Sausage Stuffer

[Eujamfh]

OK - so looking for some thoughts again on an electric stuffer. Currently have a 15LB SS LEM type crank stuffer. SS body, steel gears. Works like a champ, but have to have two folks to stuff, and snack sticks are difficult manually.

Kids getting older which means they are really active with things so finding weekends to make sausage seems to be getting harder and harder, and I find that there are weekends I want to make sausage but can't because I am solo.

Looking at the LEM 20LB electric. Can not find a used one in over six months searching CL, Searthtempest, Ebay and forums.

Do you think they are not around for sale used because:
1. There aren't many out there?
2. They are purchased and folks just don't let them go.

Any ideas appreciated!

 

[Joshw]

I am guessing if you are serious enough to buy an electric stuffer, you aren't letting go of it. I have the crank model. Are you clamping it down to your table? Makes things much easier for one person to operate. Another thing that makes it crank much easier, is spray the inside of the tube, with food grade silicone spray, before adding your meat. You will be surprised how much easier it will work.

 

[Eujamfh]

Joshw- I do clamp. I haven't used silicon so I will try that (thank you!) but it hasn't been hard to push the sausage, just find it hard to do that while trying to twist and manuever the sausage in an efficient way. I do 25lbs plus at a shot and solo just gets frustrating...

 

[Joshw]

Joshw- I do clamp. I haven't used silicon so I will try that (thank you!) but it hasn't been hard to push the sausage, just find it hard to do that while trying to twist and manuever the sausage in an efficient way. I do 25lbs plus at a shot and solo just gets frustrating...

Room is your friend for sure. I have a big SS table, that I do my stuffing on. Spray your tube, before putting casings on, and spray the inside of the cylinder before adding meat. It really makes a difference for me. I normally stuff the whole casing, and coil it around, then after it is tied off, go back and link it. Good Luck!

 

[Garyclaw]

That Lem is kinda pricey but looks like it would make short work of 20 lbs. of meat.

 

[IamMadMan]

Another thing to consider, your stuffer chamber is 3" - 4" in diameter and you are forcing it through a 3/8" or 1/2" tube. Because of the binders and proteins; the longer the mixture sits, more it becomes sticky and loses it's viscosity, making it harder to extrude.



I find for snack sticks, 5 pound batches doesn't give me as much trouble with the lack of viscosity of the mixture. You can also add just a bit more liquid in the slurry to help with viscosity.


And as Joshw pointed out, food grade lubricants also help a lot.
https://www.sausagemaker.com/searchresults.asp?Search=lubricant&Submit=

 

[Eujamfh]

Thanks - appreciate the comments on making it easier with the existing stuffer.

Im nearly out of sausage so I need to stuff and smoke on of the coming weekends...if I end up stuffing soon with the existing stuffer, I won't bite the bullet on the electric version.

Heading to RD this week and will see if they carry food frame silicon or other spray...would save me...well a lot of $$$.

 

[Joshw]

You can get it from amazon, sausage maker, and butcher packer.
https://www.amazon.com/Weston-03-01...1538620238&sr=8-4&keywords=lem+silicone+spray

I have also used Haynes and LEM brand, they all pretty much work the same, but this is the cheapest.

 

[worktogthr]

I will chime in as I recently posted a similar question. I know exactly what you mean about larger canister hand crank stuffers being very awkward for one person to crank and stuff. There are numerous times throughout the year that I am tasked with making 20-50 lb batches of sausage for different charity events and I was doing it with a 5lb LEM stuffer. Cranking and stuffing with a small stuffer like that is just fine, but when the big batches were done, so much time was taken reloading. I was looking seriously at the LEM 20lb motorized stuffer. I tend to say buy once, cry once so I actually went with the 30lb. So far, I absolutely love it. It comes with a foot pedal so you can use both hands just to get the casing off the horn the the sausage stuffed. When you do need to reload or your finished for the day, just hit the reverse and it will automatically rise and stop when it gets to the top. Takes a couple of minutes but I use that time to go grab the next batch or start cleaning up if I'm done stuffing. Like anything, there is a learning curve. Comes with 10 speeds and you have to find the one you can keep up with, also have to adjust the way you let the casing off the horn depending on how tight you want your links stuffed. Once you get that all down it will make those big batches (and even the little ones) such a breeze. If you have any other questions just let me know as I will be messing with it a lot in the upcoming months.

