# Are LEM grinders overated



## BC Buck (Dec 31, 2018)

Bought a #8 that is rated for 7lb/min. They recommend a coarse grind then fine for burger and sausage. You would be lucky to get one 1/2 pound through grinder doing that.The most efficient way iv come up with after many deer is run venison and pork through 3 hole stuffier plate. Then chill and run through medium plate. With two guys working grinder i can barely fill 1lb bag in 30 seconds. Knifes are sharp and assembled correctly. It will pull long tough chunks of venison out of your fingers at 7lb/min. The throat and auger seem to have too much clearance to efficiently grind meat. You need to use plunger to force meat out.


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## crazymoon (Dec 31, 2018)

I don't like anything LEM but that is my opinion ! :)


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## daveomak (Dec 31, 2018)

Yep...  you got it....  The tolerance in the auger/housing leaves something to be desired in less expensive grinders...  I gave up on grinding twice...  doesn't work too well on my Kitchener grinder...  Depending on the texture I'm looking for, I usually grind almost frozen fat though the fine plate...  The meat, I will grind some through the fine, some through the medium and some through the coarse...  That way I get tooth texture and a homogenized product...  
Twice grinding is for those with quality grinders...  The rest of us try and make do with what we've got....
Then we buy a dedicated 5# vertical stuffer...  Trying to stuff with a grinder, is for folks with too much time on their hands..


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## pineywoods (Dec 31, 2018)

I've had an LEM grinder for about 20 years now and it does a great job but it is the larger 1.5 hp  #32. It will grind first or second grind as fast as you can feed it.
A few people use the grinder to stuff with a lot of other people including me find a separate dedicated stuffer to be much easier


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## dward51 (Jan 1, 2019)

Is your #8 one of the Big Bite #8, 1/2 hp grinders?  Their site says that one is for up to 7 lbs per minute like you described.  Or is it one of their other less expensive models?

I've got a big bite #12 and not had any problems with mine like you are describing.  However I also use a dedicated stuffer instead of trying to stuff from the grinder output.


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## indaswamp (Jan 1, 2019)

I use an LEM big bite #12 as well...no problems at all. Will grind as fast as I can feed it. I never use it to stuff, as I also have a dedicated 15lb. stuffer.


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## BC Buck (Jan 1, 2019)

dward51 said:


> Is your #8 one of the Big Bite #8, 1/2 hp grinders?  Their site says that one is for up to 7 lbs per minute like you described.  Or is it one of their other less expensive models?
> 
> I've got a big bite #12 and not had any problems with mine like you are describing.  However I also use a dedicated stuffer instead of trying to stuff from the grinder output.


Yes it is the big bite.


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## indaswamp (Jan 1, 2019)

I do not recommend using a grinder to fill either casing or freezer bags. A dedicated stuffer is so much faster and easier to use. It is not the auger and the throat, it is the back pressure from trying to stuff in either casings or freezer bags.


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## dward51 (Jan 1, 2019)

I will say this about a 2nd grind in a LEM (or any brand of grinder).  If you try to just feed loose 1st grind meat in the throat of the grinder, it can be slow and messy with frequent plunging/pushing required.  My solutions were as follows. 

We all know that super cold almost frozen meat works best.  My original plan was I would take the 1st grind and make long "snakes" of rolled meat that I placed on a cookie sheet and popped into the freezer to just about freeze the meat.  The snakes were just a tad smaller than the grinder throat and would be pulled in just like a solid strip of cut meat thanks to the near frozen state.   Then I figured out a easier, less work required method. I just dumped the 1st grind meat into a rimmed cookie sheet and flattened it out.  Make it no thicker than your grinder throat size.  Then a quick roll of a pizza cutter to make strips in the sheet and pop the sheet of meat into the freezer.  You end up with rectangular or square strips of meat just like the hand rolled "snakes" but without the work.  The pre-cutting before freezing makes them a breeze to separate and feed into the grinder for the 2nd grind.

