Newbie needs equipment advice

[jokensmoken]

I've been smoking and curing for over a dozen years now but have never gotten into snack sticks and want to.
I need advice on equipment that wont break the bank.
I'd like a small grinder (electric) and a stuffer (crank, I think).
I'm also curious about "jerky guns" and if anyone thinks that might be an option for me getting started...
My desire is to make small diameter venison and beef snack sticks...not quite as small as slim jim diameter but not alot bigger either, and would guess I wouldnt be doing over 5 pound batches till I figure out the technique and develop a few recipies.
I'm hoping a $300.00 budget can get me started and any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Walt.

 

[smokerjim]

check out bearcarvers step by steps, he makes his bear logs(snack sticks) by hand but you will still need a grinder, I can't give you info on that but I would get a pretty good one the first time. I was lucky enough to get an old Hobart off a older friend of mine, he charged me 60 bucks, he said that's what he paid for it 25-30 years ago and it didn't owe him a dime.

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

I started doing snack sticks last year, and bought a cannon to make sure I would like them. It works just fine, but it's time consuming. My other problem is I now have around 5 people that seem to have ESP when I make sticks, sausages, or brats. I make a batch, and BOOM they are gone. I would think $300 should get you what you want. Check out LEM products.

 

[jimmyinsd]

you should be able to find a pretty decent grinder for a couple hundred bucks, I spent a lot more, but I know that there are a lot of people happy with theirs that didnt spend as much. I am pretty satisfied with my Hakka stuffer from amazon. They are a chinese product so the tariffs have pushed the price up, but the LEM is popular as well and about the same money.

 

[tallbm]

I've been smoking and curing for over a dozen years now but have never gotten into snack sticks and want to.
I need advice on equipment that wont break the bank.
I'd like a small grinder (electric) and a stuffer (crank, I think).
I'm also curious about "jerky guns" and if anyone thinks that might be an option for me getting started...
My desire is to make small diameter venison and beef snack sticks...not quite as small as slim jim diameter but not alot bigger either, and would guess I wouldnt be doing over 5 pound batches till I figure out the technique and develop a few recipies.
I'm hoping a $300.00 budget can get me started and any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Walt.

Well I'll try to help and stay within your budget.

1st lesson I learned was that when buying a stuffer buy one that does a little more than what you believe you want to stuff. So if you want to do 5 pound batches then get a 7 pound stuffer because a 5 pound stuffer really only handles about 4 pounds of meat. Here is one that would work though I have not used this stuffer, the ratings are good and I do like and use Weston brand products so I have some confidence in taking a shot at that stuffer:


LEM's Jerky Cannon is good, I own one. It's capacity is just too small for doing 5 pounds of sticks consistently. That would be like 3-4 reloads or maybe more and if you want to use casings you will have difficulties working it all effectively.

I would use the rest of your budget on a grinder that is .5hp or 500watt+
I run an older Weston Grinder that is 450 Watt and just a hair under .5hp and I grind over close to two hundred pounds of meat/fat for sausage at a time when I use it once or twice a year or so. The machine is AWESOME for a 1 person or 1.5 person job (getting random help making the .5 person lol)! It does not heat up, is all metal where it is supposed to be and is 100% reliable. The only knock is that you can't put the metal parts in the dishwasher or they get an ugly grey film that rubs off everywhere so hand wash. I believe many grinders are like this though.
I found a great deal on a newer model of theirs that is stronger than mine and cheaper:
Summary: Spend the most on your grinder to get the best you can get that is .5hp or 500watt+. I recommend going a 7 pound stuffer as it is more versital and will actually allow you to do 5 pounds at a time where a 5 pounds stuffer would not. Avoid the Jerky guns/cannon for doing 5 pounds of anything if you plan to do it 2+ times a year.

Best of luck and let us know what you land on!

 

[jokensmoken]

I started doing snack sticks last year, and bought a cannon to make sure I would like them. It works just fine, but it's time consuming. My other problem is I now have around 5 people that seem to have ESP when I make sticks, sausages, or brats. I make a batch, and BOOM they are gone. I would think $300 should get you what you want. Check out LEM products.

