Hog Casings: Sizes, Materials and Which to Use
Hog casings are the most popular natural casing in sausage making, and the most versatile — Italian, bratwurst, Kielbasa, Andouille, chorizo, and dozens more are all made in them. The main thing to get right is diameter. This guide covers what hog casings are, how they're graded, and which size to use for what.
What Are Hog Casings Made Of?
Hog casings are the cleaned small intestine of a pig. The intestine is stripped of its inner and outer layers, leaving the submucosa — a thin, strong layer that's almost entirely collagen. That's the casing. It's fully edible, it shrinks with the meat as the sausage cooks, and it gives the snap that synthetic casings can't quite match.
Because it's a natural product, size varies within a range rather than being exact. A "32–35mm" casing means the casings in that pack fall somewhere in that band, not that every one measures the same.
What Makes a Grade-A Hog Casing
Our casings are Grade-A, sourced entirely from hogs raised in the USA, whisker-free and non-dyed.
Grade-A means the intestines came from well-fed, well-cared-for animals. That matters practically, not just ethically: better feed produces a stronger, more durable intestine wall, which means fewer blowouts when you stuff.
Non-dyed means the natural color comes through. Our casings run light. A pronounced yellow cast usually indicates poorer-quality feed, and dyeing is sometimes used to even out that appearance — we don't do either.
Hand-pulled is the one most people haven't heard of. Each casing is cleaned individually by hand rather than run through a machine. It takes considerably longer, but it retains more of the collagen lining, which means:
- Higher tensile strength when stuffing
- Far fewer pinholes, which are what cause bursts
- More elasticity, so links twist cleanly and hold up hanging in a smoker
Hog Casing Size Chart
Diameter is the decision. Here's what each size is for:
| Size | Use it for |
|---|---|
| 29–32mm | Our smallest hog casing. Traditional wieners, slimmer Italian sausage, bratwurst, and chicken sausage. |
| 32–35mm | By far the most popular size. Polish, Italian, and bratwurst — the standard for anything grilled or pan-fried. |
| 35–38mm | Thicker but still manageable. The smoked sausage size: Andouille, Kielbasa, Hungarian, Boudin, and Mettwurst. |
| 38–42mm | Large smoked sausage. Holds more meat, so take care when hanging (see the note below). |
| 42–44mm | Pepperoni, Polish Metka, smaller summer sausage, large Polish sausage, ring bologna and liverwurst. |
| 55–60mm (hog middles) | Traditional large ring sausage: liver sausage, Braunschweiger, ring bologna. |
Sizes from 29–32mm up to 38–42mm are available in our Premium Natural Hog Casings, sold by the hank. For smaller batches, the Natural Hog Casings Home Pack is a more manageable quantity. We also carry 42–44mm and 55–60mm hog middles — we're the only supplier offering the full range from 29mm all the way to 60mm.
Hanging Large Casings in a Smoker
Casings at 38–42mm and above hold considerably more meat, which puts real load on the contact point where the sausage meets the hook or dowel. That's where breaks happen.
- Keep hanging ends short on rope sausage — no more than two 6" links on either side.
- If you're looping over a dowel, loosen the casing at the wrap point before hanging so the weight isn't all on one stressed spot.
Hog Casings or Collagen?
Hog casings give you snap, a slightly irregular natural look, and the traditional eating quality that most people are after. They need rinsing and soaking before use, and they vary in size within their range.
Collagen casings are made from processed beef hide collagen. They're perfectly uniform, go onto the stuffing tube dry with no prep, and don't need refrigeration in the same way. They're easier to work with and a good first casing — but they don't snap the way a natural casing does.
A reasonable rule: collagen for your first few batches and for anything where consistency matters, natural hog for anything you want to taste traditional.
A Note on Hog Middles
Hog middles at 55–60mm are a specialist casing and worth understanding before you buy. They carry significantly more fat on the inside, which gives them a more pronounced smell, and they're considerably curvier than most people expect. They make an excellent ring bologna. They will not make a straight salami — for that, use the beef middle equivalent.
New to casings? Start with Sausage Casings 101, or browse all natural casings.
