Ok to buy a grinder or get my grinds done

toas243 · 10-19-2007, 01:30 PM

I`am thinking of getting a grinder ,or get my meat ground and since we have heard of bad Butchers out there ,I know how to cut up an animal ,but there is so much grind ,if you totally butcher it

Small Fry · 10-19-2007, 01:37 PM

how much does a grinder cost? I normally take mind to butcher shop and have them grind and while I watch. I still end up paying almost 50� a pound at least I get own meat back .

Maddie'sDaddy · 10-19-2007, 01:42 PM

When we butcher we cut just about every little useable peace of meat off the animal, and my buddy grinds it, I would say one of the absolute best investments we made for our hunting camp, which is his living room floor

If you spend the money and get a good one it really goes pretty fast, He has also got fat cutoffs from the local meat store to add a little to the elk meat for texture and to help hold that lean meat together for burgers

MD

Maddie'sDaddy · 10-19-2007, 01:43 PM

I think my buddy spent about 300.00 or so ,but has easily paid for itself in two years probably.

MD

Cornbread · 10-19-2007, 01:50 PM

Buy a really good one. It will more than pay for itself in a few years and you can add whatever fat type and content you like e.g. I like pork fat in deer and beef fat in elk for burger meat. While you are at it you might want to get a sausage press or whatever they are called as well.

DTSportsman · 10-19-2007, 02:04 PM

.30 cents a pound unwrapped at the Butcher Block in Oregon City, they grind your meat too.

StevenB · 10-19-2007, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DTSportsman

.30 cents a pound unwrapped at the Butcher Block in Oregon City, they grind your meat too.

They started charging us .50 a lb to just grind the meat (with no sewet) so bought a size 12 grinder new that weighs 50 lbs or so. Price at around $300 5 years ago.

Don't waste time with anything smaller than a size 12... i thibk its a size 12??

DTSportsman · 10-19-2007, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevenB

They started charging us .50 a lb to just grind the meat (with no sewet) so bought a size 12 grinder new that weighs 50 lbs or so. Price at around $300 5 years ago.

Don't waste time with anything smaller than a size 12... i thibk its a size 12??

Wow .20 cent increase,I guess it has been 2 years since i've gotten a Deer :frown:

Daryn

James in Idaho · 10-19-2007, 02:41 PM

I use the grinder attachment on my Kitchenaid, takes maybe 10 minutes to do 20 pounds. I add "beef trim", not suet to my elk. And I always grind twice. I do have the heavy duty metal gear kitchenaid. For sausage making I have an old cast iron 8 quart stuffer, it's a heavy you know what.

Two Ducks · 10-19-2007, 03:23 PM

We have a grinder that can do up to 300 lbs and hour. We have four guys in our group and it works out great. Home made pepperoni, beer dogs, summer sausage can't be beat.

Little Fish · 10-19-2007, 03:37 PM

How much meat are you going to be grinding and how often? I have a hand grinder plus a kitchenaid with attachment. So far I haven't ever tried the kitchenaid since it only takes about a half hour to grinder 30-40 pounds of venision with the hand crank grinder. I suppose if I was ever able to kill an elk I might get around to trying the kitchenaid.

toas243 · 10-19-2007, 03:51 PM

Well I`am a slayer

,I have 2 animals down that I need to grind the meat 1 Pronghorn and the other white tail ,and yes I will get a stuffer

fiddler · 10-19-2007, 04:49 PM

Heres the way to do it. Build you're own !
I would like to build one, but have no meat to justify it.

http://www.sausagemania.com/grinder.html

aosteelheader · 10-19-2007, 07:20 PM

If your wife already has a kitchen aid then get the grinding attachment.
It works well, cleans up easy and stores in a small space. It seems like they are less than $50 for the attachment.
It only takes about a half hour to grind up all the hamburger meat form a deer with one.
If your wife doesnt have a kitchenaid then you should get her one anyway. All kinds of good stuff comes to the table from one of them.

DTSportsman · 10-19-2007, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aosteelheader

If your wife already has a kitchen aid then get the grinding attachment.
It works well, cleans up easy and stores in a small space. It seems like they are less than $50 for the attachment.
It only takes about a half hour to grind up all the hamburger meat form a deer with one.
If your wife doesnt have a kitchenaid then you should get her one anyway. All kinds of good stuff comes to the table from one of them.

I 2nd that. My wife got me one last year when I drew my Willamette tag, but I didn't fill it :frown: (1st time too), but it has worked well on other meat.

Bull Hunter · 10-19-2007, 09:47 PM

Read my post on Butcher - Take II - EDIT ---->Oh, you did read the post!!!

Enough said!

I will be buying an attachment for my wife's kitchen aid.

Eric

toas243 · 10-19-2007, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bull Hunter

Read my post on Butcher - Take II - EDIT ---->Oh, you did read the post!!!

Enough said!

I will be buying an attachment for my wife's kitchen aid.

Eric

Don`t you need one with real HP ,I just bought one at my mans Norstrom AKA SportsMansWare House

,I got the Big one 1 HP

,you need at leats 3/4 to get the job done ,I`am going to grind ,to bad I`a alone

Don Becker · 10-19-2007, 11:23 PM

'Just happened to see this: http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/hsh/448228704.html Don

huntercgr · 10-20-2007, 06:19 AM

What I have always done with my elk scraps, is to put them into a couple of garbage bags and freeze them. Once all hunting seasons have passed I take them to Garts, usually around X-mas time. That way I know I'm getting my own meat back made into burger that I know will be good. Bagged into 1 lb'ers, .50 a lb. I've always been pleased with the results.

