Novice Sausage maker-What to look for in a stuffer.

[dadwith4daughters]

I've searched the forum for ideas on how to select a stuffer. I've never made sausages before but there's enough great q-views on this site to make anyone want to do it. So i'm looking for any ideas on what I should be looking for when buying a stuffer. I've read that the motor needs to be big enough that it doesn't get bogged down. But beyond that, I'm stuck. Any ideas?

 

[desertlites]

hello dad,as far as more power I think your asking about a grinder,rather than a stuffer.I have a kitchen aid mixer but don't use it to grind,I old style & use a old hand crank,as far as my stuffer I have a 5# vertical that works Great,it's from grizzly.com cost was about $55.hope this helps you.

 

[dadwith4daughters]

Well there you go, proof that I'm a novice. Thanks Desert. I'll check out grizzly.com.

 

[bayoubear]

ive a kitchen aid kitchen toy and love it. i use the grinder attachment for it and have never had a problem with it. we use it a LOT. ive seen some people complain about using the kitchen aid as a grinder but if mine died tomorrow im happy, its given us a ton of use. my only complaint is having a hard time finding larger sized dies for the grinder but i can live without them. i have a LEM 5 lb vertical stuffer i got for 89 bucks at the sportsmans guide. google that for the direct link. am very very happy with it. it comes with a 1/2, a 3/8, and a 1" sized stuffing tubes.

 

[desertlites]

you sure have me scratching my head bayoubear,your saying your lem came with 3/8-1/2 & 1in. tubes,but in another thread you are looking for cuz it didn't come with 1? or do u mean a 7/8s?

 

[bayoubear]

my bad, i had two other windows open at the time searching for a 3/8. i menat to type a 3/4 came with it. not the 3/8.
i found one that claims to fit for 25 bucks plus shipping from some country store in texas... thats an obscene price and im not paying it.

sorry about the confusion

 

[fireguy]

I have a 20 # vert from Cabelas, the only problem is there is alway 3 #s of meat left in the bottom. So I have researched the grizzly 5 # verts for a second, and realy like them. Check Ebay, you can get them real reasonable. Some say, because they have nylon gears they are junk, I disagree. they are a hardend Nylon and should be plenty strong for only pushing 5 #s.
good luck and hope this helps

 

[dadwith4daughters]

Good idea, Fireguy on ebay. Didn't know the gears were nylon. Glad you're having good luck with it. I'll go for the Grizzly.

 

[richtee]

Fireguy- on that large stuffer, ever tried tossing a ball of plastic wrap on top of the meat? A "spacer" as it were. Might help get some of that leftover meat into a casing. Could even put it in a ziplock first... then toss the zip, keep the ball.

 

[smoked]

I have that same stuffer as well as several others...the nylon gears are not a problem at all. In addition, grizzly's customer service is excellent, so should there ever be a problem they take care of it right away!!!!! this stuffer is the best bang for the buck especially if your starting out....I love mine....

 

[decepticron]

The type of stuffer you buy has a lot to do with what type of sausage you make. Those plastic gear presses are great for salami and dinner sausage but anything smaller can become a problem. If you want to do peperoni sticks and breakfast sausage you might prefer a stuffer with more than one gear ratio that is made of only metal. I use a tre spade and it is extremely fast and very reliable. it is also extremely expensive but after breaking an expensive one with only a few plastic parts (f-dick brand) it seemed like the only choice. Also you should be carefull when using plastic as a spacer on top of your meat because it can block the air vent. This can build great pressure in the tube and you may blow seals as well as pushing whatever air is in the tube into the sausage.

 

[fireguy]

Not trying to take over your thread Dad...

Rich I will try that, I have tried a few things regarding this prob, but that sounds better. I tried crushed Ice and I worked , but Ithink it might be a bit hard on the stuffer.

Thanks