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  5. What are your tips/tricks for more efficient sausage making?

What are your tips/tricks for more efficient sausage making?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Meat Processing
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  • M Offline
    M Offline
    mdseaside
    Team Orange
    wrote on last edited by
    #14

    I always assemble the grinder head and put in the freezer for about 1 hour before regrinding. Seem to really help. I give it a quick spray of pam down the throat just before using it. At the start the meat will want to stick to the cold metal so it may need a little help. Worth a try.

    1 Reply Last reply
    1
    • HerbcoFoodH Offline
      HerbcoFoodH Offline
      HerbcoFood
      Regular Contributors Team Orange Sous Vide
      wrote on last edited by
      #15

      Don’t open the beer as early as you think you should, hold until all grinding is done…

      B ND MikeN 2 Replies Last reply
      3
      • Dr_PainD Offline
        Dr_PainD Offline
        Dr_Pain
        Sous Vide Dry Cured Sausage Traeger Team Blue
        wrote on last edited by
        #16

        I will start by saying that the biggest batch I have done was 1/2 that size. I do try to debone, first and second grind on the same day. I have a meat lug but find that it easier to use full size cookie sheets and spread the meat in a thin layer. I stack one cookie sheet and use small bowls as spacers for my second cookie sheet. I find that metal makes the process of refreezing (dropping the temp) much better than plastic. I can manage 2-3 cookie sheets at a time in my bottom freezer. I’ve toyed with the idea of using magnet spacers between my cookie sheets. That may be my next hack I share with the group

        1 Reply Last reply
        1
        • HerbcoFoodH HerbcoFood

          Don’t open the beer as early as you think you should, hold until all grinding is done…

          B Offline
          B Offline
          bocephus
          Team Orange Power User Canning Masterbuilt Veteran
          wrote on last edited by
          #17

          HerbcoFood But a cold beer helps the grinder.

          1 Reply Last reply
          1
          • HerbcoFoodH HerbcoFood

            Don’t open the beer as early as you think you should, hold until all grinding is done…

            ND MikeN Offline
            ND MikeN Offline
            ND Mike
            Big Green Egg Team Blue Regular Contributors Cast Iron Power User
            wrote on last edited by
            #18

            HerbcoFood sound advise! I don’t mix alcohol with grinding. Stuffing and smoking…yep!

            HerbcoFoodH processheadP B 3 Replies Last reply
            0
            • B bocephus

              Jamieson22 do you have a big cooler that you could put ice in to set one lug in while grinding the meat in the other? Cold meat grinds better for sure.

              Ohms LawO Offline
              Ohms LawO Offline
              Ohms Law
              wrote on last edited by
              #19

              bocephus try zip lock bags and lay flat

              Dr_PainD 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • ND MikeN ND Mike

                HerbcoFood sound advise! I don’t mix alcohol with grinding. Stuffing and smoking…yep!

                HerbcoFoodH Offline
                HerbcoFoodH Offline
                HerbcoFood
                Regular Contributors Team Orange Sous Vide
                wrote on last edited by
                #20

                ND Mike I usually don’t, it just depends on the crowd, am I alone, is the sun up yet, you know the important things!!!

                ND MikeN GWG8541G 2 Replies Last reply
                1
                • JonathonJ Offline
                  JonathonJ Offline
                  Jonathon
                  Team Blue Admin Walton's Employee Power User
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #21

                  We have a cured sausage video coming out where we took some of our favorite meat hacks and put them all in one. They were, grind your meat as cold as possible, partial freeze is a GOOD thing. One 2nd grind, only put a very small amount down the throat at a time, let it clear the chamber and then add a little more, don’t use your stomper. 3rd was the Dr_Pain therapy eggs to get the rest of the meat out of the grinder, we are actually bringing in some of these to sell cause it worked so well! 4th was add automotive sponges to your oversized water pan to increase humidity in your smoker and last was finish your sausage in sous vide water instead of the smoker after the IT hits 130°F. There was a bonus one in there but I can’t remember what it was right now.

