grinder horse power

[cal1956]

for years i have been using a small ( i think 1/3 HP ) grinder and have ground at least a couple thousand pounds of meat using it , sometime in the near future i want to buy a bigger more powerful grinder , the one i have in mind is 3/4 HP how much difference do you think it will make ?

 

[indaswamp]

Larger HP grinder can handle larger semi frozen pieces of meat without bogging down. Can grind large batches quicker, and won't heat up as fast. We have two 1/2HP LEM grinders we use for our processing day when we'll do anywhere from 500-1000 pounds at a time.
I say buy the biggest you can justify if you plan on doing large batches.

 

[cal1956]

i never do a 2nd grind because it just more work than its worth , i was talking with a friend yesterday that has a 1/2 HP grinder and he said the same thing about why he didn't do a 2nd grind, we both just use the fine plate

 

[cal1956]

just so everyone knows , the one i am thinking about is the walton # 12

 

[indaswamp]

So here is what I do for large batches...

I coarse cut the meat and fat into strips that will fit in the grinder. Chill to below 32*F, then I grind with the largest plate I have, which is the stuffing kidney plate. This cuts the meat into 3/4-1" chunks...perfect for mixing the seasoning and salt. For the smoke sausage- we mix, then hold in the double door refrigerator overnight to allow the meat to chill below 32*F. The next day is final grind through whatever size plate you want. We use a 6mm plate for smoke sausage.

The larger 3/4-1" chunks are a breeze to feed into the grinder and the grinder helps with protein extraction during the grinding process with the meat having already been salted....takes much less mixing to achieve a great bind. Which is another reason why I have no need for a dedicated mixer.....I let the grinder do most of the work for me.

 

[cal1956]

i talked to the folks at Walton yesterday and got them to measure the throat of the # 12 and it was 2 1/2 inches the one i am using now has is approx 2 inches so its not a lot of difference meat size wise, but with the difference in HP my thinking is that i should be able to feed it much faster

 

[rjob]

Agree with IDS 2 grinds. Hand cut meat to size, in the freezer for a while, first grind coarse, back to freezer then second plate size according to sausage being processed. Have a LEM#12 size(hp) makes a difference. Did 45# in 45 minutes of frozen meat before smearing started. Grinder attachment assemble was also ice cold at start. Grinder head never stalled, Believe LEM quotes 50#'s in an hour for the #12.

 

[tx smoker]

I've never had the need for a grinder that large but one thing to keep an eye on: the required voltage to run it. Getting into something that large you could possibly be looking at needing a 220 volt circuit...but then again, maybe not. I know I have a 1/2 hp booster pump for the pool that is running 220, but I also know that a lot of those pumps can run either 110 or 220. It just depends on how you set them up.

Robert

 

[sawhorseray]

I've had a 1hp commercial grade grinder from Cabelas for 16-17 years now, never a problem. I don't make sausage as often as I used to, no wild hogs running around AZ, and if there were I'm too old to chase them. I've always made 25-30 pound batches of sausage, grind it once, medium plate. What has paid off is my grinder has enough power to run the meat mixer I got for it a few years ago, I also have a 20lb electric stuffer, shoulders are shot and I wouldn't be able to make sausage any other way. I doubt anyone ever complained about having too much power, something to keep in mind. RAY

 

[tx smoker]

I doubt anyone ever complained about having too much power, something to keep in mind.

Excellent point Ray Now if I could just convince Tracy of this where my intended muscle car purchase is concerned, that'd be great.

On a more related note, I'm assuming that your 1 hp grinder is running 110 volt? As noted above, that might be something to make sure of. I almost goofed over this yesterday when ordering a new commercial ice maker. Was about to hit the "buy" button and noticed that it required 235 volts...and the compressor on that thing is nowhere neat 1 hp.

Robert

 

[cal1956]

the walton # 12 is a 500 watt machine so that is well within the most common household amp range at 110 volts

 

[tx smoker]

the walton # 12 is a 500 watt machine so that is well within the most common household amp range at 110 volts

Yes sir. Oddly enough, I have no idea the hp of my unit but I believe it's 850 watts and runs on 110 current. Another instance from years ago was a big table saw we had in the cabinet shop. It was 1 hp and ran on 220. I guess it's all just how they are wired to run. The pool pumps can run either 110 or 220 depending hon how the dip switches are set....at least the one I just installed on a fountain project I did. Glad the one you want will work without issue though. That's all that counts.

Robert

 

[hoity toit]

for years i have been using a small ( i think 1/3 HP ) grinder and have ground at least a couple thousand pounds of meat using it , sometime in the near future i want to buy a bigger more powerful grinder , the one i have in mind is 3/4 HP how much difference do you think it will make ?

Its 1/3hp. 3/4hp will be a huge step up, go for it.

HT

 

[cal1956]

i think what i am looking for is more ease of feeding it and speed in pushing meat through the plate, also not having to put as much downward pressure on the meat stomper , the one i am using will bog ( you can hear the motor ) as it gets under a heavy load , i don't know if going to a higher HP will help should i decide to do a 2nd grind or not , but it would be nice to have that option

 

[tx smoker]

i don't know if going to a higher HP will help should i decide to do a 2nd grind or not , but it would be nice to have that option

I don't know that you'll see a noticeable difference on the second grind being that the meat has already been through once. You'll definitely see a difference on the first grind though, especially if some of your meat chunks are frozen...which happens to me regularly. Fortunately the unit chews right through the frozen stuff.

Robert

 

[sawhorseray]

The 1hp grinder I have runs off of a 110 grounded wall plug Cal. I started out mixing sausage meat with my hands in a tub, arthritis everywhere, that got old fast. Then I got a crank meat mixer, worked well enough

34 years a union carpenter, now I get cortisone shots in both shoulders, I couldn't turn that crank now if I had to. Hell, I can't turn the handle on a manual stuffer, that's why I went electric.

Age and circumstances will dictate what one can and cannot do. I absolutely love making sausage, it's worth the gear investment to me. RAY

 

[Murdy]

i talked to the folks at Walton yesterday and got them to measure the throat of the # 12 and it was 2 1/2 inches the one i am using now has is approx 2 inches so its not a lot of difference meat size wise, but with the difference in HP my thinking is that i should be able to feed it much faster

1/2 inch doesn't sound like much, but you are talking about a circle, so that half inch at the edge counts for a lot more than the first half inch off the center. If I remember my high school geometry, that half inch will get you about 50% more actual area. ( A 16 inch pizza is nearly twice as big as a 12 inch in area )

 

[cal1956]

it stands to reason that the auger and plate would be bigger also and that would help speed things along

 

[indaswamp]

i think what i am looking for is more ease of feeding it and speed in pushing meat through the plate, also not having to put as much downward pressure on the meat stomper , the one i am using will bog ( you can hear the motor ) as it gets under a heavy load , i don't know if going to a higher HP will help should i decide to do a 2nd grind or not , but it would be nice to have that option

You shouldn't need to push down with the plunger. That is just to free up the throat of the grinder in case any pieces stick to the sides of the grinder throat. If you need to push down with pressure, usually meat not being cold enough is the issue. The grinder should chew through whatever you put in it...you should have to try and keep up.....ESPECIALLY on first grind!

 

[SmokinEdge]

The # as in 8, 12, 22, and so forth does graduate in both throat and plate size. Personally I run the LEM Big Bite #8 with their dual grind head. This does the dual grind in one all in one pass, it’s slick. I don’t cube meat for general grind. I cut long strips that fit the throat size and just let the grinder eat, and it’s hungry.