# Hand Crank Meat Grinders



## hog warden

Over the past few months, I've picked up a few small hand grinders for making sausage. Not good for a guy wanting to process whole deer or hogs, but certainly doable for grinding a few pork butts into sausage or brats. Turns out you can get a really good one for around $20 to $30. If there is interest, I'll put together a summary of them.....how they work and what to look for in used equipment. If not, I'll just quietly use them myself.

What ya think?


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## tasunkawitko

i would certainly be interested!


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## em21701

I can't see how a review could be a bad thing. I'd love to see it.


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## morkdach

bring it on


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## hog warden

OK, but it will be a few days. In the meantime.........not that I would stoop so low as to tease or anything......

But here are the candidates:




The ones on the right are/were sold as food choppers/meat grinders and are the most easily found/common type out there. To the middle is a Griswald meat grinder. Far left are the real deal. Enterprise meat grinders. A #22, #12 and #5 clamp on. 

Don't know if this looks like a problem or not, but it is:



Another look at the same thing......



Not life or death but it means a new blade. About $12 to $15




Ooops. My first fattie. How did that get in there?  Oh  yeah. It used to be a pork butt before  that  #22 went into action.

Stay tuned!


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## rivet

Please let me know, cause the hand crank grinders I've used stunk and that's why I still haven't been able to make sausage!


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## morkdach

nice fatty mister warden keep us informed on this 
thanks


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## bbq engineer

Great tease...I would love to start grinding my own sausage, and am really interested in the hand crank models as a start into this...I can't wait to read your review!


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## hog warden

On the #22, I can do 10 pounds of butts in around 5 minutes. I grind the first batch with a 1/2" plate, mix in the spices and grind again with a 3/16" plate. Takes much longer to bone the meat out and cube it up that grinding it. Even twice. 

Rivet: What grinder did you use and what was the problem?

If you notice the #12 (second from the left), it's a like new grinder (50 years plus old...but hardly used) and I imagine the reason it wasn't used was the condition of the blade (plate and blade in the picture). The plate is like new. The blade was like new, except some well meaning soul had tried to sharpen it and ruined the blade. They back ground it, meaning the cutting blades were working more like ski tips than a knife. It wouldn't grind 5 cranks of the handle without clogging up and stopping. 

The leading edge of the blade runs on the plate an angle, so if you really crank down the ring to tighten the plate on the blade as you are supposed to do so it cuts the meat and sinew, vs. clubbing (pinching) it, the knife becomes self sharpening.......metal on metal, lubed by the moisture and fat in the meat. It doesn't need to be sharpened as this guy did it. As much as anything the wear is on the downwind side of each hole in the plate as the edge erodes over time. The plate hole edges elongate and round over. Now you are back to pinching it off vs. cutting. And of course, cold, stiff, partially frozen meat cuts better than the softer, more pliable room temp meat. But that's the case with a hand knife or a grinder.

More to come.


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## flatbroke

I dont like mine either.  I used it once and its been sitting on my garage shelf ever since.


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## bigbaldbbq

I'm going to have to start looking around. I've been wanting a grinder, but I am cheap!...haha


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## hog warden

On the grinding plates, this is a new 1/8" hole plate and like new blade for the #22:







Notice the leading edge isn't dished out like on the previous blade and how tight it rides on the cutting surface. This is how they are supposed to look. And due to the angle, as the blade wears away, it remains sharp....the plate and blade mating to themselves as they wear in.


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## hog warden

What didn't you like? What went wrong? Is it a #32?

I suspect you need an NCAA Division 1 lineman to operate the crank on a #32 if you are trying to push the first grind of meat through a 3/16" plate on a #32.


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## bman62526

I am also very interested in your review!!  I posted some questions about sausage a couple months ago...hell, it may have been before the BIG CRASH.

I kind of gave up on the whole idea of doing my own sausage because a) I was told that a lot of the cheaper electric grinders were no good and b) the better grinders are tall money!

I know that I won't ever want to do more than 10 lb.s of sausage every few months...until maybe someday when I'm in a bigger house, kids are older, work is slower, etc...so I thought about a hand grinder, but I know NOTHING about them.  I would welcome your review/advice, etc.


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## hog warden

How much is "cheap"? 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I paid $22 for the #5 on ebay, but it had a brand new 3/8" plate. That is close to $20 by itself. The #12 was $18.50, but then it needed the new blade, so I have about $30 in it. (Add $10 - $12 to all ebay buys for shipping). Watch and you can pick up a #5, #10/12 on ebay for $10 to $20, plus shipping.

The smaller food choppers (don't do it!) can be had for $5 to $20 in antique stores or ebay. Quality is generally not good (tinning is green). If they are in good shape, they seem to be priced in the $20 to $30 range, and again, not what you want anyway. As far as numbers go, there are 10 or 20 of the smaller, less expensive food shoppers for every good #10 or #12 Enterprise meat chopper. And most of them are green and/or rusty. Ebay is the place to shop. 

The #10 is the same size as the #12, the only difference being the #10 is a clamp on. A substantial clamp on. More like massive clamp on vs all the others, including the #5.


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## hog warden

Quick summary on the difference between a real meat chopper/grinder and a food chopper. 

These are the plates/blades that came with the units:




The three on the right are food choppers:



Right to left:

Universal #2 with three cutters

OVB (Our Very Best) #2 (old mail order brand) with plates and cutters, including a "nut butter" plate for making your own peanut butter.

Keen Kutter #22 with three plates and fine grinding plate (would be good to crack black pepper). 

Food choppers differ from meat grinders, in that they don't have blades. The cutting surface is cast into the body of the grinder. The plates rotate with the screw. The Universal and OVB have grooves cast in the grinder with direct and force product into and through the openings, where the rotating blades on the outside shear it off. Works great for vegatables, fruit, nuts, etc. but anything tough clogs in those openings. The meat in this meat chopper would best be limited to cooked meats like chicken or ham for a meat salad. A little to fine for pulled pork. Would work great to mince onions or peppers for sausage. The precurser to our modern food processors. The units with close holes tend to clog in heavy going and are a bitch to clean when you are finished.

The Keen Kutter doesn't have the closed openings, but other than that, is the same basic design. Hard to see how you can get them tight enough that sinew isn't going to bind between the fixed edge and rotating blade and bind up. Blades are also thin and if you really crank it down, I'd expect them to flex out and bend.

