Casing Guide
Summer sausage has to stand up to stuffing pressure, a long smoke, and cooking while developing rich color. This guide compares fibrous, collagen, and natural casings so you can choose the right one for your summer sausage.
For most summer sausage, the best choice is a fibrous casing. Fibrous casings are the standard for summer sausage because they are strong, hold their shape through a long smoke and cook, and let smoke through for deep, even color. They are available in clear, mahogany, and red, in sizes from small stick diameters up to large deli formats, and in formats for both manual and automatic production.
If you prefer a peel-off casing with a traditional look, choose large caliber collagen. If you want a natural casing, beef middles and rounds are the traditional choice for large and ring-style summer sausage. The sections below explain how to decide.
| Casing | Edible? | Size range | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fibrous | No, removed before eating | 38+ sizes, small stick diameters to large deli formats | Beef summer sausage, venison summer sausage, all sizes, and Lebanon bologna and cervelat | Strong and dimensionally stable. Clear, mahogany, and red. Protein coated, regular, and peelable grades |
| Large caliber collagen | No, peeled off | 35 to 134 mm | Summer sausage, cooked and smoked sausages, long maturation sausages | Seamless, traditional appearance and good meat cling. Shirred, cut pieces, or reels |
| Natural beef middles | Yes | Typically 50 to 65+ mm | Large summer sausage and Lebanon bologna | Traditional natural look. Soak before stuffing |
| Natural beef rounds | Yes | Typically 36 to 46+ mm | Ring summer sausage and ring bologna | Natural curve and traditional appearance |
The sizes and pairings above are common industry choices, not strict rules. Call 201-939-3335 to confirm availability for your size.
Summer sausage is stuffed, held, smoked, and cooked, so the casing has to stay strong under stuffing pressure and stable under heat while letting smoke reach the meat.
💡 Pre colored mahogany fibrous gives consistent exterior color even when smoke penetration is incomplete, which can help when smokehouse humidity varies.
Fibrous casings come in three grades that control how firmly the casing adheres to the finished sausage.
Call 201-939-3335 to confirm grade availability for your size and color.
Choose the format that fits your equipment: cut pieces for manual stuffing, shirred sticks for automatic lines, clip and loop casings that are pre clipped on one end with a hanging loop and ready for the smokehouse, string tied casings for traditional and artisan production, or reels for lines that cut and clip in house.
Size the casing by your finished stuffing diameter, not only the dry diameter or size code. Our fibrous casing sizing guide explains caliber, stuffing diameter, and yield, and our specialists will help you match a size to your product through a free sizing consultation.
Smokehouse results depend on the casing and the schedule. Read our smokehouse casings guide for permeability, a recommended schedule for fibrous casings, and how to avoid wrinkled casings. If casings are splitting during stuffing or cooking, see why casings burst for eight common causes and fixes.
Fibrous casings work for venison summer sausage in all sizes. We offer casings, custom printing such as "Venison Sausage" and "Not For Sale", and packaging sized for a hunter's batch. See our hunter and venison casings page.
Finished summer sausage is commonly packed in shrink bags or vacuum pouches to protect freshness and presentation. Globe Casings supplies casings, printing, clips, and packaging together. Request a free quote or call 201-939-3335.
Contact Globe Casings Inc. for pricing, availability, and expert guidance.
Need a shipping estimate? Try our UPS shipping cost calculator
Family owned since 1952 · No minimum order on standard products · Fast nationwide shipping