How to Use Collagen Casings: Prep, Stuffing, Tying & Smoking

If you've ever spent an evening rinsing, soaking, and untangling natural casings, collagen casings will feel like a gift. Most of them go straight from the package onto your stuffing tube. No water and no waiting.

But easy doesn't mean there are no rules. Collagen behaves differently from natural casing, and a few small habits make the difference between neat, even snack sticks and a split mess in the smoker. With deer season here, now is a great time to get comfortable with them.

The Short Answer

Collagen casings are uniform casings made from beef hide. The small, pleated strand casings go straight from the package onto your stuffing tube, so never soak or wet them. The large dried casings (40–100mm) are non-edible and need a soak in warm water for up to 5 minutes. Stuff firmly but not too tightly, prick out air pockets, and tie links with twine instead of twisting. Use smoked collagen for anything you hang in a smoker, and fresh collagen only for fresh sausage you grill or pan-fry.

What Are Collagen Casings?

Collagen casings are made from the collagen-rich layer of beef hide, formed into tubes that are the same size every time. For the full story of how they're made, our guide on what sausage casing is made of covers it.

For everyday use, you only need to know that collagen comes in two forms:

• Strand casings are pleated like an accordion into a short tube. They're edible and need no prep.
• Large dried casings come flat, pre-tied, or on a reel. They're non-edible, so you peel them off before eating.

Are collagen casings edible? Strand casings are. Large dried casings are not. They're thicker and can upset your stomach, so peel them after cooking.

Are collagen casings vegetarian? No. They come from beef hide, and they aren't kosher or halal unless the package says so. For a plant-based option, see our guide to vegetarian sausage casings.

The 4 Kinds of Collagen Casings We Carry

The most important thing to know is the difference between fresh and smoked. Fresh collagen is thin and tender, made for sausage you cook right away or freeze. It's too delicate to hang in a smoker. Smoked collagen is thicker, so it can hang on a smoke stick without dropping off, and it develops a nice snap once cooked.

One common mix-up: "smoked" and "mahogany" casings aren't actually smoked, and they don't add smoke flavor. The name describes the job they're built for. Mahogany just gives your sausage a deeper brown color. The smoke flavor comes from your smoker.

You can browse every size in our collagen casings collection.

How to Prep Collagen Casings (and When to Soak)

Strand casings: don't soak

Do you need to soak collagen casings? Not the strand kind. Take them out of the package and put them right on your stuffing tube. No rinsing and no soaking. Strand casings should never be wetted or soaked.

Large dried casings: soak up to 5 minutes

The large non-edible casings, like our 60mm x 24" Collagen Casings Kit, are the exception. Soak them in warm water for up to 5 minutes before stuffing. This makes them flexible and helps the meat stick to the casing. Don't leave them in longer than that.

If your strand casings dry out

Strand casings can turn brittle if they're left open or out of the fridge. Dip them in tap water for just a few seconds, and they should come back. Don't soak them. If they're still dry and brittle after a quick dip, unfortunately they can't be used.

How to Load and Stuff Collagen Casings

1. Use the right stuffing tube. Our 16mm, 19mm, and 28mm strands fit a 1/2" tube. The 32mm strands fit a 1/2" or 3/4" tube. Large dried casings go on the largest tube you have.
2. Loosen the strand a little, then slide it on. Ease the pleats apart slightly so it moves freely, then push the whole strand onto the tube. It unfurls as you stuff.
3. Keep the casing at the front of the tube, where the meat comes out. This cuts down on air pockets and breaks.
4. Stuff firmly, but don't overstuff. Overstuffing is a common cause of splits. If you plan to tie links, stuff to about 3/4 full so you have room to tie.
5. For large casings, leave about 2 inches unfilled at the open end. Close it with hog rings or butcher's twine. Our 60mm and 65mm casings use 1/2" hog rings and Manual Hog Ring Pliers. Very large sausages may also need netting to hold their shape while smoking or drying.
6. Prick every casing. Collagen casings must be pricked before smoking, hanging, or cooking. Our Sausage Pricker makes tiny holes that let trapped air escape, which helps prevent blowouts.

A good stuffer makes all of this easier, especially with thin snack stick casings. The BUILT Series Sausage Stuffer gives you smooth, steady pressure, and our guide on what makes the best sausage stuffer for home use can help you choose. Our large casing kits can also be stuffed by hand.

Tying vs. Twisting Collagen Links

Can you twist collagen casings into links? Not well. Collagen casings can tear or unravel when you twist them, so tying is the safer choice. Stuff to about 3/4 full, then tie off each link with cotton twine. You'll find twine in our Netting & Twine collection.

If you want to twist fresh collagen links for the grill, be gentle. Twist the first link one way and the next link the other way, and don't go past two full twists.

If you love twisted links, that's where natural casings shine. More on that below.

Cooking and Smoking Collagen Casings

Fresh collagen: grill or pan-fry

Fresh collagen is made for fresh sausage that you cook and eat, or freeze soon after stuffing. Grill or pan-fry it. Don't hang it in a smoker, because it can split under the weight.