So what is a "cannon", just another name for "gun"...and if so, what brand did you get...
I'd also prefer to stuff casings...not sure that can be done by hand with a "caulk gun" type tool...your thoughts...

 

[Winterrider]

https://www.lemproducts.com/product/jerky-cannon/all-jerky-products

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Hey Joken. Mine is a LEM cannon. It's basically a giant caulk gun that can hold around 1.5 lbs of meat. It does have a tube so you can stuff casings. I've successfully stuffed snack sticks, brats, and b'fast sausages. Because it holds so little meat, and the tube is short, the process takes a while. I'm hoping to upgrade to a 5 lb stuffer in the future.

 

[Winterrider]

Got a cannon, works good. As stated, little slow. Have to load quite often.

 

[Winterrider]

LEM makes a good 5# stuffer also, but the one tallbm posted would be as good I think, and a little cheaper.

 

[jokensmoken]

Well I'll try to help and stay within your budget.

1st lesson I learned was that when buying a stuffer buy one that does a little more than what you believe you want to stuff. So if you want to do 5 pound batches then get a 7 pound stuffer because a 5 pound stuffer really only handles about 4 pounds of meat. Here is one that would work though I have not used this stuffer, the ratings are good and I do like and use Weston brand products so I have some confidence in taking a shot at that stuffer:


LEM's Jerky Cannon is good, I own one. It's capacity is just too small for doing 5 pounds of sticks consistently. That would be like 3-4 reloads or maybe more and if you want to use casings you will have difficulties working it all effectively.

I would use the rest of your budget on a grinder that is .5hp or 500watt+
I run an older Weston Grinder that is 450 Watt and just a hair under .5hp and I grind over close to two hundred pounds of meat/fat for sausage at a time when I use it once or twice a year or so. The machine is AWESOME for a 1 person or 1.5 person job (getting random help making the .5 person lol)! It does not heat up, is all metal where it is supposed to be and is 100% reliable. The only knock is that you can't put the metal parts in the dishwasher or they get an ugly grey film that rubs off everywhere so hand wash. I believe many grinders are like this though.
I found a great deal on a newer model of theirs that is stronger than mine and cheaper:
Summary: Spend the most on your grinder to get the best you can get that is .5hp or 500watt+. I recommend going a 7 pound stuffer as it is more versital and will actually allow you to do 5 pounds at a time where a 5 pounds stuffer would not. Avoid the Jerky guns/cannon for doing 5 pounds of anything if you plan to do it 2+ times a year.

Best of luck and let us know what you land on!

Okay...thanks for the ad ice...you basically answered my main concern...which was, will products in the $100.00 to $150.00 range work...
Your opinion is yes...
I've looked at LEM products and read the reviews...I was seriously concerned weather a $150.00 grinder would really work.
Seems you all think yes if I'm selective.
I'm concerned about the Weston grinder as the negative reviews all center around the plastic drive gear failing...
The LEM 5# 3L stuffer looks like the one I'll settle on...I'll let you all which grinder I decide on...
Thanks again.

 

[Norwester55]

I recently bought the Hakka 7 lb stuffer but haven't had a chance to use it yet as B&P bobbled my casing order. Hopefully next week. I bought a Kitchener #8 grinder as the price was right, ($180) 1/2 HP motor, metal gears and the reviews (not many) were good until the most recent one anyway. I ground 10 lbs of pork shoulder for breakfast sausage and it chewed it up as fast as I could feed it. I bought a foot switch from Harbor freight but I didn't use it because I was done so fast. The only con I see so far is that its a bit harder to find #8 size grinder plates for it but they're out there, you just have to look a little more.

 

[tropics]

I have used a Jerky Cannon for years making all my sausages & sticks it is work but not that bad.I just got the LEM 5# Mighty Bite it is a lot easier to use they do have SS tubes for making sticks or sausage.Here is 12 pounds of Italian I did on Sat.

