Linking Sausage

[wine6978]

OK guys help me out here, I have been making sausage for about 4 years now. I have been just stuffing using natural casings and making each link about a foot long and folding them in half and tying each end. Then I just hang them on a bar in my smoke house and smoke. Well I have been looking at the ways people link sausage, and would really like to use them due to tying each individual link sucks!! I see the way to tie triple links and what not, but how do you hang that much sausage and more important after it is smoked and ready for the freezer or vacuum bags how do you separate them? Thanks in advance!!!

[Big Guy]

It easy. I just tie the open end,stuff an entire caseing 4-5 meters, then tie the end. I put down two strips of tape on my table apart the length as I want my links to be. line up your stuffed caseing with the two pieces of tape, pinch the case and rotate the link towards you about 3 or 4 revolutions. move the caseing and pinch another link, this time rotate the link away from yourself 3-4 revolutions, repeat until the entire caseing is linked. by rotating one way then the other your links won't unravel. I then put the linked sausages in the fridge for an overnight nap. This does 2 things, it melds the spices and sets the links. Hang on your smoke sticks and smoke away. Note this will only work with natural caseings, sheep (pictured) or hog. collagen cases will unravell as soon as you let them go.

unlinked



linked



in the smoker



all smoked

[DiggingDogFarm]

I usually do the double tie, eight to ten links, hung in a "U" shape in the smoker.
Separate with scissors or a knife.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z3_T1uk5lA



~Martin

[wheels]

I see the way to tie triple links...

The triple links are usually for fresh sausage. The touching sausages using this method would result in uneven smoking and a 'patchwork' effect.

Phil

[Oddwookiee]

I'll be cranking out links later this week, i'll try and have some pics taken. I use a similar method to BG but skip a link so I can spin all in one direction and go faster.

[wine6978]

Cool!! That is exactly the info I am looking for!!! Thank you all. Keep it coming!