[waterboy]

Come on guys I know you'll know how to do this....
We had our carcasses back this week and had a go at making our own sausages, no real problems got the machine, the skins and the recipes even managed to get most of the meat into the skins, problem we're having is linking/twisting the sausage. At first we split a couple obviously too much meat in the skin but we're not very good at linking I'm sure once you know how too do it and with practice we'll be ok, we just need some good old advice to get us started.   

[JulieS]

That's a difficult one to explain in words........I was taught by a local butcher, it's much easier to watch. 

I couldn't find a video online to watch, but there are a few descriptions on here....

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=646&sid=8704b530481efabdac34a9a76f5e6a82


Hope this helps.    If you're near Devon you are very welcome to come here.
 

[waterboy]

JulieS
Thx so much for that I'll get the OH to have a go, unfortunately we are up here in Staffordshire otherwise we would have loved to come see how to do it oh well will report in over the next (messy) few days lol.

[Samantha]

Oh wow yes .. umm thats a hard one to explain... butchers usually do it in threes but this is even more confusing so i'll explain as best I can for the simpler version

first tie a knot in the end you are starting from
make three pinches along the skin equal distance (bascially how long you want your sausage to be, from here on in try to keep all sausages the same length.
at each of these points twist the sausage a couple of times... ok so from the end you have three twisted points A B and C .. bring A to C and twist together to make a loop with the end sausage dangling on its own.
Take the rest of the long sausage and feed it through the loop (this feeding through it what i find stops the sausages from unwinding.
now pinch out three more sausages and twist at the pinches D E and F
Take points A&C and meet it to point E (i think) basically create another loop of two sausages and feed the long one through .. rinse and repeat along the whole of your sausage lenght
once you are at the end then tie off your end (i leave this open until this point to allow the sausage meat to work down the skin and not be to compact, any over meat will simply come out the end and can be used up another way. 

This is the simple 2 sausage string which i hope makes sense .. the upshot is twist the individual sausages then meet the points to make a loop and feed the long remainder through .. you can then hang them from somewhere in the middle.

I really hope this makes sense as my kids are looking at me and laughing while i am sat her going through the process in mid air lol

Sam

[waterboy]

sam lol i bet its great entertainment for the kids... saying that i'm sure watchin us havin a go will be just as amusing i will let all know how we get on heres fingers crossed and probably a few other parts by the end of it lol
cheers

[Samantha]

I would like to say me doing something completely random and seemingly without sanity is not a regular occurance ... but I can't lol

Plz do let me know how you get on.. Next time I make sausages I'll video the linking / twisting process and pop it on YouTube... if you apply a logical mind to it you can't go far wrong, just remember you can't just twist you need to hold the twist in place which is why I feed it through the loop

Have fun with it

Sam

[JulieS]

Here's a picture of some I made the other day.......I don't usually take pics of my sausages!  We were getting some photos together of the butchery for an advert.

Let us know how you get on.   

[Hardfeather]

So, when they are hanging on the hooks, are they hanging up, or are they hanging down?

[Wizard]

Morning all you cannot get away with out me commenting on something so close to my heart.Oh by the way A  I have never seen anything hanging UP All hang down in Lincolnshire sumatz to do wi gravity.Thinks maybe thats how its done in Australia So length You decide 2's 3's or 4's up to you but if you look in the butchers He usually makes 6 (2 X 3) or 8 (2X4) as near as he can equal a lb .Not Cumberland.They are wound in a ring like a Catherine Wheel Firework held by 2 wooden skewers.I will argue with anyone There is only ONE sausage and it is 1lb of pork meat and 1/2 alb of pork back fat How much bread or rusk.Sage or other herbs salt and pepper does not alter the base recipe OK Annie love you never do this you use 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork or you may use Venison Some one mentioned Kangaroo They are the ones that hang up maybe.To secrets none of your advisor's has told you.Run water through the casings to start then thread them on the filler snout.Control the sausage coming off the snout with your other hand so you do not get them to full .To full and they wont link they burst I never tie a knot in the start end the fill pushes the air and makes a balloon leave 3-4" hung down and the first sausage is a little bit thin it takes ages to squeeze the meat back so you have 5".Lets Make them 5" shall us be little devils assuming you have 10 yards of curled up off the snout on the table.Nip and twist the first 5" sausage nip and twist 2nd sausage now do a third one twist so you have 3 hanging down links twist a 4th link Now on the captive 2 links thread the 10" through twisting as you go now you have 2 lots of 3 So just keep going until you run out of filled casings.Remember keep the casing wet and DO NOT over stuff Go on be a little devil and try it

[JulieS]

I knew you would be able to describe it well Wiz 

[Wizard]

Thanks Julie I don't know how to explain some of the Things I/we do Gran did it, Mam did it. I do it.Waterboy ask a local butcher to show you how.If you can get out of town to a village butcher( it is no good going in Morrison or ASDA) I have found they are really helpfull It only takes but no time at all, but you may have to ask him to slow down please,  If he is anything like Wiz at Wragby He can have 10 yards done while I am putting my blue gloves on.I didn't say to you you want to fry a little pattie before you put the meat into casings just to see if there is enough seasoning It's so disappointing to make all those lovely sausages and you forgot to put the S&P in When you get proficient you don't measure anything pass all through the mincer and go and don't be mean with the fat DO NOT USE NEW BREAD use stale crumbed soaked and well rung out and mess about make 6 with alot of sage make six with sage and thyme Make 6 Apple flavour make six leek or apple and leek There is 100's of them Only do 4 if there is only you and the OH

[Samantha]

ohhh JulieS those look simply mouthwatering...

I am planning on making some sausages on wednesday this week and I am going to start another post for some sausages recipe ideas as I have a whole belly of pork to use up.

When I make the sausages I will whip out the vid cam and do a quick YouTube video of how I link the sausages. I had a look myself and there just isn't anything around to show people actually how to do it 

I completely agree with Wiz here too .. taking some of the meat and frying it off for tasters is not only a perk of the job but also gives you the chance to see if you want to add more of this or that before they get put in their cases.

Sam

[JulieS]

It is something we always do here, especially with people who have come to make their own sausages.  Gives them a chance to try out whatever recipe ideas they have and to taste it before making up a big batch.
 

[Wizard]

I think it essential Julie I know if you let the hang down like in your pic alters the taste