Casing Guide
Not all casings perform equally in the smokehouse. Permeability, temperature resistance, and moisture behavior vary significantly across casing types. This guide helps you select the right casing for your smokehouse application and avoid common processing failures.
When sausage is processed in a smokehouse, three things are happening simultaneously: heat is cooking the internal product, smoke particles are depositing on the casing surface and penetrating through it, and moisture is being driven out of the product. The casing must accommodate all three processes simultaneously.
A casing that is too impermeable will block smoke penetration and trap moisture, producing a product with pale color and steamed texture. A casing that is too permeable may cause excessive moisture loss, resulting in a shriveled, case hardened product. The right casing strikes the balance appropriate for your specific product.
Fibrous casings are the industry standard for smoked sausage products and deliver the best balance of smoke permeability, dimensional stability, and processing reliability in the smokehouse environment.
For maximum smoke color, use clear fibrous casings. They allow full smoke penetration. Pre colored mahogany fibrous casings give consistent external color even when smoke penetration is incomplete, which can be useful in higher humidity smokehouse conditions.
Natural hog and sheep casings deliver the best eating quality in smoked link applications. They are highly permeable to smoke and moisture and produce the traditional snap and bite that consumers expect in products like kielbasa, andouille, and smoked bratwurst.
Edible collagen casings perform well in the smokehouse for link style smoked sausage products. They develop good smoke color and are more consistent than natural casings from a process control standpoint.
Plastic and barrier casings are impermeable to smoke and will not develop smoke color or flavor. However, they can absolutely be used in the smokehouse for cooking with heat and steam. This is a common and effective method for products such as bologna, liver sausage, luncheon meat, and other cooked products that do not require smoke flavor or color development. The smokehouse in this case functions simply as a controlled heat and steam cooking chamber.
| Step | Temperature | Damper | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drying | 120–130°F | Open | 30–60 min | Dry surface; set pellicle |
| Light Smoke | 130–140°F | Partially closed | 30–60 min | Initial smoke deposition |
| Heavy Smoke | 145–160°F | Mostly closed | 60–120 min | Full smoke color development |
| Cook to IT | 170–175°F | Closed | Until IT reached | Reach target internal temp |
| Shower / Cool | Cold water | N/A | Until 90°F surface | Bloom and prevent wrinkling |
The specific schedule should be adjusted for your smokehouse equipment, product diameter, and desired color level. Contact Globe Casings at 201-939-3335 for guidance on the right fibrous casing grade for your smokehouse setup.
Casing wrinkling after the smokehouse is a common complaint. The most frequent causes are insufficient showering after cooking, too rapid moisture loss during the drying step, and insufficient stuffing (under filled casings wrinkle as moisture is lost). Ensure product is properly stuffed to the recommended stuffing diameter and that the post cook shower is sufficient to cool the casing quickly and set it in the expanded state.
Plastic and barrier casings are the most prone to wrinkling of all casing types. Although plastic casings are thermoshrinkable and will shrink during thermal processing, they are impermeable and do not have the breathability of fibrous or natural casings. Unlike fibrous casings, plastic casings rely entirely on the shrink action during cooking to achieve a tight surface, if cooling is delayed, the casing loosens as the product contracts and wrinkling results. When the product inside cools and contracts after cooking, a plastic or barrier casing that has not been showered properly will wrinkle and pucker on the surface, producing an unattractive finished product.
This is why the cold water shower immediately after cooking is especially critical for plastic and barrier casings. The shower must be applied promptly as soon as the cooking cycle ends. Do not allow the product to cool slowly in the smokehouse. The rapid cooling from the cold shower sets the casing tight against the product surface before contraction begins, which is the only reliable way to prevent wrinkling on these casing types. Shower until the product surface reaches approximately 90°F before moving to the cooler.
💡 For plastic and barrier casings, consider an ice water shower or extended cold shower time compared to fibrous casing schedules. The faster and colder the shower, the better the final appearance. Contact Globe Casings at 201-939-3335 for specific shower recommendations for your product and casing grade.
Have questions about casings for your specific product? Our specialists are ready to help.
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