I have yet to try to grind butts through these (have two frozen butts thawing), but I'm not expecting much success.

Griswald #2 with 3/16" grinding plate. Early transition to a real meat grinder. Blade is blunt, but angled and rotates with the screw. Plate is thin, but fixed. This one might work better than the food choppers.

Peeking out on the left edge is the grinding plate from the #5 Enterprise. You can already see how much more massive it's built. No comparison in quality between the old Enterprise or Chop Rite grinders vs. any of the others.


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## travcoman45

Yall got a rite nice collection goin there!


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## hog warden

Thawed out a big 8# butt and cut it up to grind this afternoon. Tried all seven grinders with some cubes in the 1 to 1.5 inch range, which turned out to be a little big for all the grinders except the #22. More like 3/4 to 1 inch in order to drop into the screws for the smaller grinders. The victim:



Results were as I expected. Food choppers aren't cut out for this work. Again, although all the choppers look alike from a distance (hopper, screw, crank), food choppers are built different from the real meat grinders. Food choppers work by forcing the product through fixed openings cast into the body of the chopper, which are then chopped by rotating blades or plates on the outside. Meat grinders....even the big modern electric ones, operating by the screw forcing meat through a rotating blade, which turns inside the fixed plate. It's an old design, but it's how all the meat grinders work.

Anyway, you have seen the roster. Here is how they worked:

Universal #2:



What you get with a chopper like this is little meat wads. About 1/4 to 3/8 inch in size. There is a smaller set of cutters, that might get you mush. The one advantage this one had over similar units with holes in the plates was it didn't clog up with sinew. 



What this grinder would be good at is mincing a couple of onions, jalapeno peppers, garlic cloves, etc. to mix with some ground meats. Would also work for chopping nuts, bread crumbs, etc. Better choices for making sausage.

Next up, the Hibbard, Spencer and Bartlett, OVB (our very best)). Same basic design as the Universal and same results. 





Notice how the fixed openings clog up with sinew. Worse with the smaller food choppers with rotating round hole plates. Mean to clean. 

One additional thing. Most of the clamp on units have some allowance to actually clamp to the wood. The Universal has flanges on the topside.



Some of the others have the flange on the bottom clamp side. Despite cranking them down as tight as possible by hand, the tendency was to move. ALL of them marred the board they were clamped to. Don't clamp this to a good kitchen table!




to be continued........


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## hog warden

Next up is the Keen Kutter. KK was a hardware store brand that operated out of St. Louis for nearly 100 years. They didn't make anything (much like Sears and others do now), they sold products made by others with their name on it. This was a KK#22 (same as other #2 sizes). Not fixed openings, but fixed fingers molded into the body of the grinder. Again, no blade to wear down and replace. The plate rotates. Worked just like the other two:



The Griswold #2 represents a transition from the first style to the real meat grinder. It has a thin, fixed plate. A small blade, which has a unique design. It angles like the others, but is reversible, as is the plate, so you can wear it out twice. Since this is a unique design and they appear to be out of business, replacement parts are going to be hard to find. The grind was not that bad. If you could find one of these that was pretty new, it would work.




Next up.....the Enterprise units.


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## hog warden

The Enterprise units, same thing as Chop Rite, is what I would focus on for grinding meat with a hand grinder. Did a short video of them working:





All of them work the same. The main difference I found was that the smaller units need smaller sized pieces of meat or they won't drop into the screw to feed through. The little #5 is a jewel. Small, but well built and it works well. 

The replacement blade for the #12 is a LEM I picked up locally at Bass Pro. It's not the same, but it works. 





This type of meat grinder works by pressing the plate against the screw by  cranking down on the outside ring. They leave little to doubt:



The little nubs on the ring are used with special wrenches to really crank down on them. Aside from really cutting meat and sinew vs. trying to pinch it off, it does a couple other things. It initially makes the crank hard to turn, eventually being lubed by the fat and moisture in the meat. Also, metal on metal also creates heat from friction, which would be a concern if you decided to attach a wheel and motor (aside from getting sucked in to the belts or screw). 

A little different look.



And there you are!




A few rules of thumb:

1. Cold, partially frozen meat cuts best (with all grinders)

2. The cranking effort was remarkably similar for ALL units. Big or small. The #22 is a load to push meat through the small plate on the first grind. Better with all units to grind it twice or cut up the meat into smaller chunks. First grind through 1/2" or so plate. Second grind down to 3/16". Any smaller than that and it's going to be tough to crank. Really tough. 

3. Most of the larger Enterprise units with bolt hold downs were traditionally mounted on a long board (about 4 feet), which was placed on two chairs facing each other, with the crank operator sitting on one end to hold the unit down. Another person could sit on the other side and feed it. 

4. The #5 is as small as I would go. The #12 is a very good size, but needs a second, larger plate. #10 is the same size as #12, differing only that it is a clamp on. Apparently, the #12 is a common size for electric grinders, so is a common size for plates and blades. 

The #22 is a beast and will do 10# of butts in 5 minutes or less. No harder to crank. But these are rare and hard to find. Not a common size for replacement parts.

A #32 is about half again larger than the #22. It is a beast. I'm not sure mere mortals could crank one to push the first grind through a 3/16" plate.  For home use, this is a stretch.

In my experience, hand grinders are perfectly acceptable for doing a few butts a month for sausage. Not expensive ($30 or less) and easy to clean and store. But there is a limit. Do a whole hog or two, or a deer or two, and you may want to get that 1 HP Cabelas.


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## bbq engineer

Warden,

I believe that is one of the best discussions and reviews that I have seen on a discussion bulletin board. It was very thorough, and professional with excellent photos. The you tube video was enlightening also. Very nicely recorded and produced. If I could give you more than one reputation point, I would. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






I am wanting to get an entry level hand crank grinder to get my feet wet, and now think I am armed with enough info to make a good decision.

Thank you.


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## nstrand

I agree, this is an incredible review of meat grinders and food choppers, thanks for the info Hog Warden. I recently purchased a Universal #2 Food Grinder on eBay for around $14 with shipping. It's in excellent condition, the previous owner was a collector and kept it clean and lubricated with vegetable oil. I'm really excited to get started with all sorts of grinding activity. As a beginner I do have a few questions though...

- Do you have any good tips in terms of cleaning/care? Wash with warm soapy water, dry thoroughly and lightly coat the moving parts in oil sound about right?

