Stuffers

Cold Smoke · April 01, 2004, 06:07:46 PM

I'm thinking about getting into sausage making- and I've recently ordered a grinder/stuffer like this one....

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml?

But have read somewhere here in Bradley land that a stuffer is much easier to work with. Has anyone used one of those 3-5 lb cast iron stuffers with the push down arm- (my visual aids are not working properly).

Or would it truly be worth the added expense of flipping for one of these....

http://www.sausagemaker.com/store/publish/cart/purchase1.asp?pid=1127&XPR=056E05790E6A08640B810D056E05790E67086A0B7E0D

My intention is to make the odd batch of 10lbs max of sausage occasionally- no mass productions- simply for my own personal use and if it turns out really good I'd likely give some away. I already have a good book ( Great sausage and meat curing) and was wondering if it would be worth buying the pork/beef already ground up and simply mix in the spices and use a stuffer or buy the grinder/stuffer combo and grind my own and stuff. I do own a small cast iron grinder already.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Cold Smoke

Oldman · April 01, 2004, 06:15:16 PM

As a sauage maker, now for 40 plus years, I will share this with you. Pick out your meat and grind it yourself. Grind it med. Not fine or you will lose the fat. Grind it one time only. From there make what adjustments as you like after your first cook.

I would not do 10 pounds my first time out. I would do only enough to create two links. There is nothing worse than to make 10 pounds and only lose it. That is a turn off. You don't need that type of failure in the beginning. Try to use 30-32mm hanks. Good luck and keep us posted.
Olds

Bassman · April 01, 2004, 07:17:29 PM

Coldsmoke,
I have a 5lb stuffer like the one your looking at from the sausagemaker web site,only mine is cast iron.In my opinion this is the best stuffer there is and is worth the money.Reason being the person cranking can keep a steady flow and get nice full casings.By the way we use natural hog casings.I also got the 1/4 hp grinder from cabela's.the grinder works great for grinding but for stuffing it's terrible.It's WAY to slow and is much harder to keep a uniform product.I have already bought my meat ground up from the butcher with no problems,it's just a little more exspenive.check out this thread w/pics at the bottom:
http://www.bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=98
The recipe that I use for smoked sausage is posted there. When we make fresh sausage(plain or Italian)I use a 50/50 mixture with spices.I don't like fatty sausage so I use ground beef chuck and groung pork butt. makes for a tasty sausage.Hope this helps![:)]

Jack

Cold Smoke · April 02, 2004, 12:15:46 AM

Thanks Olds and Bassman.

Hey Bassman:
When you say you use a 50/50 mixture with spices- is that 50% ground beef and 50% ground pork?

I'm just wondering- even if it costs me 30 cents a pound more for the fresh ground meat and I keep the $100 bones in my pocket (cost of grinder- not including shipping and handling)- I can buy about 300 lbs of ground meat at the premium price before I start losing money- and/or put the $100 towards one of those fancy plunger stuffers.~~ I'm not sure if I'm trying to justify the cost of these things to myself or if I'm trying to build a case to present to the Mrs...just thinking out loud I guess. All of this also assuming no other real downside to using already ground meat. Just add spices and stuff your heart out.

Everyone knows what Fuzzy says- " A man's gotta know his limitations..."

Cold Smoke

trout · April 02, 2004, 02:26:35 AM

Cold smoke, get the sausage stuffer. I bought a crank style sausage stuffer that uses a plunger and holds 6lbs at a time. Very very easy compared to stuffing with a grinder. Works awesome. Mine is simular to the model Cabelas sells for $229 but mine sets horizontal. As far as a grinder goes, get one. Even ground round or chuck in a store does not by law have to be 100% ground roast. It can contain a few lips and a&&^^*holes. As far as the wife goes, buy her one of those excellent Kitchenaide mixers. If you get a good one, you can attach a meat grinder to the front of it and you kill 2 birds with one stone. (the meat grinder is $50). That what I use and it works well.[:D]

Let your trout go and smoke a salmon instead.

Chez Bubba · April 02, 2004, 02:28:18 AM

As a novice sausagemaker (none smoked & cured, and only about 100# experience with fresh in 5-10# batches), I'll go out on a limb & and predict what Olds will say. It's my opinion on the subject & I hope he agrees. If he doesn't, go with him![8D]

The flavor qualities rapidly deteriorate after meat has been ground. How long has that pre-ground stuff been sitting around?

The more you mix a ground meat, the more mushy it becomes, losing that "bite". Pre-seasoned chunks will hold their texture better than trying to mix the spices into the meat after it is ground.

I believe you need two seperate tools, a grinder & a stuffer. The combo ones I have tried have not yielded what I wanted. Maybe I just haven't found the right one?

Currently, I only have a conventional elbow stuffer but aspire to graduate to one of those cylinder(sp?) types.

Stuff on[8D],

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

Bassman · April 02, 2004, 01:57:32 PM

CS, 50/50 mixture means half ground chuck,and half ground pork butt.
concerning buying meat already ground,Around these parts butcher shops are happy to work with you.before I had my grinder & stuffer I would go to my favorite butcher & pick out a chuck roast & a pork butt (or several) and ask them to grind it for me.That way no lips & things are added.And you can specify how you want it ground(coarse,fine etc.)[:D].