                  Anyone do dual grind out there? We have been playing around with it and the company who sent it to us is the same manufacturer who makes another dual grind head and they urged us to buy one of theirs to compare it to. Seemed weird but they also said they would comp us for it so we did it. We are not 100% sold on the one they sent us but I really don’t know how the dual grind passed QA. We got the #8 as they told us to and swapped out the last plate for a brand new #8 1/8th plate and got the meat down to 31° and it smeared and curled it like crazy. So I am wondering if anyone has one that they think works well and is it possible that we got a gremlin?

                  Get more help with your processing questions and learn more about processing meat by subscribing to our waltonsinc.com youtube page at https://wltns.link/waltonstv I am a Gorilla, love yourself

                  Dr_PainD 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • ND MikeN ND Mike

                    HerbcoFood sound advise! I don’t mix alcohol with grinding. Stuffing and smoking…yep!

                    processheadP Offline
                    processheadP Offline
                    processhead
                    Regular Contributors Power User
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #22

                    ND Mike said in What are your tips/tricks for more efficient sausage making?:

                    HerbcoFood sound advise! I don’t mix alcohol with grinding. Stuffing and smoking…yep!

                    Grinding? Maybe.

                    Mixing ingredients, weighing and batching? Just don’t do it.

                    Paul

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    1
                    • HerbcoFoodH HerbcoFood

                      ND Mike I usually don’t, it just depends on the crowd, am I alone, is the sun up yet, you know the important things!!!

                      ND MikeN Offline
                      ND MikeN Offline
                      ND Mike
                      Big Green Egg Team Blue Regular Contributors Cast Iron Power User
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #23

                      HerbcoFood sometimes it depends on my company also!

                      HerbcoFoodH 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • ND MikeN ND Mike

                        HerbcoFood sometimes it depends on my company also!

                        HerbcoFoodH Offline
                        HerbcoFoodH Offline
                        HerbcoFood
                        Regular Contributors Team Orange Sous Vide
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #24

                        ND Mike The equation for when to open a beer while meat processing is as complicated as trying to figure out how to land a man on the moon!

                        ND MikeN 1 Reply Last reply
                        3
                        • HerbcoFoodH HerbcoFood

                          ND Mike The equation for when to open a beer while meat processing is as complicated as trying to figure out how to land a man on the moon!

                          ND MikeN Offline
                          ND MikeN Offline
                          ND Mike
                          Big Green Egg Team Blue Regular Contributors Cast Iron Power User
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #25

                          HerbcoFood hahahaha… yep!

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • Ohms LawO Ohms Law

                            bocephus try zip lock bags and lay flat

                            Dr_PainD Offline
                            Dr_PainD Offline
                            Dr_Pain
                            Sous Vide Dry Cured Sausage Traeger Team Blue
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #26

                            Ohms Law said in What are your tips/tricks for more efficient sausage making?:

                            bocephus try zip lock bags and lay flat

                            I saw a hack where they cut the zip strip off a ziplock bag and put it long ways (split in half) and vacuum seal it. The strip is used the prevent the collapse of the opening of the bag

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            1
                            • JonathonJ Jonathon

                              We have a cured sausage video coming out where we took some of our favorite meat hacks and put them all in one. They were, grind your meat as cold as possible, partial freeze is a GOOD thing. One 2nd grind, only put a very small amount down the throat at a time, let it clear the chamber and then add a little more, don’t use your stomper. 3rd was the Dr_Pain therapy eggs to get the rest of the meat out of the grinder, we are actually bringing in some of these to sell cause it worked so well! 4th was add automotive sponges to your oversized water pan to increase humidity in your smoker and last was finish your sausage in sous vide water instead of the smoker after the IT hits 130°F. There was a bonus one in there but I can’t remember what it was right now.

                              Anyone do dual grind out there? We have been playing around with it and the company who sent it to us is the same manufacturer who makes another dual grind head and they urged us to buy one of theirs to compare it to. Seemed weird but they also said they would comp us for it so we did it. We are not 100% sold on the one they sent us but I really don’t know how the dual grind passed QA. We got the #8 as they told us to and swapped out the last plate for a brand new #8 1/8th plate and got the meat down to 31° and it smeared and curled it like crazy. So I am wondering if anyone has one that they think works well and is it possible that we got a gremlin?

