help-sausage newbie

[buckeyebbq]

I'm a sausage newbie with a bit of a problem (I posted this on the smokering's forum as well, so apologies for cross-posting).

I just purchased a grinder attachment for my kitchenaid mixer, and I was planning on making 5lbs. of smoked sausage yesterday.

I diced up the pork butt and combined it with all of the ingrediants (pink salt, salt, onion, garlic, and some other spices) and let it sit overnight in the fridge. This morning when I went to grind it, my grinder gave me serious problems (it would run for a few seconds, then stop). I spoke to a friend who has the same setup, used it with no problems, and he couldn't see anything wrong with it, so I think it is a faulty grinder attachment-I think either the auger or the body it sits in is bent, causing friction. I know, I should have done a trial run, but too late now.

Anyway, Kitchenaid is sending me a new grinder to arrive within 7-10 days. However, that doesn't do any good for the cut up pork butt. My two questions are:
1. Is it ok to freeze the sausage mixure for about a week? I don't care if the quality is affected slightly, I just want to save 5 lbs. of organic pork butt. I put it in a bunch of small freezer bags (so that they would thaw evenly) and tossed them in a very cold (-10) freezer.
2. I had soaked my hog casings for a couple of hours before the problem occured. Will they be ok sitting in water in the fridge for a few days (I added some extra salt to help the preservation). Altneratively, I was just thinking about drying them out and packing them in salt in the fridge. This is less of an issue since casings are cheap.

Thanks

[hmmm sausages]

Hi Buckeyebbq & welcome to the forum,

I am no expert, I have only been making sausages for a couple of months now. from the information I have gleaned from this site, if you are looking to make a 5lb batch of sausages, you would need something more suited than an attachment for your kitchenaid blender.

Another recommendation would be to part freeze the prepared meat, then attempt to grind it. Half frozen meat is better than just chilled meat. Connected to this, if you get your grinding sorted, then you could use the frozen meat to make sausages, but personally, I wouldnt re-freeze them, so you could have to eat them within a few days (Which I take as a good thing as I love sausages lol)

Well I hope thats some help, but there are people that know a lot more than I about this on here and they will look after you!!

Good luck
Rob

[Paul Kribs]

buckeyebbq

Try smearing a small amount of vegetable oil on the metal surfaces and see how it performs. Try without meat first. I am not familiar with kitchenaid equipment, but it works with all 3 of my mincers, maybe it will work with yours.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[buckeyebbq]

Thanks for the suggestions guys

I know the kitchenaid setup isn't the most optimal for sausage making, but everyone I've spoken to says it does a decent job for small batches, so this was unexpected. I had picked it up because I use the mixer for other things, like making bread. I think I just have a bad attachment.

Rob, good point about freezing sausage. I'm planning to hot smoke them as soon as I stuff them, so, I assume that once they have been smoked (and cooked) I can freeze them. I definately wouldn't refreeze raw meat.

[hmmm sausages]

buckeyebbq,

Freezing smoked, cooked sausages sounds ok to me. The re-freezing raw meat is a bitter point with me today as my mother decided to freeze my fresh meat I had in for my next batch, because I was away for a day longer tha expected at the gf's. Which now means I have to get fresh meat for my new batch as I cant eat 6lbs of sausages in a couple of days once they have been defrosted
But luckily, she is coughing up the money for the next batch of meat now and we will have some lovely roast pork shoulder for sunday lunch this week lol