Proud owner of a very old Stimpson #32 electric grinder. 3 Phase, with a 220 step down. Grinder plates I have are fine and medium. Did 100 pounds of venison/pork sausage in natural hog casings, 6 versions yesterday. Whew. Used the recipes off sausage making. Ratio's were spot on, with perhaps the exception of the last two double batches, which may have been a little too fatty.
Ground on the medium disk with meat half frozen for much of it, mixed water and spices, mixed mixed mixed back into the freezer while grinding mixing the rest, and then put through with no grinding plate with the stuffer, and texture came out again very very fine. Tastes great, but, too fine. Used standard fat to meat rates, weighed everything. Cold cold meat, cold room. Sigh. At least it tastes good according to my friends who tasted the out put tonight. But the texture is too fine. Can't really go farther with getting sexy with sausage and maybe smoking if the texture isn't right to begin with.
So, get a 3/4 inch plate, the one with 8 holes? Grind the fat frozen with the fine, and freeze loose before the mix? Or is this monster grinder so powerful that a kidney plate will do? It's a three notch.
Question is, should I go with a 3/4 plate or a kidney plate next year? Seems no matter how cold, the medium plate still turns all to mush with this monster auger. It's a 3 notch, so the plate isn't cheap either way.
Wish I could make this thing grind grain. All the venison scrap goes for chicken food. Appreciate the input.