meat grinders

[La Quinta]

Who's age Arcs? heh...heh...heh...

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

Trick question. Could've been the age of my beverage!!!   :D

Arcs_n_Sparks

[La Quinta]

Yeah...yeah...that's it...the beverage...that's what I was thinkin'!!! :)

[Stargazer]

Im running an Alfa #12 which is near identical to the Tasin. It's a really good meat grinder. However, a few things you want to keep in mind. You want to be careful grinding bone as it can chip your metal knife and plate pretty quickly.

Also, you really want to invest in a big bottle of food grade oil. First off, the food grade oil is great for wiping the stuffing horn to help slide your hanks over before stuffing. Olive oil and other oils leave a bit of a film and water dosnt last long enough.

Although the motors for the Alfa, Tasin and Northern elc are very good for home use, the grinder plates will rust very quickly. The auger, knife and worm gear are coated good, but these models seem to use a cheaper grade metal for the plates. You can spend the money and buy good quality plates that wont rust as easy from PS Seasoning or Sausage Maker but they get costly. And if you do you want to buy another knife so the balance matches 'wear down'.

The other alternative is, after using, clean immediatly and soak your plates in a bowl of food grade oil. You might even want to consider a soft brillo pad to scrub.

One thing that wont come with these smaller home grinders is a spacer plate. Tasin I belive only makes #10 - #12 which match each other. If your going to stuff you want a spacer plate. You can get a star knife but thats not really needed. You can order spacer plates from PS Seasoning or Sausage Maker also at a pretty reasonable price but not much goes into the quality of metal for spacer plates being they push more for you to actually buy a stuffer 'worth every penny after stuffing 25lbs of brats with a grinder converted into a stuffer'.

But as for the motor on the Tasin, they are very good. I make batches of 25lbs at a time and with my Alfa which is basically a Tasin I have just made up to 350lbs of bratwurst total with my machine and its still running like a champ.

Note though... make sure you do take the time to filet your meats into strips small enough as not to jam in the auger. It could handle it, but in time thats alot of stress on your motor, even if you are tempted to slice 4 inch wide filets to grind quicker. And dont freeze, but slightly chill your meat before grinding. This will give you a much better grind with less waist being the meat is more stiff.

Good luck and hope this helps

[La Quinta]

WOW...is all I can say Stargazer...very interesting post...REALLY...

[Stargazer]

To be very honest, I am no where near professional as the high majority of members here. I just got really intrested in sausage making, and now curing bacons in the past 2 years. But its a hobby I really take seriously. Its fun and seems like no one around my neck of the woods touches that which makes it a really cool and unique hobby.

And its a hobby with tasty results :)

I havent been smoking for a full year yet, but this hobby is what lead me to smoking. And ironically with Bradley smokers being the controling of smoke. Such as bacon. Its near impossible to add smoke during the last part of bacon with the other smokers on the market, whereas the Bradley you have full control over it. Thats just one more of the many pluses for bradley in my book.

Im here to learn though and very intrested in learning more about cures especally, being the next on my list is to make my own hams.

Looking through the posts histories, theres plethra of knowledge from some very serious and dedicated pros; you all may not call yourselves pros but from all the posts I have read, the members take this to a serious yet extremely cool science, kind of like the Library of Alexandria of curing, smoking and such. I just want to learn all I can to further my hobby and possbily help someone later who is new to it all.

[La Quinta]

I agree...on many levels...first...there are a number...(as well you said) a plethera of amazingly smart people on this site...but...a friendly environment to learn. Glad to have you on board...you will learn a lot...as we all have...:) The good news is...we all continue to learn from each other...:)

[Stargazer]

I read the forum alot before joining and was impressed with the knowledge of many members here enough to finally join as to ask some questions. I will have to admit this is a very good forum with not only very knowlegdable members but very kind members as well, which will make learning very enjoyable.

[La Quinta]

I'm glad you found a "home" with us...lots of nice folks who enjoy sharing...nothing to secretive about the way we cook...other then Arcs and O who may be aliens....(other then that....) all is ok!!! :) :) :)

[Smokin Soon]

Don't really know anything about meat grinders, give me an opinion on this one. Risky?
http://cgi.ebay.com/2-4-HP-STX-TURBO-FORCE-1800W-ELECTRIC-MEAT-GRINDER_W0QQitemZ230268805893QQihZ013QQcategoryZ66751QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[westexasmoker]

I've been wanting to do some sausage myself, I figured I'd go old school and get a hand crank one....but this one is not too expensive??  What do the sausage gurus think??

C

[Stargazer]

That STX Turbo Force seems to be pretty nice. I have a hard time beliving its 2.4 hp being even the home/small business Tor-Rey's and hobarts usually max at 1 horsepower. But thats what other sites seem to be rating it. It does appear to be built nice and have your plates and stuffing horns.

The kubbe attachment is for a middle east type processed meat thats usually lamb and beef.

The auger, worm gear, knife, and throat are exactly like my Alfa and I love it.

