Homemade Sausage Making

I was going to thaw about 36 pounds of meat for sausage making in the fridge. The meat is vacuum sealed in individual 2.5 lb bags. How long will this take to thaw? Will it make a difference that it is not frozen in 10 lb blocks for time to thaw?

It definitely makes a big difference in the thawing time between small and large pieces. A frozen 10lb chunk will take at least three days in the fridge, while a 2lb piece 24-36 hours. And you can always work with when it's semi frozen. You have done the right thing in packing it in small vac sealed packs, because you can take out exactly what you need and don't need days to thaw. If you want to speed up the process, put the vac sealed packs in cold water for a couple of hours to give it a head start, then finish in the fridge. Just remember to use the meat as soon as it's thawed or you are able to work with it. The meat has already spent time in the thawed sate and freezing does not reset the clock on how long it can stay thawed.

Thank you