I even learned how to link LOL

Richie

 

[jimmyinsd]

take note of those that say the stuffers are generally rated larger than what they actually end up holding. My 11# stuffer is typically pretty full at about 9# or so. Also the plastic gears on a stuffer would be a red flag for me, especially if I was looking to make snack sticks, those little horns/casings require a lot more pressure to fill and that will put a lot more strain on your gears. I would look for something with metal gears for sure.

 

[tallbm]

Okay...thanks for the ad ice...you basically answered my main concern...which was, will products in the $100.00 to $150.00 range work...
Your opinion is yes...
I've looked at LEM products and read the reviews...I was seriously concerned weather a $150.00 grinder would really work.
Seems you all think yes if I'm selective.
I'm concerned about the Weston grinder as the negative reviews all center around the plastic drive gear failing...
The LEM 5# 3L stuffer looks like the one I'll settle on...I'll let you all which grinder I decide on...
Thanks again.

Definitely avoid that grinder I linked to if it has plastic in the drive train.
You want all metal parts where it counts. My older Weston model (discontinued) has all metal parts.

Also like jimmyinsd say avoid stuffers that have plastic in their gears. The Weston stuffer has all metal gears according to their website for that model. It being a 7 pounder you can definitely fit 5 pounds in it but I wouldn't over stuff. As mentioned by jimmy when you have smaller stuffer tubes you will be cranking 5 pounds of meat down through a tube with a tiny diameter. This makes for a lot of pressure you have to manually apply. I deal with this when doing normal sausage stuffing in my 22 pound stuffer and it is a 2 man job due to the pressure needed to crank pounds of meat through a tube.

 

[fullborebbq]

I will second the 5 lb unit with steel gears. I use this over my Hakka 11lb unit as the Hakka has a slightly smaller tube diameter. Truth be told mine is a Gander Mountain with the Lem steel small drive gear. The main LEM gear did not fit the GM shaft but had the same tooth count. USE SOME food grade grease on the vertical shaft. I make around 200 snack sticks a week with it..

I use the 21mm collagen casings on a .430"/10.92mm ID stuffer tube.

The Hakka tube is a 10mm OD 8.2mmID and requires so much force on the handle it scares me. you can always add more water/ice to your mixture it will just take longer to smoke and get the right consistency on them.

Would love to go to a Sausagemaker 20 lb electric unit if i had an extra $3000.00

 

[jokensmoken]

THANKS FOLKS...I havent pulled the trigger yet...
I'm still reviewing products...
If I'm reading you all correctly these are the important things...
METAL GEARS THROUGHOUT BOTH UNITS
.5 HP minimum power on the grinder
7# units or more likely to do 5# batches.
If true my assessment is my equipment investment needs to be closer to $400.00-$500.00 range...so time to save a few more pennies.
Thanks for pointing out the important things.
Walt

 

[bill ace 350]

I would start with a quality stuffer.

Second would be a grinder. You can buy ground beef, pork, Turkey or ask the butcher to bring for you until you buy a grinder.

I have a LEM Jerky cannon. use it to make small batches of caseless sticks or ground jerky.

 

[tallbm]

THANKS FOLKS...I havent pulled the trigger yet...
I'm still reviewing products...
If I'm reading you all correctly these are the important things...
METAL GEARS THROUGHOUT BOTH UNITS
.5 HP minimum power on the grinder
7# units or more likely to do 5# batches.
If true my assessment is my equipment investment needs to be closer to $400.00-$500.00 range...so time to save a few more pennies.
Thanks for pointing out the important things.
Walt

That's the gist of it.
Also as bill mentioned, you can always start with the stuffer and buy ground meat until you are ready to get the meat grinder. It's a little more expensive but the approach would works well unless you have wild game meat or an slaughtered animal you are needing to grind.

 

[forvols]

I have the 11lb weston stuffer (same as the 7lb one shown above). Thats a great price and the weston stuffer is quality equipment. I have used mine the past few years for all my sausage/sticks making.