Ref; Equipment Question!

[tallbm]

I have nothing to contribute but just wanted to say that I'm finding it very interesting and educational on how you guys are handling small batch summer sausage making :)

This just shows how someone can do 1 pound - 5 pounds of summer or bagged sausage quite easily with minimal amount of tools and effort.

I don't frequently process and make sausage but the once a year that I do I am grinding, stuffing, etc. over 100 pounds and to do that effectively without taking all day takes equipment more on the opposite end of the spectrum lol.

I have a Lem Jerky Cannon and seeing how you guys are doing things is kind of exciting since I now know I have the equipment and now can piggy back off your simple jerky gun approaches for doing 1-5 pounds at a time with really minimal effort and clean up!

Keep on posting, this is very interesting! :D

 

[TomKnollRFV]

"Also I honestly have no idea how you put casings on the snack stick nozzle ..or if it was even meant for that. I figured get some thing cheap and basic and if I find it rewarding, I'll likely invest in a LEM Jerky cannon some day perhaps."

Tom....I bought a 7# vertical stuffer a few months ago and realized an issue with it. In the 90 elbow at the bottom that turns from vertical to horizontal where the stuffing horn attaches, there is always a large amount of meat in there that won't stuff into the casings because the piston in the vertical chamber has bottomed out. I got a jerky cannon so I could take that meat out, put it into the cannon, and get all of it stuffed into casings. The stuffing horns for my vertical stuffer have the same diameter base as the jerky cannon so they fit right onto cannon. See pics below. I only have 4 of the stuffing horns pictured because those are the ones I use pretty much all the time. Now to go out on a limb. I've bought several pieces of equipment that came with stuffing horns that I have no use for....a LOT of them. If you'll send me a PM with your address I'll mail you an assortment of them so you can use them for any type or size of sausage you may want to make. Additionally, all sizes (diameters) are available on Amazon and can be bought in bundle packs or individually.

View attachment 366622

I have both stainless steel tubes and plastic. I'll measure the base size and see if they'll fit on your stuffing tool. If they require modification of any sort, I'll send the plastic ones. They will be a LOT easier to work with than stainless.

Hope this'll help...
Robert

Hey! Thanks Robert! I'll send ya my address! Me and my dad do alot of jury rigging to get things working. <The benefits of your dad being an engineer who retired a few years ago. You get into a hobby, and he watches and takes and interest and ends up submitting ways to improve said hobby!...some times overly complicated ways!>

If they don't work I'll mail em back. Though I suspect we'll figure that out!

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Thanks to Robert I got an assortment of actual sausage nozzles <Which we need to frankenstein for the jerky pistol>.

Also got my Prague Powder 1 and 25 LEM casings today via amazon..

Thing still bugging me is Kawboy said he can fit a 1 1/2 inch casing onto this fleet farm jerky gun and I'm still confused how. I mean I can't comprehend how that works. Can Kawboy post a picture of what he's doing? I don't want to get a casing soaking and then rip it trying to figure it out!

 

[kawboy]

Thanks to Robert I got an assortment of actual sausage nozzles <Which we need to frankenstein for the jerky pistol>.

Also got my Prague Powder 1 and 25 LEM casings today via amazon..

Thing still bugging me is Kawboy said he can fit a 1 1/2 inch casing onto this fleet farm jerky gun and I'm still confused how. I mean I can't comprehend how that works. Can Kawboy post a picture of what he's doing? I don't want to get a casing soaking and then rip it trying to figure it out!

I'm just using the biggest nozzle, not putting it over the gun. The nozzle is quite a bit smaller than the casings.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Oh! You mean the snack stick nozzle? Man I kept going 'How is he sliding that thing over the darn cylinder!'

 

[nanuk]

I think there is often confusion when folks refer to different items with the same name.

a casing is not a casing is not a casing.

guts are measured by MMs, and I think the artificial ones are too. for small diameter sausages
then you have bungs for large diameter and balognas and such
and large artificial ones for summer sausage etc.

the small gut/collagen casings for small diameter sausage require a long small diameter spout. diameter is based on gut diameter.

the large bungs could be damaged by the gun, so a large diameter tube may work best. wet it well, push it over the tube and control it coming off the tube with your hand as it fills.

the artifical casings for summer sausage etc are filled the same way if you have a tube, but those could be pulled over the gun. You'd still need to control the feed with your hand at the end where it comes out of the gun, or large diameter tube

 

[TomKnollRFV]

I have found the entire sizing thing -very- confusing. Still figuring it all out. I want to find a 'one size fits all my needs' non edible casing yet. Haven't, still working on it.

