LEM #10 Manual Grinder Grommet/Cleaning Questions

[cpanderson]

I just recently bought and used an LEM #10 Manual Grinder as shown in the pictures below. I was wondering if anyone that has used it removes the plastic grommet shown in the pictures to clean the unit, and if so, how hard is it to remove. Does removing/putting back in wear the grommet where it will no longer hold a seal? I feel like removing it would aid in cleaning the unit after use.

Also, for anyone that has one or has a similar unit, I am wondering if using a barrel sander to remove the casting pits would be beneficial to cleaning. I am worried that bits of meat will remain embedded in the pits, and polishing it out might be a benefit. See pictures below for reference. Any comments/suggestions are welcome.

 

[InThePittBBQ]

That's a nylon bushing, I'd pry it out to clean the grinder and coat it with some food grade silicone when installing to make it come out easier next time.

 

[cpanderson]

Yeah, about that food grade silicone... any idea where they carry it in brick and mortar stores? I tried to order some on amazon and it said it couldn't be shipped...maybe I need to order it from another store that is willing to ship? Something about compressed cylinders...

 

[crazymoon]

CPA, I don't remove the bushing but have a set of brushes to scrub tubes and the grinder body, sort of like these:

 

[InThePittBBQ]

Yeah, about that food grade silicone... any idea where they carry it in brick and mortar stores? I tried to order some on amazon and it said it couldn't be shipped...maybe I need to order it from another store that is willing to ship? Something about compressed cylinders...

LEM sells it in a spray can and will ship to you, locally your restaurant supply retailers will have it on the shelf in spray or tubes of gel.

 

[cpanderson]

CPA, I don't remove the bushing but have a set of brushes to scrub tubes and the grinder body, sort of like these:

I tried ordering that exact kit through amazon and got a message that it could not be shipped to my address due to hazardous material...

 

[crazymoon]

CPA, I'm guessing you are not in the sates as I have received a few cans of silicone food grade spary through the mail. look for the brushes without the spray,those brushes work well on scrubbing out meat particles.

 

[cpanderson]

CPA, I'm guessing you are not in the sates as I have received a few cans of silicone food grade spary through the mail. look for the brushes without the spray,those brushes work well on scrubbing out meat particles.

Apparently the silicone food spray cannot be shipped to California.

 

[flatbroke]

amazon wont ship it to my house either

 

[flatbroke]

cabelas did though

 

[cpanderson]

It's weird like that... amazon wouldn't ship me an 8 oz or 16 oz of star san sanitizer, as they said it was hazardous material... but they would ship me the 4 oz size... lucky for me I have a homebrewing supply store not too far from work so I went and bought some... and I was also able to have the weston food grade silicone spray shipped to me... but amazon and LEM say they can't ship it to me... and unfortunately, LEM is out of the brushes package without the silicone (weird)... so maybe I will have to piecemeal it together...

Oh well... there are worse things in the world to be worried about anyways, so I can make due :)

 

[indaswamp]

Lard will work for grinder lube...

 

[daveomak]

Do NOT use any abrasive on the inside of the grinder... I think it has a tin coating on the aluminum body... The tin coating should be saved...
Do you have a picture of the other side of the bushing ???

 

[daveomak]

Taking another look at the inside of the grinder, it has pits than can harbor "foods" that grow bacteria... I would send it back and get a better, higher priced grinder...
You may be able to clean the pits with hydrogen peroxide.... I'd use a 1% mix in distilled water.. See if that cleans the pits... H2O2 will bubble when it meets organic matter and flush the pits.. maybe....
Do NOT put any grinder parts in the dish washer... The caustic in the soap attacks aluminum....

 

[cpanderson]

Do NOT use any abrasive on the inside of the grinder... I think it has a tin coating on the aluminum body... The tin coating should be saved...
Do you have a picture of the other side of the bushing ???

Dave, it is the all stainless steel model.

