Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Meat grinder. Need suggestions.

The main reason to vacuum pack as I understand it is to get the air out of the package and seal it. With the 2" tube and the bags that fit snuggly on the tube there is no air in the package to start with. It is almost the same as stuffing a sausage casing.

Jerry

I have the older 3/4 cables grinder...a # 32 neck is a must imo....

Go to home depot over by the cement products..they have 6 dollar blk plastic tubs that work fine !

Personally i would add a large 18”x18” cutting board and a 5lb capacity separate stuffer when funds allow. Sausage stuffing works so much faster with a dedicated stuffer. Amazon has some good deals for less than $125. Makes packing burger bags a snap as well.

That sounds better.

I was thinking maybe of using the bottom half of a cheap litter box.

I have a 1hp Cabelas its about 8 years old it works very well


I like the idea grinding right to a bag

But I grind 3x always have

Hank

My Brother and I bought the cabelas carnivore 1 3/4 hp grinder and it has been awesome. We have had it for the past 2 years and between us and the rest of of our family that hunts we run about 20 deer and a couple hogs and a steer through it each year. Last year we timed it, and ground 120lbs of meat through it in 10 mins on the first grind and the same amount on the second grind. It will grind it pretty much as fast as you can feed it. We usually cut the pieces up in 1-2in cubes and haven't really had any issues. We also use it to make snack sticks and bologna. We had issues last year trying to run the seasoned meat through the stuffing tubes that come with the grinder, but I think it was our fault. We didn't have enough water in the mixture and it became to sticky and was slow to feed it through. If you go with the cabelas sign up at activejunky, https://www.activejunky.com/invite/215741 and you can get an additional 7-10% of your money back.

Thanks for the laugh

Good thread, I am in the market myself and I am looking at the LEM grinders. The #12 looks like my pick as well.

LEM 8 does the trick for me and was a splurge when I got it. I cut into strips about 1" thick. But, I'd recommend getting a 12 LEM or Weston if you can. LEM puts out quality gear. Don't trust Cabela's. There are other premium brands that'd be dandy too.

Buy food grade tubs, don't be a cheap ass. lol. Use Home Depot Homer buckets. lol Damm I better check mine, might be for bussing.

I gotta make me an aircon/cooler unit, wherever that thread is?

Stuffing with a grinder is not the way IME. But if you try it, get a foot control.


Vac packing is great. I have been amazed by the longterm goodness it allows.

Cabela's Carnivore. We have the 0.5 hp and as far as power goes it's plenty. It could use a larger neck than the #8 it comes with. That could be a #12 with no power problem. The frozen gel packs for the auger housing work to keep from heating up the meat while grinding. Keeps everything cool and that makes a big difference. Also some small things like the auger puller and the big ship's wheel style grinder head nut make things easier to get done.

Grinders

Get a foot pedal switch even if you don't think you need it. Also a spare grinder head gel pack. With 2 in rotation you can keep the auger, grinder plates, knife and neck from heating the meat. Get meat tubs from WallyWorld. The have some good clear ones short enough to fit under the grinder neck but are wide and long enough to hold a lot of meat. They don't say "food grade" or "meat tub" but they work, don't smell and sure don't flavor the meat.

My Cabelas 1HP with the #22 neck has served me well for several years. It sure beat the heck out of using the #32 manual grinder I have. The first grind goes as fast as you can feed it. The second grind is slower, if you feed the neck too quickly. Feeding it slower keeps the meat from riding on top of the auger.

Some people complained about the neck getting warm and heating the meat. The culprit is the friction between the auger and the delrin auger bearing. Putting a light coat of cooking oil or fat on the back of the auger prior to grinding will solve this problem. Keeping the meat cold is also key. If you do the above, the grinder neck will stay cold.

You should also have one cutting blade for each grinder plate and keep them as a matched pair. This will keep your blades sharper longer. A sharp blade will cut the sinew and keep the holes on the smaller grinding plate from getting clogged.

The LEM looks like a good unit as well, so I'm sure either will serve you well.

The Big-Bite auger was a big step forward in grinding.

Now, most make their grinders that way.

Just bought a Cabella's 1hp that is two years old,and has that style auger.
Never need a pusher for a first grind, haven't done a second yet.

I dropped onions in it that just fit the neck.
They disappeared instantly, no pushing.

Most won't have access to this, but,

I get rolls of .010 Mylar film, 38" wide.
We cut it long enough to cover the table,
wipe it clean, and go to town.


A thing of beauty, it protects the table, acts as a cutting board, and cleanup is simply rolling it up and tossing it.

Good information Thanks