Closer to making my first batch of sausage

[markk]

  I have been slowly purchasing the equipment needed to make sausage. Finally bit the bullet, after much research on this site, and bought the Cabela's 1 HP Commercial grinder, used all my Christmas gift cards to help ease the pain. Also bought spice mix and casings from a local company. Will be buying pork butts and making my first batch of fresh sausage this coming weekend. More to follow. This site has been a great source of information, not only my research on sausage making, but most of my purchases related to smoking equipment.

 

[DanMcG]

Kool Mark, I'll be looking forward to you first run. If ya got any questions , feel free to ask or pm one or all of us sausage junkies

Oh and sweet grinder

 

[smokinhusker]

Good to go! Thanks for the pics of your seasonings and from NE, gonna check them out!

 

[boykjo]

Hey Mark....... You wont be dissapointed with the 1 hp grinder... its awesome...... your off to a great start... I have posted several times about using gift cards from christmas and rebates to get a great deal on equipment.... Look forward to some sausage processes from ya....................

Joe

 

[roller]

Well you sure bought a real nice grinder...

 

[uncle_lar]

way to go another sausage master in the making! we better move over Nepas! LOL

 

[gersus]

I have grinder envy! Careful Mark, sausage making is addictive! :)

 

[venture]

Monster grinder there!

QVIEW is now an obligation.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[pops6927]

Great Grinder!  Next.. a stuffer!

 

[old poi dog]

If you haven't already done so take a look at the thread that Pops began "Sausage Prep".  If you look below his signature line he has a link that takes you right to it.   

Besides the Grinder and Stuffer, for me the next best piece of equipment is the scale.  It really helped me dial in the proper  formulation to a sausage I like with various weights of meat.   If I am doing 5 lbs. or 8 lbs. or 3 lbs. of sausage, I can get consistent results.  Looking forward to your first batch of sausage...Take Care 

 

[markk]

Kool Mark, I'll be looking forward to you first run. If ya got any questions , feel free to ask or pm one or all of us sausage junkies

Oh and sweet grinder

      DanMcG

      I will probably make my first batch on Sunday, and will post a Q view. Thanks for the offer of help, I may need it.

Good to go! Thanks for the pics of your seasonings and from NE, gonna check them out!

       SmokinHusker

       Thanks. I friend of mine that I work with told me about Frisco Spices, only 10 minutes from my house. I will probably make the Joe Bant Polish this weekend.

Hey Mark....... You wont be dissapointed with the 1 hp grinder... its awesome...... your off to a great start... I have posted several times about using gift cards from christmas and rebates to get a great deal on equipment.... Look forward to some sausage processes from ya....................

Joe

      Joe,

      The gift card were the only way I could justify the cost of the Cabela's 1 HP grinder. You wouldn't believe the amount of time I spent researching grinders on this site, probably even more time   than I spent on researching stuffers which if you ask my wife was day and days. 

Well you sure bought a real nice grinder...

      Thanks Roller. I probably could have got by with a smaller one but I only want to buy one and everyone on this site said they were more than happy with theirs.

way to go another sausage master in the making! we better move over Nepas! LOL

      I've got a long way to go to get to that point.

      Thanks

I have grinder envy! Careful Mark, sausage making is addictive! :)

      I am pretty exited to make my first batch on Sunday. Will start a new post with Q view.

Monster grinder there!

QVIEW is now an obligation.

Good luck and good smoking.

     Thanks Venture.

Great Grinder!  Next.. a stuffer!

     Pops,

     I bought the stuffer right after Thanksgiving, it looks a lot like the one you have, it is a Kitchener 15lb from Northern Tool. Also purchased after much research on this site.

     Thanks

If you haven't already done so take a look at the thread that Pops began "Sausage Prep".  If you look below his signature line he has a link that takes you right to it.   

Besides the Grinder and Stuffer, for me the next best piece of equipment is the scale.  It really helped me dial in the proper  formulation to a sausage I like with various weights of meat.   If I am doing 5 lbs. or 8 lbs. or 3 lbs. of sausage, I can get consistent results.  Looking forward to your first batch of sausage...Take Care 

     I have a small scale for weighing spices but do need a larger one for weighing meat. I am going to borrow a scale from work for my first batch this Sunday, but I got to have the one in the link from Pops "Sausage Prep". I would order now but my wife hasn't seen the Food Saver bags I ordered from Vacuum Sealers Unlimited or the Thermapen that I got on sale yet, both deals I found posted on this site.

 Thanks everyone.

Mark 
 

 

[SmokinAl]

Great looking grinder Mark, looking forward to seeing some fine looking sausage soon!

 

[pops6927]

  " Pops,

     I bought the stuffer right after Thanksgiving, it looks a lot like the one you have, it is a Kitchener 15lb from Northern Tool. Also purchased after much research on this site.

     Thanks "

Yes, that's exactly the one I got, they just renamed it is all, from Northern Tool!  You'll love it!

 

[sprky]

     I have a small scale for weighing spices but do need a larger one for weighing meat. I am going to borrow a scale from work for my first batch this Sunday, but I got to have the one in the link from Pops "Sausage Prep". 

When you go to buy your scale check out eBay. I bought the ultra ship 75 for much cheaper then I could have locally or ordering. They also had the 55 like pops has. They are darn nice scales. 

 

[markk]

All right I am getting ready to begin my first attempt at making sausage in the morning. Pork butts in the fridge, knives sharpened, grinder washed and assembled. My plan is 25 pounds of polish sausage stuffed in hog casings and aprox. 12 -15 pounds of breakfast sausage stuffed into 1 pound bags. As I have a fairly big chest freezer I will cut up the pork butts and place in the freezer until close to freezing then grind using the fine plate. I will measure out the 25 pounds for the polish and calculate the spice for whatever meat is left for the breakfast sausage. my first question is should I separate the casings out tonight and flush or is it OK to wait until morning? I will start a new thread tomorrow with pictures of my progress as I go along.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[uncle_lar]

I usually rinse my casing and put them in luke warm water about a half hour before I start stuffing but there is nothe wrong with doing them ahead and putting them in a bowl of water in the fridge. if you are going to smoke your poilsh sausage make sure you use cure. in your recipe.

 

[ronrude]

I am looking forward to your post.  I am going to do my first sausage next weekend.  Just got a 5lb stuffer and a scale to round out my kit.  

Check out the book CHARCUTERIE The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing ..... Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn.  There are some great recipes in here as well as here on the forum.  

 

[markk]

I am looking forward to your post.  I am going to do my first sausage next weekend.  Just got a 5lb stuffer and a scale to round out my kit.  

Check out the book CHARCUTERIE The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing ..... Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn.  There are some great recipes in here as well as here on the forum.  

Did you make your first sausage this weekend? If so, how did it go?

 

[bigbob73]

Beware, it will be addicting!

 

[markk]

Beware, it will be addicting!

bigbob,

It would have been nice if you would have told me earlier. After my first go last weekend I'm hooked. I am looking for my next recipe. Has anyone tried the beer sausage from Rytek Kutas book?