CASINGS.
DESCRIPTION OF BEEF CASINGS -- ROUND CASINGS, HOW MADE -- SELECTION
OF ROUND CASINGS -- EXPORT CASINGS -- DOMESTIC ROUNDS -- BEEF MIDDLES
-- TURNING AND SLIMING -- INSPECTION AND MEASURING -- BEEF BUNGS --
BUNG GUT SKINS -- BEEF BLADDERS -- BEEF WEASANDS -- PACKAGES -- SALT
-- CLEANLINESS -- WATER TEMPERATURE -- MACHINES FOR CASINGS -- HOG
CASINGS -- SMALL CASINGS.
=Description of Beef Casings.=--Casing is a product made from the
intestines of cattle, sheep and hogs. They are saved when animals are
slaughtered in quantities sufficiently large to warrant the care and
attention required. This was one of the products which was wasted where
animals were slaughtered on a small scale. It is a product worthy of
careful attention to its production in order that it be in a good,
marketable condition.
Casings consist of round or small guts, middle or large intestines,
bungs, weasands and bladders, these being the names of casings obtained
from cattle. In the preparation of casings there are five essential
points to be considered:
_First._--Clear water and plenty of it.
_Second._--That they be handled promptly, otherwise they become
discolored and color in casings has much to do with their value.
_Third._--That too hot water is not used so as to injure them.
_Fourth._--That the pieces are long and the casings are put up free
from tearing or holes.
_Fifth._--Cleanliness and good workmanship.
=Round Casings.=--These are the small intestines and are taken from
the edge of the ruffle by cutting with a knife. The running, as this
work is termed, is skillful work and care has to be exercised to avoid
cutting. They should if possible be removed in two lengths. They are
then stripped free from contents, and the clinging fat removed either
by hand scraping or passing through a machine. It is essential that
_all_ the fat from the casing should be removed, as it is detrimental
if left on. After they have been “fatted” they are put into a vat of
water and “turned,” which process turns them wrong side out, exposing
the internal part of the intestine. They are then put through a
scraping-machine, which removes all the membrane. This operation is
sometimes done by hand. When this work is completed it is only the
muscular portion of the intestine that remains. After they are thus
finished they are inspected either by examination in passing through
the fingers or by air blowing, preferably the latter. The casings are
measured into sets of 108 to 110 feet, green length. A standard set
of rounds is supposed to measure 100 feet, but the larger measure is
allowed as in the salting and curing they shrink so that when measured,
cured, they will not exceed 100 feet. A set of rounds should not have
to exceed five holes, or consist of more than five pieces, the less the
number of either holes or pieces the more desirable.
After they are thus measured they are put in a salting box, where they
are shaken up by hand so as to make all the salt possible adhere to
them. They are then piled on an open truck or rack, so that all the
water possible will drain off. Remaining in this condition for a day
they are resalted and packed into tierces. It is necessary, in order to
get the quantity of casings in a tierce to use pressure and press them
tightly.
=Selection of Round Casings.=--Round casings are classified under
several headings, namely, export, wide, narrow and domestic.
=Export Casings.=--The export rounds are reasonably narrow and
absolutely free of knots. The knots referred to are those on the
intestines chiefly found in the entrails of native cattle, or cattle
that have been highly fed, and are objectionable to the foreign trade.
They are packed 200 sets per tierce.
[Illustration: FIG. 77.--FATTING MACHINE FOR CASINGS.]
=Domestic Rounds.=--These are for domestic trade. They are wider and
heavier than those exported. They are handled in the same manner,
packed from 150 to 170 sets to the tierce, the difference in the number
of the sets indicating that they are wider casings and not as carefully
selected.
=Beef Middles.=--After the ruffle has been pulled off the intestines,
the middles are pulled apart, leaving all the fat that will adhere
to them. The contents are washed by inserting a hose at the larger
end, partially filling the casing and pouring the contents into a
separate pipe leading to the catch basin. The workmen press the casing
rather than strip it, as the latter method strips the fat and causes
a considerable loss on account of fat carried to catch basin. The
contents of the intestine washed out, the gut then goes to the fatter,
who cuts off all the fat with a knife. It is very important to see that
no fat is left on the casing. Any fat which may be left on the casing
will detract from the appearance. It is usual after fatting, to scrape
the casing with a wood scraper so as to remove any clinging tissue and
fat.