Jack

Oldman · April 21, 2004, 08:21:18 AM

Quote: The more you mix a ground meat, the more mushy it becomes, losing that "bite". Pre-seasoned chunks will hold their texture better than trying to mix the spices into the meat after it is ground.

I agree the Chez here. However, I add my spices after the grind. But my spices are first mixed into the liquid I get from the bones I boiled off with Bay Leafs. Bay Leaf is an important spice in my sauage. You cannot mix the leaf into the meat. Thus I take the bones and the leaf and boil them together. I then mix this liquid with my "dry" spices in with my meat. You got to becareful if you do it this way. Too much liquid and you ruin your sauage. Not getting all of the needed "dry" spices applied and your sauage is weak tasting. So you have to judge the amount of liquid needed to the amount of ground meat. After mixing I always allowing a standing of at least overnight in the frig before I pack them. This gives time for the garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaf allspice etc. to flavor the meat.

Olds

Chez Bubba · April 22, 2004, 03:30:33 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DoW-Oldman
 But my spices are first mixed into the liquid I get from the bones I boiled off with Bay Leafs. Bay Leaf is an important spice in my sauage. You cannot mix the leaf into the meat. Thus I take the bones and the leaf and boil them together. I then mix this liquid with my "dry" spices in with my meat.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Very interesting & a neat technique that I'm gonna have to try. Makes all the sense in the world.

How many bay leaves? Do you reduce the water to intensify the flavors? Would roasting the bones before boiling be a bad or good thing?

Inquiring minds want to know.[:D]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

nsxbill · July 06, 2004, 11:40:22 PM

To Cold Smoke

The purchase of a stuffer is a long term committment. The purchase of my BS got me looking around at the options, and I think I am going to get the F. Dick stuffer. I know my daughter will be borrowing it for her annual sausage making block party, and I really like the quality of this one. See it in different sizes athttp://www.butcher-packer.com/pg_stuffers_stuffers_dickhand.htm

Happy stuffing and smoking!

Bill

I love the sound of deadlines as they whoosh by!

Last Mrk · July 08, 2004, 05:42:13 PM

Thanks for the hyperlink.

Cold Smoke · July 10, 2004, 03:43:48 PM

Thanks NSXBILL- DROOL...Looks like a mighty fine deluxe, last a lifetime kind of unit. The kind of unit that a hardworking Joe like me should be able to go out and reward himself with. But the wife reminded me that I should be thinking "cavalier" rather than "cadillac" at this particular time. An old car salesman once told me that the more monkeys you have under the hood- the more bananas it's gonna cost you. I had a look in the coffeecan (savings account)- not many bananas in there...$500 US to us canucks is something like $9000 CDN. One day....one day....

Cold Smoke

jaeger · July 11, 2004, 04:59:27 AM

Cold Smoke,
Check out homebutcher on ebay. I bought one for 60 bucks. It is not as nice quality as the $500 but the price is reasonable. There is also a jerky cannon (looks like a large chaulk gun) that would work fine. You can also buy an extra tube(s)to speed up your stuffing time.A #22grinder with 3 sets of plates and blade for each very reasonable. He also sells some spices (cayenne and crushed red pepper) that they grind on site. I plan on trying some of that.
If you use a stuffer you will have a lot less air pockets but if it is not in the cards for now, just use a grinder with a horn attachment. I still have not made any sausage with my BS though seeing the pics from Bassman of his ring sausage is very inspiring. I have a recipe that I have not made for about 7 years that I will be trying soon. If it turns out good I will post.[:)]

Cold Smoke · August 09, 2004, 09:33:43 PM

I finally got myself a stuffer- see attached link
http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=318

Nice little unit- only 5 lbs at a time though-good enough for me for now. Works like a charm. Made my first batch (12.5 lbs)of smoked German sausage using a kit from Hi Mountain. Turned out great! Nice texture, nice color and best of all great flavor[:D][8D] (pecan smoke). Now I've got to load up on casings and get busy with a ton of recipes from the great sausage recipes book. The only small challenge was making sure the temp didn't climb over 160f during the smoke and render out the fat in the sausage- was windy and raining yesterday here. Wish I had a camera to post pictures of the finished product.

Cold Smoke

nsxbill · August 09, 2004, 11:17:47 PM

I have a grinder coming that is the Tasin-108. There is one on Ebay now at the following site
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3832763301.
For the quantity I anticipate doing, this looked like a good size grinder.

I also picked up a hand-crank mixer...just hate to freeze the hands while mixing everything into the meat. It holds about 4 gallons of ground meat and spices, etc. He has a Ebay store and might have more.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3832853988

Still want that F. Dick model, but might go ahead and get the one you bought. It's a toss-up. I like the size of the F. Dick model 12#, but it is twice as much, and have to consider how much I will use it. I am not a hunter, so no venison. Would probably just use it to make up jerkey and sausage...Probably will make up patties of beef and/or pork too for freezing for use later.

Make sure and post up your successes and smoking ideas. I will probably start making sausage at the end of summer. Going to get some surgery done and will be off work 6 weeks later this year, recovering. Good time to prepare and smoke the heck out of some sausage, et al.

Bill