Smoked sausage

[Jlreif]

Hey there
I’m smoking garlic sausage and end up with very tough casing
Any ideas on how to avoid?
I smoke at 160 for about 2 hours then finish at 225 till sausage temp is 160.

 

[Slimpicker]

Some casings are tougher than others no matter how you cook them.
Not necessarily a Traeger issue but Traegers do "skin" over meats due to the fan convection.
The venison sausage I got from my guy recently has the tougher casing, I don't mind it. I will probably use most of it to make patties or add to chili, etc. anyway.

 

[traeger860]

Try scoring the casing a little once the inside firms up a bit.

 

[RustyJake]

Casing quality does play into it. So always get the best grade casing you can.
Make sure you fill the casing when you stuff it. That fine line between breaking and full. But having the casing full will help. Once filled, you should prick small holes in the casing using a sausage pricker. After you have stuffed the casing, dry the sausage. Either with a fan or in the fridge. I usually let mine sit in the fridge overnight. You can also put them in a smoker for an hour with no heat, just a fan on to dry them.
Try staging your heat a bit more. Don't jump from 160 to 225. Bump it up to 170-180 for an hour and get it up to your cook temperature.
Once cooked, immerse them in an ice bath right away. Leave them there until they cool. Put them in the fridge overnight.
This should help with giving the casing the 'snap' when they are done.