Sausage Casing Calculator
A 10 lb batch needs about 12.5 feet of 50 mm summer sausage casing — or 87 feet of 19 mm snack stick casing, because narrow casings hold far less per foot.
Casing is sold by the foot or in hanks, and the diameter changes the answer enormously. Set your batch and size below.
Casing needed by batch size
Feet of casing required, by diameter. Figures are exact — add your spare on top:
| Casing | 5 lb | 10 lb | 25 lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 mm Snack sticks | 44 ft | 87 ft | 218 ft |
| 21 mm Slim sticks | 35 ft | 71 ft | 177 ft |
| 23 mm Breakfast links | 29 ft | 59 ft | 147 ft |
| 32 mm Bratwurst | 15 ft | 31 ft | 77 ft |
| 36 mm Polish / Italian | 12.5 ft | 24 ft | 60 ft |
| 38 mm Ring bologna | 11 ft | 22 ft | 54 ft |
| 42 mm Ring bologna, large | 9 ft | 18 ft | 44 ft |
| 50 mm Summer sausage | 6 ft | 12.5 ft | 31 ft |
| 65 mm Summer sausage, large | 4 ft | 7 ft | 18 ft |
| 100 mm Large bologna | 2 ft | 3 ft | 8 ft |
How much each casing holds
The number that drives all of this is grams per foot. It rises steeply with diameter, because capacity goes with the square of the radius:
- 19 mm — ~52 g per foot. Snack sticks.
- 32 mm — ~148 g per foot. Bratwurst.
- 38 mm — ~210 g per foot. Ring bologna.
- 50 mm — ~363 g per foot. Summer sausage.
- 100 mm — ~1452 g per foot. Large bologna.
That spread is why snack sticks feel like they eat casing forever: a 19 mm casing holds barely a seventh of what a 50 mm one does over the same length.
Bottom line
Divide your batch weight in grams by the grams per foot for your casing, then add about 15%. A 10 lb batch is roughly 87 ft at 19 mm, 31 ft at 32 mm, 22 ft at 38 mm, or 12.5 ft at 50 mm. Working out your meat blend too? Try the venison fat calculator.
Common questions
How much casing do I need for 10 lbs of sausage?
It depends entirely on the diameter. For 10 lb of meat you need roughly 87 feet of 19 mm snack stick casing, 31 feet of 32 mm bratwurst casing, 22 feet of 38 mm ring bologna casing, or 12 feet of 50 mm summer sausage casing. Narrow casings hold very little per foot, which is why snack sticks eat so much casing.
How many pounds of sausage does a foot of casing hold?
A foot of 19 mm snack stick casing holds about 52 grams, roughly a tenth of a pound. A foot of 32 mm bratwurst casing holds about 148 grams. A foot of 50 mm summer sausage casing holds about 363 grams, or a little over three quarters of a pound. Larger diameters hold dramatically more per foot.
What size casing for snack sticks?
19 mm or 21 mm. 19 mm is the standard snack stick size and holds about 52 grams per foot, so a 10 lb batch needs around 87 feet. 21 mm gives a slightly thicker stick at about 64 grams per foot.
What size casing for summer sausage?
50 mm for standard summer sausage, holding about 363 grams per foot, or 65 mm for a larger diameter at about 614 grams per foot. A 10 lb batch needs roughly 12 feet of 50 mm casing.
Should I buy extra casing?
Yes, about 15% more than the calculation says. Casings tear, the first foot or two off a hank often gets wasted while you find your rhythm, and running out mid stuff with a bowl of ground meat waiting is a genuinely bad afternoon. The calculator shows both the exact figure and the figure with spare.
Why does my sausage come out with air pockets?
Usually the casing was not packed tightly enough, or air was trapped when the meat went into the stuffer. Pack the stuffer firmly to push air out before you start, keep steady pressure so the casing fills evenly, and prick any visible pockets before smoking.
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