I usually mix the spices in the 1st grind by hand just before the freeze in the tray and the 2nd grind does a final distribution of the spices in the mix.  Keep it clean (equipment and hands) and cold (meat).  X2 (or 3, etc....) on the dedicated stuffer.


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## desertlites (Jan 1, 2019)

^^^ That has been my way for many years grinding, a 5# vertical stuffer finishes it off.


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## indaswamp (Jan 1, 2019)

That would probably work for small batches, but with larger batches it would be tedious IMO. I do a lot of large batches so this is my method:

I just form the first grind meat round enough to push into the grinder throat while the meat is on the tray. The key here is that the tray and grinder throat MUST be wet. I used less than 1/2c. of water to keep the tray moist with the last sausage batch of 66# I did. Meat just slides in no problem and does not stick...fast as I can rough form it with my hand and guide it into the grinder. Just be sure to allow for the water in your calculations.

I also keep the meat very cold-around 34*....


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## BC Buck (Jan 2, 2019)

indaswamp said:


> That would probably work for small batches, but with larger batches it would be tedious IMO. I do a lot of large batches so this is my method:
> 
> I just form the first grind meat round enough to push into the grinder throat while the meat is on the tray. The key here is that the tray and grinder throat MUST be wet. I used less than 1/2c. of water to keep the tray moist with the last sausage batch of 66# I did. Meat just slides in no problem and does not stick...fast as I can rough form it with my hand and guide it into the grinder. Just be sure to allow for the water in your calculations.
> 
> I also keep the meat very cold-around 34*....



Makes sense, and will try with next batch.


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## old sarge (Jan 4, 2019)

I have the Big Bite #8 and have not experienced any problems.  I make sure the meat, auger and head are well chilled before grinding.


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## BC Buck (Jan 5, 2019)

old sarge said:


> I have the Big Bite #8 and have not experienced any problems.  I make sure the meat, auger and head are well chilled before grinding.


Does it run once ground meat at same rate as chunks of meat.


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## old sarge (Jan 5, 2019)

BC Buck said:


> Does it run once ground meat at same rate as chunks of meat.



Quick answer is no. First grind is long fully intact strips and the auger grabs and goes as fast as I can feed it. Second grind is slower because  the meat is no longer fully intact and feeding the machine is slower. If the first grind is a long grind, we will chill the meat and auger assembly again prior to the second grind. What my wife and I do for the second grind is to roughly form the meat into into roll shapes so that they drop cleanly into the throat of the auger head. Works better and is quicker than trying to grind a hand full of random shaped hunks of ground that must be pushed. The second grind needs occasional help from the stomper. I cannot say that the grinder slows down, never paid much attention.

My choice of a LEM was partly influenced by their 5 year warranty.


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## slapaho_injun (Jan 8, 2019)

My hunting party just bought the #22 LEM grinder.

Considering we will be processing about 200 lbs of trim (with 200# of pork mixed in) , 400 lbs total finished product......what I'm gathering is we will need a separate stuffer? Or is it realistic that we could use the grinder we have to stuff sausage casings?


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## old sarge (Jan 8, 2019)

I am not sure what you mean about needing another grinder. Are you talking about running two to speed up processing or needing a second larger grinder?


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## slapaho_injun (Jan 8, 2019)

Corrected my post, sorry. Meant stuffer.


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## old sarge (Jan 8, 2019)

That I cannot answer.


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## dward51 (Jan 8, 2019)

I'm curious about this also. Has anyone used their grinder as the stuffer also?  I have not tried it as I've always ground then used a dedicated stuffer.

If you have, did you put the stuffing tube on with the grinding plate and stuff as you ground, or did you grind, then insert the "bean" pass through plate with the stuffing tube and then run the meat through again to stuff?


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## BC Buck (Jan 9, 2019)

dward51 said:


> I'm curious about this also. Has anyone used their grinder as the stuffer also?  I have not tried it as I've always ground then used a dedicated stuffer.
> 
> If you have, did you put the stuffing tube on with the grinding plate and stuff as you ground, or did you grind, then insert the "bean" pass through plate with the stuffing tube and then run the meat through again to stuff?


