Grinding Sausage
 

Does anybody have any experience grinding sausage right into casings?
I have a 32 grinder and I season the meat then grind the first time with a chili plate then grind again with a sausage plate . If I put the stuffing tube on the grinder it grinds it up into a slime. I guess it is too hard to push the ground sausage through the stuffing tube and if just keeps grinding on it.
It would be a lot simpler if I could grind it right into casings and not have to crank the stuffer!

I tried using the grinder ONCE to grind and then stuff. That's why I only did it that one time. It was a major pain and mess. After that, I bought a separate stuffer. It makes process MUCH easier.
I'd recommend getting a stuffer.

Have to agree with BobBrisket.

Seems to me grinding and stuffing are two different parts of the process and best left that way. Plus mixing between the grinding and the stuffing helps with texture and distribution of spices. Also, I like to fry up a patty and get an idea of what the flavor is - it'll change a little after stuffing, smoking, etc. but I'll know whether or not I'm on the right track and can adjust seasoning if necessary.

Also, I highly recommend a vertical type stuffer:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...hlight=grinder

I originally bought one like this:

It was not very good. It didn't seal very good at the plunger plate and the interior walls of the tube.

I agree, grinding and stuffing are two different functions, let alone the mixing stage in between them.

The horn type stuffers are ok for small batches, but they do not work well for smaller sausages like snack sticks.

Like "Bob Brisket" said I also would recommend a vertical stuffer. You can get the Weston stuffer under the "Realtree" label with free shipping at Realtree 7 Lb Stuffer.

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I have an old stuffer that's probably been in the family 80 years. It still does a good job it is just hard to crank. My shoulders don't like turning the handle anymore!

chilidog,

Grinding and stuffing ARE separate functions. You can certainly use a grinder to stuff, HOWEVER, you need to use a spacer instead of a plate during stuffing.

See here:
http://www.sausagemaker.com/63285sta...32grinder.aspx

I have the Cabelas 11# stuffer and it works great. However, when I am making small (~5#) batches of sausage, I grind through plates and then switch to a spacer to stuff with the grinder.

David
The Swine Spectator

Thanks David! That's just what I was looking for. My wife and I make sausage every year usually 50 pounds or so and that crank can get hard to turn.

I got the Kitchener #12 meat grinder from Northern Tool. I have only used it once for grinding and stuffing and it actually worked quite well. I had my wife help me with the stuffing by feeding the meat into the hoppper while I managed the stuffing tube and casing.

I have a Cabelas 3/4 horsepower grinder. After we do the second grind and season the meat we use it as a stuffer and it works just fine. We also remove the grinder blade before stuffing the small and larger casings.