Smoked collagen: built for the smoker

Smoked and mahogany collagen are thick enough to hang on smoke sticks without dropping off. A few habits help them turn out tender and full:

• Start warm, then raise the heat slowly. Put your sausage into a preheated smoker at about 130°F and increase the temperature gradually to your smoking temperature.
• Keep the heat under 180°F. Above that, fat can render, turn liquid, and drip out, leaving you with dry sausage and tough casings.
• Don't over-smoke. Leaving sausage in the smoker too long (more than 8 hours) makes casings tough.
• Cool them quickly after smoking. Slow cooling can cause wrinkled casings.

Some people peel smoked collagen after heavy smoking if the casing dries out. It's still edible; it's just a texture preference.

Large dried casings: smoker or oven

Hang them in your smoker or cook them in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Peel the casing before eating.

Poaching or simmering

Never drop collagen sausage into boiling water. Start in cold water, bring it up gradually, and simmer until the sausage is fully cooked.

Making snack sticks or summer sausage? Both are cured sausages, so your recipe needs a cure like Insta Cure #1. Always follow the usage directions on the cure package. For tangy summer sausage, our guide to Encapsulated Citric Acid vs. Fermento explains your options.

Collagen Casing Sizes for Snack Sticks, Bratwurst & Summer Sausage

Snack sticks

For classic snack sticks, our Smoked Collagen Casings 19mm are the go-to. They stuff to about 3/4" and hold up well on a smoke stick. For a thinner stick with a rich brown color, try our Brown Mahogany Collagen Casings 16mm, which stuff to about 5/8". Both fit a 1/2" stuffing tube.

Bratwurst

For fresh brats you'll grill, use Fresh Collagen Casings 28mm or Fresh Collagen Casings 32mm. If you plan to smoke your brats, choose Smoked Collagen Casings 32mm instead.

Summer sausage

You have three good options:

• Smoked Collagen Casings 60mm, an edible strand with no soaking.
• The 60mm x 24" Collagen Casings Kit, with 10 pre-tied casings, hog ring pliers, 1/2" hog rings, and a 2 oz. pack of Insta Cure.
• Deer Head Print Collagen Casings 65mm, with a printed deer and space to write your own message. They make great gifts from your harvest. They also come in a mahogany version.

Making something else? Our guide on how to choose the right sausage casing for your recipe matches casings to every sausage style.

Collagen vs. Natural Casings: Which Should You Choose?

Choose collagen when you want speed and consistency. Strand casings need no prep, every link comes out the same size, and smoked collagen hangs well and snaps when cooked. That makes it ideal for snack sticks, smoked sticks, summer sausage, big batches, and first-time makers.

Choose natural casings when you want twisted links, rope sausage, or the most smoke flavor. Natural casings are the most smoke-permeable and twist into links easily, but they need rinsing and soaking first. Our guide on how to prepare natural hog casings walks you through it.

Plenty of makers keep both on hand: natural for weekend brats, collagen for hunting season.

How to Store Collagen Casings

• Strand casings (fresh, smoked, and mahogany) should stay in the refrigerator. Keep them sealed in their original zipper bag or wrapped in plastic at 33–41°F so they stay flexible.
• Large dried casings are shelf-stable. They don't need refrigeration and keep for a long time in a cool, dry spot.

How long do collagen casings last? Unopened strand casings last about one year in the refrigerator. After opening, reseal them tightly and keep them cold.

Troubleshooting: Why Did My Collagen Casing Split?

• It split: the casing was probably overstuffed, or the smoker was too hot.
• It wrinkled: the casing was understuffed, or it didn't cool fast enough after smoking.
• It pulled away from the meat: the casing was understuffed, the smoker was too hot, or a large dried casing wasn't soaked long enough.
• It's tough: too much heat (over 180°F) or too long in the smoker.
• It's brittle before you start: give strand casings a quick dip in tap water. If they stay brittle, replace them.

Ready for Deer Season

Once you've got the feel for collagen casings, you're set for some of the most rewarding projects of the year. Next week, we'll put these casings to work with venison snack sticks and summer sausage, from grind to smoke. If you're just getting started with game meat, our beginner's guide to turning wild game into great sausage is a great place to start.

Stock up now so you're ready when the processing starts. And if you're not sure which casing fits your recipe, just reach out. We're always happy to help.

Your Collagen Casing Shopping List

• Smoked Collagen Casings 19mm for classic snack sticks
• Brown Mahogany Collagen Casings 16mm for thin, deep-colored sticks
• Fresh Collagen Casings 28mm for fresh brats
• 60mm x 24" Collagen Casings Kit for summer sausage
• Deer Head Print Collagen Casings 65mm for venison summer sausage
• Sausage Pricker to release air pockets
• 1/2" Hog Rings and Manual Hog Ring Pliers to close large casings
• BUILT Series Sausage Stuffer for smooth, even stuffing
• Browse all sizes: Collagen Casings