- I cannot wait to start making some lean chicken and pork sausages and burgers. Any good recipes or sausage stuffing methods?

- My first grind after the first cleaning was peanuts but they came out a little black so I cleaned it really well and will try again tomorrow. The result, other than being a little bit black, was not quite peanut butter, more of a peanut paste. Do you know anything about making peanut butter on these devices? Which ones work best for nut butter making? My guess is that higher-fat and oil-roasted nuts work best.


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## morkdach

Warden,

I believe that is one of the best discussions and reviews that I have seen on a discussion bulletin board. It was very thorough, and professional with excellent photos. The you tube video was enlightening also. Very nicely recorded and produced. If I could give you more than one reputation point, I would. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





what bbqeng.said^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^i agree and thanks ya got mt points to


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## hog warden

On cleaning, the "Universal" way of doing it, as per the Universal instructions, is to run a wad of fresh bread through it when you are finished grinding. Then rinse with warm water. That's all the instructions say.....but I'd think that if you broke it down to wash and dry it, you should be fine. I'm using the food grade silicone spray on mine. Oils can go rancid over time. If it's dry, there shouldn't be too much to rust, so dry might even be better than oiled. The bread....slice of plain white or better yet, piece of Texas toast (fresh) could also be used at the beginning to get some of the black out.

My Universal #2 didn't come with any nut butter plates. The OVB and KK did:



Cutters on top are from the Universal. Nut Butter plate is from the OVB. Other plate is from the KK, but is exactly the same. When I tried the nut butter plates, the openings in the cast body clogged and the crank was incredibly had to turn. I almost lifted the grinder off the board it was clamped to. Maybe you have to dribble them in vs. filling the hopper? And what came out was more like paste or meal than butter. But just plain nuts ground to butter don't look like peanut butter in the store anyway. It quickly separates into solids and liquids (oils). 

I was able to use the butter plates for coarse cracking black pepper (leave them loose), as did the choppers on the Universal. The small cutters gave me a fine grind (not dust, but fine), while the middle gave me mix of coarse and fine. With the middle cutter, some whole corns came through. Again, hard to turn with those.

On the other meats and vegetables, this is what they look like from a food chopper:



This was through the OVB. The vegetables were mostly course chopped 1/2" chunks, and look more flailed than clean cut like you would get with a sharp kitchen knife. Ground leftover turkey on the left came through the round hole plate (pellets). Ground leftover turkey in the middle came through the finger cutters and looks shredded.  Not the most appealing in appearance, but for this stuff, it's incredibly fast. There is probably no faster way to chop/mince a couple of onions (after you cube them up so they will drop into the screw slots). 

If you are going to chop pork butt or other red meat with sinew and fat, you are supposed to tighten the nut down to the point the handle is hard to turn. Those cutters have to shear the sinew, which ain't easy. Partially frozen helps. Meat will "bloom" or "explode" out past the cutters. Not the best long term solution, but no reason you can't give it a try.


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## hog warden

On what to do with fresh ground pork? To get started...... to see if this is for you, try doing these as bulk. After it's all mixed, up, wet your hands under cold water, grab a wad and form into a patty to fry up:


Recipe for 3 pounds (basic breakfast sausage)

3# Ground Pork
3 tsp coarse (kosher) salt
3/4 tsp white pepper (finely ground)
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1 1/2 tsp ground dried sage
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Just mix it well by hand, press it into patties and fry it up!
You can split these up into small plastic tubs of about 1 pound each if you can't eat it that fast and freeze. (Fatty optional)

Option 2: (Italian Sausage)

5 Pounds Ground Pork
5 tsp coarse salt
3 tsp fresh black, coarsely ground black pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
2 1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp anise
1 tsp crushed red pepper

Same thing. Just mix in the spices, save it in tub in bulk and work from there. The tubs will keep in the fridge about a week. (Fatty Optional)


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## nstrand

I ground up some peanuts again today. This time I tightened the wing nut onto the blade and it turned out much better. I used cocktail peanuts because they're roasted in peanut oil and I figured would help out. It did. The result was more like peanut paste flakes but then once you mash it together it's very close to peanut butter. During the grinding you could see the oil coming out of the wing nut and would probably have been perfect to mix into the end product for perfect peanut butter except that it was dark grey/black in color because the wingnut/screw was oiled by the previous owner, I suppose I need to clean that better....

I then took a few handfuls of honey roasted peanuts and made a honey roasted peanut butter...amazing! a little more like regular peanut butter than the first one but a few drops of oil work really well!

I can see . Great pork recipes, can't wait to get started. Cleanup is a pain for a small amount of grinding so I can really see how large batches make much more sense! Thanks for the help/info Warden. I can take some good action shots of the peanut butter making process with my Universal #2 if any are interested.


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## pops6927

Northern Tool offers a well-rounded line of hand-crank plus one V-belt pulley grinders at reasonable prices.  

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w..._763591+769446

Pops §§


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## hog warden

Northern Tool and a lot of other retailers still sell a variety of hand crank grinders (not to mention Ebay, which is flooded with them). I did some checking and found that most of them sold today are made in China (imagine that?). The Porkert brand is supposedly made in Europe, but I doubt even that. Those are probably China too. In any case, what matters is the quality of the blade, the plates and how well they all fit together.

Going back to this photo 



If you notice that thin little shiny strip on the edge of the blade, when these are assembled for operation, and you have the ring cranked down tight, so tight you can hardly turn it, friction on those four thin edges is all that's preventing the handle from turning. Actually, it's friction on those blades and on the backside of the screw (all held in compression). Long term, that has to hold up. New units use nylon bushings on the handle side, but the plate and blade still have to "take it".  It all depends on what they are made of.  Real steel or something  that looks like it. 

I don't have any experience with the new units, but that's what I'd be looking for. Finding I could get a good #10 or 12 Enterprise or Chop Rite on ebay for under $30 shipped,  I didn't   bother with the new units.

For what it's worth, Chop Rite still sells these units new, but they are several hundred dollars (I can't imagine who would buy one at those prices). These have a non-stick coating similar to teflon, vs. tinning. Chop Rite told me they could not legally make a "tinned" grinder in the US. They will sand blast and non-stick my old unit for around $90, plus shipping. As it's still working, I'm using it as is.


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## hog warden

To anyone interested.........

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...E:B:SS:US:1123

and

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...E:B:SS:US:1123


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## smokestars

Absolutely Stunning Series!

