I’m building one (started this morning)and have decided to cannibalize my Trager smoker as my smoke source. My plan is to have the Trager components in a separate box with the smoke piped into my main smoke house so I can cold smoke salmon and other fish. Tragers are expensive $700 plus but it will keep applying smoke without me managing that part of the process. So far it looks like I will have a thermostat temperature controlling electric element inside the smoke house. I would rather use gas if I could find a therestate that could regulated the heat of the flame in stead of just turning it on and off while working at the low temperatures I need for the first stage of smoking my braut sausage 130* . Electric ones are available.

I had that problem so I added 3 ozs of carrot fiber and about a quart of water this was in a 25lb batch. Best sausage I had ever made up to that point. It was very good sausage! Since then I always use carrot fiber and i have not had a dry batch. I’m very proud of the quality of my sausage!

I run my soft frozen meat/ fat through a 5 hole plate. I don’t know the size but they are equal to size of a hazelnut. Then I run it through a smaller plate (size depending on the final grind size i’m looking for). For me this eliminates any smearing and doesn’t over work the meat. The soft frozen meat keeps the grinding head very cold so no need for ice. Since doing this my grind has been perfect!