Meat Grinder

kdink

Want to start making my own sausage, looking at the Weston #12, 33-1301-W.  will get a stuffer also,  anyone have any experience with weston grinders?   Costco for $139.00 looks like a good deal?

Photo Egg

It gets great reviews.
I have the LEM Big Bite #12, .75hp. It can handle anything I throw at it.

lkapigian

+1 on the LEM 12 Big Bite, but for 139 I would jump on the Weston

The Cen-Tex Smoker

That's a great deal and a great grinder. We used a Weston #22 and a LEM #22 last time we made sausage and they were both beasts. You will never get a better grinder for $139.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

we ran hundreds of pounds through both and we could barely keep up.

lkapigian

Just a note on stuffers , get one bigger than you think you need, 

HeavyG

Get the one from Costco. In seven years, if you find that making sausage isn't your thing you can take it back to Costco and get a refund.

kdink

Thank you all for your help,  It is ordered, once it arrives I head to my old Italian butcher (Sal and Josephine) who are retiring after 50 years for secret sausage lessons.  Going to miss his work, could watch him take down a hind quarter, its like watching a surgeon do surgery! 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

kdink said:

Thank you all for your help,  It is ordered, once it arrives I head to my old Italian butcher (Sal and Josephine) who are retiring after 50 years for secret sausage lessons.  Going to miss his work, could watch him take down a hind quarter, its like watching a surgeon do surgery! 

Lots of good sausage knowledge on here. Dig through the sausage recipe thread and don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

FWIW I have the LEM big bite 15lb stuffer and that seems like the right size for civilian work. I stuffed 30lbs of sausage in minutes in its maiden voyage 

Last time we did a whole pig we actually stuffed with the LEM and Westin #22 grinders. It was way better than I expected. Especially for that volume. You may be able to get away with just grinder but I would try it and see how it does. I think you will want a piston stuffer if you are going to do a lot. It is way faster and I think it makes better sausage as well. 

kdink

@The Cen-Tex Smoker,  I will take your advice and do for batch with the grinder see how it goes before deciding on the stuffer.  Hoping to get this week and give it a go.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

kdink said:

@The Cen-Tex Smoker,  I will take your advice and do for batch with the grinder see how it goes before deciding on the stuffer.  Hoping to get this week and give it a go.

Can’t wait to hear about it. 

caliking

kdink said:

@The Cen-Tex Smoker,  I will take your advice and do for batch with the grinder see how it goes before deciding on the stuffer.  Hoping to get this week and give it a go.

The piston stuffer will make it so ridiculously easy, that you'll kick yourself for not getting it sooner.

kdink

with the stuffers, Do the metal stuffing tubes work better than the plastic tubes?

lkapigian

kdink said:

with the stuffers, Do the metal stuffing tubes work better than the plastic tubes?

I think the stainless clean up better , I would get a tube cleaning kit, comes with pushers as well to get excess meat out of the tubes

https://www.sausagemaker.com/Stuffing-Tube-Cleaner-Set-Set-of-4-p/18-1220.htm

kdink

Wanted to do a test run, as tomorrow going to butcher to learn his recipe for sausage.   Had some skirt steak in freezer from a less than tender pack so decided to use that. Did not taste great but Machine worked like a charm went through it all no problem.   Thanks again for the help.