How to stuff sausage without air pockets
Before you start
- Mix the meat with salt, cure, spices and cold water until tacky, then chill it again. Stuffing warms the mix, and warm fat smears.
- Rinse, soak and flush the casings (natural) or open the pack (collagen).
- Pick the largest horn the casing slides onto easily. As a rough guide, sheep casing takes a horn of about 10–13 mm, 32–35 mm hog casing about 16–20 mm.
- Wet the horn and slide the casing on, bunching it up until there's about 10 cm (4″) left hanging. Don't tie the end yet.
Stuffing
- Pack the stuffer tightly, pressing the mix down so there are no big air gaps in the barrel. Air in the barrel ends up in the sausage.
- Turn the handle until meat reaches the end of the horn, pushing the air out ahead of it. Then tie or knot the casing end.
- Hold the casing lightly on the horn with one hand and turn with the other, or have a second person turn. Your grip controls how full the casing gets: grip harder for a firmer fill.
- Coil the rope on a wet tray as it comes off. Stop with about 10 cm of empty casing left, and tie it off.
How full
A well-stuffed rope feels firm, like a ripe plum, and gives a little when squeezed. If it's rock hard, links will burst when you twist them or when they heat up. If it's floppy, the sausage will have wrinkles and gaps after cooking.
Linking
Measure your first link, about 6″ (15 cm), and pinch the casing at that point. Twist the link a few turns forwards. Pinch the next link and twist it backwards, so the links don't unwind. Linkulator's link settings work out how many links your batch makes and how much casing that takes.
For thick sausage or collagen casing, tying with butcher's string between links is more reliable than twisting.
Air pockets
Small bubbles happen. Prick them with a clean sausage pricker or a sterilised pin so the air escapes, and smooth the meat into the gap. Don't prick sausage that's about to be grilled; that lets the fat run out.
Rest the links uncovered in the fridge overnight. The casing dries and tightens, and the flavours even out before smoking.
FAQ
How full should you stuff sausage casings?
Firm but not tight, so the rope gives a little when squeezed. Overstuffed links burst when twisted or cooked.
How do I stop air pockets in sausage?
Pack the stuffer barrel tightly, push meat to the end of the horn before tying the casing, and prick any bubbles with a clean pin.
Should I rest sausages before smoking?
Yes. Leave them uncovered in the fridge overnight so the casings dry and take smoke well.
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Updated: 2026-10-21