Need advice on making sausage for first time.

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SmokinAl

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Jun 22, 2009
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I've been inspired by the sausage making skills of a lot of you guys and would like to make some my self. I don't want to make a big investment in equipment. We already have a Kitchen Aid mixer that has a meat grinder that came with it. For $10 I can get a sausage stuffing kit with 3/8" and 5/8" tubes that will fit on the grinder. I have a bag of cure #1. We like hot Italian sausage and would like to try that first. I have looked into casings & I guess natural hog casings seem the best way to go. I don't know what size to buy. Need help with what cut of meat and seasonings to use. Lastly has anyone hung sausage in a WSM and what temp do you smoke it at. Thanks in advance guys. 
 
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I am usually making sausage out of venison so I am  using a 50/50 mix of venison and lean pork. Many people will want more of fat mixture in their meat but we like it better with lean pork. How many lbs of sausage are you thinking you are going to do at a time? The only reason I ask is if you are doing a descent amount or you are going to be making them somewhat frequently I would skip the stuffing kit on your grinder and get a vertical stuffer. Stuffing  with your grinder is a big pain in the butt in my opinion. But I can understand that you want to give it a try and keep it cheap until you see if you like it. I did the same thing and learned fast that trying to stuff 200lbs+ with a grinder sucks. If you are doing small batches then it's not so bad and you can live with it.
 
Al

Congrats on entering into the sausage making.

The KA is good for grinding, but for stuffing......... You let me know how you like it for that.

Hog casings from 32-36mm will work fine. If your going to make fresh sausage (non smoked) you will not need the cure.

Fresh hot Italian for 5 lbs

3 1/2 lbs lean meat...80/20 GB

1 1/2 lbs pork but, ground thru med plate.   Edit---Que-ball found my typo.....TY...Should have been 1 1/2 not 3 1/2

2 Tbs salt

1 Tbs paprika....or more to taste

1 Tbs crushed red chili pepper, or more to taste

1 Tbs cayenne

1 1/2 Tbs whole fennel seed

1 Tbs whole anise seed

1/2 tsp white pepper or more to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbs white sugar

3/4 cup water

Rinse casing good inside and out. Soak casing in cold water (1 hour) with 2 Tbs clear vinegar while you getting the dry measured and mixed

NOTE there is no cure #1 because it is not smoked. However if you wish to smoke this add 1 level tsp of cure 1

Add all the dry to the water and mix well. Add seasoned water with the ground meat and mix very good by hand or use the dough hook on your KA mixer. If you go with the KA to mix watch the mix time so the meat does not start getting hot and melt the fat. You will know when the fat starts to stick to the KA bowl.

You can run the mix back thru the KA grinder but you prob wont like me after you do it....LOL

You can stuff into a rope and use what you need or into 6" links. Eat the sausage within 4 days or double wrap in freezer paper, will keep for about 6 months frozen.

Hope this helps some.

Rick
 
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I am usually making sausage out of venison so I am  using a 50/50 mix of venison and lean pork. Many people will want more of fat mixture in their meat but we like it better with lean pork. How many lbs of sausage are you thinking you are going to do at a time? The only reason I ask is if you are doing a descent amount or you are going to be making them somewhat frequently I would skip the stuffing kit on your grinder and get a vertical stuffer. Stuffing  with your grinder is a big pain in the butt in my opinion. But I can understand that you want to give it a try and keep it cheap until you see if you like it. I did the same thing and learned fast that trying to stuff 200lbs+ with a grinder sucks. If you are doing small batches then it's not so bad and you can live with it.
Thanks for the input Ross, I just want to start out with maybe 5 lbs. I want to get my feet wet & see if this is something I want to do again.
 
If you are doing 5 lbs then I would give it a go with the grinder/stuffer. You will be hooked and upgrading very soon I just about guarantee it.

My next batch of sausage is going to be Buffalo chicken style. I can't wait to try them.
 
Al

Congrats on entering into the sausage making.

The KA is good for grinding, but for stuffing......... You let me know how you like it for that.

Hog casings from 32-36mm will work fine. If your going to make fresh sausage (non smoked) you will not need the cure.

Fresh hot italian for 5 lbs

3 1/2 lbs lean meat...80/20 GB

3 1/2 lbs pork but, ground thru med plate.

