# To stuff with grinder or sausage stuffer?



## justinkp (Mar 3, 2014)

Still a bit of a newbie here. I've been stuffing my callogen casings with my snack stick meat through my meat grinder. I have the cablea pro grinder.  It grinds the meat like a champ. it's really difficult to push the meat mixture down the tube into the grinder when stuffing though.  I don't know if it's because the grinder isn't a high hp grinder.     Would I better off buying a sausage stuffer by itself and just using the grinder to grind meat or should I maybe look at a higher horsepower grinder for stuffing?   Thanks.


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## JckDanls 07 (Mar 3, 2014)

yea..  that would be your best bet... a separate stuffer..  just make sure you get a 3/8 or 1/2 inch tube for snack sticks as well


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## bigwheel (Mar 3, 2014)

Go for a cheap stuffer. Trying to stuff with a less than commercial grinder make folks go crazy.  Now when you get a Hobart I take it back..lol. I always made do with the lever action 3 pound model. Very efficient for a one man operation and Mama dont allow bolt holes in her cabinet. Just dont get cute and try to stuff cured meat with it. It will either break your arm or the handle. That stuff cures in the cases real good. Right?


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## java (Mar 3, 2014)

Dedicated stuffer for sure.

I tried it for a long time with the grinder, and was always frustrated with the time it took,

ect. Get a stuffer and it takes so much less time and you can do it much easier by yourself.


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## justinkp (Mar 3, 2014)

Sounds great. The wife isn't a huge fan of holding the casings while I use both hands and basically all my body weight to push the meat down through the grinder. Haha.  So I'm gonna probably go for a 5lb stuffer.


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## foamheart (Mar 3, 2014)

Just a thought, are you using your grinding plate when stuffing or changing to a kidney plate? You need a kidney plate for stuffing and they are easily purchased pretty cheap answer to a stuffing problem until you decide what you really want.

My first investment was a stuffer, don't get one of the lever type stuffers. Make sure and get a good metal hand crank. I got a 5 pound and I am happy. I do sausage by myself and I can always run 2 batches of 5 pounds and it keeps the meat colder that way also. But that's just me.

Oh and start saving and looking around though. Very very soon you'll be looking for a grinder....LOL Its an addiction!


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## JckDanls 07 (Mar 3, 2014)

yup..  do that..  then all she has to do is wind the sausage up as it comes to her....  that's the way the wife and I do it....  I crank with one hand and hold casing on tube with the other...


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## disco (Mar 3, 2014)

Using my Kitchen Aid Grinder to stuff was like getting a root canal from a proctologist. When I got my LEM vertical stuffer my only regret wasn't getting it earlier.

Disco


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## foamheart (Mar 3, 2014)

Disco said:


> like getting a root canal from a proctologist
> 
> Disco


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## boykjo (Mar 4, 2014)

Disco said:


> Using my Kitchen Aid Grinder to stuff was like getting a root canal from a proctologist. When I got my LEM vertical stuffer my only regret wasn't getting it earlier.
> 
> Disco


I remember you..............LOL


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## disco (Mar 4, 2014)

boykjo said:


> I remember you..............LOL


Funny, most people tend to try and forget me!

Disco


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## voodoochile (Mar 4, 2014)

get a stuffer ............ you'll be glad you did ..............


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## redwood carlos (Mar 5, 2014)

Disco said:


> Using my Kitchen Aid Grinder to stuff was like getting a root canal from a proctologist. *When I got my LEM vertical stuffer my only regret wasn't getting it earlier.*
> 
> Disco


I don't recommend the first part, but agree wholeheartedly with the second.

Regards,

Carlos


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## daveomak (Mar 5, 2014)

JUSTINKP said:


> Sounds great. The wife isn't a huge fan of holding the casings while I use both hands and basically all my body weight to push the meat down through the grinder. Haha.  So I'm gonna probably go for a 5lb stuffer.





Justin, morning......   The 5# stuffer, from what folks have noted, stuffs sticks better than the larger capacity stuffers....   I think it has something to do with the leverage....  diameter of the piston vs. the diameter of the tube....    Larger stuffers don't do well on sticks.... 5#er is a good choice....... 

Dave


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## bigeyedavid (Mar 5, 2014)

A stuffer makes all the difference well worth the money


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## bigwheel (Mar 5, 2014)

Not sure why nobody listens to me on this. For a one man operation and wives who do not like to touch pig guts a high quality lever action model fits the bill. It dont have to be mounted to anything as per the vertical models.  The harder you mash down the more it tries to push itself into the work surface. That gives one hand on the link string and another on the handle. Trying to stuff with a grinder is a team effort. Six hands minimum. Anyway I snagged a good made in USA model from the Sausage Maker up in Buffler noo yawk. Where old Rytek got rich selling yups books and buttermilk powder called Fermentto. lol. I have heard horror stories on the chicom models. Also snag a long handled beer bottle brush. Makes keeping it clean a cinch.


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## foamheart (Mar 5, 2014)

DaveOmak said:


> Justin, morning...... The 5# stuffer, from what folks have noted, stuffs sticks better than the larger capacity stuffers.... I think it has something to do with the leverage.... diameter of the piston vs. the diameter of the tube.... Larger stuffers don't do well on sticks.... 5#er is a good choice.......
> 
> Dave


That's right, you can't let the ID (inside diameter) exceed the OD (outside diameter) cause then the hole would be on the outside. <Chuckles>


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## venture (Mar 5, 2014)

Stuffer for sure.

Takes the cussing out of the process.

Also no concerns with smear in the meat.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## buzzy (Mar 13, 2014)

As said a stuffer will make the job easier plus will make a better looking end product.


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## justinkp (Mar 13, 2014)

The stuffer worked out a lot easier.  The only issue I had was a lot of air in the casings and blow outs due to the air. If I did without the air and the blow outs it would of been a 15 minute job for 7 pounds of meat. It ended up about an hour.  Still easier and faster than using the grinder to stuff.


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## voodoochile (Mar 14, 2014)

you want to pack your meat into the stuffer carefully to minimize air pockets BEFORE you begin stuffing .


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## JckDanls 07 (Mar 14, 2014)

voodoochile said:


> you want to pack your meat into the stuffer carefully to minimize air pockets BEFORE you begin stuffing .



:yeahthat:

Pack the meat in the stuffer carefully...  put a fist size ball in the stuffer at a time...  use you fist to pack it down in trying not to leave any air pockets....  use fingertips to push out to the edges ....  keep repeating these steps until stuffer is full ....


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