Smeared fat while sausage making

[SDHNTR]

how do I keep my fat from smearing? I ran the partially frozen meat and fat through the course grind plate first. Added seasonings, mixed thoroughly by hand, and then ran through the fine plate. Then I removed the cutting plate and put the stuffing plate and stuffer tube on. Shoved everything back through and stuffed my casings. It was just a pink gooey mess. You cannot tell separate pieces of fat from meat. All the fat just smeared together with the meat. Tastes fine, just doesn’t look right. What did I do wrong? Seems I manipulated it too much.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I think you can mix it too much to the point it breaks down. But when I think of smearing it got too hot.

 

[Mike D Texas]

I only grind through the large plate (3/8”).

Then I put in and mix my seasonings and put back in the fridge overnight.

About an hour before stuffing I put the meat in the freezer but for no more than an hour long. Usually gives me plenty of time to stuff before it starts getting greasy again.

Just stuffed and smoke this batch today.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[NRA4LIFE]

First off, buy a meat mixer and stuffer. Never, ever double grind sausage. Grind your meat and pork separate through a 1/8" plate or whatever you like. Then mix it all with your spices in the mixer and stuff with the stuffer.

 

[SDHNTR]

Ahhh, thanks. I was afraid the twice grind was the culprit. It definitely wasn’t hot. I could barely cut through it. It was still mostly frozen. Made the hands hurt like hell to mix.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

First off, buy a meat mixer and stuffer. Never, ever double grind sausage. Grind your meat and pork separate through a 1/8" plate or whatever you like. Then mix it all with your spices in the mixer and stuff with the stuffer.

Why do you say to not double grind. I’ve not had an issue but I’m also just learning. I do have a dedicated stuffer and it much better than stuffing with the grinder.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

It's not necessary. You get a much more consistent product by just mixing.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

It's not necessary. You get a much more consistent product by just mixing.

So you don’t use a coarse plate and a fine plate, just the fine? Or are you saying you don’t mix your meat as you grind.

 

[Wrench]

It really depends on the product you're making. Multiple grinds make for a hotdog or bologna consistency. Not exactly what you want in a german, but exactly what you want in a hotdog.

The heat is generated at the plate/blade when no fresh meat is there to keep the blades cool. There's a lot of friction right there.

 

[Wrench]

So you don’t use a coarse plate and a fine plate, just the fine? Or are you saying you don’t mix your meat as you grind.

I grind to a tub mixer then add spices and liquid and work it till the protiens begin to do their thing.

 

[SDHNTR]

What size plate for a single grind to make Bratwurst, Italian, breakfast sausage?

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I grind to a tub mixer then add spices and liquid and work it till the protiens begin to do their thing.

Same as I do. But I coarse grind and fine grind. Starting from just chunks of meat. I don’t have my grinder do the mixing since some of the spices are chunks. Just trying to learn new techniques and get an understanding of why some people do what they do.


Edited to clarify, I let the grinder mix the pork into the venison but don’t grind with the seasonings

 

[Wrench]

Eldon cutlip's book, "the sausage and jerky maker's bible" is worth the cost.

 

[MuleyFever]

I coarse grind my meat and fat, frozen if possible, separately. I had mix them and spices, then run that through the coarse plate again and it's fine and I can see the fat and meat. Then if I am stuffing I use a meat stuffer.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I use the fine plates just once. 1/8 or 3/16, depending on what I'm making. Grind the pork, then the game meat and then mix it with the spices and stuff. This is the way both my grampas, my dad, the butcher I worked for did it. I have never ground anything twice, not even burger. Grinding twice is a PITA.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

I grind mine twice. The main thing I found to keep from the second grind getting sticky and gooey is to not force the second grind through. Leave the first coarse grind “crumbly” when you run it back through the throat and don’t overload the auger. I don’t use the push plunger at all until a little bit blobs up.

 

[packer58]

I'm also in the grind twice camp, pork and fat must be kept semi frozen during entire process
Coarse grind venison
Coarse grind pork butt
Mix together by hand
Run back through grinder with med 3/8" plate
At this point it's ready for seasoning, mixing (meat mixer) and stuffing (15 lb stuffer)

 

[BBob]

What size plate for a single grind to make Bratwurst, Italian, breakfast sausage?

 

[butcherboy]

I grind everything twice. Some things are ground 3-4 times depending on what type of sausage I’m making. I mix meat, pork fat, or pork trim all together with the seasoning, grind coarse then fine. After that it goes into the stuffer. The fat will smear when it gets too hot. Even stuffing off a grinder with no cutting blade on because the auger acts like a mixer and emulsifies the meat/fat combo. It’s best to stuff through a stuffer. If you don’t have that option then the meat/fat combo needs to be pretty cold. Adding chipped or chopped ice to it will really help.

 

[GoatPackr]

Ok I've experienced this same issue. The culprit was using the machine with a stuffing cone. You cannot get enough meat to flow through the grinder with a cone on it. It will sit inside and work it until it's mush.
Like was mentioned for best results use a separate mixer. Season the meat and mix it well then run through a grinder. If you want to remix the meat again and run through again then it is OK but will change the consistency of the meat even with the same plate. Sometimes it not bad depending on the outcome you want.
After the grind put it in a stuffer and you will not have that pink slime filled casings.
Always have ice cold meat for grinding especially pork.

Kris