50 lbs Through A 1/2" tube, Can You Say "SNACK STICKS GALORE"

[JckDanls 07]

OK, So rarely do I take pics and post.. It's been a LONG time since I've done so...

First, I don't even own a cell phone... especially a fancy one that takes pictures... so stick with me ...

So over the memorial weekend I went and picked up 3 twin packs of bone in butts



My grinder of choice is the Cabelas 1/2 hp commercial grinder



I was pressed for time so I didn't bother to put cut up butts in the freezer to partially freeze them before grinding... But they were under a heavy layer of ice all night in the cooler.. so they were pretty damn cold..

For each pack I would run one butt through the course plate and one butt through the fine plate and then give a quick mix together...
(coarse on the left... fine on the right


My scale only weighs up to 6 lbs so I weigh out 5 lb batches of the paste and then put it in a tub with a piece of foil in between each... I can get 25 lbs in each tub (like the one above)... This makes it easier when it comes time to mix cure #1 and seasoning for the measuring part (1 LEVEL tsp of cure #1 for every five lbs).. I ended up with 53.7 lbs precooked...

So 50 lbs went towards snack sticks while the other 3.7 lbs went to breakfast sausage (more on this later)

So know doing my best Steve Martin impression (holding head between hands)

"I'M SO CONFUSED" on what to pick for seasonings


I ended up going with

• 15 lbs of Jalapenos
• 10 lbs of Red Hot
• 10 lbs of Dried Pepper
• 10 lbs of Garlic
• 5 lbs of Teriyaki
• 3.7 lbs of Maple/Brown Sugar breakfast links

This is what I did for the Jalapenos.... diced up 9 med/large fresh jalapenos... I always do 3 for every 5 lbs... most of the time that gives the right heat for me.. but we all know how jalapenos are so unpredictable for heat...

So everything goes in at once (working by myself)...



Peppers


Non Fat Powered Milk (I only use a half cup per 5 lbs)... So 1 1/2 cups for 15 lbs ...


How ever much seasoning the directions said (plus .2 oz for every 5 lbs)



And then 3 LEVEL tsp of cure #1 in about a cup of water (red solo cup not quite full).. cure went in the water to dissolve first...



By hand this was mixed and then mixed some more and when I got tired of mixing.. I mixed some more ... until really sticky ... then back in the cooler overnight... all other flavors was just seasoning and cure #1...

Whewwww ... Sorry this is so long.. didn't realize I took so many pics...

(to be continiued)

 

[chopsaw]

. Sorry this is so long.. didn't realize I took so many pics...

Keep it coming . I saw you mentioned that you made sticks .

 

[JckDanls 07]

Sorry about it being so long.. but it took all weekend to do this...

So my 5 lb stuffer (plastic gears) stripped the gears out for the second time the last time I ran a batch of sticks so I purchased the new LEM with the enclosed metal gears and put it to the test ...



Now on to the smokehouse...
I had to use the portable smokehouse...the one I take to the S. Fl. Gathering.. ( link to the upcoming Gathering in Dec. https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...gathering-december-6th-8th-sebring-fl.285638/ ) .. My big smokehouse succumbed to water damage from leaving it sit flat on the ground...

A few pics of the interior...



A baffle plate i made to go over heat elements to try and distribute heat a lil more evenly...


And the PID controller


I had to split the 50 lbs in half to cook as they wouldn't all fit at once .




Added smoke after 1 1/2 hrs at 120`using Todd's (A MAZ N Products) expandable tube and pellets

Trying to show the thin blue smoke (TBS)


Both batches ended up taking 7 hrs each to reach 152 or better ..


I just open up smokehouse and let cool when done..


After cooled they go inside and hang for a few hours to bloom.. Hong em on the cupboard doors.. that works great ...


Cut up and ready for bagging (there was 5 of these totes full)


all bagged up... the rows are 2 deep ...


And then made up some variety packs..



And this was all done by myself as the wife was mad at me and not speaking because a indulged in my screen name to much on Fri. night... LOL ...

OHHHH... the Breakfast Sausage...

I used the maple/brown sugar seasoning... used the 21mm natural sheep casings and made some brown and serve sausages...


made up 6 in a pile and froze them before packaging..


WOWWWWW.. that was just to friggin long.. sorry y'all

Hope you enjoyed











.

 

[jcam222]

Thanks for posting!! Awesome looking stuff

 

[JckDanls 07]

One other thing

This is how I snuff the pellets out in the tube if they aren't all burned up...



just wrap the tube in tin foil and smother it...

 

[millerbuilds]

Good looking stuff!!

Smoke ON!

- Jason

 

[chopsaw]

JD that all looks fantastic .

 

[JckDanls 07]

Thanks guys.. I enjoy doing it... even if it is labor intense...

 

[crazymoon]

JD07, Great post, that is a lot of work for one person but the tasty treats will last you for quite awhile !

 

[fivetricks]

I like your portable smokehouse! Did you happen to make a build thread on that? :-)

 

[bluebombersfan]

That's a lot of sticks! Looks great!

 

[SmokinAl]

Awesome thread Keith!
You need to post more often!
The sticks look fantastic!
Congrats on making the carousel!!!
Al

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Heck yeah
Ditto with Al

 

[xray]

Whoa, that’s a lot of tasty sticks! I could help you eat them before they spoil!

 

[JckDanls 07]

AWWWWWW SHUCKS .. Thanks Y'all.. also thanks for all the likes ...

Al.. thanks for the ride bub.. that's my first ...

fivetricks... no I didn't do a build thread... sorry... any questions I can answer for ya ?? it's really simple ...

Thanks to Joe (Boykjo), Rick (SFLsmkr1, AKA NEPAS), and Jerry (pineywoods) ... they are the ones responsible for getting me addicted to snack sticks... They sure have cost me a lot of money since they taught me how to make them... LOL ...

 

[pc farmer]

Wow Somehow I missed this. Happens alot now. You had great teachers and it shows

 

[Recon1]

That's a lot of work, but it looks great. Is the LEM stuffer that much better than the one that came with the Cabelas grinder?

 

[JckDanls 07]

Thanks Adam... It's good stuff

Recon1... Everybody has said that stuffing with a grinder is a BIG PITA (pain in the ass) ... so I never even thought about trying it... the stuffing parts with my grinder have never had any meat run through them... It's always been a dedicated stuffer from the get go ... I can see why they say that using the grinder as a stuffer is a PIYA ... it would take one person just to keep feeding the meat into the grinder... then another person working the casings and stuffing tube and coiling up the finished product ... As you can see from my post that stuffing can be done by yourself with a dedicated stuffer...

 

[uncle eddie]

Wow. Looks like a lot of work. Glad you had your good buddy JD there to help haha. Like!

How long did it take for you to make all of those sticks from ripping open the pork packages to getting them ready to go into the smoker?

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I know this guy who is going to be selling his like new LEM 5lb with metal gears, plastic and SS tubes because he is getting a LEM 20 lb motorized.......EH