Sausage Making Equipment

mulepackin · Oct 22, 2009

A few of the sources I have used:
allied kenco
the sausage maker
midwest research
LEM

bmudd14474 · Oct 22, 2009

Congrats on the purchase. I have the 1/2 hp Cabela's model and it will do 360lbs a hour. I have been impressed with the power and how quiet it is.

Cant wait to see your toys.

got14u · Oct 22, 2009

It is a breeze to clean I think and and I don't need any tools to take mine apart. very basic and very simple. The foot controller would be nice but for as much as you are probably going to do I think it is not necessary. For casing I think sausage maker is about the cheapest unless someone else knows a cheaper place. I do like butcher packer for a lot of things also. good luck and I'm sure you will be happy. oh and you can find the silicone spray at walmart most of the time. Also when cleaning let the parts air dry for 2 days before putting them up. Just what I have found from my experience. then spray with a 70%-30% alcohol. I spray everything with that before processing.

hog warden · Oct 22, 2009

Looks like the equipment you finished with is several steps higher than where you started, but that's good stuff. If you stay with it, you would have ended up there anyway.

If you have Rytek's book, you have the basics for your spice mixes. Rather, your local store does. For batches 10 pounds or less, it's a tablespoon of this and a teaspoon of that. I've also moved from the spice isle to the bulk foods section. I can buy a 1/4 pound of a spice in bulk for $1 vs. $5 to $10 for a 2 oz jar. A fraction of the cost and fresher to boot. If you find a spice mix you like, you can buy those pretty cheap too. I've got a can of breakfast sausage spices from Sausagemaker I'm waiting to try. I was $9 for enough spice to make 50 pounds of sausage. A lot of spice mixes will be the same. These are measured by weight, so if I want to make 10 pounds using this mix, I need to measure out 5 oz of mix....so that means a scale accurate enough to measure that low. Or make the full mix.

Sausagemaker, Bass Pro, Cabela's, etc. all have casings. But so does your local locker plant, butcher or grocery store, if they make sausage. I've started buying my casings at a local grocery store. They are long hanks of 10 feet plus to begin with, but past that, are rinsed, cleaned up and come threaded on a plastic sleeve that is ready to slide the casings right onto my stuffer tube. They sell them to me at $8 per pound, but $1.50 worth will do 10 pounds.

mballi3011 · Oct 22, 2009

I know that I have seen all the equipment that you would need at Gander Mtns and it looks like some well made and good equipment to me.

jerrykr · Oct 23, 2009

look at this grinder at Northern tool. It goes on sale sometimes. Much more powerful than the Cabela's package one.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...70_36989_36989

The NT 5 lb stuffer with plastic gears is around $70, the LEM one with metal gears is over $100 (my choice).

That package slicer is pretty good, but you can get that slicer for just over $100 on the internet. Avoid the lower model, real cheap Cabela's slicer. I bought it and took it back.

IMHO, the Cabela's is a good package, but you can do a lot better for a lot less $$$.

scpatterson · Oct 25, 2009

I just got in from a visit with our families. It was a 6 hour drive home. I got an e-mail with tracking numbers for both orders and due on Tuesday...I cant wait...My mom raises rabbits and I got 10 from her for some rabbit breakfast sausage. I still have them froze and I need to get soem casings and some spices headed my way...I will get some pics together once everything gets here

meandmytwodogs · Oct 25, 2009

I've been looking real close at the sausage gear at both BPS and Cabella's recently. I seem to like the stuff at BPS myself. In fact I just purchased the $149 LEM 5lb stuffer. Next is going to be the .35hp grinder that they have for $296. I just think that the LEM brand looks to be better built than the Cabella's gear.

Dave

scpatterson · Oct 25, 2009

Ive read all over and I havent read anything negative about the Cabelas stuff... I say that but there will always be someone unhappy I guess...We will have to get a Post going o the two grinders and both of us post our thoughts and what we do on the two. I do believe that LEM makes a fine product and it was a hard decision to be honest.....Let me know how you like yours

beer-b-q · Oct 26, 2009

I have heard good things about this stuffer on another forum....

It seems to be well built and the price is definitely right @ $69.95...

http://grizzly.com/products/5-lb-Ver...uffer-SS/H6252

scpatterson · Oct 26, 2009

Dadgummit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All my stuff came in today from Cabelas. I took everything out of the boxes and had it on the counter nice and neat and was getting it all ready for the photo shoot. My wife made the comment "I bet that grinder is loud" so naturally I plugged it in and....Hold on Im crying still......It only made a humming noise, motor is locked up.

I called Cabelas and they were very helpful. They got a replacement on the way and I got the messed up one boxed back up and ready to ship back. Really makes me nervous now with the Cabelas grinder. I thought it was really heavy duty and seemed well built....

Im not going to post pics until I get the grinder situated and have everything together....

I will post my thoughts on the other stuff but just didnt want to do it after the grinder incident...

txbigred · Oct 26, 2009

Bummer, don't you hate when things like that happen.