Thanks very much,

Don


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## hog warden

Another observation.....probably relevant to all grinders and not just hand cranks......

Yesterday I did 15 pounds of butts into breakfast sausage and brats. Ground all of the cubed meat through a 1/2" plate, then divided into portions, mixed in the spices for each, and ground again through the 3/16" plate. This was using the #22 grinder. Actually took far longer to measure and mix the spices than to grind twice.........but I digress.

When cubing meat for a grind, I try to retain globs of fat, but get rid of blood clots, sinew, bone scraps, etc. Somehow I managed to miss some serious connective tissue. Souped up gristle....or ligaments. Grinders work by taking meat into the screws slots, which progress from wide open (coarse) to narrow (fine threads.....a type of gearing) and when meat hits the end of the screw, is pressed hard against the plates. The meat product bulges into the plate hole, and is lopped off each time the blade passes by. With four blades turning, that's pretty often. Interesting that the gristle would pass into the 1/2" hole and be cut off, but 1/2" sized pellets of gristle would not pass into the 3/16" holes. So what they did was accumulate in front of the blades. Floating barriers. It was still grinding, but was turning harder and was running slower. Meat was getting emulsified vs. ground. When I pulled the plate at the end of the grind, I found upwards of 10 to 15 of those gristle pellets had accumulated and were blocking the flow. The other thing that accumulates is sinew in the form of long strands of connective tissue which wraps around the hub of the blade....eventually blocking the blades from cutting. On the latter, the tighter the ring is, the less likely this is to happen.

For an electric grinder, it would mean the motor is having to work harder than it should. For a hand grinder, you are too. Point being to keep an eye on things. When it slows down and starts turning harder (you will notice by your own effort or the "hum" of the grinder motor), best to stop, clean out and start again if you are doing any type of quantity. Not only will it be faster and easier, but you get a better quality product.


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## hog warden

This will be the last one of these I post.....just wanted to mention this one for those who want to give it a try. The #10 is a big, sturdy clamp on, but should work fine.

Not only is it in good shape, it has two extra grinding plates, plus the stuffing tube. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...E:B:SS:US:1123


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## smokestars

Thanks!!

As of this moment 1408 hrs... I am the high bidder..
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Don


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## solaryellow

Great thread! I am about to take the leap into making my own sausage and plan to start with a manual grinder. Would pre-lubing the plate and blade with cooking oil or PAM help make that first grind easier until the meat begins to lubricate it or would that taint the meat?


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## plj

Excellent thread HogWarden, 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Your comment about cleaning up the meat as much as possible and cleaning out the grinder plate/blade is dead on, I consider that to be the most important advice to give to anybody who uses a grinder.  Other than "dont stick your fingers in there knucklehead!" of course.  

PS, love your sig line.  :)


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## hog warden

The plate and blade lube up pretty fast, but there is friction on the other end too where the screw passes through the body (handle end). That is also held in compression. They make a food grade grease, but a dab of lard or Crisco would also work. When these are ready to go to work, I don't put much of anything on them I wouldn't poke in my mouth. Not sure I would do that with the lubricants, even if they are food grade. But that's me.


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## hog warden

I've become a whole lot more selective in what I trim out and what I send through the grinder. Can't get all the sinew etc. out, but as much as you can helps.

Also helps if you can find fresh butts, vs. those cryo packed in liquid. Those seem to stay "squishy" coming through the grinder unless they are nearly frozen. Fresh firms up and grinds a lot better and has a better texture and color to it. Not only that, but with cryo's you are buying a lot of water at 99 cents plus a pound. I don't object for smoked butts, but for grinding, I prefer fresh.

The sig line dates back to 1972 and the back seat of a 1966 Chevy at a drive in theater. OJT at it's finest! (and oh what an idiot)


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## lazantje

I realize this is an old post, but I need help. I have a lady hibbard h101e grinder in good shape but seems like it needs a new grinding plate.  It does not have a blade.  My question is, can this plate be sharpened or do I need to purchase a new one?  If I need a new one, where can I purchase?


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## diggingdogfarm

You won't find a new one, those type grinders went out of production a long time ago.
They're not easy to sharpen, but it can be done. Use a stone.
Whatever you do, don't alter or attempt to sharpen the side of the blade/plate that seats against the grinder body,


~Martin


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## lazantje

Thanks for the advise. I hope my local sharpener guy can to it


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## sundown farms

This question may be a little off-topic but how did you clean the tinned grinders--assuming you made them so shiny? The ones I see are very tarnished and rough.


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## daveomak

Interesting thread.....  A lot to learn here....


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## boykjo

DaveOmak said:


> Interesting thread.....  A lot to learn here....


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## roller

Yes you can still buy new hand meat grinders..Looks like we need to call you the Hand Grinder Warrden...

You have done good ...


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## john costello

Do you know what parts are supposed to be with the Griswold #4? I have one with 3 plates. Is there supposed to be a cutter blade as well? Also, what do the designators #2, #4, #22, etc., mean? Thanks in advance for your help. You can send me a PM.


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## smithmal

Great thread.  I'm a total newb and interested in making my own sausage.  Following the advice of this thread I intend to do the following:

1.  I'm not sure whether or not homemade sausage making/stuffing is for me, so I shall heed the wise words of others in this thread in go for a manual grinder.

2.  Also, following the wise words of others on this forum I shall also invest in a half way decent stuffer.

My weapons of choice would be:

1.  Weston #22 Tinned Manual Bolt Down Grinder ($38 shipped)

2.  Eastman Outdoors Jerky and Sausage Maker Gun   ($25 shipped)

Altogether that would be only $60ish spent which is not too bad if it turns out that sausage making is not for me.

Quick question on the grinder though....

1.  As they say, a grinder is only as good as it's blades.  Is Weston considered to be a reputable brand with good blades?  I've noted that Weston sells replacement blades and plates which come in carbon and stainless steel which will allow upgrade/replacement options should I go with this model.

2.  Is a #22 size too big for doing 10-15 lbs at a clip?  From what I've read, a #32 seems to be way overkill and you almost need a pulley system if you're going to go with a manual grinder.

