Grinder HELP
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IMO unless I was doing weekly commercial production, I would get the #22. For the annual grinding needs you described, I don’t think the #32’s added weight really is justified.
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IMO unless I was doing weekly commercial production, I would get the #22. For the annual grinding needs you described, I don’t think the #32’s added weight really is justified.
processhead I have a #32 for the more serious tasks & do not do anywhere near what you are describing & feel like I could use more at times.
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Got a 32 and kitchen aid attachment for small jobs.
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Need to choose between #32 and # 22 grinder ASAP while on sale. We process 2-4 hogs per year, usually 1 deer and sometimes 1 beef. I know the #32 would go faster but is it worth the money vs the option of using SPECKO plates on the #22. Any advice would be great. We currently use a #12 Cabela’s grinder. Thanks
Mschmidt I would get the 32, the extra cost over the life of the grinder will amount to very little difference. I have used a 22 and a 32 I think the big difference is in the second grind, the 32 in my opinion is much faster.
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I may be a minority opinion, but this is what I base it on.
First, Some guys want to grind everything at once and freeze the ground meat for use later on. IF that is what you do, a big grinder would get that done faster.
Since I am a firm believer that whole muscle meat freezes better and makes better sausage than pre-ground frozen meat, I only grind enough whole muscle meat for my immediate needs.
Second, When I break down the time I spend on different tasks while processing, grinding the meat is just a small percentage of the total time spent on my projects.
Using my smaller grinder (commercial #12) has never been the bottle neck in getting my projects done quickly. It’s always the thermal processing, wash-down, stuffing and other tasks where I spend the majority of my time.Now, if all a guy wants to do is bulk grind all the meat from his butchering, then a big grinder will obviously get you through the job more quickly.
Your mileage may vary.Paul
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I may be a minority opinion, but this is what I base it on.
First, Some guys want to grind everything at once and freeze the ground meat for use later on. IF that is what you do, a big grinder would get that done faster.
Since I am a firm believer that whole muscle meat freezes better and makes better sausage than pre-ground frozen meat, I only grind enough whole muscle meat for my immediate needs.
Second, When I break down the time I spend on different tasks while processing, grinding the meat is just a small percentage of the total time spent on my projects.
Using my smaller grinder (commercial #12) has never been the bottle neck in getting my projects done quickly. It’s always the thermal processing, wash-down, stuffing and other tasks where I spend the majority of my time.Now, if all a guy wants to do is bulk grind all the meat from his butchering, then a big grinder will obviously get you through the job more quickly.
Your mileage may vary.processhead This seems like solid reasoning. I have to agree that I would choose the 22. Like you said, the odds of the grinder creating any kind of bottleneck is slim. Looking at some specs on the 2 seems to show only a 3 pound a minute difference. The 32 is obviously faster and if the money is of no real concern, go for it. If you are looking for value, 22 seems to fit better. A market hog is 200-250#, at 3 pounds a minute difference, if you ground the whole thing at once you’re looking at a very small time savings of just a few minutes.
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I have never heard someone say I wish I would have bought a smaller grinder.
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I may be a minority opinion, but this is what I base it on.
First, Some guys want to grind everything at once and freeze the ground meat for use later on. IF that is what you do, a big grinder would get that done faster.
Since I am a firm believer that whole muscle meat freezes better and makes better sausage than pre-ground frozen meat, I only grind enough whole muscle meat for my immediate needs.
Second, When I break down the time I spend on different tasks while processing, grinding the meat is just a small percentage of the total time spent on my projects.
Using my smaller grinder (commercial #12) has never been the bottle neck in getting my projects done quickly. It’s always the thermal processing, wash-down, stuffing and other tasks where I spend the majority of my time.Now, if all a guy wants to do is bulk grind all the meat from his butchering, then a big grinder will obviously get you through the job more quickly.
Your mileage may vary.processhead I think that is excellent logic, but for the small price difference if you are already going to the level described with the reasonable possibility of doing even more, the less potential stress on the machine along with the potential for future expansion will put you in a position to not have to worry about your grinder for a long time to come, for very little cost difference, especially if spread out. I think that as the years go by, if you are doing that kind of production, you will thank yourself for getting the grinder part of the equation out of the way early.
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processhead I think that is excellent logic, but for the small price difference if you are already going to the level described with the reasonable possibility of doing even more, the less potential stress on the machine along with the potential for future expansion will put you in a position to not have to worry about your grinder for a long time to come, for very little cost difference, especially if spread out. I think that as the years go by, if you are doing that kind of production, you will thank yourself for getting the grinder part of the equation out of the way early.
You could be right, although processing only 5 animals a year is relatively light duty service.
Any decent quality grinder, whether #22 or #32 is going to give a lifetime of service and more under those conditions.
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Most young guys don’t think about the size and weight of equipment and many people believe bigger is always better.
The older I get, the more I think about right-sizing for my needs.
Moving, cleaning, storing and maintaining
oversized equipment in a limited work area utilizes time and energy I would prefer to use elsewhere.
My philosophy is to try to buy the best quality I can afford AND in the size I need to do the job.
There are commercial operations that use their grinders 2 or more times a week and find a #22 grinder more than adequate for the job.
FWIW, I typically grind 3-4 deer per year and another 60 lbs of pork butts /fat through a 60 year old #12 Hobart grinder.Paul
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Most young guys don’t think about the size and weight of equipment and many people believe bigger is always better.
The older I get, the more I think about right-sizing for my needs.
Moving, cleaning, storing and maintaining
oversized equipment in a limited work area utilizes time and energy I would prefer to use elsewhere.
My philosophy is to try to buy the best quality I can afford AND in the size I need to do the job.
