casing failure

[nerow]

I have a mystery which has me baffled.

On two different batches of fresh bratwursts the casings completely disintegrated when the bratwurst links were poached. The casings didn't just "split" or burst; they disintegrated into small shreds. Here is what I did:

Last week I made a batch of Bratwurst. Pretty standard - 50% pork shoulder, 20% fatback, 30% lean veal. There was nothing in them except the meat, fatback, salt, dry spices & a small amount of crushed ice. No exotic ingredients (fruit, cheese,etc.). These are fresh bratwurst, uncured (i.e., no nitrites, just salt) & unsmoked. I have made the same exact recipe dozens of times.

The meat was near frozen & fatback completely frozen when I ground, All equipment was kept in the freezer. Tray for ground meat kept on ice. The meat is ground in a stand alone grinder (parts frozen), ground twice through a large and then medium plate. Then it is mixed for 60 seconds in a stand mixer with a paddle (parts frozen), and then placed into a LEM 15 lb vertical suffer (parts frozen). The meat is always very cold. The meat came out of the grinder very cold and in very firm "ropes," no mushiness or smearing. This is the identical procedure to what I have done before.

The casings are stored, refrigerated, packed in kosher salt. They are soaked for 30 minutes in cold water, rinsed inside and out. No additives (vinegar or lemon juice) in the water. The casings are attached to the (metal) stuffing tube using the "water bubble" method to help slide them on. Only tap water is used to lube the stuffing tube, no oil or anything else. On the first batch of bratwursts I used 32mm hog casings from Butcher & Packer. The casings looked very fresh and nice, no discoloration or anything. This was a relatively new package of casings, only about 30 days old.

After mixing the meat I made a "patty," fried it and ate it. It was fine, good texture and flavor.

The meat mixture was then immediately made into links, then dried with a fan for 10 minutes, and then placed, on a metal rack, in the refrigerator. The links were cured at 40-42 degrees F overnight and then taken out and poached in plain tap water. I poach by putting the links in room temperature water and raising the water temp to 165 degrees (using a thermometer to monitor the temp). Cook the links to to 150 degrees internal temp (checking every few minutes with an instant read thermometer). The sausages are NEVER cooked past 150-155 degrees. Then they are chilled in ice water. To finish the cooking they are grilled to caramelize the outer casing.

The raw uncooked links from the first batch looked very good, but after they were put in the poaching water, after about ten minutes in the water, the casings were in shreds.

The next day I made a second batch of bratwurst, using different casings (32 mm hog casings from SausageMaker.com). The links were made the same exact way, but I did two things differently. First, after grinding, I took some of the loose ground meat, rolled it into a sausage "shape," wrapped it in Saran Wrap, and poached it. It came out fine. It held together fine and had nice texture and flavor. Then I stuffed all of the meat mixture into links. This time I did not cure them overnight, but poached them immediately after stuffing.

10 minutes in the water and the same exact thing happened! The casings completely disintegrated. I am at a complete loss as to what went wrong.

Does anyone have any idea what the problem is? I am looking for a solution and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Just so it is clear, I am not new to sausage making, and the recipe and procedures which I describe above, I have carried out many times in the past with successful results.

[DanMcG]

never heard of such a thing. I will have to think about this one for a while.

[vagreys]

That sounds a lot like casing that has been frozen, previously, or scored by the salt. It is also possible that, after linking, the links were essentially overstuffed, but I'd lean toward the previously frozen casing explanation, myself.

[nerow]

Thanks for the replies DanMcG & vagreys.

I've asked around, and someone else suggested frozen casings as the likely culprit. I never froze the casings, but it is always possible that they were frozen by the manufacturer or shipper or by someone else (they are stored in a different house from where I live.) I have used both brands of casings successfully many times in the past.

Anyone else ever run into a problem like this?

[DanMcG]

I've never froze casings so maybe Tom is on to something. I seems odd that casings from 2 different suppliers would do it. Check with who you had them stored with and let us know.

[nerow]

That sounds a lot like casing that has been frozen, previously, or scored by the salt. It is also possible that, after linking, the links were essentially overstuffed, but I'd lean toward the previously frozen casing explanation, myself.

One thing I should have asked in the last post. What do you mean by "scored by the salt?" I am not familiar with that term. I used to keep my casings in a brine of fresh water & salt, but I thought they came out too "rubbery." Now, I dry pack them in kosher salt and refrigerate them.

