Troubleshooting Deli & Lunchmeat

Deli Style Products
Products made in fibrous casings

• Splitting Casings
• Wrinkling
• Not Taking Smoke
• Streaking
• Muddy Color
• Casing Separating From Meat
• Casing Will Not Peel
• Casing Won’t Stuff Out To An Even Diameter
• Pear Or Tear Drop Shape
  

Splitting Casings - (back to top)
Over stuffing can cause splitting. Measure the stuffed circumference and make sure it matches the manufacturers recommended stuffed circumference for the casing.

Processing too dry during the entire cook cycle can cause splitting. Casings should be dried until sweat is out, then smoked and finished in higher humidity of at least 50%.

Casings have to be soaked sufficiently to prevent splitting. Soak casings in 90-100°F (32.2ºC - 37.77ºC) water for 20-30 minutes. Make sure water gets inside the casing.

Burrs or nicks on the stuffing horn, clipper, stuffing table or racks in the smokehouse can cause splitting. Check all surfaces carefully.

High bacteria counts in meat will gas and explode the casing during cooking. Make sure you use high quality, fresh raw materials.

Wrinkling - (back to top)
Under stuffing the casing will cause wrinkling. Measure the stuffed circumference and make sure it matches the manufacturers recommended stuffed circumference for the casing.

Improper cooling can also cause wrinkling. Cooling too quickly will wrinkle the casing. Shower then hold at room temperature 30-60 minutes before placing in the cooler.

Check to see if metal clips are slipping during cooking. Adjust the clipper.

Not Taking Smoke - (back to top)
The casing should be tacky to the touch when put into the smokehouse. If the casing is too wet, the water will form a barrier to the smoke and it won’t be absorbed.

Streaking - (back to top)
If the humidity is too high before and during smoking, it can cause streaking. Droplets of moisture running down the product will wash the smoke off and cause streaking.

Muddy Color - (back to top)
If the humidity is too high during the entire smoke cycle, it will cause a muddy color. Smoke should be started when the product is tacky to touch. It should be smoked at approximately 25-30% R.H. then finished at least at 50% humidity.

Casing Separating From Meat - (back to top)
Improper soaking of the casing can cause it to separate from the meat. Soak casings in 90-100° F (32.2ºC - 37.77ºC) water for 20-30 minutes. Make sure water gets inside the casing.

Very high humidity and no drying in the first cycle can cause early casing release and separation.

Use a protein coated casing to adhere the casing to the meat. It is best used on summer sausage, beef logs and products not intended for peeling and slicing.

Casing Will Not Peel - (back to top)
If the entire cook cycle is too dry, the casing may not peel. Product should be smoked at approximately 25-30% R.H. then finished at least at 50% humidity.

Failing to shower product after smoking can cause wrinkling and hard-to-peel casings.

An "Easy Peel" casing is coated with a release agent on the inside to increase peel-ability.

Casing Won’t Stuff Out To An Even Diameter - (back to top)
An improperly soaked casing won’t stuff evenly. Soak casings in 90-100° F (32.2ºC - 37.77ºC) water for 20-30 minutes. Make sure water gets inside the casing.

Pear Or Tear Drop Shape - (back to top)
Again improperly soaked casing will not shape out correctly. Soak casings in 90-100° F (32.2ºC - 37.77ºC) water for 20-30 minutes. Make sure water gets inside the casing.

Under stuffing will also cause the product to teardrop when hung in the smokehouse. Measure the stuffed circumference and make sure it matches the manufacturers recommended stuffed circumference for the casing.

Larger diameter casings in very long pieces may contain too much weight for the casing walls to keep their shape.