Grinding question

[vt dukhntr]

I'm new to smoking and have never made sausage.  BUT....I want to make snack sticks from wild duck and goose. 

Enough with the intros though.....I'm wondering what is an acceptable amount of material to run through a Kitchen Aide?  I already own a KA and the grinding attachment. (wife bought it thinking it was something else).  I would need a tube for stuffing.  I'm looking to start small and see how a few small batches work, then look at investing in a real grinder.  Can the KA handle 5-10 pound batches done infrequently?  Or is it better suited for even smaller grinds?

Thanks in advance

Dave

 

[viper1]

Well the kitchen aid done me well for many years. the grinder should have come with stuffer tubes. I have done up to 12 lbs that i remember in them. I would recomend not over heating them though. If it starts to smell warm or the head fells warm give it a break.

 

[boykjo]

I'm new to smoking and have never made sausage.  BUT....I want to make snack sticks from wild duck and goose. 

Enough with the intros though.....I'm wondering what is an acceptable amount of material to run through a Kitchen Aide?  I already own a KA and the grinding attachment. (wife bought it thinking it was something else).  I would need a tube for stuffing.  I'm looking to start small and see how a few small batches work, then look at investing in a real grinder.  Can the KA handle 5-10 pound batches done infrequently?  Yes. I don't own a KA but I have read members have good results with small batches.  Or is it better suited for even smaller grinds?

Stuffing will be slow and tedious  with the KA but can be done. Don't stuff through a plate. You will need the proper star or a kidney plate and stuffing tube to stuff

Good luck in sausage making... Your addiction is right around the corner

Joe

Thanks in advance

Dave

 

[mossymo]

If you have trouble stuffing with a KA and are going to be doing 5 to 10 lb. batches, I would look at getting a $30 jerky/sausage gun for stuffing casings. In my experience KA works great for grinding, it is slow but if you are doing 5 to 10 lb. batches it will be fine. I have never stuffed with a KA, (always have had a designated stuffer) but I would think you have too push the meat to the point of almost emulsifying it thorough the grinder to get it into meat stick casings. Which is fine if you want a very fine grind, but if you want a coarser grind a sausage gun would work better.

 

[daveomak]

Dave, morning....  Keep the meat cold, really cold....  I would not recommend putting ice in it.... I did that once in brides KA.... the ice did not go thru the grinding plate... formed an ice berg and tore the gear case out of the KA....  I did get it fixed with about $70 in parts.... 

Joe is right on about the kidney shaped plate....  the KA screw feed has too much space in the feed housing and once you grind the meat, and you get ready to stuff, it may not have enough pressure to feed into the casings....  the kidney shaped plate reduces the "back pressure" to enhance feeding into the casings...   Dave

 

[ironhorse07]

I have ground numerous 5lb batches in the KA and like has been said, keep the meat really cold. I have never purchased the stuffer "attachment" so I don't know if it comes with the kidney plate. I have done some stuffing with my jerky cannon and I think it is probably faster than feeding through the KA. Good luck

 

[vt dukhntr]

Thanks for the replies.  I'm going to look for a kidney plate and some tubes and give it a try.

 

[vt dukhntr]

Just ordered a kidney plate and stuffing tubes.  I'm a patient guy, usually, so I think the KA speed should be fine.  My goal really is just some small batches of snack sticks made of wild stuff.  If I get hooked I will invest bigger dollars, but for now I have the KA and the plate and tubes aren't that much $$.