Homemade Sausage Making

Haven't used it yet. The tubes are not that rough, that a person couldn't rub with wet or dry paper (wet). 600-1000 grit. The roughness is from a bad polish job. The 3/8 tube is tempting though. Check Chuckwagons post on the stainless tube he did. A few post back a gentleman used a northern stuffer with sheep casings and had very little trouble. Good luck.

I almost pulled the trigger on this one from Grizzly.
5# Stuffer $79.95
It looks the same as NT.
I'm saving for a Dakota Water Stuffer and in the meantime, it's my good old 8# horizontal.

In regard to my earlier post on having problems stuffing small-diameter sheep casing, and as a follow-on to my post about the "Russ-N-Ross RamRod" stuffer, http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.ph ... l&start=20, I decided to add a 3/8" diameter stuffing tube to my equipment.

I went by Lowe's and bought:
---a 2" x 1/2" PVC bushing (what amounts to a 2" plug, drilled and threaded for 1/2" NPT pipe),
---a brass connector (1/2" NPT male to 3/8" swage fitting), and
---a short length of 1/4" ID, 3/8"OD copper tubing.

Due to the high price of copper, the metal parts cost quite a bit more than I expected, but the whole shootin' match cost less than ten bucks. Compared with $21.95 plus shipping for the stainless stuffer tube, not bad. ...but not real good, either.

If you made the "Russ-N-Ross RamRod" stuffer (about $25 total) you can do the above to add a 3/8" stuffer tube (or any other reasonable size, for that matter) for an additional ten bucks.

HOWEVER, note that this will not work in place of stuffer tubes on other grinders or stuffers. Sorry.

...pictures "Real Soon Now," as well as a report on stuffing those pesky little sheep casings with "Project B #1" breakfast sausage.

jbk101 wrote:I have been torn between this unit ($99.00) and the LEM 5 lb. with steel gears ($129.95) from Meat Processing Products

John,

I bought my 5# stuffer from TSM too many years ago, and I love it. BUT, it doesn't hold a 5# batch of sausage at one time. Fully loaded, the cylinder is less than 1/4 inch from the top. The O ring seal isn't even engaged and the meat paste oozes around and out. I generally fill the cylinder two, sometimes three times for a batch.

If the extra handling concerns you, consider a 6# or 11# stuffer.

As for the stuffing horn, I bought the 1/2" SS from TSM.

Jim

Can I use 19 mm collogen casings for making Kabanosy or should I use natural sheep casings?

Bert,

Hi Bert,
There are two types of collagen casings - smoked and clear. Collagen is thin. It won't hold up to hanging from a smoke stick and you can't link it but smaller collagen casings don't have to be linked - you just stuff them and cut them off with scissors. I lay them out on a smoking screen and find it convenient and quick. I use it all the time. It doesn't blow out while stuffing and you don't even know it's there when you eat it. In my opinion, it's a great choice for kabanosy. I don't know why another member would say it's too tough for kabanosy. I use both types all the time - very often as a matter of fact. Sheep casings are just too expensive anymore for me to use as often as I make kabanosy.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Hi sausage stuffer, meat mincers, and smoke addicts! We will be getting ready to make kabanosy soon. You may wish to read over the two recipes and choose the one you wish to make. The first uses traditional sheep casing, the second... collagen. You may wish to check to see if you have a half-inch stuffing tube for the 19 mm collagen casing.

Don't start making this recipe yet. We must finish up the "fresh sausage" projects and read more material about the "cured-cooked-smoked" type coming up soon.

Kabanosy (by Stan Marianski)
(10 lbs)
1.81 kg. (4 lbs.) lean pork butt or ham
2.72 kg. (6 lbs.) pork trimmings
81 g. salt
11.32 g. Instacure #1 (U.S.stregth)
4.5 g. sugar
9 g. black pepper
4.5 g. nutmeg
4.5 g. caraway

Stan`s Instructions:
Grind lean pork with 3/8" plate, fatter pieces with 3/16" plate. Mix ground meat and all ingredients together until the mass feels sticky. Stuff mixture into sheep casing 22 mm diameter. You may use 24-26 mm sheep casings, anything bigger will not be a meat stick but a sausage. It will also need different smoking and cooking times. Link sausage into (60-70 cm 24-27") links so when hung on a smoking stick the individual links (half of the meat stick) will be about one foot long. You can make shorter 6" links if you like. Don`t separate stuffed sausage into short individual links, leave it linked but as one long rope. Leave it hanging on smoke sticks in a cool place at 35-42°F (2-6°C) for 12 hours. It is permitted to dry it at room temperature for 30-60 minutes and then smoke it. Kabanosy are smoked in two stages:
1. smoking with hot smoke 104-122°F (40-50°C) for 50-60 minutes.
2. cooking for about 20 minutes at 140-190°F (60-90°C) until the meat reaches a temperature of 154-160°F (68-71°C) inside. The color of the sausages should be dark brown. Total smoking and cooking time about 70-90 minutes. This is a rather short time due to the small diameter of the meat sticks. The sausage is done and ready to eat. Shower with cold water, separate into links and keep refrigerated.
The following step was performed in the past to create semi-dry sausages that would last a long time at room temperatures:
Place kabanosy for 5-7 days in a room at 54-59°F (12-15°C), relative humidity of 75-80%, until the weight is reduced by 45%. If during this drying period you see a slight accumulation of mold on the outside surface, just wipe it off. This is normal.
Separate links into individual pieces and keep it in a cool place, no need to refrigerate. In Europe the sausages hang in the kitchen and are consumed on an as needed basis. Most people prefer them when they are about one week old. If you have made a lot of them, place them in a freezer but remember that unfrozen products, though still healthy, never taste the same.

