Sausage struggle

Gaothead

Well-Known Member
Hi
I'm trying this recent recipe as my first sausage making attempt:
Sausage
and I'm struggling to pull the plunger out of the grinder because of the vacuum caused by the pasty consistency of the meat. Am I missing something or is it always like that?
Cheers
GH
 
Hi
I'm trying this recent recipe as my first sausage making attempt:
Sausage
and I'm struggling to pull the plunger out of the grinder because of the vacuum caused by the pasty consistency of the meat. Am I missing something or is it always like that?
Cheers
GH
You've not got enough rusk in the mix
 
The trouble with those type of econmy mincers are, there just that.
It could be worth buying two one to mince,and one to stuff sausage.
There are loads of online suppliers so it could just be your mix that needs tuning.
For future ref Id stick the whole lot in the freezer the night before,nozle,blade,etc that makes a hell of a difference.
 
I went on a course with a man from here and he said. Get a proper sausage stuffer. I made some sausages last week using the mincer machine. It was a pain in the ass and I am now going to get a proper sausage stuffer. An awful lot easier.
 
You're wasting your time trying to use the mincer for stuffing sausages. Trust me, I know

Have a look here:

http://www.lemproducts.com/category/sausage-stuffers

And using rusk instead of milk powder will NOT solve the issue, it will ruin that recipe completely as the milk powder has a specific purpose. If you're not happy with the mincing machine as a stuffer, just make burgers instead
 
With the proper equipment & techniques you can make spectacular sausage at home. I make everything from fresh sausage, to smoked, to salamis, chorizo and luncheon meats, and using the right tool for the job makes it a very simple process. I was given mine by a dear friend in the States, but I would happily have spent the £100 or so for a 5lb stuffer rather than try to struggle on with the wrong gear :thumb:

Sauasages2.jpgSausages.jpgSausages1.jpgSausages3.jpgSausages4.jpgSausages5.jpgSausages6.jpgSausages7.jpg

The trick is not to try to be too 'generous' & have the lean meat content too high (for a fresh sausage, anyway. Air-dried sausages are slightly different) A good measure is at least 30% fat to meat. You can use rusk, but all it does is act as a sponge to hold pockets of fat. I sometimes use soy protein, but I prefer milk powder. It acts to bind the molecules throughout & gives you a far nicer mouthfeel & texture. Natural casings are a must, too. Other tricks are holding the cooking temperatures down to avoid rendering the fats, and this works just as well for a fresh sausage as for smoked
 
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They're really good, but LEM are probably the best. Weschenfelder tend to tear the a rse out of their equipment prices a bit, too
 
Yes, it was the Tre-spade ones I suggested. Weschenfelder sell them, excellent service, can be a little pricey. I got my mincer (larger Tre-spade) through them to be sure of a workable warranty on it. Glad I did, had a problem and it was sorted in 4 days. Worth giving them a call and seeing if there is any wiggle room on the price.
I got my stuffer (as above link) from an Italian supplier. No motor, simple design, spares can be bought through Weschenfelder so warranty less of an issue. Had to wait for it arriving but it did and the price was good. They do smaller ones, a worthwhile investment. There are a lot of cheaper vertical stuffers available but having used one I wouldn't recommend them as they can twist and buckle just enough to be buggered.
It's a balance of use, reliability and cost as always. I use seriously heavy kit at work. For 'home use', turning 2 large saddlebacks into sausages in a session, the above work fine.

Duncan

(Any one interested in details of Italian supplier or questions on the above can P.M. me, happy to pass on details or help if I can.)
 
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There are a lot of cheaper vertical stuffers available but having used one I wouldn't recommend them as they can twist and buckle just enough to be buggered

I once bought a cheap & nasty horizontal one that drove me mad within half an hour of it arriving!

The LEM one I have now is a seriously solid & well-made piece of equipment. I think the barrel is 2mm stainless!
 
Oh yes, cheap and nasty is a pain in the proverbial whatever way it throws out the sausage ! I got caught out and had to borrow a friends one. Wouldn't use it again.

The vertical / horizontal aspect is largely personal preference on position of use and space available. I do a lot of demos and talks so for me a compromise in weight for carrying round was also a factor.
There are a few decent makes around.
 
I don't have a lot of space, so the vertical one suits me better. The horizontal one I had was just cheap and nasty, full stop. It didn't even have a seal on the end of the pusher disc. No reflection on the fact it was horizontal, it was just crap. The only criticism I have of mine is that there's no 'quick release' to withdraw the pusher disc, the handle needs to be rotated to withdraw it. It's driven via a screw though, so it's an unavoidable design limitation to keep the price manageable :thumb:
 
Oh yes, cheap and nasty is a pain in the proverbial whatever way it throws out the sausage ! I got caught out and had to borrow a friends one. Wouldn't use it again.

The vertical / horizontal aspect is largely personal preference on position of use and space available. I do a lot of demos and talks so for me a compromise in weight for carrying round was also a factor.
There are a few decent makes around.

He is the man who knows and makes cracking sausages as well. Lol
But I could be biased.
 
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