                              Dr_PainD Offline
                              Dr_PainD Offline
                              Dr_Pain
                              Sous Vide Dry Cured Sausage Traeger Team Blue
                              wrote on last edited by Dr_Pain
                              #27

                              Jonathon therapy eggs??? They are called Dr_Pain’s squishy stuffer balls, sir !! ROFL!

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • HerbcoFoodH HerbcoFood

                                ND Mike I usually don’t, it just depends on the crowd, am I alone, is the sun up yet, you know the important things!!!

                                GWG8541G Offline
                                GWG8541G Offline
                                GWG8541
                                Regular Contributors Cast Iron Sous Vide Canning Team Blue Power User Military Veterans
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #28

                                HerbcoFood ND Mike I never have beer while making sausage. Sippin Whiskey maybe, but never beer.

                                “You never really die until you end up on the wall at a Cracker Barrel”

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                1
                                • Jamieson22J Jamieson22

                                  Am curious what your tips and tricks are.

                                  I’ve been deboning my butts and grinding one day and mixing/stuffing the next. I do 25lb batches so certainly easier to break up the equipment cleaning of grinder and stuffer. Also think the extra fridge time is nice on the ground meat before stuffing. Processed 50lbs today to stuff tomorrow.

                                  Would love some second grind tips as it just seems to be a bit of a mess for me. Took 20 min to second grind 25lb from 10mm to 4.5mm today in my #22 grinder. But perhaps it just takes a lot plunger effort normally?

                                  B Offline
                                  B Offline
                                  Bigtwin
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #29

                                  Jamieson22 I use venison and pork butt. When I process a deer I grind it all and package in 1 or 2 lb packages and freeze(grind one).

                                  I purchase pork butts, debone grind and package and freeze, noting the weight on the each package (grind one). I’ve thought about asking the butcher if he would grind the pork butt for me to save time and clean up.

                                  A few days before I make sausage, I start thawing the meat block, usually 50:50 venison pork.

                                  2nd grind- I have found that if I only put golf ball sized clumps of 1st grind meat into the throat of a #22 grinder, the 2nd grind goes well and fairly fast. I seldom have to use the tamper. It’s a bonus if you have a few ice crystals in the meat.

                                  I also place the grinder head in the freezer prior to grinding.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • ND MikeN ND Mike

                                    HerbcoFood sound advise! I don’t mix alcohol with grinding. Stuffing and smoking…yep!

                                    B Offline
                                    B Offline
                                    bocephus
                                    Team Orange Power User Canning Masterbuilt Veteran
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #30

                                    ND Mike Mix the beer with the meat, during grinding.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    1
                                    • samspadeS Offline
                                      samspadeS Offline
                                      samspade
                                      Team Orange Masterbuilt Sous Vide Team Blue Power User
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #31

                                      I cling wrap my entire island like Dexter. Then stuff on the island. Gives lots of room and cleanup is a snap.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      1
                                      • HerbcoFoodH Offline
                                        HerbcoFoodH Offline
                                        HerbcoFood
                                        Regular Contributors Team Orange Sous Vide
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #32

                                        I got into the whiskey pretty early yesterday morning while making sausage in the garage alone. I think me singing along with the radio made me take longer than it should’ve!

                                        ND MikeN Bob StehlikB 2 Replies Last reply
                                        10
                                        • HerbcoFoodH HerbcoFood

                                          I got into the whiskey pretty early yesterday morning while making sausage in the garage alone. I think me singing along with the radio made me take longer than it should’ve!

                                          ND MikeN Offline
                                          ND MikeN Offline
                                          ND Mike
                                          Big Green Egg Team Blue Regular Contributors Cast Iron Power User
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #33

                                          HerbcoFood that will happen from time to time.

                                          1 Reply Last reply
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