frankfurters

huckelberry · Post by **huckelberry** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 20:27

Frankenfurters or at least that's what I'm calling them. Ok to start off I didn't have the right casings, what I had were29-32mm hog casings that were sent to me last yr. by mistatke. I had orderd 38-42mm for some polish sausage but recieved the wrong thing. I must say I always order through Sausage Maker Inc. and a couple of times I have recieved the wrong thing, but both times they have been very quick to correct the mistake and send the correct item. Not only that they never once asked for the return of the incorrect product so I get a little bonus when they make the mistake. Great coustomer service! That's all I can say about that.
So anyway I had the 29-32mm casings and decided to use them to make venison frakfurters and I had a couple problems.
The first was that the casings were really a bit larger than I wanted so I was trying not to stuff them quite as full so between the stop and go while stuffing I kind of put some air in the casings here and there.
The other problem was with the new smokehouse I made out of an old warming cabinet, some of the sausage was touching so it has a few unsmoked spots. Just a very few but enough.
I used 15lbs venison 7lbs of 65% beef trim and 3lbs of pork fat, then I ground everything throug the 1/4" plate once and then partialy froze and reground everything through a 1/8" plate 3 more times refreezing inbetween each grind, then mixed the spices with the lean meat and then mixed in the extra fat.
venison grind

Beef trim

Spice added

Mix well

Then add pork fat and mix again

Stuffed and ready for smoke

Smoked and ready to be poached

Poached and ready to be packed or eaten. You can see some of the problems I was talking about in this photo

Packed up

I used the recipe on Wedliny and the end result is a huge not so pretty but very tasty frankenfurter. The texture is also very nice.

We (my wife and I) which none of this would be possible without, also made 50Lb. of deer burger that night. She found some 73/27 burger on sale for $1.99 a Lb. mixed half and half with venison means we only payed $0.995 a Lb. for our burger.

I love hunting season.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 06:45

Lookin' grrrreat Huckleman! Very nice.
Your smoker looks top notch. How about a photo or two?
What kind of stuffer are you using? Keep up the good work pal.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

huckelberry · Post by **huckelberry** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:33

I have a Weston 22Lb. vertical stuffer. Up until about 4 years ago I was using my grinder which was a China #32 hand crank that I had motorized like the one the fella made on the Sausage Mania web site. I've been steady moving up in the world. Last yr. my wife bought me a Cabelas 1.5 hp. #32 commercial grinder for X-MASS and this is the first time I've gotten to use it. I got it after all my sausage was done last year.
I absolutly love the grinder... but the stuffer is a far site better than using the grinder but I wish I had known about the amount of meet that the Weston stuffer won't push out. Between the shape of the bottom of the can and the strok of the piston it leaves about 3lbs. of meet in the bottom. Is that normal for vertical stuffers. I've heard that F. Dick is the way to go but this is the first I've ever owned so I have nothing to compair to.
Still I will never go back to stuffing with a grinder. PHOOIE on that!
Anyway hear is a photo of them.

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:55

Huck,
If I was you, I wouldn't worry about the looks but what goes past your toncils. They look very tasty to me, if you would live a bit closer I would come over and give you my honest opinion. I'll bring the cold beer and some of my home distilled goodies.
We'll both put on 5 lbs of bodyweight and the franks be gone.
Congratulations.
Jan.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:07

Ditto here huck, they look great, well done and top skills !

And not telling you how to suck eggs, the only thing I can come up with re the amount of mince left in the filler is if the piston was upside down...never seen or used one I admit

orf · Post by **orf** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 14:32

I have a 5# grizzly and all but whats left in the stuffing tube comes out.orf...

JerBear · Post by **JerBear** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 19:10

I agree that they look great. I've found that while the larger casing 'furters are quite a meal everyone gets a kick out of the novelty.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 20:22

If I were troubleshooting the stuffer I would first check piston and rod travel with the cylinder removed from the press. Then I would check the contour of the piston as it fits the bottom of the cylinder.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 20:42

This seems to be a built in problem with several brands of stuffers.

Big Guy · Post by **Big Guy** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 21:26

I have a 20# Cabela's stuffer and it looks a lot like yours, about 1.5 # left in the can after the piston hits bottom

Cabonaia · Post by **Cabonaia** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 21:30

I have a 5 lb. LEM stuffer. It leaves almost nothing in the bottom of the can.

Baconologist · Post by **Baconologist** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 22:08

A Cabonaia said, the design of the LEM 5 lb. and the like is superior, they leave very little residual sausage and what's left can be easily pushed out into the casings leaving none behind.
I have both the 5 and 15 pound models.

Another problem with the Weston design and the like is the flat piston seal, some have had a very difficult time finding replacements, if they're able to find a replacement at all. Some available replacements are astronomically priced!

huckelberry · Post by **huckelberry** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 06:24

Thanks for all the info. and the encouragement. I am really pleased with the taste and texture of the frankenfurers. They do have some cosmetic flaws so thanks for not being too critical of me. I wish I could get someone with a more objective and trained pallet to give me their opinions, but my wife and I were pleased. I can't wait till the niece's and nephews come over and I can offer them a monster dog.

It will more than fill the bun. Lol. Bet they can't eat two. Lmao
Anyway I'm thinking at the cost of the stuffers I'll suffer through this Weston stuffer. I'm trying to come up with something I can put on top of the meat to aid in the evacuation of more of the meat. I've even thought of using bread, but at the price of bread

Thanks again to all of your kind posts.

huckelberry · Post by **huckelberry** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 08:23

Well we made some of my favorite... green onion sausage and remembered to take a photo of the Frankenfurters inside for a money shot. Also a few of the green onion sausage. Best stuff on the grill.
My Frankenfurters

Fresh green onion sausage

Same thing as a white sausage with at least double the garlic and pleny of green onion and a small dose of cayane. Stuffed and ready for packing.

Packed and ready for storage

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 08:33

Incredible! Great job Huckleberry. The texture and color are just terrific.
Now, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Use the grill, kick off your shoes, and pull up some shade. You deserve a good, ice-cold brew too!
Keep up the great work pal. Don't stop now.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

frankfurters

meat residue

Frankenfurters