Bull Hunter · 10-20-2007, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toas243

Don`t you need one with real HP ,I just bought one at my mans Norstrom AKA SportsMansWare House

,I got the Big one 1 HP

,you need at leats 3/4 to get the job done ,I`am going to grind ,to bad I`a alone

I agree, more HP is better but also means more $.

I have killed one animal for 10 years of trying. For that level of processing, I will use the wife's machine.

I am sure it is slow and tedious but I think I would only do a little at a time and go from there. Besides, if I wear it out I can replace it because it needs to be replaced and not because the new one is prettier. Just kidding honey!

I guess if I am becoming a more proficient hunter and I am going to start bringing home the bacon so to speak, I will probably buy a big bad one. Maybe I will come over to your house.

Just kidding. Let me know how you like it.

Eric

Bull Hunter · 10-20-2007, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Becker

'Just happened to see this: http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/hsh/448228704.html Don

Thanks, good find. I sent them an e-mail.

Eric

toas243 · 10-20-2007, 09:39 AM

Nice attatchment ,Hey and if you can find my house ,your welcome

,I live between Colton and Molalla

biederboat · 10-20-2007, 06:35 PM

I use the wife's kitchen aid mixer with the grinder attachment. If you feed it as you are cutting it, goes pretty much fast enough. It's definitely less time than what I would spend driving to the butcher and back. 100% my meat!

Biederboat

James in Idaho · 10-22-2007, 07:11 AM

Oh yeah, one thing that will speed up your grinding is to have your meat frosty. About 2 hours in the freezer really helps, you get a better product as it does not "smear" as much a unfrozen meat will.

Don Becker · 10-29-2007, 08:58 PM

I have a funny story about all of this and the Kitchenaid mixer and grinder attachment. 'Notice above that I had found and posted that attachment I found listed on Craig's List.

Well, my brother, Jon, announced a couple of days ago that he wanted to buy a good grinder to do his own venison. Well, I have a power grinder but it's underpowered and really pretty useless - - the sinews bind-up in it and after every couple of pieces of meat, you have to take it apart, clean it out, put it back together and then cut another couple of pieces - - it's junk.

So, based on the discussion here on this thread, I asked him if his wife's mixer was a Kitchenaid - - he thought it was. I told him about the attachment (knowing the one on Craig's List was for-sure gone). I e-mailed him some information and told him whatever he got, I would be in for half the cost. He went to Joe's, BiMart and maybe a couple of other places checking them out.

'Finally, he got around to talking with his wife, learned hers IS a Kitchenaid and she already had the attachment

.

So, he just called a few minutes ago to report he has half of his venison ground and he absolutely loves that unit. He was so concerned that he would have to cut it all into too small of pieces to get it through the throat and would have to be looking at several hundred dollars for a low-end commercial unit.

I wonder how my sister-in-law is going to take my claim I now have half ownership in her grinder attachment

Don

toas243 · 10-29-2007, 09:09 PM

Nice make family wars in the kitchen

Hunt'nFish · 10-30-2007, 08:58 AM

I have an old Oster w/ grinding attachment that has literally ground thousands of pounds of deer/elk.
I love being able to grind it myself as I butcher up my animals. I always know WHO'S meat goes in to the packages.
Wouldn't have it any other way. You'll not regret the investment.
Hunt'nFish

Boatdog · 10-30-2007, 09:15 AM

Had been taking my trimmings to the butcher at closing time and having them grind it in front of me for about $0.40/lb.

This year I bought a Kitchenaid grinder attachment for our mixer. $49 at Bed Bath and Beyond, MINUS 20% via the coupon they send out every week for a total of $39.

I did 25 pounds of Venison, regular grind, two times through the grinder, and that came out great! I did trim it pretty well (almost no silverskin), and used really cold meat. Kept a fan on the end of the mixer to keep the motor temp down. Don't want to chance burning up the Mrs.'s mixer.

Definately not as fast as taking it in, but this grinder will pay itself off after 80 pounds. Doing another 25 pounds tonight!

I also bumped the speed up from #4 used during the first grind, to #6 for the second grind. Really sped things up.

Bait Bucket · 10-30-2007, 09:27 AM

There are no less than three second hand, commercial food processing equipment stores in the Portland area. They carry about everything including a variety of large capacity meat grinders. Worth taking a look at....

jaxflyfish · 10-30-2007, 09:28 AM

I have about 30 lbs. of grind. I will try it tonight with the KitchenAid and see how it works out. I will let you know what my experience is.

Don Becker · 10-30-2007, 10:27 AM

Even when taking it to the butcher shop, I only have it run once through the grinder and course-ground - - - I like mine more meaty/something to chew-on. And, the place I've taken it also ground it while I waited so I knew I was getting my own back. I've shared my recipe here before - - some may recall; I generally mix my deer ground 50/50 with ground turkey and add 3% (yes, three percent) beef trimmings ('using bacon this year). I still get a good venison flavor and a VERY lean product and it goes twice as far - - - I really don't care that it may not hold together quite as well as it might and that I may have a little difficulty getting it to brown-up. Don

Don Becker · 11-18-2007, 07:29 PM

I just thought I'd give an update on our conversion to using bacon. It's fantastic! Our lean burgers now hold together MUCH better and they brown-up MUCH better and easier. I'm amazed at such improvement with just going from beef trimmings to bacon ends and in the same percentage. If you recall, or re-read, my post above . . . we use only 3% . . . well, that might change some, though. What we didn't get with the conversion was any bacon taste. 'Not a big deal for us but we might kick that up to, maybe 4 - 4 1/2%. No doubt, that would also give a little more juicy burger but, we're happy to trade dryer for leaner . . . Don