Paper or Cotton towels while prepping meat?

[tallbm]

Pretty much the same. The only time I wear nitriles is while mixing sausage. Kitchen towels don't blow away with the wind as easily..
I will admit that I wipe my hands on the apron a lot while grinding and stuffing, but the apron gets washed after every use.
I've always been a compulsive hand washer and I haven't killed anyone yet.....

My hands are deadly but not because of bacteria :P

 

[forktender]

I bought a 32oz. bottle of Star-San surface sanitizer when I started making salami for cleaning equipment, tubs, etc...1 oz. will make 5 gallons so it will last a while. I spray counter tops with it too.
I do glove up when mixing sausage and salami, or when curing meats as it is not recommended to allow the cure to touch your hands, it will absorb.

One tip-buy cheap poly liner gloves at walmart to wear under latex gloves when mixing sausage. Your hands will not freeze, and the meat will stay colder.

San Star is killer stuff, I use it to clean my canning jars and always have a spray bottle next to the kitchen and garage utility sinks. It doesn't leave the slippery residue that bleach water does, and it kills damn near anything bad for food prep and sanitation. A little goes a long way. I mix it 1/2 oz for 2 gallons, I have a friend that is the Brew master for Anchor Steam Brewery in SF, and he told me that is how they mix it for basic quick clean up's when using it in spray bottles.

I need to suck it up and buy a sausage mixer, my hands are shot from wrenching on gaslines for 39 yrs.
I'll most likely buy the hand crank model, mainly because I only make 10 to 20 lb batches these days.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Paper towels, here. Used to use gloves until they became scarce and pricy.

Site Wellbefore has Nitrile Blend Gloves for $6.64. I ordered 3 boxes of 100. They work fairly well.

 

[tallbm]

San Star is killer stuff, I use it to clean my canning jars and always have a spray bottle next to the kitchen and garage utility sinks. It doesn't leave the slippery residue that bleach water does, and it kills damn near anything bad for food prep and sanitation. A little goes a long way. I mix it 1/2 oz for 2 gallons, I have a friend that is the Brew master for Anchor Steam Brewery in SF, and he told me that is how they mix it for basic quick clean up's when using it in spray bottles.

I need to suck it up and buy a sausage mixer, my hands are shot from wrenching on gaslines for 39 yrs.
I'll most likely buy the hand crank model, mainly because I only make 10 to 20 lb batches these days.

I've had a hand crank mixer and I personally couldn't stand it. Takes 3X longer to clean then it does to use and takes up a ton of space. Doesn't even do a whole 20 lbs either.

I bought a giant 48" mud mixer paddle and use a 12A Corded drill with a 1/2 chuck along with a small cooler. Think of it being like a giant kitchen mixer.
Much better option for mixing 10-15 lbs at a time or more :)

Figured I would give my 2 cents since it is something to think about. Wish I had never bought the mixer but I was able to sell it off for only a small loss :)

 

[indaswamp]

...giant 48" mud mixer paddle....

I am intrigued....got a link?

 

[tallbm]

I am intrigued....got a link?

I misspoke its 46", this exact one:

46" Hex Shaft Junior Mud Mixer

Cast aluminum paddle 8-1/2" x 5" deep. 7/16" steel shaft works in slow speed 1/2" drill

www.krafttool.com

You get the idea. I got one this long so I didn't have to bend over as much :)

 

[SmokinEdge]

Yup paddle mixers are great. A clean 5 gal bucket is great for smaller batches.

 

[indaswamp]

I'll order one and try it out on processing day when we do big batches. Will probably still need the paddle for the corners and to fold but the mud mixer ought to save some back aches...

I have seriously contemplated buying a 100# mixer, but would rarely use it except for my annual big batches of smoke sausage and andouille, and on processing day.

 

[forktender]

I've had a hand crank mixer and I personally couldn't stand it. Takes 3X longer to clean then it does to use and takes up a ton of space. Doesn't even do a whole 20 lbs either.

I bought a giant 48" mud mixer paddle and use a 12A Corded drill with a 1/2 chuck along with a small cooler. Think of it being like a giant kitchen mixer.
Much better option for mixing 10-15 lbs at a time or more :)

Figured I would give my 2 cents since it is something to think about. Wish I had never bought the mixer but I was able to sell it off for only a small loss :)

Sweet idea, thank you.
Dan.

Kraft 30" Eggbeater Grout Mortar Mixer - White Cap

Use this mixer to mix thinset, grout, and other concrete products. The plated steel increases the life of the product while providing strength for long use. Plated to resist corrosion and make clean-up easy. The 5-1/2 In. tall head creates a 5 In. square head designed to minimize air for smooth...

www.whitecap.com

 

[WaterRat]

Paper towels. Nitrile gloves for raw meat. For moving around cooking meat, turning rib racks, pulling pork butt, I really like the the Blue Atlas gloves: https://www.seamar.com/item/ATS660-SZ/GLOVE-PVC-BLUE/ They are thick enough and have a small cotton liner so they provide enough heat resistance. NOT for grabbing hot metal, just the meat. Last forever, just wash your hands with them on.

 

[tallbm]

I'll order one and try it out on processing day when we do big batches. Will probably still need the paddle for the corners and to fold but the mud mixer ought to save some back aches...

I have seriously contemplated buying a 100# mixer, but would rarely use it except for my annual big batches of smoke sausage and andouille, and on processing day.

Sweet idea, thank you.
Dan.

