I did a single pass on the 7mm plate. Came out quite nice and I could tell mixing it that I got good protein extraction. Oh boy does the garage fridge smell good this morning. I can't wait to try some of this. Gonna stuff after work but not sure If time will allow the smoke. We shall see.A long time favorite of mine for grind is run 2/3 of the meat through either the 1/4 or 3/8 plate then 1/3 through the 1/8 plate, this makes a very good bite on sausage more solidified I would say.
I've read a butt ton of different recipes and some do include it, and some even detail why its coarse or fine. Me, I can't say I've eaten anything texture wise that I didn't like other than the sausage I made with wine... I now know how that impacts the bind... lessons learned.Most of my recipes don't specify plate size for the grind, So I usually go with the 4.5mm for most. Fresh brats or Italian, I prefer the 8mm coarser grind. It's mostly a matter of preference.