meat grinders

[buckinghorse]

I see on here they are alot of members that grind their own meats.What is the best grinders and size head of the grinder.I bought one at walmart size head is #12 1/4 horse Dont like it at all.It takes way to long to grind with.

[NCLee]

We don't have an electric grinder. Just the plain old castiron clamp on style with a handle to turn. Google: "universal meat grinder" for lots of pix and links. Depending on the model, there are a number of cutter sizes and accessories.

A tip for grinding is to make sure the meat is COLD and even slightly frozen is better. Depending on the size cut, putting it in the freezer for 20 minutes or so can make a difference in how easily it goes through the machine.

Lee

[OldSchool]

I borrowed a little electric grinder last year($100 size), took a LONG time grind anything and it was LOUD! I just bought an LEM #32 hand crank ($89)grinder and like it better- quiet, easier to clean, and at this point the kids still think it's fun to crank until their arm falls off :) Not any faster though with four kids trying to help. Not really any quieter either now that I think about it...

The grinding plate is about four inches in diameter, so it's pretty big. I have a small 1/2 horse motor I am going to install on it so it will more modern, but still be able to use it with no electricity.

Like Lee said, partialy frozen meat grinds better, and a frozen grinder keeps it cold while grinding.

[bagman]

For what its worth, I've been using a cheap electric grinder from Northern Tools for several years. Been borrowing it from my cousin to grind up deer burger and it works pretty well. It is no 'horse', but will go through a double grind of deer burger (whole deer) in an hour or so. It is a No. 12 grinder and is presently on sale for $80.00. In fact, I just bought one for my self so no more borrowing. By the way, we have been using the original grinder for about six or seven years with no problems noted.

[krapgame]

A tip for grinding is to make sure the meat is COLD and even slightly frozen is better. Depending on the size cut, putting it in the freezer for 20 minutes or so can make a difference in how easily it goes through the machine.

Thanks for that tip, Lee! We just got a hand crank model this fall and getting ready to put it through it's maiden voyage test run soon. Any other tricks of the trade you care to pass along?

[NCLee]

Keeping the meat as cold as possible is the main one.

Use patience and don't try to force the grinder to do more than it's designed to do at any one time. If there's a question about the size of a piece of meat, cut it again to make it easier to get through the machine.

If adding fat and/or beef (grinding venison sausage) Mix the raw ingredients before grinding to get a better distribution of same in the final product. Don't grind each separately then try to mix them afterwards. They won't mix evenly and what's equally as bad, the meat will be overworked. (Just like hamburgers that people work to death while making patties.)

Keep a pan of hot soapy water and rinse water nearby. Makes for easy hands cleanup as needed. Even though you try to have everything in place before you start, you'll forget something or the phone will ring.

Put a little water in your scrap bucket (bones, discarded fat, etc.) to help with cleanup of the bucket afterwards.

That's all that I can think of, at the moment. You'll work out the methods that work best for you, as you gain experience. Hope this helps, a bit to get you started.

Lee

[DiggingDogFarm]

If adding fat and/or beef (grinding venison sausage) Mix the raw ingredients before grinding to get a better distribution of same in the final product. Don't grind each separately then try to mix them afterwards. They won't mix evenly and what's equally as bad, the meat will be overworked. (Just like hamburgers that people work to death while making patties.)


When making sausages like salami it's essential that the fat and meat be ground separately for a consistent quality finished product.
It's difficult to overwork the meat when it's kept very cold.
For best results use a meat mixer.

[land steward]

get a 3/4 or 1 horse grinder. Honestly you can pick one up used for about 3 hundred if you look around. It is impossible to feed the grinder as fast as it will spit out your ground meat. 1/4 horse grinders just dont to the job and will break down. A good size grinder will be passed on to your kids. They are great.