The first sausage I have made

mballi3011 · Nov 24, 2009

May wishes came though and I got my grinder and the sausage bible all in the same day (that was last weds) and I just got finished making the first ever batch of sausage. Here's the grinding this went really smooth and I was starting to think that this will be a breeze.

WRONG the grinding was easy but then the stuffing was lets say alittle harder. I know I was using the grinder to stuff but I most have done something wrong it was pushing concrete thur a straw. And I'm not a sausage maker yet but there has to be a trick to this stuffing poop. You guys and girls can chime in anytime now.

Well first soaked the casings and that easy enough. Then mixed the spices in the grounded meat another easy one. Then putting the casing on the tube thingy, what fun that was. Nothing from the peanut gallery now. Then the stuffing ok I got the casings on then all you have to do shovel the sausage into the casings. There we go again with the concrete and straw. But it's done and here it is the sausage on the left hot Italian sausage and the stuff on the right is brats. So it was fun and something I'll do really soon well atleast when the meat defrost tomorrow. Well thanks for looking and till the next batch. Later
Mark

cowgirl · Nov 24, 2009

Great job! Looks wonderful mballi!

fire it up · Nov 24, 2009

Looks great Mark, especially for a first try.
I'm sure it is just like anything, practice, little tweaks and simple things that make a huge difference when stuffing.
I have no doubt you will be mastering the art of sausage making and guiding others on their way through it no time.

beer-b-q · Nov 24, 2009

Mark, What Grinding Plate did you have in when you stuffed the casings? Was it the kidney shaped plate? Also what size stuffing tube did you use? If your grinder came with 3 tubes you should have used the largest one...

The Sausage Looks Great...

alx · Nov 24, 2009

Man,Mark i have made sausage for years and only helped my bro stuff it years ago.I am a loaf sausage guy-for now.

Looks good to me bro.Very nice.....

mballi3011 · Nov 24, 2009

Yea I found out some of the tricks talking to jerry. using the biggest stuffing tubes and maybe to gring the meat twice also. Yes beer I had the right plate for stuffing the one with only three big holes in it. But it was fun alittle harder than if figured but I'm not giving up no time soon. I have just taken another butt out to defrost for more sausage soon.

jjmrascal · Nov 24, 2009

Make sure you have the correct amount of water in the meat mix. Some types (summer sausage, salami etc.) don't use water but Italian and Brats do use it. Sometimes I have to use more than the recipe calls for. I like to add until the sausage squishes through a clenched fist smoothly. Not too much, not too little. Experiment and you will get the hang of it.

meat hunter · Nov 24, 2009

Well all I can say is for the first time, they look great. Here is a trick that I picked up, and it works very well. Instead of grinding twice, cut the meat up into cubes, no larger than 3/4" of and inch. Fat as well. Now take that and mix in any spices that you are using, and if smoking, the cure too. Before I go on, if your recipe calls for any water, mix the spices with the water before you add it, this ensures that you get even distribution of spices thru out. Mix everything together and I always set in it the fridge for several hours to let things soak in. When it gets close to the time to grind, I will set the tub that the meat is in, in our chest freezer to get the meat semi frozen. That way the grinder does its job, grinds and does not tear or smear the meat as it comes out. Works really well. Now all you have to do is stuff.

bmudd14474 · Nov 24, 2009

Looks great Mark. As for stuffing that is the same issues I had when I had a grinder that size. It was just harder but its so worth the trouble

pignit · Nov 24, 2009

Points to you for jumpin in. This is my next thing on the list. Shweeeet!

DanMcG · Nov 24, 2009

Welcome to the club Mark. I really can't help ya with stuffing with a grinder, but as mentioned above, if it's stuffing a little hard I'll mix in some additional water. Also the point about keeping the meat as cold as possible is a good one too. I'd say they look pretty darn good for you firsts, how do they taste?

pops6927 · Nov 24, 2009

It is slow going but it does do the job, that's why we get the dedicated stuffer, it speeds up the end process which is the most important.. the eating part! I've been known not to turn the last crank as much as I can just so I can get a little extra donation for the frypan test... mmmmmmmmmmm.... nothing better while you're cleaning up your equipment than to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

hoser · Nov 24, 2009

Nice job Mark....I would tend to think that if you double grind next time, check the consistency for water as the folks are saying...it should go much smoother for you next time.

blue · Nov 24, 2009

Looks great, Mark. Thanks for sharing. I am pretty sure stuffing those casing is gonna be easier with time and expierence.

bassman · Nov 24, 2009

This is also the way I do it. A little extra ice water won't affect the taste but sure makes it easier to stuff. Nice looking sausage, BTW.

pantherfan83 · Nov 24, 2009

Gefore putting the casings on the tube, run the meat into the tube so just a little turtle-head of it is sticking out past the end of the tube (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch. This will greatly help slide the casing on. Without anything in the tube, the casing wants to hang up on the side of it.

chola · Nov 24, 2009

Nice job....they look fantastic
As has been mentioned..practice makes perfect

marknb · Nov 24, 2009

Hey Mark,

I'm not too far ahead of you in the sausage making dept. My first attempts were very frustrating, though the end products weren't so bad.

First thing I tried was the sausage stuffing attachment on my KitchenAid. So much meat squishing up around the plunger, it took hours and hours to stuff 10lbs of meat sticks. That is another issue, meat sticks need a really small stuffing tube, but the by-pass for larger fresh sausages like brats or polish sausage wasn't much less...

Next stop was a 3lb horn press type stuffer, once again I was trying to make snack sticks (19mm casings), didn't know enough to add water to make the mixture softer and easier to stuff, etc. Had to switch back to the Kitchen Aid for another 2 hours of (makes my back ache, actually) PITA stuffing.

Final stop, a 5lb, LEM brand hand crank vertical stuffer. It is absolutely ridiculous how easy stuffing is now! I can stuff 5-10lbs, scrape the leavings at the bottom of the stuffer for my frying pan reward, wash the whole unit and have it in the drying rack in under 20min.

I just did 6lbs of buffalo salami (smoked salami, not a fermented air-dried one), stuffed into 4" artificial Christmas casings (complete with Santa Claus and reindeer), and the stuffing part took probably 5min.

IMO, a dedicated stuffer for about $150-200 is the way to go, and should do you well for many years.

- Anudder Mark

ronp · Nov 24, 2009

Really nice looking sausage Mark. It will get easier as you do more.

coffee_junkie · Nov 24, 2009

And another vote...I have to borrow my buddies every time but it is soooo worth it. I have stuffed 30lb of kielbasa with my grinder, it is doable but it takes forever and then a day. Don't know if I am getting one this year but I tell ya, I have a 15lb LEM vertical stuffer on my Christmas list.

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