Summer Sausage and Snack Stick Advice, Recipes, etc

[Adam S. Daugherty]

Santa brought me a masterbuilt smoker and a sausage stuffer.  Going to make some summer sausage and snack sticks out of deer meat.  I have made before in the oven using one of the packet of pre mix seasoning you can buy.  They tasted great but were ugly as I did not pack the casings tight enough and they came out a litte wrinkly.  Instead of baking in oven going to use smoker.  What is best seasoning out there to use?  Also what type of casings are best to use.  I would like the kind you can bite through and eat for the snack sticks, so I would assume they would have to be natural guts of something.  Where is best place to buy casings.  Just pass on any general info for a rookie summer sausage and snack stick maker that you think would be beneficial.  I have had some before that had cheese and jalapenos in them, what is the process for including things besides just the meat and seasoning.
Thanks in Advance.

[T Folts]

High mountain seasoning is very popular and the kits come with casings. I got a stuffer in November for my B-Day and love it. I use a gas smoker and have used high temp cheese in my last few batches. We have a meat/smoker supply store close to my home and give good advise. I bought some of the clear casings and used their spice
blends for brats and they turned out real good.
Good luck and have fun.

[bergie]

Go on line and look up THE SAUSAGE MAKER they are in NY there is a book by RYTEK KUTAS I have this book and it is great and they have all the supply's you will need. Hope this helps. Bergie

[Biathlonman]

I really like LEM kits.  Everything I've tried has been great.  Will be putting in a big order with them after the first of the year.

[PICKNGRIN]

High Mountain is good.  Another is Eldon's Sausage in Idaho.  His Sweet & Spicy stick seasoning is excellent!!  He has quite a few seasonings with no MSG also.

[ksbowman]

I perfer collagen casings as they are easier to work with. I have too many blow outs on gut casings for snack sticks and summer sausage.