There are commercial operations that use their grinders 2 or more times a week and find a #22 grinder more than adequate for the job.
FWIW, I typically grind 3-4 deer per year and another 60 lbs of pork butts /fat through a 60 year old #12 Hobart grinder.processhead You hit it on the head with weight and size. When one is young, it’s not so much of an issue. As I get older, as you, I must take size and weight into consideration.
20 years ago when I got a 30 pound F. Dick, it was no problem to handle. It weighs 67 pounds.
I now struggle with the unit when moving or lifting it. Still a great unit, but would love a smaller one even if I had to fill it more often.
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Most young guys don’t think about the size and weight of equipment and many people believe bigger is always better.
The older I get, the more I think about right-sizing for my needs.
Moving, cleaning, storing and maintaining
oversized equipment in a limited work area utilizes time and energy I would prefer to use elsewhere.
My philosophy is to try to buy the best quality I can afford AND in the size I need to do the job.
There are commercial operations that use their grinders 2 or more times a week and find a #22 grinder more than adequate for the job.
FWIW, I typically grind 3-4 deer per year and another 60 lbs of pork butts /fat through a 60 year old #12 Hobart grinder.processhead I definitely am not of the school of bigger is better, but simple high quality. That is an area that a whole lot of folks do not understand or in my opinion are confused about. Often times along those lines, just as you mentioned, less is more! However, I want lifetime service which often comes from not overworking what you have, serviceable equipment, & if the opportunity is there to get what I can reasonably afford today to prevent more expense tomorrow, I am all for it. In this case, you are absolutely right, this is not a whole lot of every day service, year after year, yet. However, those are fairly large animals & the ability to get them processed quickly & efficiently without having to worry about your equipment, year after year, will pay off 10 fold over time. I do respect what you are saying though & in many cases on many things I would be behind you 110%, but in this case, to me, there is just no hesitation at all between the #22 & the #32, that I would take the #32 in a heartbeat, so long as I could afford it. If the cost is that critical though, I probably would not be able to afford the #22 either & as much as the savings is there, might not be able to afford to process those large animals either.
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Okay, just my .02¢. I know a few processors and they are running #22’s and one won’t even think about a buffalo chopper because he can run the meat through the grinder another time or two. I own a #8, #12 & #22 and the #22 is a beast to start moving around, but it will grind faster than I can feed it, all three will outlast me. Buy quality and what you can afford. Talk with some folks that use those tools daily and see what lessons they can pass along. I don’t think that you would be disappointed with either. There is a lot of good information and lessons being shared here. I don’t have issues with any of my grinders and two are over 20yrs old. Buy quality once and be happy
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Buy whatever makes you happy. Everyone’s needs and wants are different. I have a couple of #12s and they do just fine for me. I only grind 400-500 pounds a year, and they work great for me. I have stated this before when this topic came up, but I will say it again. My meat processing stuff is kept in the basement. The older I get, the more pain in the butt it is carrying the equipment up and down the stairs, so when I purchase something, I take the weight into consideration. Ok, I will step down now
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If you only grind once which size plates are you using in your #22 or #32 grinders? We always grind twice for any sausage we do. First with the 7mm-coarse, then we mix in seasoning, and 2nd grind with the 4.5mm-fine plate. The 1st grind goes pretty fast with our #12 grinder but the 2nd grind takes a bit longer. Do most of you grind your sausage 2 times or only once? Maybe we aren’t doing it right.
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If you only grind once which size plates are you using in your #22 or #32 grinders? We always grind twice for any sausage we do. First with the 7mm-coarse, then we mix in seasoning, and 2nd grind with the 4.5mm-fine plate. The 1st grind goes pretty fast with our #12 grinder but the 2nd grind takes a bit longer. Do most of you grind your sausage 2 times or only once? Maybe we aren’t doing it right.
Mschmidt it depends on the type of sausage I am making. I have sausage recipes that take three types of grind. A portion coarse, fine and emulsified. As JoeB Has said, make it like you remember it and your taste. The second grind is going to take longer, keep the meat really cold, bordering on frozen, freeze your grinder head and plates and refrigerate anything else in the process. That will improve your grind time and grind. Don’t overfeed your grinder throat, the plunger should only needed to be used sparingly.
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If you only grind once which size plates are you using in your #22 or #32 grinders? We always grind twice for any sausage we do. First with the 7mm-coarse, then we mix in seasoning, and 2nd grind with the 4.5mm-fine plate. The 1st grind goes pretty fast with our #12 grinder but the 2nd grind takes a bit longer. Do most of you grind your sausage 2 times or only once? Maybe we aren’t doing it right.
Mschmidt It depends, sometimes I just grind once with a coarse plate, 3/8" on my old #32. Sometimes I go back in again with my 1/8" plate. I mainly just use either 1/8" mor 3/16" I believe on the smaller old #8s. I have never done the large grind on the small grinders. I have one old USA made #8, a newer #8, & an older, but China made unfortunately #32. I wish I had purchased a better quality #32 when I did about 20 years ago as I feel like it would probably be performing better. I have some original plate & knife sets that still work great on the old #8 & newer Salvinox sets on the other units.
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If grinding for sausage, almost always grind twice.
If grinding coarse meat for chilli, I might just run it through the 3/8th inch plate a single time.I see you are asking about #22 or #32 grinders.
Mine is a #12. -
If you only grind once which size plates are you using in your #22 or #32 grinders? We always grind twice for any sausage we do. First with the 7mm-coarse, then we mix in seasoning, and 2nd grind with the 4.5mm-fine plate. The 1st grind goes pretty fast with our #12 grinder but the 2nd grind takes a bit longer. Do most of you grind your sausage 2 times or only once? Maybe we aren’t doing it right.
Mschmidt just like you I always grind twice.
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