoking is being done.

Great idea eh? The sausage we are talking about has been prep-cooked to destroy any possible trichinella spiralis, and it has been cured with nitrite to prevent the development of any possible clostridium botulinum. The drawback is a loss of 20% of its original weight. (In fully dry-cured the loss is nearly 35% of its original weight). On the other hand, we would have the ultimate snack stick to take along hunting or hiking for a quick, lightweight, high-protein bite to eat. It surely beats high-sugar or high-carbohydrate snacks or candy. Sure, it would probably develop a little "white" mold, but we could always safely wipe it off before eating it. Better yet, we could prolong its preservation by vacuum-packing it in plastic or glass and not have to even worry about mold.

Semi-dry cured sausages are usually ground a little more coarsely and are made safe by an acidification level reaching pH 5.3 (or less) as mentioned. If a "fast" culture such as LHP is used, this may be accomplished in as little as two days. A "medium" culture such as F-RM-52 requires about 4 days. If these quick-acting cultures are used, it should be understood that the sausage will be "tangy" as staphylococcus and micrococcus "flavor and color-forming" bacteria simply do not have time to develop. The recipe for this type of sausage will almost always contain some additional sugar for the lactic acid bacteria to work on quickly to more effectively raise the acidity. Applying smoke during the fermentation stage is not recommended as smoke contains substances which may impede reactions between meat and beneficial bacteria, especially in the surface area.

Note: Some old recipes have no requirements for cooking semi-dry cured sausage. If no heat treatment is planned in making a semi-dry cured sausage, it is now recommended that home sausage makers use a culture. Commercial suppliers are now being required to cook semi-dry cured products until the internal meat temperature reaches 160°F. This cooking step provides additional safety in sausage production whether the meat is smoked or not.

Before starter cultures were widely available to hobbyist home sausage makers, it was not uncommon to see "semi-dry cured" sausages made without prep-cooking. Today, the cooking step is strongly recommended as an additional measure of safety.

Again, the "kabanosy" semi-dry-cured sausage recipe selected for this part of Project B, will introduce you to a great semi-dry sausage without having to build a fermentation chamber. Because of the small diameter of the sausage, it dries quickly, dropping to save levels within a matter of only a couple of days. At the same time, the heat of cooking eliminates any possibility of trichinae.

Depending upon the type of sausage being made, the temperature may be boosted as high as 115°F., the humidity elevated to 95%, with an air exchange speed of about two miles per hour (0.8 m per sec.) as fermentation begins inside a special variable "fermentation chamber". Several hours later, these conditions have normally decreased substantially. We may say that fermentation is the controlled production of lactic acid under conditions of consistently monitored and frequently adjusted humidity, temperature, and air flow. Until the fermentation process begins, the only protection against pathogenic bacteria is the sausage`s salt content, the addition of nitrite, and the initially low bacteria count of the meat. Following 48 hours of fermentation, the sugar-fed lactobacilli and pediococci have usually metabolized enough sugar to produce a sufficient quantity of lactic acid to render the sausage safely acidic.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Last edited by Chuckwagon on Wed May 21, 2014 09:17, edited 8 times in total.
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Post by Jarhead » Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:34

CW, after reading the above on Semi-Dried Sausage, I am thoroughly confused or still half asleep. Whichever the case may be. Probably both. :lol:
It mentions LHP and F-RM-52 cultures. I don't see either in the recipe.
Does the cooking to 154F take care of that?
I have no way to control humidity and temp, so I guess that it is OK to dry it at room temperature for 30-60 min and then smoke it.
Then what do I do with it?
I will be using 26 mm collagen casings. Do they still get an ice water bath or will they fall apart?
See, I told you it was too early!!! :shock:
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Post by Gulyás » Thu Sep 06, 2012 11:48

Hi C.W.

It's also early for me, but after reading what you wrote, I understand dry/semi-dry sausage making much more/better.

Thank you.
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Post by Cabonaia » Fri Sep 07, 2012 01:10

Had my first go at a) Kabanosy, b) collagen casings, c) snack sticks of any kind. Loved the collagen casings, especially after trying to fit sheep casings over the wrong size tube when making breakfast links.

I ordered the right size stuffing tube from LEM, but in the meantime used a stainless steel half inch OD one that came with my grinder. Had a few blowouts as I experimented with stuffing tighter, but no big deal with these collagens...just pinch off and keep going. Hey!


Going to smoke them tonight. Here is an interim photo. Don't know why I can't rotate it.....

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Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Sep 07, 2012 02:24

Gunny, not to worry! We won`t even start using a culture until the end of the project when we introduce you to "air-dried" sausages. The only reason it has been mentioned is because:
(1.) we need to order it in another month and have it available (in the freezer) when we get to Part C., and...
(2.) we need to read and study the effects of cultures on meat and how the application of specific beneficial bacteria will actually protect us from pathogenic bacteria. Bactoferm culture is used ONLY in air-dried sausages.

