Sausage Pro's

[cubguy17]

There is an art to this sausage making, and I don't have it.

I just put my grinder to work tonight for the first time, I've got about 7 lbs of deer and 3 pounds of pork butt mixed. The grinding went pretty smooth, but the sausage making part of it is tough. (This is my first attempt at this too.) It took a little over an hour for me to make 7 sausages and there about three times the size of ones that you would buy in the store. I still have about 5 lbs of meat that I am going to do in the morning so if anyone has any advice lets hear it. Thanks I will get some Qview for ya sunday after I smoke them.

 

[dodgeramsst2003]

Going through the same thing right now making snack sticks. are you using an actual stuffer? or are you using your grinder as a stuffer? I gave up on the grinder as a stuffer and am going to the store to pick up a stuffer today. I'm sure others will chime in shortly. Good luck and don't give up.


Chris

 

[bb53chevpro]

Is the size of the sausage the only problem you are having? What kind of casing are you using? Are you using your grinder to stuff the casing?
Andy.

 

[desertlites]

cub guy yep for what TH has to say-give me a PM somtime this AM as I am in the process of making 30#'s of sausage this WE.5 diff types & sizes.I do need to know what equit. & caseings u are useing?

 

[cubguy17]

I am making fresh Itialion, and cheddar brats, yes I am using the grinder to stuff them, the casings are 100% pig something can't remember exactly I threw the package it came in away. Hope this helps thanks guys.

 

[desertlites]

it can be pretty hard useing the grinder if your doing it yourself-always helps to have a second pair of hands-I have never used a grinder to stuff with but I have heard the same stories from others.I use a vertical stuffer.How large are your caseings? mm size?

 

[salmonclubber]

cub

using a grinder to stuff sausage really is a tough job if you have to use it i would go buy a spacer plate it is a plate that has 2 large holes in it so the meat is not put threw the grinding plate again it replaces the grinding plate otherwise buy a stuffer if you want smaller casings you need to get sheep casings which are a real pain to work with or you can use the 22mm collegen casings the big pig casings you are using are for brats and polish types of sausage

hang in there the first time is a learning experience it does get better and easier i have been making sausage for about 5 years now and i am amazed at everytime i think i have a good recipe i change something it turns out better all the time it is a very addicting hobby

you need to get the book great sausage recipes and meat curing by rytek kutas it will help you a bunch good luck with your next batch

huey

 

[mulepackin]

You haven't posted your recipe/formula, but in addition to what everyone else has said, make sure you are adding some water to your ground meat. I generally mix my cure and seasonings/salt into about a quart of ice water per 25 lbs. of ground meat. This allows your meat to "flow" a bit. Don't try to stuff through a grinding plate, get a spacer as Salmonclubber suggested. I've even stuffed with nothing on the end of the stuffer except the horn and flange, but I think that is hard on the grinder as the screw is then rubbing the inner housing too much. Using a grinder to stuff is pretty time consuming at best. I do it and cuss every time (I'm waiting on a vertical stuffer right now) and I use a motorized #32 grinder. If you can get someone to help, one to feed meat and crank, because you need an uninterrupted flow and down pressure on the meat going in, and the other to form the sausages coming off the horn. Hang in there, theres nothing like the pride you feel when you've created something good to eat and share.

 

[mulepackin]

Oh yeah, don't let your mixed meat/cure/seasoning sit around at all before stuffing. Get to stuffing right away after mixing. Then after your casings are stuffed and linked, you can let them sit in a cooler/refer/or cool place overnight or so, until time to smoke (assuming you are doing smoked sausages and not fresh). The meat will react with all the salts, binders, etc. and turn to cement which makes stuffing all the more difficult.