BREAD AND THE SAUSAGE STUFFER / GRINDER

[goliath]

i would like to thank who ever iT was that mentioned about putting some bread into the grinder to get the last of the meat out.... also tried it on my stuffer as i have the LEM vertical that feeds out of the bottom.

WORKS EXCELLENT  :0)

i soggyed up some old bread and BOOM ... chased the mix right out ... easy as hell to clean up too

THANKS AGAIN!!!!

busy day today making 20 pounds of pepperoni and 20 pounds of cheese smokies. came to believe its virtually impossible to stuff 19mm casings by hand alone !!!!!!

if someone can tell me the proper way to fight the meat into those little skins with my stuffer IM ALL EARS.....

gave up and put them into bigger casings, and linked them.

coasting tomorrow smoking up the sausages after the bacon i started this morning is done

no rest for the wicked !!

 

[DanMcG]

came to believe its virtually impossible to stuff 19mm casings by hand alone !!!!!!
if someone can tell me the proper way to fight the meat into those little skins with my stuffer IM ALL EARS.....

What was the problem? Casing to small for the horn or meat wouldn't come out ?

 

[boykjo]

Were you using 19 mm natural sheep casings? The key to making them open is to soak, soak, soak then soak some more...... I actually took some of my sheeps out the other day to do some testing and they were in a salt solution in a mason jar for over a week and they really softened up and became saturated with water. I get better results when casings are placed on the stuffing tube and they stay saturated with water as I stuff due to long periods of soaking. Casings right out of the bag, when I put the casings on the the tube and they start to dry out rather quickly I tend have blow outs from them sticking to the tube and they are harder to get them open to place on the tube................

 

[foamheart]

I am reading, I am learning, no one seems to have mentioned vinegar. Didn't I read somewhere its was supposed to help?

 

[goliath]

thanks guys... BUT i was using collagen,

yah... the problem was the meat coming out,

the poor stuffer needs to be fastened better to the counter top maybe. takes 3 hands. 1 to hold the stuffer, 1 to crank and one to keep some pressure on the casing.

ive only been into this smoking and sausage making for less than a year AND TRULY LOVE IT !!!!

seems like i learn something every time i make a batch up.

could it be i need more liquid in the pepperoni mix??? the recipe calls for 1oz water per pound, just makes glue ...  ha ha ha

made the same stuff up a couple weeks ago but there was 2 of us and it was really good. i did a post on moose pepperoni with pics.

Thanks Again

Rackrat

 

[dward51]

Yes vinegar will soften the casings. You can also use pineapple juice instead of vinegar (it's the acid that does the work apparently).  Add a tablespoon per cup of water and let them sit for a few hours.  It helps soften the casing and will also make the casing more translucent and any veins less visible.

I'm talking about natural casings here.

 

[bluebombersfan]

I always use vinegar with my hog casings, I read it gives them more of a snap when they are cooked.  Just a practise I have always used now.  It sounds like mounting your stuffer or clamping it to the counter should work.  I have a air powered stuffer, no way I could stuff those smaller collagen casings if it wasn't bolted down.

You could also add a little more water like you suggested. 

 

[goliath]

ill have to come up with a plan.....

the Bride wouldnt be too please if i started drilling bolt holes thru her counter top ...  ha ha ha

i am using some lousy cheap wood clamps, think i will make up a nice size piece of plywood with carriage bolts and then clamp that down, it will give a much larger base to it and more stability.

i have no trouble cranking a handle...... im an EXTRA large kinda guy

do you guys think the collagen casings are a bad idea..... they seem cheap enough thats for sure, i actually ordered up some 22mm cause they will fit the stuffing horn better.

thanks again

 

[papap]

I use a big C clamp to hold stuffer in place.

 

[bluebombersfan]

I like the smaller size casings for snack sticks / pepperoni sticks if you can get your hands on a proper size tip for your stuffer.  I couldn't find one so I machined one at work.  Works great.

 

[johnnie walker]

RACKRAT, with collagen casing DO NOT soak them! You probably just need to add a little bit more water to the mix to help it through the tube. When I do my sausages I have the wife help me because I can't clamp my stuffer down to the counter top and it takes one hand to hold the stuffer and one to crank it.

 

[woodcutter]

I have a 1 1/2" board for a base and then use c-clamps. I had to add a few screws from inside the cabinet up into the counter top. I could feel the counter top starting to move and know it was only a matter of time. Now it is rock solid.

 

[Dutch]

My stuffer is attached to an old poly cutting board-(it seems that at the time we had close to a dozen of them) and I use a couple of clamps to attach the board to the counter top or table. Make sure you find clamps that have metal gears. My son found out how fast the plastic geared clamps will strip.

 

[foamheart]

My stuffer is attached to an old poly cutting board-(it seems that at the time we had close to a dozen of them) and I use a couple of clamps to attach the board to the counter top or table. Make sure you find clamps that have metal gears. My son found out how fast the plastic geared clamps will strip.

I was expecting to have to go crawling about the garage looking for C-Clamps when I got my LEM, happily I'll tell you the come with the stuffer.