Dave in AZ Thanks Dave, how’d U get so smart? I was with Paul, I hadn’t fingered it out either.

processhead I may or may not have used Vice-Grips on it…

Deepwoodsbutcher Looks like I missed it, but I am glad you got it & I know it will serve a lot of good uses. Paul I am surprised that you were not able to find a good use for it still.

processhead I saw that when I read down further through the string. Have a safe trip & lots of fun.

processhead I hope it works, and good luck with raising the price.

@Whitetailrancher I’m sorry for the outcomes of your experiences through the BSA.

processhead very nice looking summer sausage!

I tried out the 1/2 inch ratchet drive today while stuffing summer sausage. Totally pleased and satisfied with how it works! I was working alone and being able you work the handle between the 11 o’clock and 2 o’clock positions was a breeze.

I put a cheater pipe on the ratchet for a bit more leverage and I think I could stuff brats and other smaller stuff alone as well. Probably not sticks though.
Sticks would still be a two-man show.

20230326_092728.jpg

dawg I could sure use a little bit easier.

cdavis Thanks Charlie.

Jonathon Thanks for confirming that. I suspected that it might be an old image but wanted to verify with the someone who knew for sure.

https://meatgistics.waltons.com/post/104200

processhead I assumed it was a lot more expensive than it is… even with the wall mount it’s not bad. I don’t need it, I don’t need it, I don’t need it. Ahhhh okay, this needs other parts. Their plug and plays are a little more inline with what I was thinking that they would be, but still not too bad at all. A mechanical/electric illiterate like me needs the plug and play option.

calldoctoday I have grilled a lot of them too. Fresh caught/filleted on some pre-sprayed tin foil with some lemon pepper or your favorite seasoning.

I will quite often bake them the same way and they turn out really well.

Denny O sorry man, I’m just getting them out of the house. I need a break

I am right here, but already have a grinder.

Tex_77 My old one is the Chef’s Choice 120 Sharpener, the hone wheel on one side got a little funky so I replaced it with the Trizor 15. I never use the 1st stage only one or 2 swipes on the 2nd stage alternating on each side. Then maybe 4 to 6 on the hone then to the steel a few times. I travel about one inch per second and with little to no downward pressure. My kitchen knives are carbon steel and near 40 years old. I do not acknowledge wear if there is it is minimal for their age. I felt like the Work Sharp had courser grits and was harder to hold angles steady.

bocephus Wish I was your close friend back then!! I’d love to own one of those “Tru Hone” but for over a grand it ain’t gonna happen!

Cindy Bushar 0 Do a search on the internet, I found parts for the one I bought at a Flea market but can’t remember where it was that I found them.

it also helps keep the plastic from getting brittle

Jonathon said in Nonstick Coatings For Jerky Racks - What Do You Use?:

processhead This is what we put on our screen when we make jerky https://waltons.com/poly-jerky-sheet-coarse/ It doesn’t come in smaller amount though so might not be a good option. I’ve tried coating of white oil and it seemed to cook into the jerky a little. I’ve never tried them but this might work https://waltons.com/grilling-mesh-sheet-non-stick/

I use the grilling mesh sheets similar to the one Jonathan has at the bottom but without the border and they work great!!! You have to watch as jerky can slide right off

Tex_77 said in Ghost Pepper Cheesy Brats Recommendation:

processhead i think Austin recommends about a .75 to 1 ratio!

I think that would be called queso!

Ridley Acres said in Logo Modified - Looks Way Better:

yeah, MEAT-GISTICS is better

Yeah, some how Mea-tgistics just doesn’t roll of your tongue to well.

processhead Very nice thank you for the memories and pics.

Nicolai said in Waltons Complete Turkey Cure Question:

The 10% of a10% pump means you inject 10% of the weight of the meat block into the meat not the concentration of the solution. Your mix calculations are to get enough nitrate in the solution so that it gets the right amount of nitrate in the meat. Has nothing to do with 10%.

Thanks for the reply. Yes I understand the difference you mention.
The issue I was trying to explain is an entirely different one.

processhead It would look good on a shelf in a processing room.

Denny O they look great brother. Congrats 👍

PapaSop said in W Beef Stick Seasoning:

Dr_Pain said in W Beef Stick Seasoning:

ND Mike said in W Beef Stick Seasoning:

Dr_Pain my Dad does but he’s a wimp when it comes to spiciness.

I guess my taste buds and everyone’s taste buds in Louisiana are immune to Willie’s level of spicy

I added some cayenne to my last batch of Willies. Very good. Went with a tsp/5lb.

You are the man PapaSop. Thanks for the proportion I may have to try it.

Dr_Pain said in Thoughts on type of cheese for fresh brats:

PapaSop said in Thoughts on type of cheese for fresh brats:

Dr_Pain said in Thoughts on type of cheese for fresh brats:

I would love if the rest of the family would be as heat tolerant me because I would really like to try the ghost pepper cheese

Wish I would have saved the bag, I’d send the rest to you. My one son and I each sampled a little square. No frigging way… Long gone now. Sweating just talking about it. LOL

HAHAHAA!!! I’ve had some hot experiences in my life and each I remember with better memories than what seem to have been your experience. I remember by oldest son coming hom with jerky made with ghost pepper and Carolina reapers… OMG!!! (But it was tasty)

First it was sticks from another post. Now, hot experiences… As HerbcoFood said, biting my tongue right now. 😯😂🤣🤣🤣

https://www.polashekslocker.com/retail/jaternice
I have had it here. it is so good.
processhead that needs to make it’s way to Wichita Kansas!!! it looks amazing
heads (the entire head) went in to our liver sausage

processhead Thanks! I got it updated now!