 

[daveomak]

Holey Krap.... They sure didn't do a quality check on what came out of the mould...
Well, it won't hurt to scrub the heck out of it.... I'm concerned about all the nooks and crannies in the casting holding meat particles and attracting bacteria.... H2O2 will boil the organic matter out of those voids... Then it won't be a problem.. Also, a spray of 50% vinegar and distilled water will kill off any pathogens...

Another use for vinegar and water mixture is pickling vegetables, where the widely accepted rule of thumb is that the vinegar should be of at least 5 percent acidity (as in distilled white vinegar) and that the vinegar/water mixture should be at least 50 percent vinegar.

If it's safe to pickle foods in, it's safe to spray your equipment....
Trying to smooth the inside would be a daunting task.... You could try it...

You could also send those pictures to LEM and ask about their quality assurance program.. Check to see if their grinders are NSF certified... LEM has had some problems with their quality control in the last few years.. Members here have noted same.. I don't see how they can sell food contact products without the NSF stamp... Maybe some folks aren't aware of what the NSF stamp means...

NSF Certification (National Sanitation Foundation)
Millions of people take the safety of their food, water and consumer products for granted on a daily basis. Why? Because of three letters: NSF. NSF certification is your key to making sure that the products you use meet strict standards for public health protection.


Choosing a product certified by NSF lets you know the company complies with strict standards and procedures imposed by NSF. From extensive product testing and material analyses to unannounced plant inspections, every aspect of a product's development is thoroughly evaluated before it can earn our certification.


Most importantly, NSF certification is not a one-time event, but involves regular on-site inspections of manufacturing facilities and regular re-testing of products to ensure that they continue to meet the same high standards required to maintain certification over time. If for any reason a product fails to meet one or more certification criteria, NSF will take enforcement actions to protect you, including product recall, public notification or de-certification.


Products that earn NSF certification are said to be “NSF certified” or “NSF listed” and display the applicable NSF certification mark to show that they have been tested by one of today’s most respected independent product testing organizations.

 

[cpanderson]

If the fit and finish on this piece of equipment is sub par, I will turn around and do best to return with shipping reimbursed! This is my first buy, so I certainly don't expect to have to put a finish on the product I bought. I thought that was par for course. Any recommendations if negotiations fail?

 

[daveomak]

LEM has not had very good customer relations... Screwed a few folks when they purchased "sub par" pieces of equipment..
Dirt Sailor is one... https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/is-my-lem-a-lemon.177047/ .. That stuffer was a piece of junk...
Hopefully, with all conversations being civil, you will get an exchange... maybe the new casting will not have flaws.... It may be it is not NSF, and getting an NSF certified grinder will be really expensive... I do not know... Insuring all crevices are free of bacteria so you don't get food poisoning... that will take some diligence on your part... It's do-able... and you may never have any problems... Just sayin'...

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[cpanderson]

After reading the entire thread from Dirty Sailor... I will probably just add more water to my mix ... but on a serious note, I will contact them, but I don't think I have the wherewithal to deal with a sub par customer service if it came to that. As far as organic material removal goes, I use a product I use in brewing called PBW for a long soak "PBW is a patented alkali cleaner that can effectively clean items that can be reached with a brush or sponge, and is strong enough to remove thick, difficult, caked-on organic soils." and rinse repeatedly and then use another brewing non-rinse food grade sanitizer, Star San, to sanitize my gear before using. I will be diligent in scrubbing the organics until I decide to upgrade to an electric grinder, which might not be too far off in the near future anyways, and by then I will have done my due diligence on which brand to go with. Thank you for the input, and I look forward to learning much more from the wisemen on this forum.

 

[daveomak]

Sounds like you have the bacteria problem solved and then some... Good to see that... Ask LEM if the grinder is NSF certified... If it's not, and I'd bet it's not, they should note that on the ad... Anywho, folks keep making krap and it's disguised as "a good thing" for consumers to use... If that grinder was found in a restaurant, a citation would probably follow...
Chef JJ would know if a food service establishment would be allowed to use non NSF stuff....