Newbie sausage questions

[eastkoot]

This is what I do. Some good info/videos on their site. Kinda fool proof..and pretty good end products..
http://www.hicountry.com/spices-custom-seasonings.html

[Glenny]

[QUOTE=winchester284;1014876]The Bradley is great, but too small if you are doing 100 pounds or more. Here's a pic of my hybrid smoker using the bradley smoke generator and inside I have a small propane burner as well as a fan to circulate the air.



Well judging by the looks of those farmers I think you got a pretty good system there. ....Drooool...

[sawmill]

Check out thespicysausage.com.

[buck nash]

I'm just getting into sausage making myself. My son has lots of alergies so I like having complete control of the ingredients. If you're in the lower mainland its worth checking out "stuffers" on fraser highway in murrayville. They carry everything you'll ever need in the way of supplies and the staff is very helpful. They also have a website with TONS of recipes.

thespicysausage.com also has a lot of helpful info for beginners.

I'd start with fresh sausage and work from there.

Sounds like you've got some good gear to get you going. I'm using a hand grinder and a tre spade horizontal stuffer. not as fancy but gets 'er done. I get my son (4 years old) to help load the meat into the grinder and to turn the crank on the stuffer. He loves it and I like the family fun.

I think I might just do a batch of italian sausage this weekend.

Good luck with you venture

Buck

[fearnodeer]

Years ago when i got into sausauge making i went to my local butcher and asked if he had any pork fat for sale and he told me that when he made sausauge for himself he would use bacon ends because they were not to expensive and they had already been smoked so it added flavor. I have used them myself at about 15% bacon to game meat and its all turned out real good. You can go higher on the ratio but i like mine lean. Good luck.

[MuleyMadness]

The Bradley is great, but too small if you are doing 100 pounds or more. Here's a pic of my hybrid smoker using the bradley smoke generator and inside I have a small propane burner as well as a fan to circulate the air.

">

Two things.

1: your wife must really love you to let you build that in the backyard
2: How are you handling the inside racks? Using dowels or metal rods/sausage hooks? How about for hams and turkeys, what are you using in that?

[winchester284]

Two things.

1: your wife must really love you to let you build that in the backyard
2: How are you handling the inside racks? Using dowels or metal rods/sausage hooks? How about for hams and turkeys, what are you using in that?

1. My good wife tolerates it because she loves the sausages we make and the smoker disappears after a couple days. Sausage making is a one day a year project. Last year we made 135lbs. After we're done, we take apart the smoker and store it in the garage...

2. Inside we use 4 removable metal rods (about 1.2" diameter cut from chain link fencing hardware) and drape the sausages over them. Access to the smoker is by removing the top. We've only ever made sausages, but a person could probably hang the hams or turkeys from the metal rods.

[dime]

We use 20% pig fat, it is a lot cheaper than going with the pork shoulder, and uses more game meat and less pig meat. We buy ours from the pig processing plant (Johnson's) in Chilliwack directly, way cheaper and very fresh.

[OOBuck]

Hey yall,

Well after my great wife bought me a 1 3/4HP grinder and a 30lb sausage stuffer for my birthday I figure I'd better take full advantage of them. Now not wanting to turn my great meat into dog food or garbage, does anyone have any ideas on %'s of fat to meat ratio. Do you use Pork fat OR Beef fat?
Have NEVER done any of this before. I realize that it is usually trial and error but maybe someone can guide me in the right direction and tips to ensure GREAT tasting sausage patties, smokies etc.
Any help would be great!!
Thanks

Here's a few things I have learned since taking up sausage making.

Use pork fat never use beef, I use 15% for cooked sausage & 20% for smoked sausage. Grind with a medium to coarse plate in the grinder or your sausage
will turn out like páté. I have made sausage from scratch but with little time on my hands the finest kits really available are the Hi-Mountain kits, never had a bad experience.
Prior to stuffing your sausage make sure your cook some up to taste it, ya can't go back once its stuffed. Keep in mind after your sausage has been frozen the spice taste
will increase due to the moisture loss. Keep your meat cool at all times your grinder doesn't care if the meat is even frozen when grinding, and keep the meat cool the entire
time your handling it, make smaller batches.
I use a modified bradley and fit up 8 3" rounds into it. Don't add smoke for the first run up until your sausage is up to 120, adding smoke prior to this seals the cases and
limits any smoke from getting in.
Most sausage kits have very well laid out instruction follow them it will save your life!!

I use the Hi-Mountain Jalapeno Kit and use 30 LBS of meat 2 LBS of Costco Cheese curd & 4LBS of pork fat. Don't blame me if you
can't get your friend & neighbors to leave your house after allowing them to try it.

[cdub]

i make about 100-200llbs a year and as mentioned above. Keep the meat cold(still with ice crystals) and use pork fat(local butcher). i buy pork at save-on in January when its .99c/lb. I bone it out and vacuum pack in 5lb packs. I usually do a 60/40 venison/moose to pork with about 15-20% total fat content. My last batch i tried some corn starch and they ended up even juicier. Go to Stuffers .com as there is a great list of recipes on their site. They also sell everything you need and usually 2 day delivery to your mail box. If smoking read and read some more so you don't ruin your meat by over cooking cooking or over heating(fat will run out) The best advice i can give is keep your meat cold.i cut up when semi frozen then through the grinder then back in the freezer until grinder is cleaned and spices mixed and ready for stuffing. This is where i bought a meat mixer as i don't like frost bite from mixing with hands. As for reading i bought Rytek Kutas book of sausage and it has instructions and recipes for all aspects required.