"Cactus Jack`s Kabanosy" by Chuckwagon

Author Stan Marianski, says kabanosy is the "finest meat stick in the world"! And he`s right. Stan says in his native Poland, a "kabanek" is a young pig less than 264 pounds (120 kg.) in weight. This recipe is very close to Stan`s own, found in his superb book, "Home Production Of Quality Meats And Sausages". Stan is also one of the founders of the Polish forum Wedliny Domowe.

Cactus Jack`s kabanosy recipe is for folks with little access to sheep casings or find sheep casings too expensive. In Australia it is becoming hard to find; in America it is getting quite expensive. This recipe uses 19 mm collagen casing. Part of the reason I chose kabanosy as part of Project B, was to introduce folks to collagen casings if they`ve never tried them. One of our members has posted his recipe for kabanosy, again very similar to Stans, but he is adamant about not using anything but sheep casing. Why not make up your own mind? You may even wish to try both. I like 22 mm collagen casing for kabanosy, but that doesn`t mean you have to. Why not give it the benefit of the doubt and try something new. That`s what Project B is all about.

10 lbs. Pork butt
4-1/2 tblspns. kosher salt
2 level tspns. Prague Powder #1
3 tblspns. black pepper (freshly ground)
1 cup water
19 mm. collagen casings
2 tspns. sugar
3/4 tblspn. nutmeg
1 tblspn. caraway seeds

Separate the fat from the lean using a sharp knife, and cut the meat into 2" cubes. Freeze the fat and semi-freeze the lean. Grind the pork using the 3/8" plate and the fat using a 3/16" plate. Work with small batches, refrigerating the meat and fat at every opportunity. Mix the meat with all the ingredients only enough to barely develop a meat paste. Use as little added water as possible. My friend and fellow moderator Miroslaw Gebarowski (Maxell) told me long ago that in Poland, the meat for this particular sausage is not mixed as thoroughly as others although the correct texture of this meat stick depends upon some development of the proteins while mixing, and the slow, gradual, heating during the cooking step. Once, I even tried emulsifiying this sausage as an experiment. Miroslaw would probably slap me, but I found that it gave the sausage an interesting extra chewy texture. Note that most sausage makers in Poland claim their secret of this particular sausage is in NOT developing the proteins in the meat at all in this particular sausage.

Use a long, non-tapered, stainless steel nozzle if you have one. Note that 19 millimeters equal 0.748 of an inch and it will pull over a 1/2" OD stuffing tube while taking the "accordion folds" out of it. Pull as much collagen casing onto the tube as possible, keeping everything dry as possible. This casing does not use water - it slides along a dry surface. Extrude the meat and make 3 foot lengths if your table is long enough, or form coils if not. Simply pinch the end of the casing and begin filling it. After a few inches have entered the casing, let it go and move the sausage along as it comes from the stuffer. I like to cut 12" sections with a pair of scissors, laying them on a smoking screen to dry just before smoking them.

Smoke-cook using your favorite wood. (There is no hickory in Poland). Use a preheated 120°F. (49°C.) smokehouse and after 45 minutes, raise the smokehouse temperature to 160°F. (71°C.), until the internal meat temperature reaches 145° (63°C.) in less than half an hour. Monitor the meat temperature carefully and do not allow it to overcook. The entire cooking time should be less than 90 minutes, as the diameter of the sausages is much smaller than most others. When the internal meat temperature of the kabanosy reaches 145° F, remove them to cool. Don`t use cold water on collagen casings as it will affect the texture of the casings. I like to use a portable fan to help with the blooming of these sausages. After a few hours, refrigerate the sausages wrapped in paper towels for a few days to reduce moisture, shrink, and bloom. If you can wait, they are best after about 4 or 5 days drying. This is a perishable product and should be kept refrigerated.

Notes:

Remember, light collagen casings will not support the weight and coils (or sticks) must be placed on wire screens. Don`t bother tying links. Simply cut the kabanosy into desired lengths with scissors prior to drying and smoking. Store the snack sticks in paper sacks in a refrigerator. Kabanosy may be vacuum packaged and frozen successfully - otherwise it will harden as it continues to dry.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

El Ducko, you wrote:

Chuckwagon wrote:
...He snips the end adjacently to its length and then holds it under...