My second grind I use a medium grind plate with stuffing tube. My grinder is slow but stuffing tube has nothing to do with that. Going to keep meat cool, moist and smaller in diameter than feed throat to try speeding feed process.


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## old sarge (Jan 9, 2019)

I would do the 2d grind seperate from stuffing then use the stuffing plate with stuffer. Should go quicker.


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## biteme7951 (Jan 9, 2019)

slapaho_injun said:


> My hunting party just bought the #22 LEM grinder.
> 
> Considering we will be processing about 200 lbs of trim (with 200# of pork mixed in) , 400 lbs total finished product......what I'm gathering is we will need a separate stuffer? Or is it realistic that we could use the grinder we have to stuff sausage casings?



Grinders are engineered to grind meat fast. Stuffers are engineered to stuff meat fast. It's all about having the right tools for the job at hand, and since you are talking about 100's of pounds of meat, consider buying the biggest stuffer that your budget will allow.

Barry.


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## old sarge (Jan 9, 2019)

X2 on Barry's post.


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## JckDanls 07 (Jan 9, 2019)

My theory is... When using the grinder to stuff, you are essentially grinding a third time..  myself...  I only regrind half (through small plate) of all the first grind (coarse) and then mix the two grinds back together...  I have a Cabelas commercial 1/2 hp grinder (it's a beast) and it has the stuffing attachment with a funneled down tube that also has an auger in it...  The attachment has never been touched with meat (never used)...

   So I would agree with a community stuffer at camp and then have personal stuffers at home... another advantage to this is easier transportation of the ground meat home... you can carry more meat (bulk) in ziplock bags in the cooler rather than have a 100 lbs or more (each member) pre-stuffed..  I know refridgerated space is usually very limited when traveling ..

X3 with Barry


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## hoity toit (Jan 10, 2019)

Use a dedicated stuffer. A grinder is a grinder - a stuffer is a stuffer. I have LEm 8, a Lem22, and a Enterprise 32 grinder. I like the #22 the best, it is a Hoss. the 8 is really not worth the effort, and we only break out the #32 when we have a whole lot of meat to do.On the stuffer I have a 11lb vertical 2 speed and a 10lb Dakota water stuffer.Each has its merits. I like the water stuffer when I am by myself with no help. The vertical I like for boudin and Summer sausage and stuffing 1-2 lb freezer bags of ground meat. You can chuck a 1/2 cordless drill to it for easy stuffing on low speed. Just my thoughts.

HT


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## dward51 (Jan 10, 2019)

That's what I've always done (dedicated grinder, and separate dedicated stuffer).  Every grinder I've owned came with one of those "bean shaped stuffing plates" so that's why I was wondering if anyone was using the grinder that way.  Hell, I'd rather have another grinder plate instead of a useless stuffer plate.


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## indaswamp (Jan 12, 2019)

Double post.


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## indaswamp (Jan 12, 2019)

slapaho_injun said:


> My hunting party just bought the #22 LEM grinder.
> 
> Considering we will be processing about 200 lbs of trim (with 200# of pork mixed in) , 400 lbs total finished product......what I'm gathering is we will need a separate stuffer? Or is it realistic that we could use the grinder we have to stuff sausage casings?


Trust me when I say this-get a dedicated sausage stuffer. Even if it is just a 5lb. model. Especially with that much meat to stuff!

The problem with using a grinder to stuff is that the back pressure necessary to force air pockets out of the links slows the grinder down to a crawl. When this happens the meat just turns in one spot and you get sections of sausage in the links that are just mush. The texture is too inconsistent IMO. I will never use a grinder as a stuffer as long as I have a dedicated stuffer.


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## slapaho_injun (Jan 14, 2019)

Thanks guys. I'll get the separate stuffer.......suggestions? I want a 20# or better with metal gears. Are there better ones out there you like, other than LEM?


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