Thanks

[Tasso]

I think "scored" means micro-abraded by the salt crystals. Some kosher salts are pretty coarse grained, and could perhaps have sharp edges. When you buy casings that are dry-packed in salt, isn't a fine-grained salt, like a pickling and canning salt, commonly used?

[vagreys]

I think "scored" means micro-abraded by the salt crystals. Some kosher salts are pretty coarse grained, and could perhaps have sharp edges. When you buy casings that are dry-packed in salt, isn't a fine-grained salt, like a pickling and canning salt, commonly used?

Exactly, and without knowing about the provenance of the casing it's hard to say what's going on, though I tend to think it was frozen at some point in a relatively warm freezer, like somewhere around 0 to +5°F to cause that much damage. Sometimes, if casing has been repacked and someone uses kosher salt to repack, they can gouge the casing with the salt if they handle it too much in the process. I've made that mistake, once upon a time, and only use small-crystal, non-iodized salt to repack casing, for years since shredding it that way. And yes, most casing companies use a fine salt or salt/brine combo for packing casing.

[DanMcG]

Good info Tom, Thanks

[DiggingDogFarm]

My guess is that they were over-processed by a casing machine...it happens!
Anyway, I'd certainly contact Butcher & Packer and let them know what's going on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKBah6CeZJY


~Martin

[Tasso]

Martin, nerow said he got the same results using casings from Butcher-Packer.com and from sausagemaker.com, in two different batches of sausage made one after the other. What are the odds that both companies source their casings from the same supplier? I suppose it is possible.

But he also mentioned that he had stored his casings packed in kosher salt. See the post above where he states that he used to store his casings in brine, but now stores them packed in kosher salt.

There was also some discussion up above of the possibility that the casings could have been frozen. They were being kept at some place other than where he lives.

Do you happen to know if Butcher-Packer and The Sausage Maker get their casings from the same vendor? If so, and if the casings were ordered about the same time, then your idea could be a possibility.

[vagreys]

IIRC, TSM sources from China, or did last time I checked with them.

[yotmon]

Some casings can be weaker than others just by their very nature. Years ago when I would make sausage on a commercial scale it could almost make you cry to have a 'bad' batch of casings. They would almost disintegrate as you tried to link them !
Although you don't mention any problems at the time of linking, only when cooked. It sounds a though there is a reaction somewhere in the cooking process that's breaking down the structure of the casing wall.

Can they be handled as normal prior to cooking or are you noticing any splitting/bursting or any other weakness that would allow them to break up ?

Ps - you mention that the sausage casings are stored at someone else's home. Have you asked them if they have 'interfered' with the casings in any way. This is the only part of the scenario that you are not in control of, so may be worth checking out, especially when you have used two 'control' samples from different suppliers and ended up with the same result.

[nerow]

Thanks for all the replies guys and gals(?)

I'm still trying to pinpoint the problem, but the more I look into it, the more I am led to believe that the problem is not in fact in the casings, but in the pork. I made another batch, using brand new casings from a third company -- Syracuse Casing Co. These are very fragile casings which I am not crazy about, but I wanted to try another brand just to be sure.

When I poached the sausages, the casings, again, started to tear. Next I took two raw links and grilled them, over medium heat, without poaching them. One side grilled fine and held together. I flipped them over, and after about 5 minutes both links split wide open lengthwise.

The problem is NOT in the recipe. I have been making the identical bratwurst for years. My suspicion is that the pork has water retained in it, either from freezing or some other reason, and the excess moisture is causing the links to expand. I am not sure about this at all, but that is my working hypothesis.

I am going to try again with pork from a different supplier, and I will let everyone know how it turns out.

Thanks again.

[Tasso]

If anything has been added to the pork you are buying, US labeling laws require that it be listed on the label. The grocery stores in my area mostly sell pork products that have been injected with "up to 12%" of what they euphemistically refer to as a "flavor-enhancing and tenderizing solution". That has messed me up a few times, so I will no longer buy it, no matter how enticing the price. You're paying by the pound for added salt and water. I only buy pork that is minimally processed and contains no added ingredients now.

Good luck with your next try, nerow. Sorting out this problem is likely setting you back a pretty penny, not to mention the frustration of repeated disappointments.