Busy day of Sausage Making

[Saber 4]

I started the day deboning and cubing up 14 pounds of pork shoulder for sausage. I wanted to use up some of the HI MTN seasoning I had for breakfast sausages and make my first attempt at sausage stuffing with a HI MTN Bratwurst kit. I did 4 lbs of Prairie Sage in 3/4 lb packages, 4 lbs of Maple first I stuffed the jerky blaster and used the double snack stick attachment to make breakfast links on some foil lined cardboard I had. I got 8 packs of links and three 3/4 lb packages.



Of course I had to break everything down and clean it between batches. Then it was time to get started on 5 lbs of bratwurst, I got the hog casings out, rinsed and soaking, pulled the pork cubes out of the freezer and mixed the seasoning in and ground it with the course plate, I've got to say the foot controller was a good buy. Did the final rinse of water through the casing and loaded onto the stuffer tube after converting the grinder to stuffer mode, and yes all of you who have said I will want a separate stuffer were obviously correct, but I'll have to get by this way for awhile. I put the smaller tube on and should have used the larger tube, it was real hard to get a consistent size with the smaller tube.

They ain't pretty but here are the two casings filled before twisting links



All twisted up and ready to cut



All cut up ready to vacuum seal



By now it was almost 8 PM and the wife was about to gnaw off an arm if I didn't get some dinner on the table so here is the money shot. I took some links browned them in the pan and added some water to finish cooking them off. They tasted real good, I wish I'd had time to grill them or throw them in the BCS (can't do the 4 rack since I made fresh sausage)



And all of the sausage packed up and ready to go into the freezer. I don't know why this picture only posts sideways



All in all it was fun, I learned some stuff to do better next time and I can't wait to get into some other sausage's.

[pz]

Looks like you had a great day, Saber!

[devo]

Fun Fun Fun  ;D ;D ;D
NICE

[ragweed]

The brats looks good, Robert.  Especially for your first batch.  Welcome to your newest addiction.

[beefmann]

that is some great  looking sausage

[KyNola]

Nice going Robert!

[Tenpoint5]

Looks real good there Saber!

[pensrock]

looks like you been busy Robert. when do we eat?  ;)

[SiFumar]

Great job on the sausages!  Even with some air pockets, twisting them off helps fill them out.  So they do look nice and plump!  How was the flavor on the Hi Mth brats?  Have not tried that brand.  On the breakfast sausage...try making long ones on a sheet pan, score where you want to cut, let them set up in freezer.  Then cut or break along your score lines.  Much easier to vac seal after.

[rveal23]

Looks like we all had the same idea

[Saber 4]

Great job on the sausages!  Even with some air pockets, twisting them off helps fill them out.  So they do look nice and plump!  How was the flavor on the Hi Mth brats?  Have not tried that brand.  On the breakfast sausage...try making long ones on a sheet pan, score where you want to cut, let them set up in freezer.  Then cut or break along your score lines.  Much easier to vac seal after.

The flavor was great, I'd still like to come up with my own spice mixes but this one was so good that Judy had several links instead of her usual.

I did let them set up in the freezer on the foil papers so they would vac seal but I like your idea of doing the long strips and scoring, it would go a lot quicker that way.

Looks like we all had the same idea

Hope you had as much fun as I did, but I sure was tired afterwards. I'll be glad when I get my flavor's and techniques down so I can set up and make big batches instead of doing so much cleaning between little batches.

[Sailor]

Nice job on the sausage.  Yep, it is just as easy to do a 10 pound load as it is doing a 3, 4 or 5 pound load.  Cleaning is the hard part of sausage making.  :o

[ratherbboating]

Good job on the twisting of the brats.

[rveal23]

Saber 4 Yes I was tired after, and next time I will make a few batches!

[Wazzulu]

Great looking sausage.  Now I have the itch to get out the grinder and 7# stuffer and fill some casings, when I get back from my business trip Monday.