Sausage making plunge

[Nefarious]

It’s not strict on fresh sausage. salt does help with bind, but this can be worked around if need be, you will sacrifice some things but it will work.

Like I originally posted, start with.5% salt as a baseline and work from there.

I cubed the meat, did it twice to be sure I wasn't lazy, and then measured the spices, but a problem arises. Not sure it it was accurate to 1 gram, but for smaller quantities it seems I need it to be accurate to .1 gram but can't find one.

Is a 1.5kg batch too small?

Forget it, I found one down to .01g.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I cubed the meat, did it twice to be sure I wasn't lazy, and then measured the spices, but a problem arises. Not sure it it was accurate to 1 gram, but for smaller quantities it seems I need it to be accurate to .1 gram but can't find one.

Is a 1.5kg batch too small?

Forget it, I found one down to .01g.

Don’t over complicate the experience. Your on the right path and sounds like doing fine. Relax and have a little fun.

 

[tallbm]

I cubed the meat, did it twice to be sure I wasn't lazy, and then measured the spices, but a problem arises. Not sure it it was accurate to 1 gram, but for smaller quantities it seems I need it to be accurate to .1 gram but can't find one.

Is a 1.5kg batch too small?

Forget it, I found one down to .01g.

At 1.5kg/3.3lbs being within 1gram should be fine. 1 gram at higher amounts of meat will matter even less.

My scale I use is within 1 gm. What I do is if I need 15gm on the dot I load up to 14gm and then just add a little more of the seasoning until the number just flips over to 15gm. I'm sure it gets me within .5gm or so accuracy which is fine.

You should be good to go but it never hurts to have a .1gm scale or better but they usually wont do heavier amounts if/when that day comes... and it will likely come when you want 20 lbs of sausage haha :)

 

[DougE]

Forget it, I found one down to .01g.

I was going to say that if you have any vape/head shops in your area, they usually have pocket scales

 

[Nefarious]

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Polar-Ex...Magic-Gloves-Pack-of-3/792358819?athbdg=L1700

Says boys glove, but they fit my hand and I wear lg. latex gloves....

I just opened the bag they came in and i can't stretch them enough to make them fit. I have long fingers I guess. Some boy will get them from value village ☺. It was useful anyway, cause I know what I'm looking for.

 

[noboundaries]

My wife and I are cracking up about the Italian sausage recipes in this thread.

Yesterday, I decided to throw together some easy bulk Italian sausage using ground pork from the grocery store. Once I started blending the spices, I realized I only had half the fennel seed required, so I used anise seed for the other half. My wife thought I was nuts. Fried up a bit this morning and LOVED it! It reminded me of the sausage my Italian grandfather used to make.

I used the SMF search feature just before writing this post, found this thread, and saw that anise seed is a common ingredient! I guess some unintentional adaptations are just meant to happen.

 

[tallbm]

My wife and I are cracking up about the Italian sausage recipes in this thread.

Yesterday, I decided to throw together some easy bulk Italian sausage using ground pork from the grocery store. Once I started blending the spices, I realized I only had half the fennel seed required, so I used anise seed for the other half. My wife thought I was nuts. Fried up a bit this morning and LOVED it! It reminded me of the sausage my Italian grandfather used to make.

I used the SMF search feature just before writing this post, found this thread, and saw that anise seed is a common ingredient! I guess some unintentional adaptations are just meant to happen.

Yep you were spot on!
In my reading and my experience, Anise is a little stronger than Fennel but they are about the same for me in the low amounts they are used... since they are both so strong.

In my Texas Hot Gut (Hot Link) recipe I switched from Anise to Fennel to cut down the flavor a little bit. It was about the same amount of Fennel as the Anise I was using but didnt really have to reduce the already small amount. Worked like a charm!

