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Who grinds their own meat
#9132057
11/03/24 11:10 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 228
Daniel Boone
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 228 |
I have always taken my deer or elk to a processor just for the convenience factor but after looking at how much prices have increased, I am considering doing my own this year. I am looking for any recommendations on which meat grinder to buy and what size motor it should have. I will be doing 3 or 4 deer every year along with an occasional elk or antelope.
All suggestions are appreciated.
Last edited by Daniel Boone; 11/03/24 11:22 PM.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132059
11/03/24 11:17 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 62,078
BOBO the Clown
kind of a big deal
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kind of a big deal
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 62,078 |
I have always taken my deer or elk to a processor just for the convenience factor but after looking at how much prices have increased, I am considering doing my own this year. I am looking for any recommendations on which meat grinder to buy and what size motor it should have. I will be doing 3 or 4 deer every year along with an occasional elk or antelope.
All suggestions are appreciated. 1HP is where I would start. You can goes less horse power but you pay for it in time https://www.meatyourmaker.com/proce...dJNmb-rxb_NpcZsee9oXo2ofRlUaAvvPEALw_wcBMy last elk netted +- 40lbs of fajita and 220 ground
Bottom line, never trust a man whose uncle was eaten by cannibals.-Sen Joni Ernst
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132145
11/04/24 03:10 AM
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 348
BigBucky2014
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 348 |
I have one of the Cabela's Commercial Grinders. Mine is 3/4HP - it's enough for me and grinds pretty fast. One big question you need to ask yourself is are you going to be grinding by yourself or with others. Meat grinds best when it is super cold - nearly frozen. A group of guys will grind things way faster. When I'm on my own, the 3/4HP is fine because it's faster than I am. With that said, BOBO is right in saying that it will grind slower than a 1HP and if I was buying a new one today, I would get a bigger one simply because I can afford it. I've had mine for probably 15-17 years, and it still works great. Like most things, it will last a long long time if you take care of it properly.
One accessory that is a life saver for me is a foot pedal. Worth its weight in gold if you are making/stuffing sausage. I really enjoy processing my own game. It's definitely an effort, but I think it's worth it. I do a lot of bacon burger where I'll grind 1/4 parts bacon and 3/4 parts deer, and I usually double grind it. I also love making summer sausage.
Last tidbit - I've started taking my deer to the processor near my lease and having them bone it out for me or at least quarter it for me - I think they charge $40-$50 to skin and quarter and $60 to go ahead and bone it out. If I have another day to stay, I'll have them bone it out and leave it in large chunks. That saves me a ton of time getting the meat off the bone. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Good Luck, Keith
Last edited by BigBucky2014; 11/04/24 03:12 AM.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132162
11/04/24 03:54 AM
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Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 881
Double AC
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 881 |
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-pro-series-dc-meat-grinderThis is what I have and it can grind meat faster than I can put it in. If you are usually working with a group, getting a bigger one is probably better but when I am grinding, packing, and vacuum sealing by myself, the grinder is definitely the least time consuming of those activities
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132165
11/04/24 03:59 AM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,951
maximum
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,951 |
Whatever you get, keep it clean. Don't put it off. Do it immediately. Put your container of ground meat in the refrigerator, and hand wash the plates and auger and ring, etc. Dry thoroughly with clean paper towels and set the pieces on a clean dry towel to dry. An electric unit needs to cool off completely before wrapping up for storage. You might want to buy different plate and an extra knife if you only got one with your grinder
Good Luck ( forgot to add- a lot of the yoofloob videos say to sanitize everything with bleach water. I prefer vinegar water to sanitize everything beforehand. Just me- I can still smell bleach odor after thoroughly rinsing with hot water. Can't smell anything after using vinegar water at all except for the raw meat smell. I started using vinegar water to rinse trays before stacking strips inside when I started making dried jerky with a dehydrator)
Good Luck again
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132218
11/04/24 12:48 PM
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Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 641
Catperch
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 641 |
This is what I have from academy. I process 2-4 animals a year and make sausage. I have been very happy with it. Can’t imagine needing anything bigger unless I was to really do a ton of processing. It grinds it as fast as I can load it.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132219
11/04/24 12:49 PM
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Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 641
Catperch
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 641 |
But of course, if money isn’t an option, buy the bigger one.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132230
11/04/24 01:04 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,430
TCB
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,430 |
Does anyone have/use the grinder attachment on a Kitchenaid mixer? Got the wife one for Christmas a couple years ago and can add the grinder for $50 on Amazon. Just wondering if it's as good as a standalone grinder.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132231
11/04/24 01:06 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 166
Augustus1994
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 166 |
LEM dualgrind and whatever your budget is in terms of size. We’ve done all of our own processing for 20 yrs, and the dualgrind completely changes the game. We can grind 100lbs in one pass and in a third of the time when you factor in time to clean between passes and re-chill meat before 2nd pass.
Biggest pieces of advice is to make sure your equipment is clean before and after, and the meat is COLD. We put our cubed meat and fat in stainless trays in the freezer for about 30m to an hour to par-freeze before passing through.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: TCB]
#9132232
11/04/24 01:07 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 166
Augustus1994
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 166 |
I have the kitchen aid attachment. It works fine for a few lbs but not a full deer
Last edited by Augustus1994; 11/04/24 01:07 PM.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132239
11/04/24 01:10 PM
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Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 6,525
angus1956
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 6,525 |
Old school here. I took an old Montgomery Wards 1/4 hp bench grinder and added it to my hand crank grinder years ago. Works like a charm and will grind it as fast as you can feed it.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132240
11/04/24 01:12 PM
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 8,506
Herbie Hancock
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 8,506 |
I have a Walton's, they have great customer service and never have let me down. https://waltons.com/waltons-12-meat-grinder/
It takes beer to make thirst worthwhile - J. Fred Schmidt
The internet is an I.Q. Test, people post their scores in the comment section.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132247
11/04/24 01:22 PM
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 4,142
Wytex
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 4,142 |
#22 grinder and an extra set of plates and knives for each plate. Foot pedal for sure. You'll need a course grind plate and a finer one for burger. Keep the meat almost frozen when grinding to avoid mushing it.