3.  I'm thinking that I will design create a quick custom base to bolt the grinder down to so that I have enough height clearance where the meat comes out to add a bowl.  Has anyone done something like this before when using a bolt down grinder?    I'm thinking I could put suction cups on the bottom of the base so that it would be immovable during grinding.  I'm just not sure if I use this, how to un-suction it once it's attached to the counter top.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

smithmal


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## smithmal

This is a great question and maybe it deserves it's own thread.  I will say that overall lack of understanding how to restore a meat grinder was one of the major reasons why I am reticent towards purchasing on of the many "antique" grinders that are always floating around on eBay.  Any answers to this from the "Warden" or other members?

Another thing I'd be wary when purchasing an antique meat grinder is finding necessary replacement parts.  Many of the blades and plates that these antique grinders come with look absolutely gnarley and unsanitary.  Do antique grinders like Universal, Enterprise or Boyertown work with readily available stainless steel blades and plates?

I've seen some youtube videos of people *removing rust from iron cookware using a 50% solution of vinegar as well as scrubbing with table salt and a potato*, but I'm not sure this is the best approach for really cleaning the inside of a meat grinder and/or it's various components.



Tinned meat grinders have most likely  had much of the tinning removed by the time an ebay buyer would get a hold of it.  I know that tinning helps reduce rusting for the interior of the meat grinder, but have no idea how to re-tin it.  I think the modern way now is through electroporation rather than tin baths and there are some online services which can re-tin cookware for you (for a price of course).

After purchasing, paying for shipping and possibly needing replacement parts it looked to me like the cost of buying an "antique" would be equal to, if not more than, the cost of purchasing a new cast iron grinder (like the one mentioned above) so I'm not sure if the this line of grinder acquisition  is for your typical newb sausage maker vs. an individual who is interested in collectibles.

That being said, I love the idea of being able to restore an antique meat grinder and get it back into working order as I think it would add an additional layer to the experience of making your own sausage like the "good 'ol days" as well as making it a little more personal if I ever wanted to hand it down to a son/daughter.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

smithmal


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## staceylseal

I have an Universal #2 grinder, I need to know where to get more attachments like the nut butter grinder and how do I know what the right size is? I also want a sausage stuffer do they make one for this machine? Thanks


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## palladini

smithmal said:


> Great thread.  I'm a total newb and interested in making my own sausage.  Following the advice of this thread I intend to do the following:
> 
> 1.  I'm not sure whether or not homemade sausage making/stuffing is for me, so I shall heed the wise words of others in this thread in go for a manual grinder.
> 
> 2.  Also, following the wise words of others on this forum I shall also invest in a half way decent stuffer.
> 
> My weapons of choice would be:
> 
> 1.  Weston #22 Tinned Manual Bolt Down Grinder ($38 shipped)
> 
> 2.  Eastman Outdoors Jerky and Sausage Maker Gun   ($25 shipped)
> 
> Altogether that would be only $60ish spent which is not too bad if it turns out that sausage making is not for me.
> 
> Quick question on the grinder though....
> 
> 1.  As they say, a grinder is only as good as it's blades.  Is Weston considered to be a reputable brand with good blades?  I've noted that Weston sells replacement blades and plates which come in carbon and stainless steel which will allow upgrade/replacement options should I go with this model.
> 
> 2.  Is a #22 size too big for doing 10-15 lbs at a clip?  From what I've read, a #32 seems to be way overkill and you almost need a pulley system if you're going to go with a manual grinder.
> 
> 3.  I'm thinking that I will design create a quick custom base to bolt the grinder down to so that I have enough height clearance where the meat comes out to add a bowl.  Has anyone done something like this before when using a bolt down grinder?    I'm thinking I could put suction cups on the bottom of the base so that it would be immovable during grinding.  I'm just not sure if I use this, how to un-suction it once it's attached to the counter top.
> 
> Any advice would be much appreciated.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> smithmal


I would build a box out of a 2 x 6 about 6 inches high, glue and screw the box together.  I do not yet own a bolt down grinder, but it on my soon to get list, so I have no ides of the size of the bolt down holes, but anyway, I would place it top where needed, mark the holes, then get some plow bolts, these are the ones with a square part of the shaft, just below the head, long enough to go through the 2 x 6 and the base of grinder.  Then use wing nuts to secure it.  You could then rig up a way to mount pans on the box, your good to go at that point. 

I will post a video of the build, well more likely the finished item.  But that will more than likely be in the late spring, next year


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## palladini

John Costello said:


> Do you know what parts are supposed to be with the Griswold #4? I have one with 3 plates. Is there supposed to be a cutter blade as well? Also, what do the designators #2, #4, #22, etc., mean? Thanks in advance for your help. You can send me a PM.


The designators #2, #4, #22 are the throat sizes of the grinder.  Yes a grinder needs plates and a blade to grind meat


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## westnedge

I'm new here, but not new to the Enterprise #12 that I inherited from my parents and grandparents.

I got it from my dad after my mom passed away - she always made  "Charlotte's Hotdog Relish" by grinding up the ingredients with it.  I've made the relish twice using the #12 like she used to - now I'm ready to make some sausage.

There is some good info on this thread, but one question I didn't see answered was cleaning and storing the #12 Enterprise.

I clean it with Dawn, hot water, and scrub brush.  This #12 is pretty old - could be a hundred years old.  Most of the finish is not there anymore.  The last time I stored it, I rubbed it down with olive oil.  When I got it out the other day, I had to clean it with really hot water to get the year-old dried out - tacky olive oil off it.  So, after making applesauce the other day, I just bought some food-grade silicone spray - should I coat it down with that to store it - I don't want it to rust in my Michigan basement.  It didn't rust there this past year - it's just that the oil gets a bit 'gummy' feeling after some time.

My Question: What about storing with a silicone spray on it?


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## muskybob

A great thread with some great tips.

I have a Universal #3 that I would like to use with a sausage stuffer.  I got the unit from a friend with 3 plates, 1 blade, & a nut.  It looks like there are threads on the throat to accommodate a collar to attach a stuffing tube.  Is anyone familiar with this unit and are parts available for it?  I would need the collar and large & small stuffing tubes. Any help would be appreciated.


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## daveomak

muskybob said:


> A great thread with some great tips.
> 
> I have a Universal #3 that I would like to use with a sausage stuffer.  I got the unit from a friend with 3 plates, 1 blade, & a nut.  It looks like there are threads on the throat to accommodate a collar to attach a stuffing tube.  Is anyone familiar with this unit and are parts available for it?  I would need the collar and large & small stuffing tubes. Any help would be appreciated.




Save yourself a big headache and get a vertical stuffer..  they can be found for about $90.....  I recommend the 5# stuffer....