 

[jimmyinsd]

I have found the entire sizing thing -very- confusing. Still figuring it all out. I want to find a 'one size fits all my needs' non edible casing yet. Haven't, still working on it.

I doubt you will find that casing, unless you are looking at only doing a few types of sausage. but good luck!

 

[tallbm]

I have found the entire sizing thing -very- confusing. Still figuring it all out. I want to find a 'one size fits all my needs' non edible casing yet. Haven't, still working on it.

I would imagine the closest you can get to 1 size fits all is to go with:

-Natural Hog Casings for anything grill-like sausage
-The summer sausage size 2.5 in x 12 in fibrous casings

This allows you to do grill type sausages as well as summer sausage and bologna type products. You just take the middle ground where neither are too small nor too big.

Oh also 1 pound ground meat bags do well for straight burger grind or loose breakfast sausage and you can over stuff them a little to probably get 1.5 pounds if needed :)

 

[cal1956]

the thing about making sausage is that you get addicted to it , so once you make em you might as well invest in a good stuffer ....lol

 

[TomKnollRFV]

the thing about making sausage is that you get addicted to it , so once you make em you might as well invest in a good stuffer ....lol

I know I know. I've only made em three times now. I need to get more stuff. I actually wanna do some Andouille or hot links now. My biggest problem is I always think in terms of '5 pound batch' .... I could do 2 pounds and thats alot easier to convince ye old budget of..but its not a huge smoker filling job! Lol!

 

[tallbm]

the thing about making sausage is that you get addicted to it , so once you make em you might as well invest in a good stuffer ....lol

I second this! Also get a stuffer that can easily handle batches in the size you do. I bought 10Liter/22-23lbs pound meat stuffer so I can easily do 20 pound batches with one stuffing. I usually work in batches of 20 or greater when I make sausage once or twice a year. This saves LOADS of time and makes life easier!

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Jeeze Tallbm...can I come visit for quality control purposes? ;)

 

[tallbm]

Jeeze Tallbm...can I come visit for quality control purposes? ;)

Hahahaha when I'm stuffing sausage I wouldn't mind a visitor, I always have to find a 2nd pair of hands on stuffing day so this would solve the problem :P

When you get a big stuffer like a 10L sized it takes someone applying some real force to crank on 20 pounds of meat hahaha. The other person manages the tube and casing side of things.
I also mix my meat in a 7 gallon bucket with a corded drill and a big sheet rock mud mixing tool. This is super helpful as well :D

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Man if I lived in Texas I'd totally swing by. I'm still hoping to find enough folk off SMF in WI to do a get together LOL

 

[jimmyinsd]

Man if I lived in Texas I'd totally swing by. I'm still hoping to find enough folk off SMF in WI to do a get together LOL

so you are a sconni with a dog named Valkrie, which is a Viking/Norse thing...

 

[TomKnollRFV]

so you are a sconni with a dog named Valkrie, which is a Viking/Norse thing...

Yep. I got her shortly after major spine surgery. Valkyrie are Norse Angels..she's a purebred German Shepherd..figured it fit. All the 'bully' breeds I get will always be named after the norse pantheon. My Rottie was named Freya, but she passed away when only 9 months old. People I bought her from falsified vet records etc.

 

[jimmyinsd]

Yep. I got her shortly after major spine surgery. Valkyrie are Norse Angels..she's a purebred German Shepherd..figured it fit. All the 'bully' breeds I get will always be named after the norse pantheon. My Rottie was named Freya, but she passed away when only 9 months old. People I bought her from falsified vet records etc.

interesting, so are you a packer fan or a Viking fan?

sorry to hear about your Rott.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

interesting, so are you a packer fan or a Viking fan?

sorry to hear about your Rott.

Don't really watch sports LOL. Used to watch UFC and boxing but eh