Think of it this way:
There are basically only four types of sausages: (A.) Fresh (B.) Cured & Cooked (C.) Semi-Dry Cured, and (D.) Fully Dry-Cured
We have just completed the "Fresh" type and haven`t even started into the "Cured & Cooked" type yet, let alone the "Semi-Dry Cured" sausages. Please be patient folks... you wouldn't want to become more confused than poor El DuckO! :shock: Hey pards, we must learn how to walk before trying to run! :wink:

Part (B.) (below), is an outline of the next part of the project. We are almost ready to start, but there is a bit more reading and studying to do before we actually start grinding the stuff. I see that some of you have already started making kabanosy. I would only ask you to slow down and read. Then read some more. Then take the next test and see how you do. If you miss a few questions, go back and read until you understand the parts you missed. If you get confused, ASK questions on the forum so that others may benefit from your experience and questions.

I am about to post some more material to read. Again folks, please don`t get confused by jumping ahead of schedule blindly. Stick to our outline and allow me to post more information I`ve written to help you make sense of the entire process.

We`ve just completed Part A - (Fresh Sausage).

(A.) "Fresh" type sausages: (Because these sausages are "fresh", they do not require Prague Powder Cure or Bactoferm culture).
(1.) Breakfast Sausage (Page 212 in "Home Production Of Quality Meats And Sausages" by Stan Marianski)
http://www.wedlinydomowe....cipes/breakfast
(2.) Italian Sausage (Page 219 in "Home Production Of Quality Meats And Sausages" by Stan Marianski)
http://www.wedlinydomowe....italian-sausage
OR...
Kiełbasa Biała Surowa (Polish "White") (Page 228 in "Home Production Of Quality Meats And Sausages" by Stan Marianski)
http://www.wedlinydomowe....s/sausage-white

Next, we will start working on Part B - (Cured & Cooked Sausage). I will be posting material to read.

(B.) "Cured & Cooked" type sausages:
(1.) Kabanosy (Polish snack-stick) (See this link: http://www.wedlinydomowe....ecipes/kabanosy ). It is also on page 235 in "Home Production Of Quality Meats And Sausages" by Stan Marianski.
To introduce associates to collagen casings, Kabanosy has been chosen because it is simple to stuff collagen casings then simply snip them into foot lengths with a pair of scissors. There is no clipping or tying involved and the casing is edible. The original recipe calls for sheep casing, but I think Stan will forgive us this one time in order to learn about collagen casings.
(2.) Hungarian Csabaii by Snagman (See this link: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=5245)

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
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Post by channan7 » Sat Sep 08, 2012 00:25

Ok, completed the breakfast sausage assignment. There were a couple of firsts for me on this.

1) this was the first time I have used sheep casings. I have a 5 lb TSM stuffer with plastic stuffing tubes. The smallest tube is 5/8" but it is straight and not tapered. Thank goodness for this. Even though the sheep casings are 22-24 mm, the fit was tight. I placed 4 casings on at once to avoid delays. Only one blowout and that was because the casing was not slipping off the tube fast enough. After I filled those casings (about 1 lb) I rolled out the rest into a small log. I have since ordered some 1 lb ground meat bags.

2) This was also the first time I used the smaller holed grinding plate. I have never considered using this plate in the past because I have always had trouble getting a good grind of meat instead of a mushy mess. Now I use mostly frozed meat with the grinder components kept cold in the freezer before I use them, and I have solved my grinding issues. It takes me only a few minutes to grind 5-10 lbs of meat so the grinder doesn't have time to warm up and get gummed up with stringy fat.

All in all, the grinding and stuffing went very well. As far as the sausage itself....well, I am not a big fan of sage. So I found this sausage too "sagey " for my liking. The silver lining--my wife loves everything sage so they're a big hit with her.

I have pictures and will try to get them posted.

I just finished stuffing 5 lbs of kabanosy into collagen casings. I've made smoked meat snack sticks on several occasions but not with this recipe. So I am anxious to see how these turn out when I smoke them tomorrow. Calling them the "finest meat stick in the world" has set the bar pretty high. More on this later.
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Post by redzed » Sat Sep 08, 2012 02:03

I will be making the Project B kabanosy tomorrow and have a couple of collagen questions.

1. CW, are you suggesting that we not tie and hang the kabanosy but rather just cut them into appropriate lengths and lay them on the smoke racks? Would the collagen casings really not support the ropes of sausage hanging in a small smokehouse?

2. Will the water bath following smoking not have any adverse affects on the sausage?

I have to get going on this since I'm leaving on another fishing trip a week from today and could use the snacks sticks. Will be making approximately 5lbs. In addition I will also be making a small batch of semi-dry Krakowska.
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Post by jbk101 » Sat Sep 08, 2012 03:30

Hello All,
My New Stuffer arrived today along with my 3/8" stainless steel stuffing tube that I will use with my sheep casing and kabanosy snack stix. :grin:

Image

I'm still waiting on some additional supplies from the Sausage Marker - frustrated with shipping ( My Order) is a stone throw away in Ohio but FED-EX tracking says the scheduled delivery date is not till the middle of next week (on the 12th). So it's sitting in a FED-EX warehouse collecting dust. :mad:

