Sausage Making

[cayenne]

Also get a piston stuffer

About ready to begin my sausage making journey - hope to make small batches (10 pounds or so) every month or so

In the market for grinder and stuffer -

Anyone have any suggestions as to what i should consider buying - make, strength of stuffer (.5, .75 or 1 HP) and size of stuffer (5, 10 or 15 pounds)

Thank you in advance for any suggestions

I bought a LEM grinder, I think mine is about 3/4 a HP...and it has worked gangbusters for a number of years.

This is their main site: https://www.lemproducts.com/category/butcher-meat-grinders


I'd looked at Academy Sports and other places and most all grinders I found at normal retail places just seemed weak and flimsy.

Years back, I pretty much broke a Kitchen Aid standup mixer with its "meat grinding" attachments.

I wanted all metal...heavy duty.

The LEM stuff is not cheap, but like with a lot of things...I tend to research, see what is at the top I can afford....save money.....and then "buy once, cry once".

One other thing I'd HIGHLY advise.

Buy a piston crank stuffer!! Do not try to stuff your sausage coming out of the grinder.
Sure, it can be done, but what a PITA.

I did that for years, but once I get my piston stuffer....you grind , mix, etc . Then just throw it in the stuffer, put on your casings and crank away.

With a good grinder AND separate piston stuffer, you can do a large batch in a matter of minutes rather than a couple hours....

I'm not near my kitchen, so I don't know the size of my stuffer, or if my grinder is .5 or .75 HP....but I know it is not lower than .5.

Right now, I'm about to get ready to start making sausage again....I've been watching the CHUD YouTube channel on this and am liking his videos on seasoning ratios.....and am going to start back using his salt, pink salt, and seasoning ratios.

I used to find my largest problem when I did sausage before was....having enough FAT in the sausage.

I can buy plenty of Butt Roasts....but I dunno how to lay my hands on just pork fat to add to it....

HTH,

cayenne

 

[cayenne]

Mixer...

Fantastic thread! I'm in the same boat. I picked up a used 20lb LEM meat mixer on Marketplace for $20 earlier this summer. That has lead me into slowly putting together a few things for making sausage. I'm currently in the works of restoring a 1.5 HP #22 meat grinder. I'm also on the look out for a dedicated stuffer somewhere around 20lb mark. It's been fun hunting down Craigslist/Marketplace items for making sausage so far. Someday I may need to actually figure out what I'm doing once I acquire the tools needed!

After watching YT lately, a meat mixer is on my brain.

How do those work...do they hook onto your LEM meat grinder and use that as the motor, or are they with their own motor?

C

 

[dward51]

I started making sausage back around 2006. First grinder was the Northern Tool Kitchener #12 and the Northern Tool 5lb stuffer (with the nylon gears). Still have them both, but over the years upgrades have been made. FYI, I never had an issue with the nylon gears on my stuffer, just go easy on thin diameter casing snack sticks.

I have upgraded to the 3/4hp LEM Big Bite #12 grinder. It's super quiet compared to the Kitchener, and a workhorse. I can't see ever needing a bigger grinder for me at least. Still using the 5lb Kitchener stuffer, but I'm really thinking about buying the 10lb electric LEM Big Bite stuffer that just came out. But starting out, a manual stuffer is a lot less expensive. I also have a 25lb meat mixer, and almost all the accessories for the #12 Big Bite grinder (juicer, burger maker, snack stick extruder, etc...). Those accessories will also fit the electric stuffers.

If you can find a used but in good shape Kitchener #12 grinder and one of the old frame type 5lb stuffers at a good price, that is a great way to get into the hobby. Just be prepared to be addicted!!!!

 

[TheHojo]

Check out https://waltons.com/

Since finding them, I bascially get most everything through them...seasonings, casings, equipment. Great company with unbelievable customer service.

After spending about a week researching - I pulled the trigger on the Walton equipment - family owned, good reviews and enjoyed their videos

Went with the .75 HP grinder - with the dual grind attachment - and a foot petal. Went back and forth between their 7 lb stuffer with the high and low gears - and the LEM 11 pound electric stuffer - in the end I went old school and chose the Walton - figured if I was going to learn making small batches I wanted to do so with a manual stuffer. My initial plan is to make small 5-10 pound batches once a month or so - should i really enjoy and increase my production, I will consider an electric stuffer in the future

Thank you to all for the suggestions - very helpful - hope to make my first batch over New Years weekend

Next question - best way to run a low smoky fire in the 120-150 range - initial plan is to smoke them in my Direct Heat Cooker (can add the deflector plates if necessary) using the hanging system I had built for it. Going to be adding cure to the majority of the sausages i make so that I can “cold” smoke them first the first few hours until they hit 150 or so, then into a water bath, and then vacuum seal them for family and friends

 

[K.W.]

