As a Papa Tom traveling Sausage Class graduate, I'll chime in some.
First, be OCD about cleanliness. I use a bleach mixture over all the counters before starting, and try to work quick, especially for fresh sausages with no nitrites.
To get the most even texture, grind your meat partially frozen so the blades will cut rather than tear and your chunk size will be consistent. I cut my meat to grinder size, about an inch by inch with length not important, partially freeze, grind into the mixer, add the salt/spices, mix until sticky, add ice water or wine as appropriate to get a stuff-able consistency (too thick is hard to push out of a stuffer), and proceed. Fry up a bit before stuffing to see if you need more of anything.
Collagen casings are certainly easier to prep than hosing out natural casings. They have an "angled' accordion to them, and I find them easier to control with the "arrowhead" or inner part pointed towards the stuffer. They need a finger pinch where they will be linked off because they won't stretch like naturals when you link them, they can tear. Some have luck twisting, I don't, so I tie.
Collagen will let smoke into the meat. I use natural mostly, but after the smoke and cool you can remove the collagen casings if you decide you don't like the texture. If you mix your sausage long enough for it to get sticky/clingy (see Bentley's mixer pix) (the salt helps extract the proteins that give the sausage its sticky texture and make it hold together), it should remain solid after casing removal. Hot dogs are made this way and that's why they're so "shiny". I've sometimes had the collagen casings want to stick and I don't know why so can't tell how to prevent it. It may be a lack of fat that lubricates.
The Hermann Wurst House master sausage maker (Hermann MO--try his stuff if you get the chance to go by there) told me that to get the snap the natural casings need to be dry, so they need to hang or be turned to get dry all over before smoking. This is why we use nitrite, so bad bugs don't grow during this time. Then after smoking, the ice water plunge will quickly cool it all and help the snap. This also takes the sausage down below the bug growth zone quickly so you can refrigerate/freeze.
Recipes: Len Poli has an extensive list of them so google Len Poli (removed the link, don't want anybody mad).
Anyone near Denton, TX is welcome to borrow equipment to try. I have a LEM grinder, stuffers, mixer etc. Not doing it nearly as much as I did in my younger years, but it still makes for a satisfying day.
Dan