In small amounts (which is usually very small measurements with these seasonings) I think they are just about interchangeable. :)

 

[SmokyMose]

This is an example of me missing a post and I'm glad it got a bump. The Mrs had to start a low sodium diet a little over a year ago and since then I've been on a mission.
When I asked our dear departed friend chef jimmyj about it he told me that you should have a minimum of 1% of SOME KIND of salt for binding purposes, which is a lot less than most recipes seem to call for. He said there was some indication that potassium chloride works to a certain degree. I've been using a 50/50 mix of kosher and potassium chloride to get 1% and it works. I do use a little MSG in most sausage so that probably helps a little.....
It never occurred to me to use Anise in Italian. I'm going to try it in my next batch :-)

 

[indaswamp]

This is an example of me missing a post and I'm glad it got a bump. The Mrs had to start a low sodium diet a little over a year ago and since then I've been on a mission.
When I asked our dear departed friend chef jimmyj about it he told me that you should have a minimum of 1% of SOME KIND of salt for binding purposes, which is a lot less than most recipes seem to call for. He said there was some indication that potassium chloride works to a certain degree. I've been using a 50/50 mix of kosher and potassium chloride to get 1% and it works. I do use a little MSG in most sausage so that probably helps a little.....
It never occurred to me to use Anise in Italian. I'm going to try it in my next batch :-)

Can also add magnesium chloride to reduce the potassium taste....
But yes, 1% would be the minimum for binding purposes. BUT, it is not a 1:1 ratio on a weight basis, it is on a molar basis. Think baseballs and softballs....they are different sizes and different weights, so 10 baseballs will weigh less than 10 softballs....the same is true for sodium and potassium ions. You need to use about 1.27g of potassium to equal 1 gram of sodium.

*edit to add: From reading one of my meat science books on Salumi....it is the Chloride ions (negative charge) in NaCl (table salt) that help the binding properties in meat. So that is why you need to add the same number of them when switching to a different weight salt. The sodium ions (positive charge) are what give the ionic inhibiting effect on gram negative bacteria....the ions slow the bacteria way down by inhibiting some of their metabolic processes and ability to take water inside their cells.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Some good reading on the subject.

https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-types/low-salt-sausage

 

[SmokyMose]

You need to use about 1.27g of potassium to equal 1 gram of sodium.

Maybe since I use cure#1 and MSG that makes up the difference in sodium?
As far as potassium bitterness I think of the song "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."

 

[SmokyMose]

Some good reading on the subject.

https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-types/low-salt-sausage

I've read it. That's an excellent site.

 

[cal1956]

when i started out making sausage i bought one of those crank type stuffers man those things are hard to crank .. haha a couple of years ago i switched to a water powered stuffer and its a breeze to use , now i can stuff 100 lbs of sausage in no time and not wear out my arm cranking

 

[Nefarious]

C cal1956 Well, I'm where you used to be, ha ha ha I have only been able to use it once so far but until I do it enough times I can't justify the cost. I just installed suction cup feet and will gjve it another run in a week or two. I suspect it will be fine at least for a while.

 

[DougE]

when i started out making sausage i bought one of those crank type stuffers man those things are hard to crank

I don't find the LEM 5* stuffer I have to be hard to crank at all. It runs pretty smooth.

 

[cal1956]

there are only 2 ways that i know of to make those things easier to crank (1) add more fat or (2) add a fair amount of water to the sausage mixture , i add NOTHING to my sausage !!! just meat and spice
my wife's brother inlaw process a lot of deer every year, he once told me that he has broken 2 crank handles and 1 gear box , i myself broke the gear on my old hand crank vertical stuffer before i switched.... do whatever suits you ...i prefer the easy way

 

[DougE]

here are only 2 ways that i know of to make those things easier to crank (1) add more fat or (2) add a fair amount of water to the sausage mixture , i add NOTHING to my sausage !!!

I run 25/30% fat and add maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water If I feel like the mix needs it. Sometimes I add no water. The stuffer cranks easily.

 

[cal1956]

that DOES make sense , my meat ( just guessing here) was in the 15 % fat range , i use whole boston butts and the only part i don't use is the bone, i don't trim them ,i just grind them season them , stuff them and smoke them

 

[DougE]

that DOES make sense , my meat ( just guessing here) was in the 15 % fat range , i use whole boston butts and the only part i don't use is the bone, i don't trim them ,i just grind them season them , stuff them and smoke them

If you are grinding whole butts without removing any fat, your meat should be more like 25~30% fat, which is about perfect for susages.

 

[noboundaries]

I deboned, sliced, and ground a butt today. Zero trim. 7.56 lbs of ground meat. Seasoned, mixed, and resting in the fridge. 25-30% fat is perfect for my tastes. Beats the 50% fat in most grocery sausage.