Kraft 30" Eggbeater Grout Mortar Mixer - White Cap

Use this mixer to mix thinset, grout, and other concrete products. The plated steel increases the life of the product while providing strength for long use. Plated to resist corrosion and make clean-up easy. The 5-1/2 In. tall head creates a 5 In. square head designed to minimize air for smooth...

www.whitecap.com

Yeah the paddle really helps. I switched from a bucket to a cooler as the bucket wanted to twist and I needed a better 1 man operational setup with no one to hold the bucket.

I would use a big enough cooler that you don't care about taking some whacks with the paddle. I haven't dented or made any "holes" but having more room to move meat side to side or work it together was nicer. Also the cooler didn't want to spin like the bucket.
Finally if I wanted the strap the cooler down by it's handles to keep it from moving I had that option as well.

To not overstress the motor I do about 10 -15 pounds max at a time.
It may seem like some hassle but this thing mixes meat up so quickly you will spend more time prepping, putting meat and seasoning in and pulling meat out.

Clean up is stupid simple and fast too. Water hose, paper towels, and soap. Do it out in the yard and even a kid or teenager can do it. The box paddle mixer is very much the opposite and you if you lose a small part from the box paddle mixer you are screwed!

I hope all this info helps :)

 

[JckDanls 07]

I agree... the hand crank 20 lb mixers SUCK... Rick ( BGKYSmoker ) gave me one a few years ago... never tried it until this past week... I see now why he didn't want it... I tried 15 lbs in it... It basically just moved the meat around the tub with the paddles... where there is now paddles the meat didn't mix... no matter which way you turned the handle ....

As for the original question... I'm like others.. paper when processing along with gloves... cloth when cooking ...

 

[forktender]

Yeah the paddle really helps. I switched from a bucket to a cooler as the bucket wanted to twist and I needed a better 1 man operational setup with no one to hold the bucket.

I would use a big enough cooler that you don't care about taking some whacks with the paddle. I haven't dented or made any "holes" but having more room to move meat side to side or work it together was nicer. Also the cooler didn't want to spin like the bucket.
Finally if I wanted the strap the cooler down by it's handles to keep it from moving I had that option as well.

To not overstress the motor I do about 10 -15 pounds max at a time.
It may seem like some hassle but this thing mixes meat up so quickly you will spend more time prepping, putting meat and seasoning in and pulling meat out.

Clean up is stupid simple and fast too. Water hose, paper towels, and soap. Do it out in the yard and even a kid or teenager can do it. The box paddle mixer is very much the opposite and you if you lose a small part from the box paddle mixer you are screwed!

I hope all this info helps :)

I did drywall and taping for a few years, I got the bucket foot hold dailed in.
A deep meat lug or cooler sounds like a better idea, though.

 

[tallbm]

I did drywall and taping for a few years, I got the bucket foot hold dailed in.
A deep meat lug or cooler sounds like a better idea, though.

Hahhaha so you exactly what I'm talking about with the bucket spin :D

I went as far as to take a sacrificial bucker that I bolted to a plywood plank and then put the meat bucket inside of it and tape it to the sacrificial bucket.
This way I could stand on the wood plank and keep everything from spinning.

It worked well BUT new problem. The weight of 10-15 lbs of meat all stacked up was stressing the drill more than I liked so I switched to using an older cooler that I didn't care about and with the meat having more horizontal spread it wasn't as hard on the drill.

In any case this mixing happens quickly and thoroughly and the ease of working with and cleaning the setup is about as simple as you can get!

These are the things I learned during my meat mixing adventures lol :)

 

[uncle eddie]

Now that paper towels and toilet paper are readily available again - paper towels all the way.
I am curious what the answer would have been 18 months ago?!

 

[forktender]

Paper towels. Nitrile gloves for raw meat. For moving around cooking meat, turning rib racks, pulling pork butt, I really like the the Blue Atlas gloves: https://www.seamar.com/item/ATS660-SZ/GLOVE-PVC-BLUE/ They are thick enough and have a small cotton liner so they provide enough heat resistance. NOT for grabbing hot metal, just the meat. Last forever, just wash your hands with them on.
View attachment 519435

Those are great gloves, I have several pairs, both the blue and the orange lined, that I use for crabbing and picking up and setting decoys/ longlines while Diver duck hunting. I keep several in my boats, truck and for roadside emergencies. I use them for everything.

 

[pineywoods]

Hahhaha so you exactly what I'm talking about with the bucket spin :D

I went as far as to take a sacrificial bucker that I bolted to a plywood plank and then put the meat bucket inside of it and tape it to the sacrificial bucket.
This way I could stand on the wood plank and keep everything from spinning.

It worked well BUT new problem. The weight of 10-15 lbs of meat all stacked up was stressing the drill more than I liked so I switched to using an older cooler that I didn't care about and with the meat having more horizontal spread it wasn't as hard on the drill.

In any case this mixing happens quickly and thoroughly and the ease of working with and cleaning the setup is about as simple as you can get!

These are the things I learned during my meat mixing adventures lol :)

Lol here ya go lack of power problem solved

 

[Brokenhandle]

Lol here ya go lack of power problem solved

He's gonna need bigger screws to hold that bucket down!

Ryan

 

[DougE]

He's gonna need bigger screws to hold that bucket down!

Ryan

Ratchet strap it to a tree in true hillbilly fashion.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Ratchet strap it to a tree in true hillbilly fashion.

The drill or the bucket? Or from the size of that drill...maybe the guy that has to pull the trigger!

Ryan