TIP OF THE DAY HOW TO CLEAN A 3/8" STUFFING TUBE

[tennsmoker]

This little jewel came from a Co on Amazon called MusicSupplyDirect only cost $3.50 & free shipping, works like a charm. It's 7/8" wide about 2.50" long.

Maybe this will help someone that uses a wire and piece of cloth like me.

Al

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• tennsmoker
• Aug 1, 2012

 

[jkc64]

I found a nice assortment of different size brushes with different stiffness at harbor freight that work well for all my tubes

 

[diggingdogfarm]

You're supposed to clean those things?




Just kiddin' :biggrin:

A restaurant equipment supplier or a dairy equipment supplier (if you're in dairy country) are another good source of assorted cleaning brushes.

~Martin

 

[scarbelly]

I found a nice assortment of different size brushes with different stiffness at harbor freight that work well for all my tubes

X2

 

[tennsmoker]

I am a big, big fan of Harbor Freigh,t trust me, I rec 4 or 5 coupons a month and I date them and keep em handy in my truck when I'm out-n-about,  but I didn't know they sold small brushes like that,

thanks for the info,

will ck that out,

Al

 

[tennsmoker]

Now Martin,

when you are referring to restautrant supply stuff, you would be talking $13.50 not $3.50, I,m retired on a fixed income, gotta watch my sausage $$$,

Al

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I use a wooden dowel to push the meat out, then use the brush

OR

Get an old dish towel.

Put the end of your faucet on the bell end of the tube, wrap the dish towel around it and turn the water on.....WHOOOSH Out comes the meat. I have a video somewhere on it.

 

[tennsmoker]

I hd researched this topic b/4 I created a thread, and i saw your version of cleaning a stuffing tube (remove the turd in the kitchen sink with the towel) trick. Believe it or not in that sane thread there was someone that posted a reply which had nothing to do with cleaning tubes but it was how to disect a squid!!

Way off base,

al

 

[pops6927]

I took my sausage tubes to Home Depot and fitted each one with the closest size hardwood dowels, then cut them off to 24".  I'm not just wanting to clean the tube, I want to extract what is in the tube to push into the casing at the end so I waste as little as possible.

Once stuffing as much as I can and carefully bottoming out the stuffer (or if using the grinder), I leave the casing on the tube and detach the tube from the machine.  Then, I carefully push the dowel into the tube and finish packing in the rest of the meat into the casing, clearing the tube before pulling off the remaining casing and tying off the sausage.  The plug of sausage is now in the casing, not left in the tube.  This is the way we did it in the meatroom, using either a metal rod or a steel to push out the 'tube stuff' into the casing to maximize sellable profits.  Every time you make sausage (usually once a day per each type) and you wash out your tube into the sink and let that ½ lb of good usable product go down the drain, you're wasting ½, 1, 1½ lbs. of meat a day.1.5 x 364 days a year = 546 lbs of sellable product at 50% profit thrown out, or $273.00 in clear profits wasted.  That's a nice bonus, gone.

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• pops6927
• Aug 2, 2012

Once you push the remaining sausage out of the tube, it's easy to wash and rinse the tube and the dowel.  Hardwood cleans up better than plastic as far as bacteria goes.  I put the dowels in my stuffer to store.

 

[tennsmoker]

Pops,

that,s a great idea leaving the casing on the tube & pushing the sausage into it, believe it or not, I did have a wooden dowel (love woodworking) that fit the 3/8" tube that I used but I rem'd the tube & pushed the sausage in the trash, didn't dawn on me to push the meat into the casing, thanks for that tip

al

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Now Martin,
when you are referring to restautrant supply stuff, you would be talking $13.50 not $3.50, I,m retired on a fixed income, gotta watch my sausage $$$,
Al

:icon_eek:

I paid $2.75 for a small brush for my 3/8" stuffing tube at my local restaurant supply.


~Martin

 

[tennsmoker]

Thanx Martin I needed that

Al

 

[smokinhusker]

I have used the dowel rod method and I also have a set of brushes I bought with my LEM grinder. I also use Food Grade Silicone Spray on all the parts or the grinder and the sausage stuffer for easier clean up. Don't forget Rick's tip of lubing the O-Ring on the sausage stuffer. 

 

[tennsmoker]

Sorry, I couldn't find that tip u r talking about Rick lubing the o-ring, can u re post it

thanks,

al

 

[smokinhusker]

Sorry, I couldn't find that tip u r talking about Rick lubing the o-ring, can u re post it

thanks,

al

Here's the link for greasing the O Ring http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/117900/bbq-sticks

and one for greasing the grinder parts http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/121624/50-lbs-of-venison

 

[boykjo]

You're supposed to clean those things?
Just kiddin'

A restaurant equipment supplier or a dairy equipment supplier (if you're in dairy country) are another good source of assorted cleaning brushes.
~Martin

LOL

Don't laugh martin...... I have seen some pretty nasty stuffers/grinders that the person who owned it said it was clean.......

 

[diggingdogfarm]

LOL

Don't laugh martin...... I have seen some pretty nasty stuffers/grinders that the person who owned it said it was clean.......

Yup, I've seen that too! :icon_eek:

I'm the only one who washes dishes and stuff in this home, because I want it done right! :biggrin:

~Martin

 

[boykjo]

I still use the high tech method . A coat hanger to push a soapy wet wadded paper towel through...

tube cleaner.jpg

• boykjo
• Aug 2, 2012

 

[tennsmoker]

Alesia,

those two post of Rick's about making SS's and using Crisco on his equipment was absolutely informative, very helpful,

thanks for pointing me in the right direction,

Al