Snack Stix Question

[Panthur]

Hi all. When making snack stix do you guys prefer to refrigerate overnight after mixing and BEFORE stuffing, or after both mixing AND stuffing ?? ( 19mm smoked collagen casing ). Or does it really matter ?
Also, after smoking, showering, etc...how long should you hang them ( or bloom ) before vaccum packing ? Thanks in advance for any help.

[Rednose]

Typically, I like to grind and stuff the same day just because all the equipment is out and sanitizing and cleaning is done all at one time. Then I let the ropes take an overnight nap at about 40* before smoking the next day. But, I've also ground, mixed and refridgerated one day and stuffed and smoked the next due to time constraints. Refridgeration of the grind or the ropes/links kinda lets the flavors meld and ensures a good cure time. Although, with ground meat, I understand the curing is pretty much complete a few hours after mixing.

I'm sure others will chime in too. Get after it...you'll do fine .

[Texas-Hunter]

I myself always stuff then allow to to rest in the frig over night.. And after smoking and chilling I allow my links to bloom for about 2-3 hours.. Then place back in the frig to totally chill and and ry a bit more..

[Meat Hunter]

Have not done many batches of snack sticks, but I know I find it easier now to stuff soon after everything has been mixed up. I used to let everything meld in the meat tub overnight) The reason I stuff the same day now is when the mixture is allowed to set up over night, everything sorta binds together and makes the meat mixture "thicker" for lack of a better word. I think it's just easier for the stuffer (not to mention the gears, especially plastic gears) to push the meat thru when it's still somewhat fresh vs. letting it set up, and I would think that would be especially true with a small stuffing horn for snack sticks. Just my .02

[MossyMO]

My wife and I like to grind, mix in seasonings, do a second grind, let set overnight for seasonings to meld and then stuff.

After smoking we give them a cold water bath and then refrigerate over night to do the slicing and packaging in the next few days.

Haven't tried the hang to bloom yet and also the hot water bath instead of the cold water bath interests me. Needs to get out of old habits, reorganize and try these methods side by side before I have an opinion.

[Panthur]

Great help as always guys.....off to mix up a batch of garlic stix now....thanks again .

[Hot Rod Smoke]

Perfect timing on this one as I am mixing up a batch of Jap/Cheddar stix this afternoon. I was gonna mix everything today and let it cure overnight and then stuff tomorrow but it makes sense to go ahead and stuff while everyting is out and let them cure in the casing in the fridge.

[curious aardvark]

Hi all. When making snack stix do you guys prefer to refrigerate overnight after mixing and BEFORE stuffing, or after both mixing AND stuffing ?? ( 19mm smoked collagen casing ). Or does it really matter ?
Also, after smoking, showering, etc...how long should you hang them ( or bloom ) before vaccum packing ? Thanks in advance for any help.

done it both ways - really makes no difference to the finished product.

Just individual preference.

One thing that is in favour of stuffing after mixing - the mixture will firm up over night and need to be remixed a little before stuffing.
So it's always physically easier and less stress on the stuffer if you stuff and then leave overnight.
Sometimes I can't be arsed to mix and stufff on the same day - sometimes I can.

[merrell]

I gotta go with Meat hunter and Hot rod.......Mix, stuff and then to the fridge overnite before smoking.

[mulepackin]

I gotta go with Meat hunter and Hot rod.......Mix, stuff and then to the fridge overnite before smoking.

Me too! Sticks can be very tough to stuff even right away. If the salts and binder go to setting up at all it gets worse, not to mention the clean up issue as Rednose pointed out.

I bloom at least 24 hours, sometimes up to 48. Sitting on an old flour sack towel on the kitchen counter.

[ExhaustedSpark]

Mix and stuff and let cure over night.
Much easer to stuff that way. Hot water bath is just to clean the outside of the casing and then the cold bath. That is the rule. There is always the exception.
Doing some now that i let cure in fridge and then stuffed this morning and now i am Drying them in the excalibur. Some with skins and some without.
Will cold smoke them tomorrow for 1 hr. Then i will cold water bath and let bloom.

[DeejayDebi]

First off I do not grind my spices in a coffee grinder or whatever. Sometimes have to grind somethings in a morter and pestal but that's different.

I like to grind the meat course, mix spices in then re-grind to my final size. I do this because I like the way the grinder helps to crack some of the spices and add the oils to the meat.

Then I stuff and let the stuffed sausages cure over night or longer depending on what they are. After smoking I let them sit for a few days or more again depending on what it is. My dry cured snack sticks I set for about a month in a cool space.

[Smoke'n Cy]

I have always mixed/stuffed the same day, but if one wanted to mix/fridge before stuffing the next day I am under the impression that water must be added and worked into the meat again before it can be stuffed (without difficulty) into smaller diameter casings (< 24/26mm)...I'm a sausage rookie but think MossyMO said that's how he did it in his thread earlier this week.