Sausage Stuffer question

[rugerlab]

I restored my late father in laws old cast iron 1897 sausage stuffer.  Everything from sandblasting to seasoning the pot.  The question I have is the last time I made sausage it was really hard getting the meat to come out of the stuffer.  I only added about 1 cup of water to the 5 lbs of meat.  Should I have added more water and how much. I was doing it by myself so it was hard handling the casings and cranking the handle!!!!

 

[daveomak]

What kind of a stuffer is it.... If it's vertical with piston and threaded rod and crank handle, a little food grade grease on the piston and rod would take away from a lot of the friction... If you can use a larger stuffing tube, and still do what you need, that would help also...

Dave

 

[boykjo]

Sounds like you have an old enterprise press.....

enterprise.jpg

• boykjo
• Dec 23, 2013

A light coat of food grade oil on the shaft and spray some pam on the inside pot wall. 1 cup of water for 5 lbs was plenty water.

 

[venture]

I agree with all of the above.

1 cup for 5 lbs is about double what I use.

Try the lube.  Otherwise you might have an equipment issue?

Hope you get it fixed.  Sure sounds like a neat old stuffer!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[rugerlab]

Thanks for the suggestions.  Yep that is what it is.  After we moved my mother in law out of the house I found a piece of purple heart wood, he loved working with that wood so I mounted the stuffer on that wood..  He loved two things...  good sausage and wood working. 

 

[boykjo]

Any pictures of it.. Would like to see what your late FIL did.....

 

[rugerlab]

stuffer.jpg

• rugerlab
• Dec 23, 2013

Here is the only picture I had...  I did buy a new tube. 

 

[daveomak]

Ruger, morning.... Very nice stuffer..... I'm sitting here looking at the difference between the 2 pictures in the thread... Your stuffer has a pretty much direct drive 1:1 gear reduction... number of teeth on the pinion vs. number of teeth on the ring gear....
The stuffer in post #3 looks to have about a 2:1 gear reduction.... 2 handle cranks of the pinion to one revolution of the ring gear.... Not sure on those ratios since I'm trying to count the teeth in the picture.....
If all that is near true, your stuffer will be difficult to crank and stuff casings, due to the near direct drive ratio....

It may be time to make it a wall hanger momento... that would be a good thing.... It looks really nice and I'm sure there are some pretty cool memories associated with it for many relatives and friends....


Dave

 

[rugerlab]

That's what I was thinking.  I would hate to have something break on it.  I have looked online at cabelas stuffers but I see some not so great reviews.  I don't want to spend a lot of money but then again it is so worth it to make your own and it tastes better then anything you can buy.  Any ideas on an inexpensive stuffer???  I'm looking for medium price.  I don't make that much, since I have started about 3 months ago I have made about 100 lbs of sausage.  Summer sausage, Hot Italian, German Garlic, Hot Brats, Breakfast, kielbasa, and pepperoni meat sticks.

 

[aeroforce100]

Take a look at the the stuffers at Northern tools.

 

[daveomak]

And the stuffers ( 5# stuffer ) at Grizzly.... That is the stuffer I have and I have had no problems..... Order a couple extra 0-ring a $1 each if you do, in case one breaks......

Dave

 

[rigget]

ruger that press of yours is actually a simmons brand and not an enterprise i have one myself. And ill have to say yours looks great!

 

[venture]

Whatever it is?

That stuffer is a thing of beauty!

Good luck and good smoking.