Making uniform sausage links

[Sailor1]

Was reading another thread about making sausage links and Sparky asked how does one get them the same size.  Thought it would make a good thread to see how all the sausage makers link their sausage. 

I made a small jig out of a piece of wood trim that I had laying around.  Got a dowel and drilled holes for the dowels.  I move the dowels to the size that I am making.  The 1st link I twist off then line up the end to the end peg and press against the other peg and sausage to give a seam.  Then move the link down and put the freshly made seam on the other peg and squeeze to make sure the seam is still there and then press the rope against the other peg and then twist the link.  I don't have to twist one way then the other way because I get a link in between the link I am twisting and it twists the end of the previous link.  Not sure if you are following what I am trying to say but it works great.  My links are all uniform.  The links that I make are about 1/3 pound.  The holes have become worn and I need to make another one so the pegs are tighter.  I made my holes for 1/4 and 1/3 pound links.

Going to be making several loads of sausage this weekend and will try to get a photo of the process and post this weekend.

Photo of the homemade jig


Devo posted a photo of how he measures his link so I am posting it to add to the thread.

Sparky
Wish I could say its because of years of experience but it's not. This is my sausage, snack stick meat cutting board. Decide how big you want them and the rest is simple.

[CDN Smoker]

Someday I will be making sausage so I book marked this ;

Thanks for posting

[smokendevo]

Good post, it should help us all.

Here is a different way of linking your sausage if you like something different.

Wooden Pick Method of Tying Sausages
When the war ended in Poland in 1945 there was no butcher’s twine available but people were making sausages all the same. A very simple and quite ingenious method of tying sausage casings was invented and people still use it today. The method had one big advantage over butcher’s twine: all that was needed was a knife and a tree branch to make a few wooden picks. The round wooden picks that are used for holding meats on sandwiches will be a perfect material. This method is not suitable when poaching sausages in water as they move around and the picks might puncture the casings.

Although the drawings might look confusing the method is very easy and fast. Practice with wooden toothpicks and a
plastic bag for a minute and you will see how easy it is. You can make more than one rotation with a pick and the knot will be even stronger.

[TentHunteR]

I do something similar to Devo. I have a white plastic table cloth I use that I've marked for measuring various sized sausage links.  The table cloth also helps to keep the mess to a minimum.

[sliding_billy]

Nobody said there was going to be math.

[Saber 4]

I've been using the burner ring on my glass top stove as a gauge for mine, I just pinch at each side of the burner ring. When I get my sausage/smoker building converted I think I'll have to rig up a cutting board like smokendevo has, I'll probably start in the middle of the board and work my way out with each different size I want and use different colored stripes for each length.