So in all my frustration I decided to make some Canadian Bacon (aka cured ham) and used up all my Cure #1 so now (before I can make the Kabanosy) I have to order more Cure #1. :cry: :mad:

Oh well now that I have the stuffer I can't wait to try making the Breakfast Sausage and Italian Sausage along with trying to play catch up with the rest of the Group.
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Post by grasshopper » Sat Sep 08, 2012 04:07

My insta cure from sausage maker is slow in coming. My stuff from butcher & packer came real fast. Fleet & Farm sells lem products. I picked up lems cure, sodium nitrite 6.25% and red#3 color sodium silico aluminate added as a processing aide. 4oz for $1.99 Trying to do the kabanosy this weekend because I have the meat in the fridge and don't want to freeze it. If it is not the same, please post.
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Chuckwagon
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Post by Chuckwagon » Sat Sep 08, 2012 06:24

Channan, good to hear from you. I was starting to worry about you and was going to call the Georgia Search And Rescue to see if they could find you. :shock:
Sounds like you've made a great start. And now you have some experience with sheep casings too. After smoking them, I think you'll find them to your liking (they are very tender). Nice going on solving your grinder problems. Freezing the metal parts really works.
I've never even heard of anyone not liking sage before. Hmmm..... maybe you've been tricked. :roll: Maybe someone put some other awful spice in the bottle and you just became confused. I'm a little biased 'cause I was born in the stuff. You haven`t lived until you`ve had sage-raised rabbit. Let us know how your kabanosy turns out after smoking.

Redzed, you wrote:
...are you suggesting that we not tie and hang the kabanosy but rather just cut them into appropriate lengths and lay them on the smoke racks? Would the collagen casings really not support the ropes of sausage hanging in a small smokehouse?
Collagen can be tied but not twist-linked. Some types of collagen cannot be hung (see previous posted material). Some types may be hung in full "coils" on a smokestick. I`ve just found it super-convenient to cut them to length with scissors and lay them on a screen for smoking, but it`s certainly your choice. One continuous coil should hold without breaking. Up to you.

Redzed, you also wrote:
Will the water bath following smoking not have any adverse affects on the sausage?
Red, there is no water-bath in this type of sausage (read previous material). Collagen turn gummy when wet. It`s just like me... (won`t work). :roll: After smoking-cooking, just allow them to return to room temperature on their own. Dry them two days on your kitchen counter until bloomed and they`re ready to eat.
Red, trust me... if you`re going fishin`, make 10 pounds of kabanosy in collagen casings. You may also bake them in your kitchen oven if you prefer not to smoke them, but be careful... your kitchen oven will cook them in 20 minutes or less! Set your oven at a lower temperature, say at about 250°F and don`t let the IMT get over 150°F. Let them dry 2 days in the air in your kitchen elevated on oven racks, turning the kabanosy over after 12 hours. To hurry them along, you can dry them with a fan.
Tip: When making kabanosy, don't use added water if you can help it. You may need a little to mix in the cure, but try to keep it dry as possible. It makes a nicer product.

Grasshopper wrote:
My instacure from sausage maker is slow in coming. My stuff from butcher & packer came real fast. Fleet & Farm sells lem products. I picked up lems cure, sodium nitrite 6.25% and red#3 color sodium silico aluminate added as a processing aide.
Mike, I think you are talking about sodium aluminosilicate. They may call it a "processing aid" but here are the raw facts:
The chemical formula for sodium aluminosilicate is AlNa12SiO5. The substance is used in many household products and as the food additive designated E-544. Used in many common foods, such as table salt, dried milk substitutes and flour, the chemical's purpose is to prevent those foods from clumping. According to the FDA, sodium aluminosilicate is generally regarded as safe as a food additive. While other sources have claimed that sodium aluminosilicate has been linked to placental problems and Alzheimer's disease, the FDA stands by its findings that the substance should be generally regarded as safe as a food additive. According to FDA findings, the only incident with data to support a possible health risk was a species-related incident of renal damage (kidney failure) to rats in studies during the late 1960s.

Me? I`ll use a 30-30 to break up my salt and get my flour from the roller mills. I think all these chemicals in our food is just a scandalous ploy to make us paranoid! :roll:

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by Chuckwagon » Sat Sep 08, 2012 07:02

Big John! YaHooooo! Hmmm... on second thought, that`s worth a YeeeHaaawww! :mrgreen: Making sausage will be so much more enjoyable for you now. I don`t know who`s more excited... you or I?
Okay, the next move is to drill holes through your wife`s countertop and insert some lag bolts with recessed, counter-sunk nuts. Next, drill a few more holes and screw in some long lag screws too. Then grab a few big ol` C-clamps and even a couple of extra-strong spring clamps and really cinch that thing down. Next, find your lasoo and tie a hangin` noose. Loop it around your new stuffer and then pin up a note clearly indicating that anyone caught messin` with your new machine will be lynched on the spot! :roll:
John ol` pal, I know how you`ve waited for this time-saver. I am most happy for you. Now get-ta-gridin` and smiling and stuffin` too... except this time, enjoy it! Congrats pal!

Your ol` bud, (with best wishes of course),
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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