Meat Grinder Issues

[Philomath]

Hi, I just purchased a Weston Pro #22. I purchased this to make raw dog food for my Akita. I got it all together and ground about 10lbs of chicken quarters bone and all which where chopped into smaller peices. I noticed a few things that make me question the safety of this.

I noticed while grinding there was some grayish/black meat and when cleaning the machine when I took the auger out I noticed there was a long thin metal shaving in the left over meat around the die and the knife. I'm not sure where that came from. I also noticed there is a section close to the tip of the auger that feels rough now. I'm not sure if that metal shaving came from the auger but the machine is supposed to handle chicken bones. Can anyone please advise?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Hijack73]

In my limited experience until a grinder gets broken in fairly well there will often be a little gray ooze extruded around where the auger sits in the plate/die. It happened with my Kitchen Aide attachment, the first dedicated grinder I ever bought, and with my current grinder.

Metal shaving, not so much.

 

[DougE]

10lbs of chicken quarters bone and all

Dang, de-bone the stuff before you run it through. No wonder you're having issues. It's a meat grinder, not a bone crusher.

 

[Philomath]

Dang, de-bone the stuff before you run it through. No wonder you're having issues. It's a meat grinder, not a bone crusher.

It's supposed to handle chicken bones.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

My thought is it's oil mixed with some meat. Did you heavily lubricate the auger, knife and plate before using?

 

[Philomath]

My thought is it's oil mixed with some meat. Did you heavily lubricate the auger, knife and plate before using?

Honestly, I forgot to put the silicone spray on it after I cleaned it. Could that cause the metal shard as well?

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Honestly, I forgot to put the silicone spray on it after I cleaned it. Could that cause the metal shard as well?

Yep. I do believe it's a lubrication issue...too much or not enough...

 

[JckDanls 07]

Look at the back of the auger where it goes into the motor (thrust bearing)... The flat side that pushes up against the motor and rides there.. that needs lube as well...

 

[Philomath]

Just the silicone spray or should I use grease?

 

[Winterrider]

I wouldn't be doing bones either despite its description. You will be constantly sharpening blades/plates or replacing them.

 

[DougE]

I wouldn't be doing bones either despite its description. You will be constantly sharpening blades/plates or replacing them.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

[indaswamp]

Just the silicone spray or should I use grease?

This is what I recommend...
https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Petrol-...=1715034591&sprefix=Petrol+lub,aps,648&sr=8-1

Learn about it from daveomak ....stuff is awesome!

 

[Philomath]

How do you apply this?

 

[indaswamp]

How do you apply this?

It is used to lube the auger and the nylon washer where the auger fits into the back of the housing.

 

[Philomath]

It is used to lube the auger and the nylon washer where the auger fits into the back of the housing.

So just apply a thin coat to the entire Auger and the washer?

 

[indaswamp]

If you are getting grey looking stuff on the grinder plate where the auger goes through it, it is likely do to the high torsion pressure sideways on the auger from the bones pushing the auger with high pressure inside the grinder plate.

As long as you choose to grind bones, you can expect this to happen.

 

[indaswamp]

So just apply a thin coat to the entire Auger and the washer?

No, only where the surface of the washer mates with the auger.

 

[indaswamp]

Side note- Fat that is too cold (below about 27*F) will do the exact same thing from too much torsion pressure on the auger.

 

[Philomath]

Side note- Fat that is too cold (below about 27*F) will do the exact same thing from too much torsion pressure on the auger.

The meat was in the freezer about a hour so it wasn't even completely frozen. I guess it must be due to the bones. I'm going to pick up that lube for the washer and some silicone spray for the head, plate, and knife. Hopefully that fixes everything but I feel like this was super easy to screw up and I'm worried about the rough spot in the auger and the metal shard I found when I was disassembling for cleaning. I certainly don't want myself, my family, or my dog eating metal bits. Not sure if I should replace the parts or leave them be or just send the whole thing back.

 

[indaswamp]

Temperature of the meat and fat is very critical when grinding meat....