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View Full Version : Meat Grinder/Sausage Stuffer - What is your setup?


SlowSmoked
10-27-2014, 09:29 PM
I want to start making my own sausage and am looking to get some equipment for Christmas. Anyone have any recs? thx

jsperk
10-27-2014, 09:32 PM
I use my kitchen aid grinder and I have the Dakotah stuffer. It's awesome.
http://www.meatprocessingproducts.com/dks-240.html

Trailer Trash
10-27-2014, 09:35 PM
Well, that's a question that needs some help. How much sausage do you want to make at one setting and how often could you see yourself making sausage each year? Are you a hunter and what quantities of meat do you bring home. Is anyone going to help you?

It's a great hobby and it can be very rewarding especially if you add it to your BBQ'n.

FiremanVinny
10-27-2014, 09:38 PM
I have a LEM and it works great.

ckelly
10-27-2014, 09:46 PM
I use the grinder attachment for a Kitchen Aid.
I think I also have a stuffer attachment, but I don't make much.
More just to grind up my trim into burger meat or ground pork.

slow-smoker
10-27-2014, 11:13 PM
I use an LEM grinder and stuffer. Gets the job done fast. I used to use an attachment on my Kitchenaid mixer, but that was frustratingly slow.

http://qtr-note.smugmug.com/Food/Food-Shots/i-j42VbDd/0/L/IMG_2233%2520-%2520Version%25203-L.jpg

ironmanerik
10-28-2014, 01:25 AM
This thing will eat up a butt in just a couple minutes.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200451267_200451267
I use a vertical stuffer.
I am just getting started, for less than a 200$ investment I can easily make 10 lbs of sausage by myself.

ButtBurner
10-28-2014, 05:26 AM
This thing will eat up a butt in just a couple minutes.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200451267_200451267
I use a vertical stuffer.
I am just getting started, for less than a 200$ investment I can easily make 10 lbs of sausage by myself.

those are nice grinders for the money.

I have a LEM #5 plus a 5 lb Grizzly stuffer

IamMadMan
10-28-2014, 05:52 AM
Well you need to determine just how in depth you wish to get into sausage making.

If you are only making a pound or two of basic sausage at a time you can get by with a cheap grinder or grinding attachment coupled with a stuffing attachment or a horn stuffer.

While these can be difficult when making large batches they will work for occasional use for small batches without breaking the bank.

If you plan on making a lot of sausage and different types on a regular basis, I would suggest that invest buy a good heavy duty grinder (at least 1/2 hp) with a wide variety of grinding plates available for it. Weston and LEM make great entry level heavy duty / commercial grinders. The important thing to remember is that make sure the grinder itself is made of stainless steel for easy clean-up and sanitation. These not only make the task easier, but they save a lot of time and frustration.

If you are making more than a few pounds of sausage, a gear driven sausage stuffer will make your life so much easier. Again make sure you get stainless for easy clean-up and sanitation. Again these save a lot of time and make the job so much easier.

You don't need the biggest and best, but practicality in selection is a must for your level of use.

Other things needed are buss pans, Large cutting board, a good set of boning knives (semi-flexible and stiff), a good utility knife, and a cut resistant glove designed for butchering. A good book like Stanley Marianski's "Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages". This book coves not only a wide variety of sausages, but also cover curing many different meats as well. It is a combination of two different books combined into one.

Most of all make sure you read and understand about the proper use of cures in sausages/meats to avoid any illnesses from using too little or too much.

MEAT GRINDERS (links below)
Sausage Maker (http://www.sausagemaker.com/meatgrinders.aspx)
LEM Products (http://www.sausagemaker.com/sausagestuffers.aspx)
Weston (http://www.westonsupply.com/Weston-Commercial-Meat-Grinders-p/commercial grinders.htm)

SAUSAGE STUFFERS (links below)
Sausage Maker (http://www.sausagemaker.com/sausagestuffers.aspx)
LEM Products (http://www.lemproducts.com/category/sausage-stuffers)
Weston (http://www.westonsupply.com/Sausage-Stuffers-s/97.htm)


.

Smoke Dawg
10-28-2014, 05:59 AM
Yes - Like above ^^^^^

We have a LEM grinder and Weston stuffer. Went with a 3/4 HP so we could attach the mixer to it also. It works well and we dont have to wait on the grinder

sam3
10-28-2014, 06:13 AM
This is my set up.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/sam3_album/008.jpg

11lb LEM Vertical Stuffer and a LEM #22 grinder. 16lb water stuffer on the bottom rack.
The stainless table is from Sam's Club.

Like mentioned above, it all depends on how much you want to make.
I make sausage, snack sticks, salami, etc often. Usually twice a month this stuff is being used.
So I went with equipment that will last me many years.

Wickedcajun
10-28-2014, 07:00 AM
Great advice from all above^^^ as usual...
My set up includes the 3/4hp cabelas grinder, patty maker, foot pedal switch... And a 15lb LEM vertical stuffer... Works well for what I like to do...

rtg
10-28-2014, 07:03 AM
+1 on LEM they are affordable and make good products..

joemat
10-28-2014, 08:52 AM
LEM #12 grinder with LEM 5 lb stainless stuffer. Works very well.