Here's a good thread Breakfast Sausage from a few years back if you wanted to get started with a pan sausage recipe (post #10).

 

[4ever3]

Waltons, I like the story behind them, I gott check them out.

Give us your first impressions when you get your items Ted.

 

[TheHojo]

Waltons, I like the story behind them, I gott check them out.

Give us your first impressions when you get your items Ted.

Ordered Friday around 4 pm - equipment was delivered Saturday by noon - amazing

Grinder, foot petal, stuffer, digital scale - probably unbox next weekend

 

[4ever3]

That’s unreal!

Looking forward to your thoughts!

 

[Robert]

Anybody care to talk about mixers? Why you like them? Why you don't? I have a cajun friend that makes 80-100 pounds of andouille each year with some friends. He tells me the hand mixing portion of the process is brutal due to the temp of the meat. Says his hands turn blue and the pain goes all the way to the shoulders.


Mixers? Good, bad or indifferent? Yes, no, maybe, probably not? Asking for a friend.


Thanks,


Robert

 

[TheHojo]

I am just going to start out with 5-10 pound batches - for me, it was just another piece of equipment I would have to clean - so I decided easier to just do by hand

 

[Clasko2]

So glad to hear you went with Walton's. They really stand behind their products and I've never been disappointed with anything. I had a co-worker bring me 10lbs of ground vension from his latest deer hunt and this next weekend, I'm going to turn it into jerky and snack sticks for him!

If you get a chance, check out https://meatgistics.waltons.com/ It's a community site where members share knowledge and I have found it invaluable in my sausage making journey. Great group of people who are more then willing to share all their knowledge.

Good luck in your journey and can't wait to hear about and see the results!

Lasko

 

[K.W.]

Anybody care to talk about mixers? Why you like them? Why you don't? …

I have a 20# hand crank mixer but only used it a couple of times. Most of my batches are on the smaller size (40# or less) these days and I feel like the mixer is just one more thing to deal with. If it was motor driven I would use it. I certainly understand the cold hands part of it.

 

[Kevin James]

Congrats on your purchase Ted! It's a fun but very addictive hobby for sure!

 

[SmokeOCD]

Mixers? Good, bad or indifferent? Yes, no, maybe, probably not? Asking for a friend.

Thanks,

Robert

Absolutely YES. So much easier, no frostbite and it's actually pretty easy to clean up. It's just a big tub with a paddle/auger in it. I've got the 25# no tilt LEM that attaches to the #8 Big Byte. I've only had the mixer a couple years, so I've done plenty mixing by hand. It's all pretty easy to clean so long as you don't take too long of a break from using it - to cleaning it.

 

[Tbro]

I went all in when I started, 20lb stuffer, 44lb mixer. What a hassle cleaning, and storing, so I sold these two, kept my grinder. Now I have a 5lb stuffer, and I mix by hand.

 

[snadamo]

Absolutely YES. So much easier, no frostbite and it's actually pretty easy to clean up. It's just a big tub with a paddle/auger in it. I've got the 25# no tilt LEM that attaches to the #8 Big Byte. I've only had the mixer a couple years, so I've done plenty mixing by hand. It's all pretty easy to clean so long as you don't take too long of a break from using it - to cleaning it.

I am also on the fence with getting a mixer. I have done it all by hand for now (5-10lb batches). Not sure if the juice is worth the squeeze...especially since we have a kitchen aid and a paddle attachment. Am going to try the kitchen aid when I hopefully make salami this weekend.

 

[Flatbroke]

After watching YT lately, a meat mixer is on my brain.

How do those work...do they hook onto your LEM meat grinder and use that as the motor, or are they with their own motor?

C

I have one that hooks to my 1 hp Grinder, its a hassle for me to clean .

 

[4ever3]

I am also on the fence with getting a mixer. I have done it all by hand for now (5-10lb batches). Not sure if the juice is worth the squeeze...especially since we have a kitchen aid and a paddle attachment. Am going to try the kitchen aid when I hopefully make salami this weekend.

NOW yer thinkin!

We have a KA and the grinder attachment, so I was looking at stuffers and a mixer, if the paddle works good enough to get started you just saved me money! Let us know how it works out!

 

[lzbcook]

what about the dough hook? Asking for a friend.

 

[Clasko2]

Anybody care to talk about mixers? Why you like them? Why you don't?

I have a 20lb hand mixer. It doesn't work well with batches <10lbs so I mix those by hand. >10lbs it works great and I save my hands from getting crazy cold trying to get the level of protein extraction needed for snack sticks, etc. It's small enough and comes apart easily enough that I can get the tub into my sink and clean it pretty easily.

When...not if and when the wife isn't looking...I start making batches bigger than 20lbs, I'd definitely look into getting a 50lb mixer I could hook up to my grinder.

PS I got my 20lbs mixer on sale and it was maybe $120 from what I remember.