 

[Eujamfh]

worktogthr-you validated exactly what I have been thinking and I agree...cry once and be happy.

That written...I have 75lbs of pork and venison getting stuffed tomorrow in the old stuffer so I’m holding fire on the electric...I’m sure after this weekend I will be ready to buy it....will wait for the holidays to see if it goes on super sale.

I was thinking I would get the 20lb since it’s the same motor as the 30lb which I assume means it will be less stressed when stuffing. Course, I can always do half batches when stuffing snack sticks....I’ll have to think about that one.

Thanks for everyone’s input!!! Wife sick of me researching and talking about it....told me last night “just get the darn thing!”

Great wife!!!

 

[jaestar]

I have one similar to this. Works great and easy for 1 person to use. Way easier than the LEM unit my buddy has. https://www.amazon.com/Gearsmith-Co...pID=5176GmUZvFL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

[Swine Spectator]

I have the Cabela's 11 lb stuffer. I found the motor on a refurb sale on Weston.com.

It has been the best upgrade ever. I have a variable speed motor with a foot pedal.

You have to be careful because it has no stops and can damage the until if you go too far forward or backward. However, the ability to use both hands while stuffing makes everything else 10x easier.

David

 

[Rik Rok]

I have a Large Cabela's SS Stuffer with Electric motor for sale.
If interested PM me
Rik

 

[Eujamfh]

Rik-PM sent.

Made 75lbs of sausage today...25lbs breakfast sausage put into vacuum seal bags (about 1.75 lbs each) for patty’s, 25lbs trail bologna (in fridge to be stuffed tomorrow) and 25lbs jalapeño and cheddar stuffed in hog casing.

The last two will be smoked tomorrow after hunting. Used a 50/50 mix pork butt and venison. Sample party came out great. Seasonings from Butcher Packer.

 

[worktogthr]

worktogthr-you validated exactly what I have been thinking and I agree...cry once and be happy.

That written...I have 75lbs of pork and venison getting stuffed tomorrow in the old stuffer so I’m holding fire on the electric...I’m sure after this weekend I will be ready to buy it....will wait for the holidays to see if it goes on super sale.

I was thinking I would get the 20lb since it’s the same motor as the 30lb which I assume means it will be less stressed when stuffing. Course, I can always do half batches when stuffing snack sticks....I’ll have to think about that one.

Thanks for everyone’s input!!! Wife sick of me researching and talking about it....told me last night “just get the darn thing!”

Great wife!!!

Hahaha I was in the same boat...constantly talking about how much easier it would be, and that i never buy myself stuff yada yada yada and then my wife was like "Just buy it!" Did 20 pounds of sausage last night and it was a breeze. Fairly easy to clean to beside the canister being so large. Now I'm going to have to redo the kitchen so I have a sink big enough to clean it hahaha. So far the 30 pounder is doing well. Motor never seems to be working too hard but then again you will find that the speed settings go from 1-10 and a 3-4 is probably the most you can realistically stuff on unless you are the worlds fastest sausage stuffer. The foot pedal makes it so easy but just a word of advice, when you are running out of casing on the horn, turn the unit off and then raise the plunger a bit. Even though the plunger stops immediately, the pressure sends a lot of sausage out of the horn.

 

[worktogthr]

I have the Cabela's 11 lb stuffer. I found the motor on a refurb sale on Weston.com.

It has been the best upgrade ever. I have a variable speed motor with a foot pedal.

You have to be careful because it has no stops and can damage the until if you go too far forward or backward. However, the ability to use both hands while stuffing makes everything else 10x easier.

David

I looked at that unit as well, but it not stopping automatically on the way up scared me a bit. Because I tend to get busy doing a million things at once and not paying my full attention to things like that.