Skin splitting

[Carl]

Hi, The first batch of sausage I made if I say so myself were brilliant, batches 2 and 3 where OK but the skins split. What are the causes of skin splitting?

Regards
Carl

[aris]

Over-filling and/or cooking on too high heat are some of the reasons.

How did you cook them?

[Carl]

Hi Aris, Thanks for the reply. I cooked them in the oven at about 180 deg maybe I did get carried away and over filled them.
Regards
Carl

[sausagemaker]

Hi Carl

You stated that you cooked them in the oven, Maybe that is the cause.
When cooking sausage in the oven did you turn them at all if not then all the heat from the tray is concentrated in one spot thus cooking by direct heat to the bottom of the sausage & convection heat for the top, this causes a split along the length of the sausage.

Hope this helps

regards
sausagemaker

[Carl]

Hi Sausagemaker, No I didn�t turn them I just cooked them on wire mesh in a tray. I will try turning them next time. Thanks for the reply.
Regards
Carl

[Carl]

Hi,
Just made another batch and stuffed them loose but they still split, it looks like the problem is they are swelling up when cooking buy at least 50% maybe more. I am using Rusk and water as instructions could the problem lay here?

Regards,

Carl

[Oddley]

Hi Carl I think we need a bit more info.

What recipe are you using? What type of casings are you using? Are you resting your completed sausages overnight? If natural casings where did you get them from. Are you soaking them well and washing out the inside? When you add the water are you leaving them a little to allow the water to be soaked up by the rusk.

This sounds to me like a water/heat problem. As you know when water is heated it expands but without knowing the specific make up of the recipe it is hard to know.

[Carl]

Hi Oddley,
The recipe I am using is the same as my first batch that was great and came from Weschenfelder�s

4 lbs Lean pork
2 � lbs Belly
1 � lbs Rusk
2 lbs Cold water
� lbs Seasonings

The meat is well chilled and I am using Hog casings from sausage.org that have been soaked for 7 hours and then run water through them. I do leave them to rest over night in the fridge. From what you say it looks like you need to leave the mixture to stand before stuffing the casings is this correct and how long would you recommend? .

Many thanks,

Carl.

[_Darkstream_]

Well, I use a very different recipe from that, as you may have read.

But even so, I think you are using too much water. When I asked a similar question, we got to why Oxford sausages are called bangers. it is because there is so much water in the mix that the skin bursts.

I think that this is what you have happenining.

I do not use more than one fluid ounce of liquid to eight ounces of meat product. But my sausages are ultra low fat, and designed differently. Oddley is probably your best bet on this, But I suspest it is the amount of liquid that is the problem.

[Oddley]

Hi I'm not at all surprised your bangers split, you are using in this recipe just over 19% filler plus 30% water to meat.

I would suggest you use 5% filler 10% max so this means using 6 - 10 oz rusk and using 9 - 15 oz water

I would use 6 oz rusk and 9 oz water. If you use this amount then use 3 oz spice mixture instead of 4 oz spice mixture.

Let the rusk absorb the water before adding to the meat.

let me know how this goes.

[Carl]

Hi Oddley & Darkstream,

Thank you both for your time and advice I will reduce the filler & water as suggested and let you know how it goes next week.

Cheers,

Carl.

[Erikht]

I would personally use a little less water(or maybe no water at all. Why not use a liquid that taste something?), but our sausage traditions usually calls for sausages to be simmered in water before eaten simmered or grilled/fried/ritually murdered on the barbecue. Quite often we dry the sausages(when raw), and steam them vefore eating(for quite some time).

[Carl]

Hi Oddley,

Your advice seems to have cured the problem I used the 6oz of filler and 9oz of water and they came out perfect. I would like to thank you and all the other members of the forum that give good friendly advice and make a beginners attempt at sausage making a good bit easier.

Cheers,

Carl.

[Oddley]

You are welcome Carl.