I've got the LEM #12 Big Bite grinder and I used it to stuff LEM burger bags for the first time tonight. I've got the foot switch so the machine didn't run the whole time. But it was a PITA - I had to push down on the stomper with almost all of my weight. I used the largest plastic stuffing tube that came with the machine and the three-oval plate. Would the 2" stainless steel tube make this process more enjoyable? I can't imagine trying to stuff sausages with the grinder - thank goodness I have a 15 lb. capacity cast iron sausage stuffer.

http://www.lemproducts.com/product/aluminum-stuffing-tubes/all-sausage-products I use these to fill the plastic 2lb bags . Works very well.

selmer, I have the LEM #12 as well and have stuffed them with not a lot of trouble but have since gone to a designated stuffer with stainless tubes. Much more operator friendly.

Did you lube the inside of your tubes ? I like to do that.

I picked up an older non-big bite lem #8 and stuffed burger for the first time and I thought it went well enough compared to my past methods. Debating if the big bite is worth the update or going to a #12 if you could feed it fast enough.

I didn't have a foot switch, but just bought one.

I used the biggest plastic tube like you and thought it was alright, but will invest $20 for the 2 inch tube. It may save meat mushing or heating by pushing it out faster.

Things I observed working alone:
get the grinder lower so you can stuff harder
get a foot switch
I couldn't feed that #8 fast enough working alone (I recently made brats on a old #22 and it wasnt greatly faster even with a friend feeding it)
Get a friend to help feed it.

I'm going to get the stainless version of this for stuffing bags.

I had a helper, thank goodness! My 11 y/o daughter was running the bag end of the operation while I fed the grinder and shoved it through the neck with the stomper with all of my weight behind it. I've got a few tricks I need to try next time that I picked up from a Facebook group - The Salt Cured Pig. One would be fine grinding straight into the bag instead of fine grinding, then trying to feed it back through. The auger doesn't pick up the fine ground burger very well, while the coarse ground burger feeds quite nicely.

I edited my reply, but only stuffing on the second grind would help because the meat has more body for the auger to grab. plus it saves a step.

getting the grinder lower really helped.

Guys here told me I should get a 12... not sure if I will because Im usually working alone. I think you could out pace the 8 if your feeder person is aggressive and/or you have a lot of meat to process.

Pass on your source for a SS tube when you find one...

I can get Lem aluminum tubes for $20 at a local store. Amazon has several SS ones that will be about $28 after shipping.

LEM makes a stainless steel tube for $30. Where are the Amazon ones? I found some, but they were about $50 after shipping and didn't qualify for Amazon Prime.

http://www.lemproducts.com/product/stainless-steel-stuffing-tubes/equipment-grinder-stuffing-tubes

The #12 is just right for my meat grinding team. In fact, the grinder out paces us once in a while on the first grind - I can't feed the trim pieces into the pan fast enough. Second grind is usually just right. I'll be curious to try stuffing bags on the fine grind using the 2" stainless steel stuffing tube to see if it works better. I have a feeling it will.

go into amazon and search "meat stuffing tubes"...

https://www.amazon.com/size-Grinder...;sr=8-4&keywords=meat+stuffing+tubes

Under $25 with the shipping. Havent looked at ratings yet

I'm going to check our local Mills Fleet Farm for the 2" stainless tube. If they have it, I'll get that one. If they don't, I'll buy this one on Amazon.

Mills has aluminum ones on the shelf $19.99

(lakeville MN store)


Report back if you find SS there

Aluminum only here too. If the aluminum works ok for you, I'll just grab that one and give it a shot.

Supposedly aluminum can pit...

Or at least that's what the label on the side of the smaller SS tubes said.

How much or what caustic stuff would a hunter run through to do that in your lifetime???

No problems with pitting in mine in 12 years or so of use . Do 4-5 deer a year plus a few hogs for sausage.

I use a 1 hp cabelas grinder, and do a course grind, mix in the fat, and then do a second course grind and bag it with the biggest sausage stuff attachment.

How does the texture compare with doing a fine grind on the second grind? I often thought most burger is ground to small but never experimented yet.