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## unclejoeyv

DaveOmak said:


> Save yourself a big headache and get a vertical stuffer.. they can be found for about $90..... I recommend the 5# stuffer....


x2

Changed my life haha. I got the 5# stuffer from sausage maker. Stuffing went from over an hour to under 5 minutes. Turns out a better final product, too, since the meat doesn't get mushed up when stuffing through a grinder.


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## muskybob

Thanks for the replies, but I'm kinda on a month by month budget. That';s why I asked about usin what I had.  I guess I'll hand stuff if I can't find anything for my No. 3


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## daveomak

What ever you were going to spend on the #3, put it toward a vert. stuffer....


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## muskybob

I'm not going to buy it, it was given to me


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## tjkoko

My first post here.

The Porkert Meat Grinder was (still is???) produced in the Czech Republic and is considered the best manual unit, rated up there with both the Chop-Rite and Enterprise.

In the hardcopy catalog from AlliedKenco.com, they suggest doing the following when it comes to sausage making and case stuffing with the grinder:

Always chill the meat to firm but not frozen solid.  Run the meat first thru a spacer (two hole kidney plate with knife).  This will prevent bottlenecks when using the stuffing tube.  Season the chunks. Again chill the meat 'till firm.  Run the firm chunks thru the 3/16 plate with the knife and the stuffing funnel attached.  At this point the chunks, moved by the worm screw, will force the ground meat thru the funnel thus avoiding the bottle neck and resultant slowdown in stuffing.  

I plan to try this method on my next sausage making adventure.


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## diggingdogfarm

TJKoko said:


> My first post here.
> 
> The Porkert Meat Grinder was (still is???) produced in the Czech Republic and is considered the best manual unit, rated up there with both the Chop-Rite and Enterprise.
> 
> In the hardcopy catalog from AlliedKenco.com, they suggest doing the following when it comes to sausage making and case stuffing with the grinder:
> 
> Always chill the meat to firm but not frozen solid.  Run the meat first thru a spacer (two hole kidney plate with knife).  This will prevent bottlenecks when using the stuffing tube.  Season the chunks. Again chill the meat 'till firm.  Run the firm chunks thru the 3/16 plate with knife with the stuffing funnel attached.  At this point the chunks moved by the worm screw will force the ground meat thru the funnel thus avoiding the bottle neck.
> 
> I plan to try this method on my next sausage making adventure.



Unfortunately, Porkert stopped making grinders and stuff a few years ago.

~Martin


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## bluewhisper

Hey folks, just taking my first look in this section, I found it by searching for CHOP-RITE because I have this #10 from the 1950s













chili_beef.jpg



__ bluewhisper
__ Apr 9, 2014






It belonged to my late parents; I remember trying to turn that crank when I was 6 years old. They gave it to me when they got the Kitchen-Aid and now I have that, too, if I'm feeling lazy.

It always had only the "hamburger" plate until I ventured to an Amish hardware and got coarser and finer plates, also a new blade













three_eights_plate.jpg



__ bluewhisper
__ Apr 9, 2014


















quarter_inch_plate.jpg



__ bluewhisper
__ Apr 9, 2014






I suspect it needs a new auger - look how that center pin is off-center, and that's a new plate. Either that pin has worn in half a century, or the plate was not made to the spec for that auger.


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## palladini

nstrand said:


> I ground up some peanuts again today. This time I tightened the wing nut onto the blade and it turned out much better. I used cocktail peanuts because they're roasted in peanut oil and I figured would help out. It did. The result was more like peanut paste flakes but then once you mash it together it's very close to peanut butter. During the grinding you could see the oil coming out of the wing nut and would probably have been perfect to mix into the end product for perfect peanut butter except that it was dark grey/black in color because the wingnut/screw was oiled by the previous owner, I suppose I need to clean that better....
> 
> I then took a few handfuls of honey roasted peanuts and made a honey roasted peanut butter...amazing! a little more like regular peanut butter than the first one but a few drops of oil work really well!
> 
> I can see . Great pork recipes, can't wait to get started. Cleanup is a pain for a small amount of grinding so I can really see how large batches make much more sense! Thanks for the help/info Warden. I can take some good action shots of the peanut butter making process with my Universal #2 if any are interested.


If grinding peanuts is your thing, did you know, if your in Canada, Nuts to You, a company in Paris Ontario makes all kinds of nut only products, ground to a paste.  You can find their products in the health food/vegamatic section of your local grocery store.  They ship these products all over Canada and possibly the USA


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## tjkoko

BlueWhisper said:


> Hey folks, just taking my first look in this section, I found it by searching for CHOP-RITE because I have this #10 from the 1950s
> 
> It belonged to my late parents; I remember trying to turn that crank when I was 6 years old. They gave it to me when they got the Kitchen-Aid and now I have that, too, if I'm feeling lazy.
> 
> It always had only the "hamburger" plate until I ventured to an Amish hardware and got coarser and finer plates, also a new blade
> 
> I suspect it needs a new auger - look how that center pin is off-center, and that's a new plate. Either that pin has worn in half a century, or the plate was not made to the spec for that auger.


*Here's is the current website for Chop Rite parts.*   It's now known as Chop Rite Two.  You may need only a new stud and washer.  The stud itself screws into the end of the feed screw.  And just the other day I ordered a few parts from them.  And I might suspect that either the pin has worn (is there a groove worn into it or is the diameter uneven??) or there needs to be a bit of play between the pin and center hole of the plate to allow the knife blade to align and set properly.   Get yourself a hard copy of *AlliedKenco.com* catalog.  In the meat grinder section they offer lots of good information for diagnosing problems associated with manual meat grinders.


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## tjkoko

And also, for a small fee Chop Rite will resurface your plate and sharpen the knife.


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## bluewhisper

I see that #10 described as a meat and vegetable chopper - when i was growing up, the only thing we ever ground with it was beef for hamburgers.

Since then I've also used it for pork and lamb. But I never tried vegetables, only meat.

Then once in a middle eastern grocery, I watched them grinding koefta to order, putting chunks of beef and bunches of fresh parsley into the grinder. It came out nicely mixed.

So, I've done that with onion and with jalapeno, chunk it and grind it along with the meat. I did this yesterday with lamb and onion.

But I've never tried grinding only vegetables. I'm guessing that it might be a fast way to chop something like peppers and onions to make a relish. Less work than using a knife, and more uniform results than using a food processor. But that's just guessing, until I try it.


