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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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  • 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
                                        0
                                        • 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!

                                          Bob StehlikB Offline
                                          Bob StehlikB Offline
                                          Bob Stehlik
                                          Team Blue Power User Veteran Canning Traeger Regular Contributors Military Veterans
                                          wrote on last edited by Bob Stehlik
                                          #34

                                          HerbcoFood Who cares!! At least your having a party even if you are by yourself!

                                          Improvise, Adapt and Overcome! Semper Fi

                                          HerbcoFoodH 1 Reply Last reply
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