Hi all, new to the group. I bought a cheap grinder and a LEM 5 lbs vertical stuffer a few years back. Played with it a little bit, got frustrated and busted it out again today.

I made a 5# batch of brats. Nothing special just cut up some pork butt, added a seasoning kit, mixed and stuffed. I used natural hog casings to stuff.

How do I know what stuffing tube to use in the future? The stuffer came with three tubes. Everything seemed to work fine this time, but I want to do things correct. FYI I used the smallest tube, as the other two were stuck together after sitting a few years.

Thanks

How do you go about easily untangling fresh casings without soaking the entire thing and having to repackage? I only am making 5# at a time and don’t need all the casings. When I pulled them out they were all tangled. LEM brand casings.

Dad brought over a couple fresh hams today. I have not looked yet, but he said they are bone in, about 7 pounds each. What is the best way to cure/cook these things???

I made a batch of brats using a commercial spice mix. I used pork butt for the meat. Everything went good, but when I cook them they seem overly juicy or greasy. Anyone had this issue? Did I have too much fat to lean possibly? I had read that pork butt would be the correct ratio so I just cut it and went with it.

Thanks for any replies.