=Turning and Sliming.=--The casing is now turned, fatted side in, and
when turned exposes the inner surface. This is hand or machine scraped
and must be perfectly clean, inspection being made to ascertain this
condition exists.
=Inspecting and Measuring.=--It is best to inspect middle casings by
air, at which time they are selected for wide and narrow standards,
especially in the larger works. They are measured 62 feet to the set,
allowance being made for shrinkage in salting, so that after they
have been salted they will measure 57 feet, this being the standard
commercial length per set. These are handled on the salting benches,
etc., the same as rounds. They are selected as follows: They must be
of prime quality, properly cleaned, slimed and salted, closely fatted,
free from holes, good color and smell, no piece to be less than three
feet in length, not more than one such piece in a set, and the thin end
of the gut must be cut off. They should be assorted in accordance with
requirements into--
Narrows Packed 140 sets to the tierce
Wides Packed 95 sets to the tierce
Regulars (which means the medium
casings) Packed 110 sets to the tierce
The salting and packing process is the same as described for round
casings.
=Beef Bungs.=--These are the larger intestines and have one blind or
closed end. They have an average length of four feet, but vary with
the cattle size. The opening, where the small intestine connects with
the large, should be in the center. The cleaning process is similar to
other casings, except the scraping is done by hand work, or using a
revolving washing machine.
Bungs, handled practically the same as the previously described
casings, to be of good quality, full length, properly cleaned, slimed,
salted and fatted, free from holes, reasonably free from scores and
cuts and of good color. The regular run of these casings should be
packed 400 pieces to the tierce, tied in bundles of five each.
=Bung Gut Skins.=--From the bung gut is often removed the membrane,
known as “bung gut skins.” These are used by gold beaters. They are
handled as follows: The bung gut skins should be started at the cap
end, being careful to remove the skin for about four to six inches from
the end of the cap, then remove same around the bung end, back of the
cap end first, and next take off toward the open end, after the bung is
skinned back as far as possible beyond the small intestine. The skins
are thin and difficult to remove; there is no difficulty experienced,
however, in getting them thirty inches or over in length. After the
skin is removed it is placed in ice water, and, when well chilled, is
salted thoroughly in the cap and outside. The object of putting the
skin in ice water is to facilitate handling.
After they are thoroughly salted they are hung over a bar covered with
a piece of burlap and allowed to hang for one or two days, until they
are thoroughly drained, or dried. When dry each skin is separately
handled, the loose salt shaken off, and examined for holes and fat and
ragged ends. Holes near the edge of the skins can be cut out without
materially injuring them. All fat on the edge and ragged ends should
be cut off. After the skins have passed this inspection they should be
spread full length and width on a table, one over the other, gathered
in bunches of fifty, tied in the center and packed in a tierce. Care
should be taken in handling the skins not to let them come in contact
with any iron as that will discolor them. Many casing men object to
removing the bung gut skins, believing that it injures the casing. If
they are handled carefully, however, the injury will not be more than
five per cent.
=Beef Bladders.=--Bladders should be cut with a long neck and after
they have been fatted should be blown up as large as possible and hung
in a dry room to dry. After they are blown and dried, the necks are cut
off and they are flattened out and packed in bundles of twelve each.
The first grade consists of bladders fourteen inches in length, with
or without necks. The second grade consists of bladders from eleven to
thirteen inches in length with the neck. The third grade consists of
bladders with or without necks, not under nine inches in length.
=Beef Weasands.=--After the meat has been removed from the outside the
weasand is turned wrong side out, washed, both ends tied, and blown
full of air. After they are blown with compressed air they are hung
in a dry room, which should have a temperature of 110° to 120° F.,
and left there until thoroughly dried. They are then taken out, the
ends cut off, the weasands put in bundles of twenty-five each, twenty
bundles tied together into a large bundle, five or ten of these large
bundles constituting a case. Regular weasands must be of prime quality,
properly dried, entirely free from worms, and at least twenty-four
inches long, allowing not over four pieces of shorter (same to be at
least eighteen inches long) to the bundle of twenty-five. Two of such
short ones will be counted as one full weasand.