Never used bleach or vinegar on our grind head, rinse with cold water first to get the fat off then hot water to avoid cooking it to the grinder parts. We keep our grinder in the garage where we age our meat, it stays cold and helps keep the meat cold while grinding.
Get one with all metal gears.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: TCB]
#9132264
11/04/24 01:50 PM
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 348
BigBucky2014
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 348 |
Does anyone have/use the grinder attachment on a Kitchenaid mixer? Got the wife one for Christmas a couple years ago and can add the grinder for $50 on Amazon. Just wondering if it's as good as a standalone grinder. I have one of these as well, but as previously stated, it isn't intended to grind an entire animal. Great for grinding cheeses or a few pounds of meat, but I wouldn't put 75lbs through it. I would imagine it might even burn up the motor in your mixer. I've always found that having the right tool makes any task significantly easier whether building a fence, installing flooring, or processing an animal. Just get what is needed. One or two trips to the processor will pay for the heavy-duty grinder. Keith
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132265
11/04/24 01:50 PM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 33,057
kmon11
junior
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junior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 33,057 |
Cabela's 1/2 horse big bite grinder here. Does everything I need done and with the big bite feature do not have to cut up as small as this size grinder before that feature. if the meat will fit through the feed hole it will grind it. Takes less than half the time to grind than it did with my old half horse Hobart with the same size plates.
I do the grinds after season for 3 or 4 deer these days never times it but grinding takes a whole lot less time than vacuum packing for the freezer.
lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true Mainstream news might be fun to watch
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: angus1956]
#9132273
11/04/24 02:07 PM
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 321
Nickbyrd
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 321 |
Old school here. I took an old Montgomery Wards 1/4 hp bench grinder and added it to my hand crank grinder years ago. Works like a charm and will grind it as fast as you can feed it. that is awesome I love it !!!!
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132276
11/04/24 02:09 PM
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 321
Nickbyrd
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 321 |
and make sure to get you some of those plastic / tote trays with the lids they come in handy !
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132293
11/04/24 02:48 PM
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,955
TPACK
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,955 |
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132297
11/04/24 03:02 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,790
ccoker
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,790 |
for years.. about the only thing I don't do is make link sausage every year I think about it but then the thought of how much work is involved..
I took a hindquarter from last year out the other day and cooked the biggest piece on the grill for dinner and the rest I ground up along with bacon and course salt, pepper and garlic to make burgers with.
They were eaten last night.. delicious
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Catperch]
#9132309
11/04/24 03:15 PM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 16,388
QuitShootinYoungBucks
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 16,388 |
This is what I have from academy. I process 2-4 animals a year and make sausage. I have been very happy with it. Can’t imagine needing anything bigger unless I was to really do a ton of processing. It grinds it as fast as I can load it. I have this, I also have the 25lb meat mixer that attaches to it. IMO this is the minimum-sized grinder if you're serious about processing. I have a foot pedal too. 1HP is likely even better but this will do several deer at a time with no problem.
https://web.archive.org/web/20170223065011/http:/www.rrdvegas.com/silencer-cleaning.html
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132341
11/04/24 04:04 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 953
Erich
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 953 |
i have an LEM 1.5hp that i've had for a couple years now. It does a great job. we butcher maybe 10 deer a year and then i self process some home raised farm animals too. We have had the cabela's varieties as well...they always worked really well. My only complaint with the cabelas ones is if you ever needed them serviced...there's not much service. on LEM as that's another widely recognized commercial brand....if you needed service i'm thinking you could get it at any place that sold/serviced LEM equipment. pricing is not significantly different between the two on similar size models.
Outdoorsman
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132347
11/04/24 04:13 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 40,343
redchevy
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 40,343 |
Think the others have you pretty covered.
I’ll add get a can of food grade oil and spray it down after clean and dry.
It's hell eatin em live
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132431
11/04/24 06:07 PM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 11,348
Longhunter
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 11,348 |
Largest you can afford, saves time and a better grind IMO... and you will use it for things you haven't thought of yet. I like a #32
Longhunter >>>-------> Make It Count!!!<><
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Daniel Boone]
#9132454
11/04/24 06:32 PM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,759
Son of a Blitch
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,759 |
I may have overlooked it and someone may have mentioned, but I will pre-chill the parts (of the machine) that I can in the freezer prior to grinding...
Last edited by Son of a Blitch; 11/04/24 06:32 PM.
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Re: Who grinds their ow meat
[Re: Son of a Blitch]
#9132478
11/04/24 07:03 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 40,343
redchevy
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 40,343 |
I may have overlooked it and someone may have mentioned, but I will pre-chill the parts (of the machine) that I can in the freezer prior to grinding... I do if I’m going through a lot of meat. Mine is a Cabelas carnivore and it came with an ice pack that straps around the grinder neck and instructions say to put in freezer before use if I’m not mistaken.
It's hell eatin em live
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