Maybe I'm geometrically-impaired, but could you explain this? ...maybe "parallel to the length"? ...as opposed to "perpendicular to the length"? I think it's the first, which would give two flaps which you could slip over the end of the tube a bit easier. Izzat rat? Thanks. ...sounds like a great tip.

Whooops... I was thinking of one word and wrote another, while I had a third one on my mind. The word I meant to write was "perpendicular", not adjacent. I don't even know where that came from. Too much on my mind, I guess. Perpendicular son, like a carpenter cutting "crosscut" rather than "rip"!

Shucks, anyway... in your case, I should have written "slantindicular" and really confused you. Uhhh... that is... more than you already are... you poor soul!

Next item.....................

Don't get into too much of a hurry folks. We have to eat our goodies. Some of our friends need a few days to catch up too. Besides, lets chat about our positives and negatives and help each other learn by our experiences. We're not starting kabanosy quite yet, although it will be soon. If some of you made Italian sausage, why not try the Polish one too. It is very good. How about posting more feedback about your experience? Thanks kids!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

I had Bi lateral inguinal hernia surgery 10 days ago. I have been in a bit of discomfort since the operation.

I have just read this thread from start to finnish.

I think this idea is great, when I started out making sausages, I was all over the internet googling to get info. Here it is, all in the one thread. Future sausage makers will benefit from this info, greatly.

My own personal Sausage making will be greatly improved. I have to take on board the act of keeping all my equipment super cold before use. I also take on board, that cutting the meat into smaller cubes is more advantageous.

Right now, I am not able to make sausages. As soon I am back to having no discomfort (I was told 5-6 weeks before attempting to lift anything heavy), I will be up to my elbows in minced Pork.

I am way behind with my wood pile, for the Winter fuel. I will be busy when I can get back to my normal fitness (which is on the low side of the scale).

I purchased a little bucket of 20-22mm sheep casings. Both my wife and I prefer the thinner sausages compared to the really thick sausages. They cook a lot quicker. My ? is, can I use these casings in place of 30-32mm casings stated for some of the other sausage types.

Many Thanks

I look forward to making my first batch, using my newly acquired information.

I just want to report that I made Stan's breakfast sausage. I used a 3/16" plate instead of the 1/4" and substituted ground sage for the rubbed version, otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Since I only made 2.2 lbs, I decided to bring out the old Lem jerky cannon fitted with a 1/2" OD tube. Stuffed into 22 - 24 mm sheep casings. I overstuffed a section of the casing and when I went to link, I had a blowout; otherwise, all went well.

The taste of these sausages is really good, better than anything I've purchased at the store. I like things spicy so I would probably double or triple the cayenne pepper the next time. I posted some pictures under the picture section for this thread.

2.2 lbs ground pork butt stuffed into 22 - 24 mm sheep casings



frying up some of the breakfast sausage links



Great taste. Nice recipe.

Hello All,
I have taken the plunge and placed an order for a Vertical Sausage Stuffer I ended up going with the LEM 5lb. Stuffer since it has Metal Gears for $129.95 (I'm sure the models that I was considering with the "Plastic Gears" work just fine but I'm a metal kind of guy ) Oh I also ordered a 3/8" stuffing tube! Thanks for all the advice in regards to the stuffer.

I also purchased the remaining supplies that I needed for the "Project B" - Corn Syrup Solids, 19mm smoked collagen casing, 76mm (3" x 24") Mahogany Synthetic Fibrous casing (The only 76mm Mahogany Casing, The Sausage Maker had called them Deer Salami Casings I hope that's the right stuff if not I'll have to get a Deer License for the deer hanging out in my back yard (teasing my dogs)


I also ordered my Bactoferm T-SPX since I am going to have to play catch up with the first part of Project B but I will get there. Now I just have to wait for everything to arrive (patience grasshopper )
John

Hey JBK, I just bought a 5 lb LEM stuffer and am quite happy with it. Was dithering over it for a long time, then saw that Amazon had a "used" one that actually just had a slightly damaged box. The metal gears attracted me as well. Great to work with this thing after years of stuffing with a grinder! I think you're going to like it.

Cheers,
Jeff

Cow ear tags are done and, deliver Tuesday. Now I can pay attention to project B. It looks like the lem small tube would fit the northern stuffer. The northern's smallest tube is .675 dia OD .562 ID pluse draft. Still going to the hardware and see if I can duplicate C.W 1/2 OD tube. The 22mm sheep casing is .866 dia, maybe it fits.? Never stuffed sausage before.

grasshopper wrote:Cow ear tags are done and, deliver Tuesday. Now I can pay attention to project B. It looks like the lem small tube would fit the northern stuffer. The northern's smallest tube is .675 dia OD .562 ID pluse draft. Still going to the hardware and see if I can duplicate C.W 1/2 OD tube. The 22mm sheep casing is .866 dia, maybe it fits.? Never stuffed sausage before.

Good luck! I was stuffing with that same (Northern) grinder/stuffer, using the smallest tube with 19-22 mm sheep casing, and ran into problems. I think the casings run a little small, or they weren't fully hydrated, or something. At any rate, I plan to use a smaller (home made) stuffer tube this weekend and try again.