Grinder Plates

[mickey jay]

Just picked up a Weston Butcher Series grinder; curious what plates you guys and gals would recommend. I'm coming from an old school Kitchener #12 which I primarily used the 5.5mm; Weston sent me a 4.5mm and a 7mm... I kinda feel like both are too small or too large so I'm planning on picking up a 6mm stainless plate. Would appreciate opinions on the smaller or larger plates (they go down to 3mm and up to 12mm).

Primarily making sausage and ground beef on the regular. Thanks all!

 

[crazymoon]

MJ, I like a 3/16 or 1/4 for sausage and burger(5-6mm). I use 3/8 for coarser grinds(10mm), I seldom use an 1/8(3mm) plate as it grinds the meat a bit too small for my tastes in sausage making.

 

[bluewhisper]

I have a chop-rite #10 and a kitchen aid.

Have you tried double-grinding? Everything goes through the coarse plate first, then through the finer plate. It's possible to also include something like onion or parsley or pepper, and let that all grind/mix together. It would depend on what you're trying to produce.

The coarse plate is much faster and easier. Depending on what you're grinding, it can help things if you run a first rough grind, then use the finer plate to get the final texture you want - as opposed to pushing everything through the finer plate at once.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Depends on what your wanting your sausage to look like.
Medium plate is the norm but if you like finer then the small plate.

 

[jimmyinsd]

Depends on what your wanting your sausage to look like.
Medium plate is the norm but if you like finer then the small plate.

This. Not all sausage products are good with the same finished texture. I like brats with more coarse grind, but others I grind more. I have a 4 and a 7, some stuff is one pass on the 7, most is 2 passes through the 7, but I will occassionally run a 7 then a 4 if I wanted a more fine grind. I plan on tackling hot dogs soon and plan on doing 2 passes through the 4 as I want a very fine grind, but not necessarily a pureed type texture. just play with it and keep notes.

 

[daveomak]

I use 3 plates for some sausage... fine for fat, 3/16 and 5/16 for the meat to give it some great tooth texture...
1/2 and 3/4" for chili grinds....