Its rated as a #10-#12. Basically this is what it means...

any more, a #10 and #12 are identical so I will just use #12 for this. Its the size of the auger basically.

A #12 is a standard home/small deli style which will allow for smaller meat grinding, but less clean up.

A #22 is for a larger type butcher shop and a #32 is basically for huge mass production.

You will need to know the universal number for which yours is for ordering new plates and knives.

This STX is a #12 so if you decide to stuff you can order a #12 spacer plate for it as so you dont re-grind your mix but something holding the worm gear back.

As for a hand crank, I used them before and talk about taking forever. I love making things by hand, but when comes to grinding meats, I am thankful for electric. By hand is an extremely slow process for just alittle meat. But the finished product is identical and no way to tell if it was ground with an electric or hand style.

Another note to think about is, the electric is much easier to clean, just unscrew the auger and soak everything, leaving the motor housing alone. Whereas with the hand crank, you got to get in there and clean the who thing.

Just to let everyone know, I have been stuffing my sausages converting my grinder into a stuffer. Wow, that is pretty slow so I am soon investing into a vertical stuffer.

Anyone who wants to make sausages, I think is great because there is a huge history and tradition with this. However I would like to take this time to let everyone know how slow this is when converting your grinder into a stuffer...

For a few links, this is fine, but when you see and taste the excellent quality of your bratwurst and sausages, youll soon be wanting to make 25lbs batchs very soon to feed off of for the month. Not to mention local butchers love giving discounts when buying in bulk many times.

After your grind and mixed the seasonings, when you go to stuff, be warned of things like blow out 'hanks bursting', and everyones nightmare, air pockets. Air pockets is when you keep trying to stuff meat into the throat of the auger with your stomper. You keep stomping and stomping and after 10 minutes only 3 inches stuffed, only to find out the meat inside created an air pocket. This helps makes the process much slower. I have it down to being able to stuff about 5lbs per hour with my stuffer. Counting grinding and seasoning the whole process takes me 6 hours.

A seperate vertical stuffer is ideal and eleminates almost all the stuffing nightmares of a converted grinder, including air pockets. Im looking to finally get one this weekend I been saving for, with a motor and foot pedal. This should cut down my stuffing time from 5 hours to about 15 minutes to maybe half an hour tops. Thats how much faster it is.

If anyone likes, once I get my digital camera back from my uncle I would be more then happy to supply the forum here with some pictures of my grinder and set up.

*Update* As of writing this, I found the same grinder at amazon com for alittle cheaper then ebay if your intrested...

STX Stuffer

Stuff up some bratwursts or keilbasa rope sausages, put a hickory dowle rod across the upper inside of your smoker, hang them and smoke them suckers up :)

Hope this helps and enjoy

[Smokin Soon]

Thanks much Stargazer, I thing I will take a chance on this one and jump into sausage land! I will post results.

[Stargazer]

Thanks much Stargazer, I thing I will take a chance on this one and jump into sausage land! I will post results.

My pleasure Smokin Soon. I dont know much about this particulare grinder, but from the specs off many other sites it really seems like a very good grinder you cant go wrong with. Its almost identical to mine except more horsepower, which is always a good thing.

I think you will really enjoy it alot.

Just make sure to get a gallon of food grade oil for the parts and two big meat lugs. No one usually thinks of meat lugs until they hammer out some ground meat, then are in a pickel because no where to put all the meats to season and mix, and the second meat lug to hold your sausages as you stuff them.

The food grade oil helps clean and lubercate, with out leaving a film like other oils such as canola, olive, vegtable or corn oils.

Oh, and a cheap tooth brush, nothing fancy. This helps reach in places to clean when done and works as good as those expensive brushes if not better. Such as the individual orfaces in your grinding plates and deep in the throat of your auger which is hard to clean. But something like a tooth brush makes it very easy to get in and clean.

But the main thing to keep in mind, and this is the most important when making sausages and bratwursts; Enjoy, have fun, and make it a pleasant experiance! :)

[Lefty_Smoker]

Guys, there is no way that grinder is 2.4 HP. 

That 1800W rating may be for total power consumption, but certainly not output.

This grinder weighs 15 lbs.  Now take a look at the weight of some real 2 HP grinders.  You're talking hundred(s) of lbs.

Like this one (Net: 99 lbs, shipping: 115 lbs)
http://www.acitydiscount.com/Fleetwood-Food-Service-Equip-2HP-22-S-s-Table-Top-Meat-Grinder-PCI22G.0.32716.1.1.htm?PPCID=10&link=Food-Preparation-Equipment

Or this one that weighs 200 lbs, that must be shipped by truck, and oh yeah, single phase just won't cut it....
http://www.sausage-stuffer.com/dis-W64110_electric_meat_grinders.htm

I'm not saying that this grinder isn't any good, I'm just pointing out that it obviously is not what they advertise.  I'm not saying don't buy it, I'm just saying don't buy it expecting it to be a true 2HP meat grinder, because it isn't.