# Using Kidney Plate for stuffing?



## alelover

I am thinking of getting a kidney plate to use in my grinder so my grind isn't too fine when I stuff. But I want to get the right one. I will not have the blade installed so do I need to have a spacer in there to take up the slack? Or are kidney plates thicker to account for that?


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## gersus

Kidney plates are the same thickness as the other plates. The only good way to not get it too fine is with a dedicated stuffer, IMO. I don't mind the finer texture myself.


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## sausageboy

There shouldn't be any slack, the plate only goes back as far as the squared area that the blade goes on.


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## alelover

And it will tighten up when I screw on the big nut?


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## scarbelly

It should - I got one for mine and it worked OK then I got the stuffer and that ended the issue


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## alelover

I'd love a stuffer but I or should I say my wife has better things to spend $99 on.


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## smokinhusker

I used the kidney plate that came (no knife) with my LEM grinder to make duck snack sticks. We didn't like the resulting texture (more like hot dogs), so I've ordered an LEM Sausage Stuffer.


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## alelover

I was thinking can I just stuff thru my medium plate with the blade out?


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## big casino

you probably could you may get some back pressure and smear the fat in your sausage, and it still may give you a finer grind


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## alelover

I guess I need to do some experiments then.


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## sausageboy

What size is the grinder?
I have a brand spanking new #10/#12 stainless steel stuffing plate that's still in the original package that I'm never going to use.


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## alelover

#12


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## boykjo

Did your grinder come with one of these. This is for stuffing. It does not turn. It holds the screw in place







You don't need to worry about the thickness because you are not grinding.... just pushing

Joe


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## alelover

No it didn't come with one of those.


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## patrad

When making most fresh sausage, my father, grandfather always just ground into the casings with 3/16 . . . I was doing a little research as I also am trying to avoid paying for a stuffer . . I found this of interest:

[color= rgb(34,34,34)]from: [/color]http://www.alliedkenco.com/517.aspx

*Kidney Plates*  (3 hole)*  *are used with a knife if you want big chunks for stew meat, for your first grind or when making chum.

*Spacer Plates*[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]  (2 hole) are [/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]traditionally[/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]  used to hold the feedscrew centered when stuffing off a grinder using a stuffing tube. You remove the knife, install the spacer plate and stuffing tube and commence stuffing.[/font]

  

*A better way is to use the spacer  plate is for the first grind. After the first grind, install the finish ( 2nd grind) plate (usually 3/16" for sausage) & knife, along with the stuffing horn, then grind AND stuff on the second grind. The larger first grind provides the bigger chunks of meat needed by the feedscrew to move the meat out of the cylinder, pass the backpressure created by the small holes of the second grind plate and the small hole of the stuffing tube.*
*They are available in different thicknesses, with and without hubs and with 1 or 3 notches so be careful when ordering.*


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## BGKYSmoker

boykjo said:


> Did your grinder come with one of these. This is for stuffing. It does not turn. It holds the screw in place
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You don't need to worry about the thickness because you are not grinding.... just pushing
> 
> Joe


I do same as Joe.

If your stuffing with a plate and blade, your stuffing wrong....Just sayin


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## tjkoko

patrad said:


> When making most fresh sausage, my father, grandfather always just ground into the casings with 3/16 . . . I was doing a little research as I also am trying to avoid paying for a stuffer . . I found this of interest:
> 
> from: http://www.alliedkenco.com/517.aspx
> 
> *Kidney Plates*  (3 hole)*  *are used with a knife if you want big chunks for stew meat, for your first grind or when making chum.
> 
> *Spacer Plates*  (2 hole) are traditionally  used to hold the feedscrew centered when stuffing off a grinder using a stuffing tube. You remove the knife, install the spacer plate and stuffing tube and commence stuffing.
> 
> 
> 
> *A better way is to use the spacer  plate is for the first grind. After the first grind, install the finish ( 2nd grind) plate (usually 3/16" for sausage) & knife, along with the stuffing horn, then grind AND stuff on the second grind. The larger first grind provides the bigger chunks of meat needed by the feedscrew to move the meat out of the cylinder, pass the backpressure created by the small holes of the second grind plate and the small hole of the stuffing tube.*
> *They are available in different thicknesses, with and without hubs and with 1 or 3 notches so be careful when ordering.*


This is exactly what is stated in the hardcopy version of Allied Kenco's catalog.  THANKS, Patrad!!!    8)


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