2 Tbs salt

1 Tbs paprika....or more to taste

1 Tbs crushed red chili pepper, or more to taste

1 Tbs cayenne

1 1/2 Tbs whole fennel seed

1 Tbs whole anise seed

1/2 tsp white pepper or more to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbs white sugar

3/4 cup water

Rinse casing good inside and out. Soak casing in cold water (1 hour) with 2 Tbs clear vinegar while you getting the dry measured and mixed

NOTE there is no cure #1 because it is not smoked. However if you wish to smoke this add 1 level tsp of cure 1

Add all the dry to the water and mix well. Add seasoned water with the ground meat and mix very good by hand or use the dough hook on your KA mixer. If you go with the KA to mix watch the mix time so the meat does not start getting hot and melt the fat. You will know when the fat starts to stick to the KA bowl.

You can run the mix back thru the KA grinder but you prob wont like me after you do it....LOL

You can stuff into a rope and use what you need or into 6" links. Eat the sausage within 4 days or double wrap in freezer paper, will keep for about 6 months frozen.

Hope this helps some.

Rick


Thanks Rick,

This looks like a great way to start. If the KA stuffer is as bad as everyone seems to think and I like doing this I will ask for advice on a vertical stuffer. If this turns out good, I guess the next step will be smoked sausage. Thanks again
 
You can get a fairly inexpensive stuffer from northern hydraulics for like $70

The best way i have used a grinder for stuffing was to use the cyclone tube. This has an additional auger that snaps onto the front of the metal auger and is in the tube, This makes the mix push into the stuffing needle. Way better than the KA but still not as good as a stuffer.

And Your Welcome
 
I need more venison like Ross has  
77.gif
 
I also use venison but my ratio is 70% deer 30% pork(boston butt). The temps I use in my smoker starts @ 100 for about 45 min to make sure the outside of the sausage is dry- then raise it to 150 w/ smoke for about 3 hours - then up to 180 until the intenal temp of the sausage is 155 or so.

This method has worked well for me. I am sure others have their methods that work for them also. I have used advice from this website and have been very happy with my results - Good Luck 
 
Have no doubt Al...once you start making sausage it will be just like pulled pork and bacon.  HOOKED!!!!

Rather than post for an hour ... go to the search tool and look at some of the sausage making members posts. Dan, blancher, bally, nepas to name a few..

That should give you all you need to know.

 Have a great day!!

  Craig
 
Al, Morning. If I may suggest, Cube the meat and fat to about 3/4" chunks. Put on your seasonings and cure(if used). Set in fridge to rest 24-48 hrs.

Get everything ready to stuff. Spray PAM inside all the grinder parts and tube. Run the rested cubed meat thru the grinder and directly into the casings.

Once ground meat will not go thru the grinder again and into a casing worth a darn. I have tried it with my KA years ago. That is when I quit making sausage.
 
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Al, Morning. If I may suggest, Cube the meat and fat to about 3/4" chunks. Put on your seasonings and cure(if used). Set in fridge to rest 24-48 hrs.

Get everything ready to stuff. Spray PAM inside all the grinder parts and tube. Run the rested cubed meat thru the grinder and directly into the casings.

Once ground meat will not go thru the grinder again and into a casing worth a darn. I have tried it with my KA years ago. That is when I quit making sausage.


Thanks Dave, By the time you guys get done with me I'll be a pro at this!   
icon_mrgreen.gif
 
SmokinAl--Any chance you can borrow a vertical stuffer from somebody for your first go-round?

Nepas--Your recipe for 5# Italian sausage calls for 3.5# lean meat plus 3.5# pork.  What's up with that?  Thanks for the recipe.
 
Best way to get your feet wet is make fresh sausage.no cure nor stuffed.season as u like and fry.if its somthing you want to continue with than u can slowly work your way in.
 
I have found that using just a pork shoulder gives me the perfect mix of meat/fat.  I use a KA grinder attachement for my grind, but I hated the stuffing tube.  I do, however, like Dave's suggestion.  THe meat would get worked over less, which is the problem with stuffing on that mixer, it ends up getting mushy if you can't get it off the augar fast enough.  I'm just not sure if the stuffing tube will fit on the mixer if the grind plate is still on.
 
SmokinAl--Any chance you can borrow a vertical stuffer from somebody for your first go-round?

Nepas--Your recipe for 5# Italian sausage calls for 3.5# lean meat plus 3.5# pork.  What's up with that?  Thanks for the recipe.
Good catch on my typo error.

Will edit
 
 
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