Haveuseen1?
10-28-2014, 09:00 AM
I have the Lem #8 Big Bite Grinder and a 15# vertical stuffer. Never had an issue with either of them. I have a few sausage recipes that I make the seasoning, although for the vast majority of them, I buy AC Legg seasoning and love it.

Cat797
10-28-2014, 09:13 AM
As an initial investment, if you aren't doing too much, you can get by for about $300. You definitely want a separate stuffer.

Several times a year I make sausage, including brats, kielbasa, snack sticks, and I've also made hamburgers, breakfast sausage, and chicken patties.

I have the 575 watt LEM #8 machine (around $100) with some additional grinding plates. I purchased the LEM 5lb. stuffer with metal gears and metal stuffing horns. This setup works good for up to about 10-15 pounds of sausage at a time. I would say any more than that and you would want to get a bigger stuffer (it gets to be a PITA reloading and gets messy quick). I think my grinder is absolutely fine unless you are making big batches, or you are a hunter and grinding up a whole animal.

As a hobbyist, I think this setup is ideal, and there are similar options from Cabela's and Northern Tool......

Good Luck, the bug will soon get ya'.

Ed

oifmarine2003
10-28-2014, 09:31 AM
Here is what we use at my parents place when we butcher. The stuffer is a homemade water powered stuffer that holds 25# at a time. That sucker is FAST.

http://i1363.photobucket.com/albums/r711/oifmarine2003/photo45_zps37526e61.jpg (http://s1363.photobucket.com/user/oifmarine2003/media/photo45_zps37526e61.jpg.html)

Here is the new grinder we just got. It is a 1 HP beast. We ran 120# of meat through it this past weekend and it didn't strain a bit. Grinds as fast as you can put it in! Its says it does 21#/min. I would agree with that.

http://www.waltonsinc.com/p-4279-pro-cut-22-meat-grinder-1hp-110v-1ph.aspx

http://i1363.photobucket.com/albums/r711/oifmarine2003/IMG_2715_zps79bcea1a.jpg (http://s1363.photobucket.com/user/oifmarine2003/media/IMG_2715_zps79bcea1a.jpg.html)

EDIT: Sorry for the sideways picture. It shows it correct on photobucket when I post it. Weird. Oh well, turn your head. :-P

Sean "Puffy" Coals
10-28-2014, 09:50 AM
Two years ago my wife got me a cheap-o grinder/stuffer off of amazon for like $60. It works ok, it's loud as hell, and jams up sometimes but I only use it a couple times a year, so it works for me. It's good little entry level counter-top machine.

I couldn't bear the thought of spending hundreds of dollars on a setup for something I use so little.

toddrod
10-28-2014, 01:23 PM
Cabelas #12, 3/4 hp grinder with the generic 15lb stainless stuffer I bought from Northern tool

kwas68
10-28-2014, 02:16 PM
I only stuff once or twice a year. I use a Kitchenaid grinder and a vertical Grizzly stuffer.

I used to use the Kitchenaid stuffer attachment. It worked but it was a PITA. Even if you are only going to do this once or twice a year, the vertical stuffer is worth the investment. I'm happy with the Grizzly.

Trailer Trash
10-28-2014, 04:27 PM
I use an LEM grinder and stuffer. Gets the job done fast. I used to use an attachment on my Kitchenaid mixer, but that was frustratingly slow.

http://qtr-note.smugmug.com/Food/Food-Shots/i-j42VbDd/0/L/IMG_2233%2520-%2520Version%25203-L.jpg


This is a nice setup that "Slow-Smoker" has. It's not too big but will put out a lot of sausage. It will take you some time to out grow this. Some of the suppliers that you should check out for casings, equipment and supplies. are;

"Sausage Maker" http://www.sausagemaker.com/

"Butcher & Packer" http://www.butcher-packer.com/

"LEM" http://www.lemproducts.com/category/sausage-casings

They offer catalogs that are nice to read on cold winter nights :)

Some noteworthy books on sausage making are;

"Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing" by Rytek Kutas


"Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages" by Stanley & Adam Marianski

These guy are, IMHO, the sausage kings and they have a lot of information. There are a number of other books as well but I think just about anyone that owns books on sausage making has these as there top "Go To" books.

Have fun! It is a great hobby!!!

slow-smoker
10-31-2014, 11:59 PM
This is a nice setup that "Slow-Smoker" has. It's not too big but will put out a lot of sausage. It will take you some time to out grow this. Some of the suppliers that you should check out for casings, equipment and supplies. are;

"Sausage Maker" http://www.sausagemaker.com/

"Butcher & Packer" http://www.butcher-packer.com/

"LEM" http://www.lemproducts.com/category/sausage-casings

They offer catalogs that are nice to read on cold winter nights :)

Some noteworthy books on sausage making are;

"Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing" by Rytek Kutas


"Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages" by Stanley & Adam Marianski

These guy are, IMHO, the sausage kings and they have a lot of information. There are a number of other books as well but I think just about anyone that owns books on sausage making has these as there top "Go To" books.

Have fun! It is a great hobby!!!


I just made 10 pounds of kielbasa this evening. Coming across this post was weird because the kitchen is clean now, but it looked exactly the same this evening. :spider: