Hand Crank Meat Grinders

[hog warden]

 
What a great thread.  Can anyone with either a #12 or #22 enterprise/chop-rite grinder measure the dimensions between the mounting bolt holes?  This information is surprisingly impossible to find on the internet.  Thanks!

Sorry folks. Wasn't aware this thread had been revived. 

Super.......for the #22, bolt holes are 5" on center. All sides.

For the #12, they are 4" and 3 3/4".

Not much new to add since the original post, except I no longer cube meat for the initial pass. I cut pieces into longer strips of 2" to 4". They feed into the screws better vs having to push the cubes in by hand or using a stomper. Also, for some reason, the local store that sells fresh pork butts will sell the whole pork butt sliced as pork steaks for the same price as a whole butt. This makes boning them out and cutting them up run a whole lot faster. 

By coincidence, a few days ago I happened to run across this youtube video series on sharpening your grinder blades and plates. It is a three part series. It is how I sharpen my blades, and includes the very good advice of using a sharpie pen to help find the flaws. The paper is straight wet/dry sandpaper available at most hardware stores, or better, at an auto parts store that caters to body shops that paint. They have good quality 3M paper. 

 

[daveomak]

Sorry folks. Wasn't aware this thread had been revived. 

Super.......for the #22, bolt holes are 5" on center. All sides.

For the #12, they are 4" and 3 3/4".


By coincidence, a few days ago I happened to run across this youtube video series on sharpening your grinder blades and plates.



By coincidence...... Cranky Buzzard is a member here.....

 

[hog warden]

One other thing, for small batches involving no more than a single pork butt, my go to grinder WAS that little #5 clamp on grinder, with 3/8" and 3/16th inch plates. It was simple and effective. But my oldest kid took that one with him when he moved to Japan. So I"m back to using the #12 as my primary grinder. I do need a set of larger hole plates for it. 

BTW, as to cleanup.......once you have finished using them, initial cleanup is a high pressure rinse with COLD water. Dismantle the whole thing and hold all the parts under COLD running water. Most of the big chunks and pieces will rinse right off and that includes a lot of gunk in the plate holes. Hot water will work against you on this initial cleanup. You should also have some type of bottle brush to jab the bristles into the plate holes to get all the residue from them. Make sure each and every plate hole is clean and you can see through them. Then, and only then, do they go into a bath of hot, soapy water. Again, use the bottle brush and scrubby pads to clean every aspect of it. Hot water rinse, then wipe them dry (while still hot) and put them on a dish towel on the counter to continue to dry out. You want the fully dry before going into storage. A light hit of the lubricating spray on the blades and plates is OK, but no need for much more than that if the body and all the parts were fully dry before heading off to storage.

Also, when coming out of storage, they again go into a hot soapy bath before using them, and a good idea might be a quick dip into a very mild clorox sanitizing solution, with a quick rinse before use. You don't want anything still alive on any part of your grinder. 

 

[ssorllih]

There is one other clean up  that I learned from my mother 70 years ago. When all of the meat has been ground, peel a large carrot and grind that last. Just mix the ground carrot into the mince. It will push the last of the meat from the grinder.

 

[daricksta]

So, none of these hand crank grinders are collector's items? They look like they should be.

I bought an electric grinder because I even though I could use it I didn't want the workout that comes from grinding meat by hand, especially since I have a bad elbow on my left arm and I'm left handed.

 

[scooterjam]

Nice review man!!  Thank you so much.....took some helpful information away from all that!! Thank you again ~ Scooter

 

[spinnin99]

Hello Hog Warden,

Thank you for the outstanding review!!  What do you do with all those grinders? (;

I would like to buy a grinder or two fr my special man and i. 

would you recommend the enterprisr #22,  or the #12 for a large amount of meat?  hog, deer...it sounds like it is very hard to turn the no 22.  is it doable for only a strong man?   or i could do it too, with all 107 Lbs of me ??

or smaller batches you recommended the #5 -- I havent been able to find one of these yet, but I did find a new westons #10 for sale (clamp-on).  why do you like the #5 more than the #10?  are clamp-on models easier to clean?

thank you.

 

[kenafein]

Nice read, it brings back memories of making Swedish sausage with my grandpa. I've got an electric unit now, but, still, fond memories cranking one of these.

 

[richinlaos]

Thanks for the info on Peanut Butter in a meat grinder.  I live in Laos and access to a meat grinder with a blade similar to the one that you show in this photo. I am about to help a small village make peanut butter for selling and they need to keep the cost down. I wondered if you thought that this cutter made OK peanut butter.  Did you put it through a few times? 

Thanks for any help.

 

[daveomak]

 
Thanks for the info on Peanut Butter in a meat grinder.  I live in Laos and access to a meat grinder with a blade similar to the one that you show in this photo. I am about to help a small village make peanut butter for selling and they need to keep the cost down. I wondered if you thought that this cutter made OK peanut butter.  Did you put it through a few times? 

Thanks for any help.

Rich.....  You may have more luck if you PM the individual about nut butters....      Mouse over his name and click on "Send a PM"...  You should get a direct response....

I'm only mentioning this because the thread is a bit old......

Dave

 

[richinlaos]

Thanks, will do

 

[pafret]

Where are you Buying Sheep Casings for a buck a pound?  That is a lot less than I pay Butchers and Packers in Canada for casings and they have the best prices I have found..

 

[pafret]

 
I have been using a hand crank grinder ever since I have been making sausage and they work fine for home use. The only thing I found that really helps is to have meat almost frozen and this will stop the clogging of the cutting blade from the fat in the meat. I love mine, and as stated, somewhere in the $20 - $30 dollar range. What I would like to see is someone in this forum buy casings in bulk where we could get the price down. I make alot of sausage sticks. I like to use real sheep castings and they run about $1 per pound. I feel this is high, but that is about the cheapest I have been able to fine them. I have been buying the "Home Pak" from the sausage maker. Just a thought.

As for the grinder, it does everything that I want it to do.

This going top be a double comment, forgot to hit quote last time, sorry.  The price you quoted 1 buck a pound for sheep casings sounds really good to me.  I paid a lot more for them from Butchers and Packers (a Canadian company) .  I check most of the major suppliers and I haven't found anyone cheaper than B & P  for most charcuterie items.  The Sausage Maker (Rytek Kutas' old company) is high priced on most items.  Each time I need to buy supplies I spend about an hour searching and comparing prices.  I usually end up buying from Butchers and Packers.  Incidentally, the quality of their casings has been outstanding.  Good casings make the stuffing work go well.

I started out with the Armstrong grinder when I was a boy.  My mother made sausages regularly and it was my job to crank the grinder.  I don't know what make it was but it sure took a lot of effort to keep the meat flowing through.  I bought a new manual grinder some years back and was going to motorize it according to the instructions on the Sausage Makers site.  If there were any wrong decisions I didn't make they have to be so rare they are likely impossible.  My son bought a stainless steel 1 hp professional grade grinder for about &225.  I still had that much more in materials to acquire so I desisted and never completed my build.