Grinder vs stuffer?

[Ansio]

Just out of curiosity, how many people use their grinder to stuff casings?

 

[SmokinEdge]

Night and day difference between the two. Stuffing with a grinder is a PITA. It can be done for occasional small 1 or 2 pound batches, and mostly only larger hog casing around 30mm. Otherwise you are light years ahead to use a dedicated stuffer to make sausages.

 

[indaswamp]

^^^^This.

 

[Ansio]

Night and day difference between the two. Stuffing with a grinder is a PITA. It can be done for occasional small 1 or 2 pound batches, and mostly only larger hog casing around 30mm. Otherwise you are light years ahead to use a dedicated stuffer to make sausages.

I tried it once years ago. It was not for me.

I was at a local hardware/homestore the other day and they had a guy doing a demo and he was using the grinder.
So that just made me wonder if most people don't own a stuffer.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I tried it once years ago. It was not for me.

I was at a local hardware/homestore the other day and they had a guy doing a demo and he was using the grinder.
So that just made me wonder if most people don't own a stuffer.

A 5# stuffer is a small investment. Really makes a superior product. Other than being a struggle generally using a grinder to stuff, but you get a lot more air in the sausage casing with a grinder too. It’s just not a very quality product that way.

 

[DougE]

A 5# stuffer is a small investment. Really makes a superior product. Other than being a struggle generally using a grinder to stuff, but you get a lot more air in the sausage casing with a grinder too. It’s just not a very quality product that way.

Then there are those few who can't manage to use the dedicated stuffer without having a second set of hands to work the crank while the other works the casing coming off the horn

 

[JckDanls 07]

I have a Cabelas Commercial grinder (about 10 years now)... It came with the stuffing attachment... It has never seen a piece of meat... After reading here at SMF all the problems and what a big PITA it is/was to use the attachment I never considered it... So why would I put myself through the hell that others already have... Just bought a stuffer right away...

 

[Timber II]

I think everyone try’s it at first, but then, myself included, ya buy a stuffer and then kick yerself in the rear for not doing it sooner

 

[SmokinEdge]

Then there are those few who can't manage to use the dedicated stuffer without having a second set of hands to work the crank while the other works the casing coming off the horn

Well, can always go old school with a funnel and stuff by hand. I’ve done my share of those sausages but much prefer the stuffer unit.

 

[Ansio]

Well, can always go old school with a funnel and stuff by hand. I’ve done my share of those sausages but much prefer the stuffer unit.

That's a funny memory for me. I have never done that myself. But my grandpa and uncle used to talk about being kids and stuffing like that with their dad. They seemed to love it and hate it.

 

[DougE]

Well, can always go old school with a funnel and stuff by hand. I’ve done my share of those sausages but much prefer the stuffer unit.

Or use an animal horn, where the term stuffing horn originated lol

 

[clifish]

I will learn the hard way but I know where it will end...lol

 

[SmokinEdge]

That's a funny memory for me. I have never done that myself. But my grandpa and uncle used to talk about being kids and stuffing like that with their dad. They seemed to love it and hate it.

Lol. I have a 10# electric stuffer now. No looking back for sure.

 

[indaswamp]

That's a funny memory for me. I have never done that myself. But my grandpa and uncle used to talk about being kids and stuffing like that with their dad. They seemed to love it and hate it.

I started making sausage with my grandfather when I was 5....I turned the hand crank stuffer....LOL!

 

[Ansio]

I started making sausage with my grandfather when I was 5....I turned the hand crank stuffer....LOL!

I was allowed to turn the crank once my cousin was "promoted" to mixer.

Before that I just got to watch. It wasn't to long after that he got an electric grinder.

 

[indaswamp]

I did not realize how much I was learning just by watching. The hunting camp he belonged to use to buy two hogs every winter. The entire club would show up, 30-40 people, and the work would be divided up amongst everyone. They made everything from Boudin rouge to Tasso, Andouille to smoke sausage...I got to see how they salted the hams and bellies for bacon, and how the entire process was done start to finish. They even made traditional hog head cheese. It was all very fascinating to me as a child enthralled with everything food at a young age.

 

[Timber II]

A trip down memory lane here for sure! I still have the old hand crank grinder we used as kids. It would take hours to do a couple deer

 

[chef k-dude]

If you think you will make sausages in any significant quantity over years, buy the stuffer for sure.

If you want to just dabble with a pound or two, you can successfully stuff sausage with the grinder. I think my old grinder came with a recipe book that most of the recipes had you season the meat in chunks and grind/stuff all in the same operation. Some grinders come with a stuffing plate that gets the hole pattern of the dies out of the way so you arent re-grinding already ground meat. I custom made one for my old grinder but was trying to stuff boudin and its still obliterated the boudin in to mush.

Making good link sausage is more than just mixing spices with ground meat and stuffing casings. Read around here for some people who have learned the science of it. I got too frustrated some years ago and just quit stuffing. Not the stuffing process, the quality of the link sausage. I couldn't get it so it cooked well in the casings. I only stuff boudin now. About the only "sausage" I make these days is Chorizo (because a lot of the "traditional" stuff is disgusting to me and mine is great) and breakfast sausage sometimes, neither of which has to be stuffed. In fact a lot of people buy chorizo stuffed, then proceed to take it out of the casings to cook!

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

I used the kitchen aid attachment my first few times to grind and stuff. I think there's a little stuffing plate that just holds in the auger so you aren't trying to grind at the same time. It's doable. I don't think it's as hard as people make it look, but it's a pain and a stuffer is a vast improvement.

I've seen people try to grind and stuff in one pass. That is going to be a nightmare and I don't see how you'd ensure any kind of proper mix.

It's funny watching people trying to make sausage on those Food Network competition shows. They always make every mistake in the book.

 

[halleoneagain]

^^^^This.

...x2