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## tjkoko

BlueWhisper said:


> I see that #10 described as a meat and vegetable chopper -...


Not true if you visit Chop Rite's website.  It's their #3 that's described as a food chopper, kinda' like the smallest unit that Universal used to offer.  (EDIT)  I reread the info a Chop Rite and it's true, their #10 is considered "*...to chop Meat and Vegetables.*"  Sheesh.


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## markviduk86

You are using manual meat grinder

But if you spend a little more money, you can buy a fully electric meat grinder. It uses the convenient and faster.


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## tjkoko

My previous post has been edited.


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## jtotman719

I have been using a hand crank grinder ever since I have been making sausage and they work fine for home use. The only thing I found that really helps is to have meat almost frozen and this will stop the clogging of the cutting blade from the fat in the meat. I love mine, and as stated, somewhere in the $20 - $30 dollar range. What I would like to see is someone in this forum buy casings in bulk where we could get the price down. I make alot of sausage sticks. I like to use real sheep castings and they run about $1 per pound. I feel this is high, but that is about the cheapest I have been able to fine them. I have been buying the "Home Pak" from the sausage maker. Just a thought.

As for the grinder, it does everything that I want it to do.


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## bluewhisper

I've never worked with casings (yet). I just make patties, or loose grind like for a pasta sauce, etc., sometimes meatballs.


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## motown-n00b

I just got a Universal #10 (same plate/blade size as #12) for my birthday. It's old but has the majority of the tinning in tact. It has the 3/16 plate. I'd like to get some larger size plates some stuffing tubes and start making sausage. I also picked up an AMZNTS which I'd like to use for cold smoking sausage, jerky, etc.

Anyway, I see tons of #10/12 size blades and plates out there. Some of the plates have a collar for the auger shaft. Is this necessary? The plate my grinder came with has it, but it doesn't appear to be crucial. Also, I do not have a washer. Not sure if it was lost before I bought it or if it's necessary. Any info/help would be appreciated. I don't want to break it on my first go round. Thanks.


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## tjkoko

Motown-n00b said:


> I just got a Universal #10 (same plate/blade size as #12) for my birthday. It's old but has the majority of the tinning in tact. It has the 3/16 plate. I'd like to get some larger size plates some stuffing tubes and start making sausage. I also picked up an AMZNTS which I'd like to use for cold smoking sausage, jerky, etc.
> 
> Anyway, I see tons of #10/12 size blades and plates out there. Some of the plates have a collar for the auger shaft. Is this necessary? The plate my grinder came with has it, but it doesn't appear to be crucial. Also, I do not have a washer. Not sure if it was lost before I bought it or if it's necessary. Any info/help would be appreciated. I don't want to break it on my first go round. Thanks.


The collar is actually a fiber washer that prevents the augur from digging into the metal boss that it butts up against.  With the kind of wear that this metal-on-metal rubbing can lead to, the resulting depression would shift the augurs position within the housing, pulling your knife away from the plate thus causing smearing and clogging.  Always use the fiber washer to prevent metal-on-metal wear.  (EDIT)  You can always replace the fiber washer but not the ground out metal.


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## motown-n00b

Thanks. Clearly I need to get the washer.


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## tjkoko

Motown-n00b said:


> Thanks. Clearly I need to get the washer.


You can order them directly from Chop-Rite.com but I'm uncertain if they'll fit the Universal model.  You may need to trim it or whatever.


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## mt elk hunter

I would enjoy viewing your Hand Crank Meat Grinder review.  Please consider including tips about what to look for in purchasing a used grinder and how on may recondition some of the parts. My past experience is that most used grinders are too loose and parts are hard to find.


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## tjkoko

MT Elk Hunter said:


> I would enjoy viewing your Hand Crank Meat Grinder review.  Please consider including tips about what to look for in purchasing a used grinder and how on may recondition some of the parts. My past experience is that most used grinders are too loose and parts are hard to find.


Get yourself a new one and be done with it.  When it comes to a manual grinder, get it directly from Chop-Rite; and electric, well, you'll need to do the research yourself or read what others have posted in these forums.  If it's 10# of meat or less a month, it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to manually grind IF the meat has been frozen firm and not solid.  I've experienced and read too many reviews where the asian manually made ones often don't fit properly.  Me, I had to return one since the fit was sooooo poor and got a Chop-Rite instead.  And you can order directly from Chop-Rite.


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## bluewhisper

You guys are teasing me. I am so ready to find a good price on beef and bring out the CR #10.


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## joe hoskins

i just bought a used enterprise #10 meat chopper at a flea market for $5 ...its in great shape but needs a little T L C.. got it to try to make some home made sausage with tame rabbit to try it to see if it b good.. i figure i couldnt go wrong for $5.00..


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## shoneyboy




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## supersillyus

What a great thread.  Can anyone with either a #12 or #22 enterprise/chop-rite grinder measure the dimensions between the mounting bolt holes?  This information is surprisingly impossible to find on the internet.  Thanks!


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## hdflame

Hog Warden said:


> Over the past few months, I've picked up a few small hand grinders for making sausage. Not good for a guy wanting to process whole deer or hogs, but certainly doable for grinding a few pork butts into sausage or brats. Turns out you can get a really good one for around $20 to $30. If there is interest, I'll put together a summary of them.....how they work and what to look for in used equipment. If not, I'll just quietly use them myself.
> 
> What ya think?


I remember when I was little, that's what my job was....turning the handle, at least till I gave out! lol

My grandparents killed multiple hogs each year and everything that was ground, including liver pudding, went through the hand grinder attached to the kitchen table.  Back then, we didn't know anything about an electric grinder.


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## hog warden

supersillyus said:


> What a great thread.  Can anyone with either a #12 or #22 enterprise/chop-rite grinder measure the dimensions between the mounting bolt holes?  This information is surprisingly impossible to find on the internet.  Thanks!


Sorry folks. Wasn't aware this thread had been revived. 

Super.......for the #22, bolt holes are 5" on center. All sides.

For the #12, they are 4" and 3 3/4".

Not much new to add since the original post, except I no longer cube meat for the initial pass. I cut pieces into longer strips of 2" to 4". They feed into the screws better vs having to push the cubes in by hand or using a stomper. Also, for some reason, the local store that sells fresh pork butts will sell the whole pork butt sliced as pork steaks for the same price as a whole butt. This makes boning them out and cutting them up run a whole lot faster. 

