Newb sausage maker questions...

[indaswamp]

I grind twice with most sausages. First grind very coarse thru kidney plate or 3/4" plate. Then I add salt, cure and seasoning for protein extraction and allow to sit in refrigerator for at least 24 hours. I use to dilute both the salt and cure in water, but after reading up on meat science posted by some of the universities (Texas A&M, Ohio State, Kentucky to name a few..) I started just diluting the cure in the minimum amount of water necessary for even distribution and now add the salt as it because salt soluble protein extraction occurs best with a 6% salt solution. Straight salt will give you a higher salt solution using the liquid leached from the meat as the salt penetrates.
YMMV......I find I get a better bind, and now use less milk powder in my mixes.

 

[boykjo]

I grind twice with most sausages. First grind very coarse thru kidney plate or 3/4" plate. Then I add salt, cure and seasoning for protein extraction and allow to sit in refrigerator for at least 24 hours. I use to dilute both the salt and cure in water, but after reading up on meat science posted by some of the universities (Texas A&M, Ohio State, Kentucky to name a few..) I started just diluting the cure in the minimum amount of water necessary for even distribution and now add the salt as it because salt soluble protein extraction occurs best with a 6% salt solution. Straight salt will give you a higher salt solution using the liquid leached from the meat as the salt penetrates.
YMMV......I find I get a better bind, and now use less milk powder in my mixes.

Yep......... takes fart smellers from universities to say what I've been practicing for years. keep water to a minimum. Let salt extract liquid from the meat and create the bind. Fold meat together till you get a nice mix.

 

[wild west]

Yep......... takes fart smellers from universities to say what I've been practicing for years. keep water to a minimum. Let salt extract liquid from the meat and create the bind. Fold meat together till you get a nice mix.

So when you say fold together do you mean go kind of gentle to get a good mix. I use my KA with the dough hook to mix and I'm often disappointed by how dense the finished sausage comes out. I've wondered if it's due to over mixing.

 

[hondabbq]

I am a chef in a commercial kitchen. I opened up an Old/new facility and they had these old old Hobart mixers that had no guards of any kind. I kept on e in the kitchen and gave one to another installation with in the company. a year later Health and safety guy comes through at the other building I gave the mixer to and says it has to go and they needed to buy a new one.
I told my boss about this incident and he says well we might as well beat them to the puch and told me to buy a new mixer. I asked what he wanted me to do with the old mixer. He said throw it out I dont care.
It was int he back of the truck within minutes. Thing was super heavy. Its a 20 L mixer with all attachments. I bought a SS stand for it through my work and mounted it on there. I have been using it ever since.

 

[JC in GB]

I am a chef in a commercial kitchen. I opened up an Old/new facility and they had these old old Hobart mixers that had no guards of any kind. I kept on e in the kitchen and gave one to another installation with in the company. a year later Health and safety guy comes through at the other building I gave the mixer to and says it has to go and they needed to buy a new one.
I told my boss about this incident and he says well we might as well beat them to the puch and told me to buy a new mixer. I asked what he wanted me to do with the old mixer. He said throw it out I dont care.
It was int he back of the truck within minutes. Thing was super heavy. Its a 20 L mixer with all attachments. I bought a SS stand for it through my work and mounted it on there. I have been using it ever since.

Wow, very nice.. It is always great to get an unexpected score like that.

 

[boykjo]

nice score honda.....

Actually sausage is denser when folding.

If you want less density add water and binders and mix till sticky. Daveomak's illustration earlier is a good technique.

 

[pushok2018]

What boykjo said.... I always mix salt and cure together and distribute it in the meat paste when start mixing it... Never add any water in the meat paste unless it's required by recipe...

 

[JckDanls 07]

I grind once (medium plate) for my bigger sausages... I will grind half of it a second time through smallest plate when making snack sticks... I too only use a 1/4 cup of water for dissolving the cure... I mix by hand as I worry about the meat in the mixer that is stuck in the corners or around the blade shaft that doesn't get mixed and therefor doesn't get any cure in it... but that's just me...

As said.. you'll figure out the way you like it best the more you do ...

 

[JckDanls 07]

Also... when mixing by hand you'll want to mix and mix some more... and then when your tired of mixing... mix some more ...

Another con (for me) on the mixer.... My belief is that the paddle's kinda act like a grinder as it's mixing.. pulverizing the meat if you will .... again... that's just me ...

 

[JC in GB]

Thanks for all the help. You have answered my questions and more.

JckDanls 07 now you have convinced me that I need a mixer. My arms and shoulders can't take that kind of abuse any more.

I will be looking for a deal on one of those....

indaswamp I hadn't thought about using the stuffing plate to grind. Thanks for that tip.

I am ready to tackle this next sausage making excercise. Will post some pics...

JC

 

[JckDanls 07]

Also...
At this point I keep a plastic squeegee (like a bondo squeegee/applicator) close by to clean my hands with... I also use it to scrape clean my mixing lugs ...