Homemade Sausage Making

After testing out my creation. Homemade meat tumbler and ham press, I decided to share the results as I had several people inquire about what I was attempting.
Calving season has began so things have been busy. add to that the fact that I had no idea what a photobucket was or how to post a picture, if you can read this and see the photos it means I have reached another technology milestone.
The tumbler was built no cost from whatever was handy so expect to see some overkill.
I began with a gearbox from an old boat house winch that was already mounted on a heavy chunk of channel iron, I added a 1/3 hp electric motor.
On the end of the winch reel I rivited on a porcelin coated canner pot.
Inside the pot I rivited on four aluminum paddles. It rotates about 14 RPM.



The press is nothing more than a carpenters clamp and a stainless steel container with an aluminum stand rivited to it.
For the top I used a circle cutter in the drill press to cut out a disc of 1/4 plexiglass.


Still playing around with cooking times, temperature, water content of brine etc, but proving to myself that a good formed ham can be made without a factory full of expensive equipment is satisfying as our family consumes a lot of it.
Dave

Dave the tumbler looks great but I'm not sure about plexiglass in the press. While acrylic glass is considered food safe, I don't think it was meant to cook in. The formed hams are cooked at 90°C, just under boiling temp. If I were you I would re-think that one.

Maple is a good alternative.

Good point on the plexi glass, food grade or not I agree who knows what might leech out of it when near boiling.
There is a good size maple tree that has been standing dead for a few years with the syrup trees out back, just might have to saw it up after we finish putting the taps in this week.
Dave