By coincidence, a few days ago I happened to run across this youtube video series on sharpening your grinder blades and plates. It is a three part series. It is how I sharpen my blades, and includes the very good advice of using a sharpie pen to help find the flaws. The paper is straight wet/dry sandpaper available at most hardware stores, or better, at an auto parts store that caters to body shops that paint. They have good quality 3M paper.


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## daveomak

Hog Warden said:


> Sorry folks. Wasn't aware this thread had been revived.
> 
> Super.......for the #22, bolt holes are 5" on center. All sides.
> 
> For the #12, they are 4" and 3 3/4".
> 
> 
> By coincidence, a few days ago I happened to run across this youtube video series on sharpening your grinder blades and plates.
> 
> 
> 
> *By coincidence......  Cranky Buzzard is a member here.....*


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## hog warden

One other thing, for small batches involving no more than a single pork butt, my go to grinder WAS that little #5 clamp on grinder, with 3/8" and 3/16th inch plates. It was simple and effective. But my oldest kid took that one with him when he moved to Japan. So I"m back to using the #12 as my primary grinder. I do need a set of larger hole plates for it. 

BTW, as to cleanup.......once you have finished using them, initial cleanup is a high pressure rinse with COLD water. Dismantle the whole thing and hold all the parts under COLD running water. Most of the big chunks and pieces will rinse right off and that includes a lot of gunk in the plate holes. Hot water will work against you on this initial cleanup. You should also have some type of bottle brush to jab the bristles into the plate holes to get all the residue from them. Make sure each and every plate hole is clean and you can see through them. Then, and only then, do they go into a bath of hot, soapy water. Again, use the bottle brush and scrubby pads to clean every aspect of it. Hot water rinse, then wipe them dry (while still hot) and put them on a dish towel on the counter to continue to dry out. You want the fully dry before going into storage. A light hit of the lubricating spray on the blades and plates is OK, but no need for much more than that if the body and all the parts were fully dry before heading off to storage.

Also, when coming out of storage, they again go into a hot soapy bath before using them, and a good idea might be a quick dip into a very mild clorox sanitizing solution, with a quick rinse before use. You don't want anything still alive on any part of your grinder.


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## ssorllih

There is one other clean up  that I learned from my mother 70 years ago. When all of the meat has been ground, peel a large carrot and grind that last. Just mix the ground carrot into the mince. It will push the last of the meat from the grinder.


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## daricksta

So, none of these hand crank grinders are collector's items? They look like they should be.

I bought an electric grinder because I even though I could use it I didn't want the workout that comes from grinding meat by hand, especially since I have a bad elbow on my left arm and I'm left handed.


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## scooterjam

Nice review man!!  Thank you so much.....took some helpful information away from all that!! Thank you again ~ Scooter


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## spinnin99

Hello Hog Warden,

Thank you for the outstanding review!!  What do you do with all those grinders? (;

I would like to buy a grinder or two fr my special man and i. 

would you recommend the enterprisr #22,  or the #12 for a large amount of meat?  hog, deer...it sounds like it is very hard to turn the no 22.  is it doable for only a strong man?   or i could do it too, with all 107 Lbs of me ??

or smaller batches you recommended the #5 -- I havent been able to find one of these yet, but I did find a new westons #10 for sale (clamp-on).  why do you like the #5 more than the #10?  are clamp-on models easier to clean?

thank you.


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## kenafein

Nice read, it brings back memories of making Swedish sausage with my grandpa.  I've got an electric unit now, but, still, fond memories cranking one of these.


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## richinlaos

Thanks for the info on Peanut Butter in a meat grinder.  I live in Laos and access to a meat grinder with a blade similar to the one that you show in this photo. I am about to help a small village make peanut butter for selling and they need to keep the cost down. I wondered if you thought that this cutter made OK peanut butter.  Did you put it through a few times? 

Thanks for any help.


----------



## daveomak

RichinLaos said:


> Thanks for the info on Peanut Butter in a meat grinder.  I live in Laos and access to a meat grinder with a blade similar to the one that you show in this photo. I am about to help a small village make peanut butter for selling and they need to keep the cost down. I wondered if you thought that this cutter made OK peanut butter.  Did you put it through a few times?
> 
> Thanks for any help.


Rich.....  You may have more luck if you PM the individual about nut butters....      Mouse over his name and click on "Send a PM"...  You should get a direct response....

I'm only mentioning this because the thread is a bit old......

Dave


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## richinlaos

Thanks, will do


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## pafret

Where are you Buying Sheep Casings for a buck a pound?  That is a lot less than I pay Butchers and Packers in Canada for casings and they have the best prices I have found..


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## pafret

jtotman719 said:


> I have been using a hand crank grinder ever since I have been making sausage and they work fine for home use. The only thing I found that really helps is to have meat almost frozen and this will stop the clogging of the cutting blade from the fat in the meat. I love mine, and as stated, somewhere in the $20 - $30 dollar range. What I would like to see is someone in this forum buy casings in bulk where we could get the price down. I make alot of sausage sticks. I like to use real sheep castings and they run about $1 per pound. I feel this is high, but that is about the cheapest I have been able to fine them. I have been buying the "Home Pak" from the sausage maker. Just a thought.
> 
> As for the grinder, it does everything that I want it to do.


This going top be a double comment, forgot to hit quote last time, sorry.  The price you quoted 1 buck a pound for sheep casings sounds really good to me.  I paid a lot more for them from Butchers and Packers (a Canadian company) .  I check most of the major suppliers and I haven't found anyone cheaper than B & P  for most charcuterie items.  The Sausage Maker (Rytek Kutas' old company) is high priced on most items.  Each time I need to buy supplies I spend about an hour searching and comparing prices.  I usually end up buying from Butchers and Packers.  Incidentally, the quality of their casings has been outstanding.  Good casings make the stuffing work go well.

I started out with the Armstrong grinder when I was a boy.  My mother made sausages regularly and it was my job to crank the grinder.  I don't know what make it was but it sure took a lot of effort to keep the meat flowing through.  I bought a new manual grinder some years back and was going to motorize it according to the instructions on the Sausage Makers site.  If there were any wrong decisions I didn't make they have to be so rare they are likely impossible.  My son bought a stainless steel 1 hp professional grade grinder for about &225.  I still had that much more in materials to acquire so I desisted and never completed my build.


----------

