Made some snack sticks, got a workout

[jimmyb]

Ok, I think I know the answer I'm going to get here but I'll throw it put there anyway. I have a Cabelas grinder that I am also using as a stuffer. I have have three batches of polish sausage go easy as pie and one batch be difficult to stuff. Now I did my snack sticks and I am exhausted and frustrated.

I had all the ground beef chilled as suggested as well as all the parts to the stuffer. When I tell you I had to put all my weight into this to get this thing to stuff, I mean all my weight and strength. This is the first time with the smaller horn for the snack sticks and first time with all ground beef. I am just wondering if this is operator error or just that I really need to get a real stuffer. If it's the latter, is there anyone who found an easier way to do this with this machine (or one like it).

As I said, I think I know the answers I will get which is "get a real, dedicated stuffer". Unfortunately I am stuck with this for now until I can splurge for one of them there Kirby Canons. I am only doing about 5 lbs. at a clip and this took me a couple of hours to stuff tonight with this thing. Any suggestions besides asking Santa for a Kirby?

[Keymaster]

How much water did you add to your mix?

[cjj]

Cabelas has a weston 7 lb stuffer on sale for $79  I just ordered one

[classicrockgriller]

Cabelas has a weston 7 lb stuffer on sale for $79  I just ordered one

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=24746.0

[jimmyb]

I followed the "Gregs Spicy Beef Sticks" recipe to a "T". I think it was 1/2 cup of water. I bought some ground beef instead of grinding it myself and then ran it through the grinder after seasoning just to mix it better. Not sure that would cause this issue but I figure I'd throw it out there.

[jimmyb]

Ok, now you have me ready to spend more money! How do these manual stuffers work? Better than an electric stuffer or say, the Kirby Canon?

[classicrockgriller]

Ok, now you have me ready to spend more money! How do these manual stuffers work? Better than an electric stuffer or say, the Kirby Canon?

NO! Just better than stuffing off a mixer.

That 7lb Weston is nice. has two gears.

When you get ready to get the Kirby, you can sell that for about what you paid for it.

I have an 11lb weston and a 5lb lem.

[Keymaster]

Sometimes after refrigerating your mixed meat overnight you will need to knead in a little more water to make it easier to shoot it out that small stuffing tube, it does not affect the flavor of the mix at all. I love my manual stuffer but it is a Lem 5 pounder. I have never used a weston but for that price I might get one. I just do small batches but if I was to go bigger I would consider the Kirby Cannon as it has great reviews

[NePaSmoKer]

Are you using the cyclone stuffer tube with your grinder?

[Sailor]

Using a grinder to Stuff into a hog casing is one thing and using a grinder to stuff into a 19mm snack stix casing is a whole different animal all together.  Even using a stuffer, one will notice a big difference in the pressure that it takes to move the mix thru a medium horn compared to the pressure it takes to move it thru a small horn for snack stix.  With the stuffer mentioned in the above posts you just can't go wrong with it.  It will make your stuffing experience so much more enjoyable and you will not lose any money on it if you want to sell it.  I have the Grizzley 5lb stuffer with the plastic gears and I stuff hundreds of pounds thru it.  I too want the Kirby Cannon and will get one but in the mean time I just keep doing 20 pound batches using a 5 pound stuffer and keep wishing  ;D