Dave

pineywoods · Oct 27, 2009

Bummer on the grinder but I wouldn't worry too much many people I know have Cabela's grinders and have had no problems at all. I have the LEM but if I were to buy one today I would probably buy the Cabela's because they seem to offer more attachments at a better price. Don't forget the pics when that new grinder arrives

scpatterson · Oct 29, 2009

Well I got the new grinder in and it seems to be in working order. I was suprised at how quite the thing is. I have 30 pounds of Butts and a bunch of Rabbit plus about 20 pounds of beef that Im gonna grind up tomorrow. I will post again. Once I get the butts ground up I have a kit that makes 5 pounds of 5 diff sausages and Im gonna stuff all of that..I will make a new post on the sausage and 1 on how the grinder and all the other operates.....And here it is

Everything Together

My new food saver

5lb Stuffer

Cabelas Scales 44lb

Jerky Cannon by LEM

Sausage kit and some casings

Meat Mixer 17lbs

And Heres the New 3/4hp Cabelas Grinder

And the new home for my sausage making equip. This is my gun room. I built this long table for storage. I dont plan on making anyting in here, Im gonna use our kitchen

que-ball · Oct 29, 2009

I have the 5# grizzly stuffer and like it. Yes the gears are plastic, but I've stuffed alot of sausage with mine without any problems. My only complaint on the grizzly is that I make big batches of one kind of sausage and was constantly stopping to refill the stuffer, so now I also have a 30# Cabelas that I bought used on ebay. My complaint changed to not being able to stuff the last 3# or so in the bottom of the stuffer, but since I discovered this forum SMF and the fatty, I don't even complain about that anymore!

I also have the $100 electric grinder from Northern Tool that someone linked to, and like it. I'd recommend that everyone stay with at least a #10/12 blade size. The smaller #8 and #5(Cabelas package grinder) plug up too fast, especially on the second grind. I started with a 1/3 hp #8 LEM grinder, and sold it to a buddy that wanted it. I now think I have twice the grinder for half the price.

No complaints on my Toastmaster electric slicer either. Rival makes them now. Mine has sliced 15-20# of frozen venison roasts per year for the last 20 years or so.

pineywoods · Oct 29, 2009

Congrats on all the new stuff. Your gonna like the sausage making thing its fun. I look forward to seeing the products you produce with all that equipment

pops6927 · Oct 30, 2009

Congratulations on getting all your new equipment! You'll love making sausage- be sure to utilize the one standard piece of equipment that's a 'must-have' for every sausage making endeavor - a frypan! I don't let ANYTHING go to waste - what's left in the grinder wrapped around the blade gets balled up with what I can scrape off the sides of the throat and what drops off the screw when I pull it out and make up a patty or two and fry it up right then and there! Sure, there's unground chunks and pieces of fat... it all eats and if my false teeth can't get through it, PJ the black lab is drooling to take a shot at what I can't masticate! lol!

Soak and rinse your casings really well, let them soak a good 30-45 minutes in water, then rinse them inside and out. You can add a few drops of vinegar to your water to help soften them too. If you don't soak them enough they'll be hard to slide onto the stuffing horn and be tough when cooked. Once stuffed with product you're going to smoke (with cure, like polish sausage or summer sausage) let the casing dry first; they'll take the smoke a lot better that way.

Have fun and enjoy!

scotty · Oct 31, 2009

i just received the jerky cannon today. but i have other tools too

1 hp cabellas and a lem tiltable meat micer drinen by a 1 hp grinder motor

the globe slicer

15 lb. stuffer

for the chemicals

cheese press

sweedish bread mixer

for home made pasta

also wine--brewing and distilling equipment

scpatterson · Oct 31, 2009

Well its been a long day. I tried to burn that new grinder up since I ahd trouble with the first one but it never missed a lick. I never heard the motor sound in the least like it was in any sort of a bind. Below is my thoughts on all the stuff. Im making more posts on all the sausage I made but this is the just of it

For the Cabelas 3/4 hp Grinder - Really Impressed
I ground

17 pounds Beef
10 pounds Fresh rabbit
40 pounds pork butts

I was really suprised in how quite the grinder was. I could hardly tell it was even running. I thought there would be a bunch left in the grinder once finished but that was not the case, I bet there wasnt even an ounce of meat in it once finsihed with all 3 meats. Clean up was pretty easy as well. I have it all washed and disinfected and will add some oil to the parts and put it back together tomorrow

Northern Tool 5lb Stuffer - Really liked it but for large batches it would suck because it does take a little time to reload it. Not too bad but not quick. 5 lber just for small abtches

I stuffed with it

25 pounds of sausge
10 pounds of rabbit into bags
17 pounds of beef into bags

Cabelas Mixer 17lb - Liked this as well, I bought this and at the moment with only doing really small batches I only used it once and then just done it by hand. My sausage was 5 lbs of 5 different kinds so I didnt use it much. it is well built and deffinantly has its place in sausage making.

The cabelas scales I liked very much as well and I also got a new Food Saver. Not sure the model but man it beats the hell out of the old black and decker one I had.

All and all I think I made the right choices on what I bought.

Here are some pictures of the Rabbit and beef ground and packaged. Im gonna do another post for the sausage with some details

Got these at Sams on mark down, Sirloin roast

Half way through Cubing up

Grinding away

Using the Stuffer to fill the bags

Beef Is finished and headed to the Freezer

Rabbit were 21 1/2 pounds total. It was 8 rabbits

Deboning, Man what a Job this is

10 Pounds Deboned

Grinding up some Rabbit

All done

Im making another post on the sausage...Thanks for loking

bmudd14474 · Oct 31, 2009

good deal there. I was also surprised at how quiet the grinder is. Those big meat totes work really good too. Thats about all I would add.

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