How to Use a Sausage Filler: Step by Step Guide
By the Claasens team, makers of South African sausage fillers since 1955.
A sausage filler is one of those machines that is much easier to use than it looks. Once you have done it twice, you wonder why you ever paid retail for wors. But the first time can be intimidating. Casings tear. Air pockets appear from nowhere. The wors comes out skinny on one side and bloated on the other. This guide walks you through the whole process, slowly enough that the first batch goes well.
If you are here for the boerewors recipe, see our boerewors guide. This article is about the machine and how to drive it.
What you need on the bench
- A sausage filler, leverage or geared.
- A funnel set with the right diameter for your casing.
- Soaked, rinsed sausage casings (sheep, hog, or collagen).
- Cold, spiced mince, ready to fill.
- A flat tray to coil the finished wors onto.
- A bowl of cool water to keep the casings wet as you work.
Pick the right funnel
The funnel diameter must match the casing. A funnel that is too big will tear the casing as it slides on. A funnel that is too small will leave the casing loose on the funnel and air will get in.
| Casing type | Casing size | Funnel |
|---|---|---|
| Sheep (thin boerewors) | 22 to 24 mm | 12 mm or 13 mm |
| Sheep (standard boerewors) | 26 to 28 mm | 16 mm |
| Hog (thick wors) | 32 to 38 mm | 19 mm or 20 mm |
| Collagen (uniform retail wors) | Various | Match to package size |
Our PVC funnel set covers 12, 16, and 20 mm in one box. For stainless funnels in 13 mm and 19 mm see the o13 mm and o19 mm options.
Prepare the casing
Natural casings come packed in salt. They need to be rehydrated and rinsed before you use them.
- Soak. Drop the casing bundle in a bowl of cool water for at least one hour. Two is better.
- Rinse outside. Run cool water over the casings to remove surface salt.
- Rinse inside. Slip the open end of each casing over the kitchen tap and run cool water through. The casing will balloon up like a wet sock. Let the water flow through and out the other end. This is the step most home batches skip and the reason most homemade wors tastes too salty.
- Keep wet. Drop the rinsed casings back into the cool water until you are ready to use them. A dry casing tears.
Step by step. Filling the wors
1. Slide the casing onto the funnel
Bunch the casing onto the funnel like you are pulling on a sleeve. The closed end (the bottom of the casing) should hang off the end of the funnel. The open end stays at the back, gathered against the filler. A 3 metre casing will gather to about 15 cm of bunched material on the funnel.
2. Tie the end
Once the casing is loaded, tie a single knot in the hanging end. This is what stops the wors mince shooting out instead of filling the casing. Tie it close to the end, not deep up the casing, or you will waste casing.
3. Load the cylinder
Take handfuls of cold, spiced mince and press them firmly into the filler cylinder. Press out air as you go. Air pockets are where bursts come from. A well packed cylinder feels solid to the touch.
Tip. Keep the mince and the cylinder cold. Warm mince smears, which fills unevenly and stretches the casing. We chill the cylinder in the freezer for 20 minutes before loading.
4. Start the filler
Crank or lever slowly until you see the casing at the end of the funnel start to fill. Stop. Press out any air bubbles at the tied end with your fingers. Then continue.
5. Guide the casing off the funnel
As the casing fills, it slides off the funnel naturally. Use your other hand to support the casing and feed it onto the tray. Do not pull on the casing. Pulling stretches it and the wors comes out skinny. Let the filler push the casing off at its own pace.
6. Watch the thickness
The wors should be plump but not stretched. You want the casing tight enough to hold shape but loose enough that you can flex the wors gently without it bursting. A good test is to lift a finished section. If it has a slight droop and a soft skin, the fill is right. If it is rigid as a sausage roll, it is overfilled.
7. Coil or link
For boerewors coils, just keep filling and lay the wors in a spiral on the tray. For links, pinch every 15 to 20 cm and twist alternately right and left. Three to four full turns per twist. This is what stops the links unwinding when you separate them.
8. Tie off and hang
When you reach the end of the casing, tie a knot in the open end. Hang the finished wors on a rack in the fridge uncovered for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. The flavour deepens and the casing dries to the right texture.
Common problems and fixes
The wors keeps bursting
Three causes. Overfilling, air pockets, or a casing that was not rinsed properly. Fill less tightly. Pack the cylinder more firmly. Rinse the casings inside and out before use.
The casing is sliding off the funnel before I am ready
You need a smaller funnel. The casing diameter should be a snug fit on the funnel. If the casing balloons up loose, switch down a size.
The mince keeps tearing the casing
The casing is too dry. Keep it submerged in cool water while you work, and put a drop of water on the funnel before you load each casing. The water acts as a lubricant.
One section is fat, the next is skinny
You stopped and started cranking too suddenly. Crank steadily. Let the wors come off the funnel at its own pace. If you need to stop, ease the lever back rather than releasing it.
The wors looks pale and dry on the outside
The casing was not properly soaked. Pale, papery casings have not absorbed enough water. Soak for longer next batch.
FAQ
Do I need a sausage filler to make boerewors?
For any amount worth eating, yes. You can make small batches with a piping bag, but the result is uneven and slow. A proper filler does a household batch in 15 minutes.
What is the difference between a leverage and a geared sausage filler?
A leverage filler uses a long lever to drive the piston. Simple, fast for small batches. A geared filler uses a hand crank with internal gears, which gives mechanical advantage. Easier on the arms for larger batches.
Can I fill from frozen mince?
No. The mince must be soft enough to flow through the filler. Thaw the mince in the fridge first.
How long does it take to fill a 5 kg batch?
With a leverage filler and a clean run, around 15 to 20 minutes. With a geared filler, around 10 to 15 minutes.
How do I clean the filler after use?
Disassemble the cylinder, funnel, and piston. Rinse under hot water immediately. A scrub with a soft brush and washing up liquid. Dry completely before storing to prevent corrosion.
Can I use a sausage filler for other things?
Yes, occasionally. Some people use it for filling pasta tubes, dressing kitchen wrap rolls, or large cake icing jobs. For its main job, it is meat.
About Claasens
The Claasens family has been making sausage fillers in South Africa since 1955. Both our leverage and geared fillers have been refined over decades of feedback from home butchers, farmers, and small butcheries. If you have a question that is not answered above, our workshop is a phone call away.