Narrow weasands are those which, while being dried, have a weight
of about three pounds hung on the end, drawing them out as long as
possible, which has the tendency to make them narrow. These should
not be blown as full of air as those not drawn. After they are dried
they must be at least twenty-six inches long and from two to two and
one-half inches in width when flattened out. Other conditions same as
the regular weasands, except that they must be entirely free from skin
worms and skin-worm marks.
=Packages.=--The packages used for beef casings are usually soft
wood tierces, free from any stain such as occurs in an oak stave.
A second-hand glucose tierce is preferable. They should be cleaned
thoroughly before filling, by scraping free from any char, and then
well washed.
=Salt.=--The salt usually used is the “No. 1 Fine” grade of evaporated
salt. In first and second saltings the casings must be carefully
covered, particularly at the points where the bunch is tied.
=Cleanliness.=--It is difficult to properly describe the care necessary
in every stage to insure clean casings. Water from inland or murky
rivers should be settled of filtered to make clean, bright casings.
Every particle of fat or fibre to which any sediment or stain can
adhere makes a black spot upon the finished salted casings. There is
perhaps no department where such scrupulous care is needed.
=Water Temperature.=--Water used in cleaning casings should be about
90° F., in temperature, and kept uniformly so, until the casing has
been turned and slimed, when it should be submerged and kept in cool
water at a temperature of about 40° F., until passed to the salting
boxes.
=Machines for Casings.=--Beef casing machines equipped with rice-root
brushes are termed “fatting machines,” while those fitted with bristle
brushes are termed “sliming machines.”
To process middle guts by machine, they are passed twice through a
fatting machine, turned and passed three times through the sliming
machine.
To process round guts they are passed through the fatting and sliming
machines twice. To obtain the best results the brushes should run 1550
r. p. m. About three horse-power is required to operate a machine. Salt
in the sliming water is an advantage.
=Hog Casings.=--It is more difficult to describe the saving of hog
casings. The first item is the removing of the bung which should be
pulled carefully, and be as long as possible. The removal of the bung
without scoring, breaking or cutting is a part of the slaughtering work
and requires skillful knife work to accomplish it properly. As soon
as the bung gut is pulled it is stripped and trimmed carefully so as
to not destroy the crown. The clinging fat is removed and the bung is
then turned, after which they are classified and salted over night in
a pickle for the purpose of curing. The following day they are bundled
and packed in second-hand hardwood tierces. The grading is difficult to
describe since the standards vary slightly. They are usually classified
as No. 1, medium primes, and No. 2 quality.
The grading of hog bungs for export and medium primes require that they
shall be full crown, free from cuts and scores, pulled full length, and
when wind tested and blown to about the distention when stuffed, are
measured eighteen inches from the crown:
Exports 1¹⁵⁄₁₆ inches diameter and over
Medium Prime 1³⁄₄ inches diameter and over
No. 2 Less than 1³⁄₄ inches diameter
=Small Casings.=--The small casings are pulled from the set stripped
and soaked over night to allow a fermentation or decay of the slime
and muscle on the tissue. The length of time for the soaking and the
fermentation are controlled by the workman. Soaking too long or too
much heat rots the casing. Too little makes it difficult to properly
clean. Water test each gut. This is an advantage since it washes each
piece and locates all holes. At the same time the casings are selected
for width. After selecting and cleaning in this manner the casings are
put in bundles of equal size measured as to quantity. They are then
well salted and placed upon draining benches to cure. After a period of
from three to five days they are shaken free from salt, rubbed with new
finely ground salt and packed in hardwood barrels. These barrels should
be cloth lined after soaking several days, the water being changed
every forty-eight hours.
The salting process is the trick in the casing business. Casings are
usually sold on a free of salt basis, and are supposed to contain forty
per cent salt, this quantity being allowed. On shaking, at times, they
will show sixty per cent, therefore it behooves the buyer or seller to
be on guard.
Machines are used for passing the casing through for removal of muscle
and slime. In these, rapidly revolving knives or scrapers fitting
closely to a roller, perform the process. The casings after passing
through the machines are handled by hand, each piece being scraped
while on a board and any holes that may appear being cut out, as well
as ragged ends cut square.
The average yield in hog casings is usually one-quarter pound per hog.
It takes close attention to develop this quantity.