It depends on what you are trying to do. Finer second grind, makes the meat stick together when making a patty.
On another note, I mix my meat and fat together, season, let sit in fridge overnight then grind both at the same time. The seasoned meat will cure, for lack of a better word, and the texture will be different on the first grind. Also it seems to me the seasoning is better mixed throughout. Never tried putting into bags when grinding. I use a twist top, gallon bag, that can be had for pennies each, put by ground meat into them, then make a roll with the top of the bag just rolled not tied. I then put several in a vacuum sealer bag and seal. By not tying the top,it pushes all of the air out of each bag of grind, and then when ready to use, I cut the top, take out a bag, reseal what is left. If you take the meat out of the vacuum bag while frozen, they can be reused. I do cuts of loin and large muscles from the ham the same way, stew meat too. I put large hunks in whole and slice when ready to use. I think it makes the meat last better. miles

I used the LEM #12 big bite grinder to make some deer bacon burger the other day. I did a course grind then mixed the bacon ends and deer together and used the fine grind plate with the largest sausage stuffer tube and filled the bags fine. I had no trouble stomping the meat through the grinder.

I have ordered a foot switch, a 2 inch stainless tube, and a 1,000 stuffing bags.

I recently bought a #8 Big Bite and over the weekend I ground three pork roasts for breakfast sausage. I thought I would be able to course grind, season and course grind a second time. I grabbed a handful to make some lunch and the texture was revolting, I could not finish it and I like to eat but biting down on big marbles of fat was not good at all.

I made smoked link sausage a few weeks ago, using pork roasts and course ground with the 3/8" plate followed by a finish grind with the 3/16" plate but it is work. The texture is good though.

I ordered a 1/4" plate last night and I am going to to try a 3/8" grind followed by a 1/4" finish grind to check the texture.

I use a crank style stuffer.

I took humdinger's suggestion to heart and received the stuffing tube yesterday. Beautiful tube - everything is polished and smooth. Can't wait to use it! Looks just as good as the LEM aluminum tubes I looked at at Mills Fleet Farm, but stainless steel.

Selmer,
Now that you have it in hand.. does the SS tube feel much stouter than the Alum tube? Like it would survive a drop better and not dent?

I ask because the #8 in mills is cheaper than the amazon SS, but it may be worth it for us guys that suffer from "dropsy" once in a while.

Yes. Obviously it's heavier. I think the material itself is thicker, also. It should survive a drop. Just don't try to drive nails with it.

why do you need to regrind when stuffing? i use a kidney shaped stuffing plate to let the meat run thru the grinder easier. also when i stuff i always add a little water to the meat.it just makes it go thru the grinder or stuffer smoother.my deer bologna recipe calls for adding water. i'd put a large drinking glass full in 10lbs of meat and mix well.i have stuffed with my #5 lem grinder many times without much trouble.hand crank stuffer makes life easier.

I just got into processing my own, but I think stuffing on the second grind is to avoid a "third grind" through the stuffing plate.

Or they may not have a separate stuffing plate.

for sausage all you need to do is grind once with a 3/16th plate. season first and keep meat as cold as you can,then grind.i use a 3/16th plate for almost everything. i do use a 3/8 when i need to mix fat with meat. i will grind the fat when half froze and then add it to the chunks of meat so it mixes better.

The 1 hp grinder is a #22 grinder plate, I grind Course, mix what ever I have then simply put it through again and it comes out close to med / fine.

Sometimes I only grind course- I really don't like my food in powder form.

COARSE !!!

Well, I finished butchering a forequarter of beef yesterday and ground burger into bags using the big stuffing tube. I COARSE!!! ground first time around, then 3/16" ground straight into the bags. Definitely worked better than the first time I tried this game. Thanks for all of the input and the discussion!

I've got the Cabela's 1hp #22 grinder, usually grind with a 3/8 plate and knife from an old manual grinder, then a 2nd pass through the 1/4" while stuffing the bags. Cheesy loaned me his crank stuffer this year and there is no comparison. If I let the meat get too warm while grinding, it doesn't auger well, just mashes up into a nasty jello. I ground 70 lbs last week and the separate stuffer really made things easy. Only thing I'd change is to use a bigger stuffer, the 7 lb model had me refilling too often.

I've not had good luck using the grinder. The 8qt cast iron enterprise stuffer works well and you can still find parts for them.