A Pretty Good Scale

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 00:50

Hi Guys,
I purchased a new scale a couple of months ago and have given it a workout. I usually don't go around endorsing products, but I am really impressed with this one. It is priced right, is very well made, and gives readings in ounces or grams with just a press of a button. There is a gross/tare differential and the 6"x6" platform is made of stainless steel. It has a 500 gr. capacity and may be calibrated. I believe it's a real winner for weighing sausage ingredients. It normally sells for 48 bucks but it's on sale for 26. If you want to take a look, click on this link: http://americanweighscale.com/index.php ... ucts_id=67
On the downside, it will not wash your dishes or clean your windows. But for home sausage makers, it just might be the one you've been looking for.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 01:07

Has a minimum of 1 gram but will resolve .1 gram. So if you need fractional grams put a penny on the scale first. Will go a little over a pound. Would be great for weighing spice and cure.

Bubba · Post by **Bubba** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 02:28

Ok I'll admit to not having converted from volumetric spice measuring to weigh measuring.
At $26 this is a bargain, a big plus is the self-calibration.

It might be time for me to convert to weigh measuring.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 03:16

I have been astonished by the differences in the weight of a teaspoonful of ground leaves versus a teaspoonful of seeds. Even there, seeds are quite variable in their weights. Many years ago we acquired a torsion balance. It has a max capacity of 120 grams but will resolve .01 grams which is equivalent to a few grains of salt. A quarter gram is fine for sausage making.
In bread making weights are so far superior to volume measurements as to make volume measurement meaningless. Water is added as a per centage of the weight of the flour. you can easily tell the difference with just a 2 per cent change in the amount of water used.
I have some apothocary measures and use those to check the pyrex measuring cups. Those are quite accurate.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 07:27

Here`s something that will raise an eyebrow. One level teaspoon of regular table salt weighs 6 grams... so, a cup of it weighs 10.4 ounces or 292 grams. One cup of Diamond-Crystal Kosher salt weighs only 5 ounces or 142 grams. In other words, a cup of table salt weighs more than twice as much as a cup of Diamond Crystal Kosher. What about Morton? Heck, a cup and a half still doesn`t weigh as much as a cup of regular table salt. It weighs only 7.7 ounces or 218 grams. That`s a huge difference in salt. If you like uniformity in sausage making, use a scale.

NorCal Kid · Post by **NorCal Kid** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 14:57

I quickly learned that it was folly to try and cook by volume versus weight, particularly when it came to spices (including salt). There's simply too much variance as CW pointed out exceedingly well in his post.

I've three scales I use each time I begin a batch of sausage: large scale up to 40lbs (a standard non-digital butchers scale; and two digital scales (1 measures down to 1 gram; the other to .1

I'd feel 'nekid & vulnerable without 'em!

- Kevin

el Ducko · Post by **el Ducko** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 00:06

NorCal Kid wrote:I've three scales I use each time I begin a batch of sausage: large scale up to 40lbs (a standard non-digital butchers scale; and two digital scales (1 measures down to 1 gram; the other to .1

I'd feel 'nekid & vulnerable without 'em!

- Kevin

Dear Nekkid:

What brand of small scale can you recommend? The variability in spice weights for small (2#) batches of sausage drives me nuts. I need a good one.

Volumes are impossible. It's better to use weights (as you know). However, my scale only goes down to 1 gram resolution. On my current scale, measuring out a teaspoon, then dividing it into eighths, gets me (2 grams +/- 0.5 grams)/8 or .25 grams +/- .03125 grams, assuming I'm good at dividing up piles of things.

But that's still +/- 25% at best, and that's just on an eighth of a teaspoon. Use teaspoons in a recipe..? In your dreams. Try measuring Kosher salt versus fine ground salt, or dried coriander vs. fresh, or ground fennel seeds vs. whole, and you'll see that you're wildly off! In a small batch, with a scale with limited resolution and a recipe with volume measurements, you are doomed.

Always use weight. ...and a good scale. ...and a good (weight-based) recipe. Sorry, Grandma- - time to update that recipe.

NorCal Kid · Post by **NorCal Kid** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 01:10

el Ducko wrote:What brand of small scale can you recommend? The variability in spice weights for small (2#) batches of sausage drives me nuts. I need a good one.

I like this little guy (100 x 0.01 grams)

Size of a CD jewel case, accurate & portable. My son's call it my 'drug dealer' scale.

http://www.americanweigh.com/product_in ... qnoejbl156

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 02:06

There can be no argument about the convenience of a digital scale. They are rugged, rather compact and accurate. But a beam balance can also serve if you happen to find one with a complete set of weights.

Bubba · Post by **Bubba** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 02:09

I never realized that these scales are so affordable; I'll buy 1 of each (the 1 gram div and the 0.01 gram div).

My thinking today was sometimes I make a sample batch of about 2 lbs sausage, then when one adds a 1/4 teaspoon of dried spice (eg Oregano) I can weigh it since it is less than 1 gram.

Then I can be more flexible on small as well as large batches of Sausage.
Next I will have to go through all my recipes that I know are good and convert to weight ingredients.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 03:38

The great advantage I find in weighing ingredients is for those times when I have 1 pound 9 ounces of mince or 2 pounds 14 ounces and want to adjust everything to the odd fraction.
The recipes in "The Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages" are all as one kilogram or 2.2 pounds. So if I divide 9 ounces by 16 I get .56 pounds. so that 1 pound 9 ounces becomes 1.56 pounds. That divided by 2.2 equals .7 kilogram. so now I multiply all of my ingredient weights by .7 and get the proper weight for a small batch.

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 03:55

Hi Ross,
Metrics are much easier and quicker to use.!!!!!!!!!!!! Take it from me. I am metric, 182cm tall, 85kg heavy,size 44 shoe, size 97 trousers, etc etc.
Regards,
Jan.

el Ducko · Post by **el Ducko** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 04:42

Hey, NorCal: (My sons call it my 'drug dealer' scale.) Your sons are right. I went shopping for a scale like yours at a restaurant supply shop in a kinda seedy neighborhood. They had a scale similar to yours for $40. The sales person got the shopkeeper to come down five bucks, but Beloved Spouse was glaring at me, so I told her no. She nudged me, winked, and told me to go to the pawn shop down the street, where I could choose from a selection of several, slightly used, for maybe $25. ...at which time B.S. was ready to leave in a hurry.

As soon as I can get a couple of guys to come along, I'll do it.

el Ducko · Post by **el Ducko** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 04:57

As a follow-on to my earlier post, I went into town today to the barber shop, and was talking with "the gang" about pawn shops and scales. They pointed me across the street, where the pawn shop had one that resolved 0.1 grams and maxed out at 750 grams, perfect for the spice measuring that I need to do. It's not a 0.01 gram analytical grade scale, but at $16.50 it does everything I need.

As soon as I can clean that fine white powder off it tomorrow, I'll use it for some venison sausage.

(Just kidding about the powder. It's brand new, original packaging, fresh batteries and all.)