Came from backwoods of PA raising and processing hogs
Currently we process about 25 deer a year.
Slim jims 17/19mm collagen, ring bologna 32mm collagen, Italian sausage-some with herbs, some with wine 32mm fresh casing, breakfast sausage 21mm fresh casing-all the above done hot/mild & cheese/no cheese just about everything goes in the smoker.
Dried Venison-it's cured and cold smoked
The Crew: Jason, Tommy, Billy, RJ, Dave, Allan, and myself and whoever else stops by because the door is open and the beer is cold…
Equipment:
8'x10' walk in cooler running off a coolbot
30# hydraulic stuffer
Minipak 31 vacuum sealer
44# Weston mixer
1.5hp Weston #22 grinder
stainless steel tables-one has poly butcher block top
Smokers: Weber Smokey Mtn 22.5", custom built 4'x4'x2' propane assist smoker set up to hang 24" slim jims-holds about 60# per run and it has 4-2'x2' removable shelves-capable of 16 pork butts or 100ish halves of chicken.
Newest edition PK 100 electric smoker
Just banged out 60# of Black Run venison sticks (20# plain, and 40# with habanero powder and pepper jack cheese), 25# each of habanero brats, holly breakfast, mild italian, and blue ribbon with cheddar. Smoked sticks and breakfast and finished in turkey fryer water bath. Made up some label from a wine bottle label template for the finish.
If any of you follow my posts I CONSTANTLY complaining about manual meat mixing, meat mixers that break…blah blah blah…so this weekend I think I found the answer. My brother in law came through in a big way!!! Got this beauty as a belated Christmas present, Hobart A200 mixer and it even came with the Hobart cart!!! I can’t wait to cram 25# of meat in this and watch it extract some serious protein!!! So pumped!!!
Jonathon Austin :man_raising_hand_medium-light_skin_tone: How can we have so many awesome people on this wonderful community and have the worst emoji’s ever!?! There isn’t even a sausage…how can I get my message clearly across to my meatgistics brethren without proper selection of emojis…just sayin’ 
haha apparently emoji isn’t spelled with an “i” …:face_with_tears_of_joy: :face_with_tears_of_joy:
Joe Hell There is something about fire that meat just likes…
Jonathon
I’m going to take the 20# and 44# mixers out back and put them down!
I know this thread started something about working opening day…so my trigger guys have been busy here in Western NY. This is #8 to hit the cooler, it’s been cold here so we haven’t used the new walkin cooler much but did come in handy for early archery. So far we have a 10 point dressed out at 156# in the lead this year. Clubhouse record was last year a 12 point dressed out at 192#, that thing was a beast! Goal is to process 25 this year. Now that gun season is open they’ll be dropping like flies soon enough. May seem like a lot but we never tag out. Our deer management region is in the high rent district so not much hunting pressure so we get a ton of tags. Just trying to thin the herd before winter hits!
Volume vs Weight
There is a fundamental difference between cups and ounces. I have family recipes that are at least 75 years old and all are by weight. I think we need to keep in mind that Walton’s is a commercial supplier that has entered the retail market. My digital scale is a mandatory piece of equipment in my operation. I also feel Walton’s is vetting the spice mixes so doing a test run of prepackaged mixes is a waste of time. If you want small batches a little math will get you there. Rock on fellas best customer service around!!!
Jonathon Invite is open, come see the clubhouse anytime!!
Had a chunk of frozen cheese jam up the horn and it came out the end and shot my buddy in the back, he went down like a soccer player!!! It was awesome…
Upstate NY specifically Buffalo does a roast beef sandwich on Kimmelweck, They call it beef on weck. It’s a hard roll butter brushed with caraway seeds and kosher salt on top. Goes great with roast beef in a french dip style sandwich.
Price seems about right at $3.99 sometimes $3.29 for here in upstate NY, l but I only do loinback ribs only. Not a fan of St Louis ribs. I usually buy at Costco in the 3 pack.
Jordan3215 I’d recommend the Weston Butcher #22 that Walton’s has. It comes with a stuffer auger and tube, the auger is key! I’ve also learned that putting the grinding head into the freezer the day before, this will keep it cold. This is a good grinder/stuffer combo that works great for small batches. Invest in a good grinder like that and you’ll be off to a good start!
Wow! I have a very heathtly grape vine that is going crazy this year, that’s awesome. I’m a fan of the refrigerator pickles.
Anyone have a favorite quick dill pickle recipe? Just haven’t found one that really nails it…
I’ve also thought about cutting and inch or so off the ends of the crossbar of the “T” to cut down the drag and reduce the stress on where it connects to the shaft.
If it were up to me I think the paddles are too big in the 44#, just creates too much drag. I’ve considered cutting them down and we have welded reenforcement to where the paddle attaches to the shaft but the whole box twists and pops out of the drive shaft. My issue is the minute you add cure it turns into cement and that’s when the wheels fall off the bus!!! I know it’s designed to pop out to save the shafts and grinder if it’s hooked up, but the butcher 22 would eat that mixer alive. Clearly i’m not a fan…but Weston has great customer service, they do try…
YooperDog Like the polish pottery…oh and the food too!!
I also like to lay them out on paper towels and dry them off then i pack them in non-iodized salt and into a ziplock bag for long term storage. In the fridge never the freezer. They will last for over a year for sure.