Homemade Sausage Making

RedZed, I'm back like a bad penny ! I pulled the trigger and bought a VP215 chamber vacuum machine...any suggestions on the vacuum time/seal time/cool time...you mentioned you thought that may have been an issue on a different batch ?

Still here, and Still Learnin'

cheers,

Rich

Rich-
I think you meant Butterbean?

Butterbean wrote:In packaging, I used a medium vacuum to seal the bags. Enough to give them a snug airless fit but not too much because I found too much vacuum seems to mess with the integrity of the bond between the casing and the mince.

Butterbean wrote:If you recall, I thought it might have to do with the sealing of the bags but I think now the sealing just highlighted the problem because other sticks with binders were done at the same vacuum

I have my 215 set for 20 seconds, 2 sec, 2 sec. and it works great. The default was not pulling enough air out. It's pretty noticeable if that happens.

Lou-
Are you using 3 or 4 mill bags ?

PS - The cool time should be 2x the seal time to extend bar life

4 mil. So, does the "cool time" cool off the element or does the cool time just set the time to when the door pops open?

Don't know how it "cools", but the lid pops when the vacuum is released.

The recommended starting times on mine were 40, 1.2 and 2.0. 40 was too long so I keep it set at 35, If I want less vacuum just push the stop button when the desired vacuum is reached, less vacuum but the seal and cool time remain the same. Easier than resetting all the time for different items.

OK, I will change mine. 40 was definitely too long. I agree.

20 works well for fresh sausage and I haven't had any issues with that time even on the dried product. Anything longer than 20 on fresh compressed them too much.

Yup, stand corrected, it was Butterbean...reading the rest of the thread...my machine is due to arrive today...tomorrow i pick up 153 pounds of organic pork, $1.55 per pound, butchered, with bacon, chops, pork loin, and coarse ground...should wind up with 50 to 70 pounds of fat since the other guys i split it with do not want the fat...gonna have fun with the machine !!

cheers,

Rich

Bob K,

So, 20 vacuum, 2 seal and 4 cool ? At the moment I'm doing smoked sausage, fresh pork and, eventually, beef snack sticks...I'm building the nerve up to try a salami...will also be trying Sous Vide but that is a different forum...

Cheers,

Rich

Hope you have a strong back or help!

For the 3 mill bags I would start with 35, 1.2 and 2.0. Pretty much the recommended settings. For the stuff you will freeze I use the 35 for meats and lower it as Lou suggested for fresh sausage. Its a learning curve.

Save the hard back fat for salami. The soft....make lard.

Learning Sous vide and loving it.

well it arrived...and, HOLY MOTHER OF ALL THAT'S HOLY ! DAMN THING IS HEAVY !! FedEx did not deliver to the front door, for some reason (hmmm weight !!??) they set it at my 5th wheel which is 50 yards from the front door...had to lug the damn thing, at midnight (when i got off shift) to the house...oh well, all good things must be worked for I guess...

Bob K, I plan on just using the 4 mil, boilable bags, just a couple of pennies difference in in price...

You were spot on, needed a helper, didn't have one...gettin' too old for that kinda stuff now !!

i hope that's the last sealer i ever have to buy...

Cheers,

Rich

I'm having the same problem! Everything seems to be getting heavier. I partially solved the problem with moving heavy objects in my sausage and wine room with this gadget:
http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/3 ... -p8180663e

I use it to lift carboys off the floor and move my bowl cutter from the shelf to the work table. Works like a charm!

Redzed,

Could sure use that gadget for my wine carboys...and, apparently my new vacmaster ! will be in search of a rolling cart of some sort that will blend in with the rest of the kitchen...

Think I will like this gizmo, tried it last night and was smitten !

More to follow.

Cheers,

Rich

I originally got this cart for the Vacmaster: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30240348/
Inexpensive and very sturdy

But then the grinder got too heavy

Yeah, I'm kinda diggin' that...will have to run it by the other half of this domestic situation...

cheers,

Rich