Chef I miss those French fries. When I got back to the US after my first deployment as a young Marine over 35 years ago, my sister and her family offered to take me out to lunch and asked what I wanted. I said McDonald’s double quarter ponder with cheese and a large French frie. Life was simpler back then. I could actually eat at McDonald’s then, not so much now.

processhead Those make cleaning up so much easier, I love the one in our test kitchen. In fact, the 3 sinker we have in the test kitchen is probably my favorite thing to use in the test kitchen!

Chef That is crazy. Mine have slowed down at times, but still getting updates. I wish I could figure out a solution for you, but a whole lot of folks are a whole lot smarter than I am, so I am surprised that you are still having that issue. That is wild.

Excellent post!

Congratulations processhead. We can only aspire to reach your contribution level and quality

processhead
Thinking back I believe I used a cotton tie from a hoodie.

I use to look for the old truck stops back in the day before things changed just to get something home made quality

processhead 👌👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

processhead since your tour was confined within the hallowed walls of Waltons and did not meander in the parking lot , creek, or on the trails of small furry mammals it was a safe assumption to make

JoeB is your 1st edition dust cover white or mustard color?

processhead said in Home made bacon vs Commercial bacon and cooking:

higher percentage of water

Absolutely true, I think they are allowed up 10% if memory serves me correct, but anyway for the profit margin sure $5.00/lb for pickle pump that at the end of the shift will be discarded it is a no brainer as profit goes. For the consumer not so much, but that is the choice made when buying and not making the product yourself.

Bob Stehlik I just net them after brining and just roll them in coarse ground pepper. Pat in on and let them hang in the fridge overnight to dry and smoke the next day. It is a bit messy removing the netting but the majority of pepper is there through the eating process. I would think you could use some maple syrup or maybe honey. I would maybe cook the syrup down a bit to make it thicker or maybe not, your call. Sometimes it can be thin. You could try freezing it and that could work too. Be careful not to burn the syrup.

rslankie said in Vintage Brinkmann Smoker and Grill:

processhead so do you think the smaller grill the one pictured to the right of your offset was part of the Cimarron series?

I think it probably was.
My grill is identical in size, shape and construction to the smoking chamber of the offset smoker unit. All the cooking grates were interchangeable.

Marinade with this:
Waltons Buffalo Wing Marinade

Then use the a double dip of Chicken on the Run breading and fry. It will get you pretty close. The Buffalo Marinade gives it a spicy kick without the buffalo sauce taste like Franks.

Yeah, I just stay logged in and it makes life simple.

Pivodog I agree. It’s also more fun.

processhead I agree with smokinbubba probably a better product than much of what is out there now. I have a collection of pumps that appeared to be good until you use them. I use the Walton’s hand pump and haven’t had any issues as long as you put it back together correctly after cleaning it

Nice birds!

Doug 0 do you finish them up sous vide? I made some before, they were slightly wrinkled but after the water bath to finish, brought them out to be nice and plump!

processhead thanks. I will have remember to give this a try this fall.

Looks delicious! I’m definitely going to revisit this post and take some notes. Thanks for posting. 😋

processhead Yeah, I prefer that (actually I prefer almost everything) with the tang. There are a few that in my opinion though absolutely require it. Pepperoni, Salami, Lanjaeger and a few others.

processhead No, I have never done 100 lb in it. I can say after loading it with 25 lb of the 2.9" X 24" casings (or whatever the biggest is) I believe it is possible but it is going to be very crowded in there for sure. Also, you might be able to get more than one row of the shorter in there.

Smoked Salmon or BBQ shrimp & grits sound good next Saturday the 20th!

Thank you very much for sharing!

Jonathon said in Grinder Knives; All Spoken For:

Weve considered a sort of “used” section that would allow people to do these types of things but it seems like a dedicated section might not be necessary. I think we backed off of it for legal; reasons if I remember correctly. It is also totally possible that Austin told me that there would be no legal problem with it and I am just getting hung up on remembering we talked the liability portion of things.

I am a member of another forum with a dedicated buy, sell, trade section that does has a high level of activity. Unless you have a lot of people selling and buying, I wouldn’t bother creating a separate section just for that.

Denny O At least you figured it all out, I stay confused these days.

processhead said in Grinder Putting Out Mush? Don't Overlook The Obvious.:

Reviewing some posts of other people having problems grinding meat reminded me of a recent experience I had, and why you need to rule out the obvious when troubleshooting equipment problems.

Some friends and I had made sausage one weekend and after washdown, one of the new guys had reassembled the grinder head as we normally do so it would be ready to use the next week.

The following week, I was working alone and had just starting to grind some pork butt. I noticed the grinder was putting out mush meat and not feeding properly so I shut down the grinder.

I took the nut off the grinder and pulled the plate out and saw that my buddy had put the knife in backwards with the cutting edge facing inwards when he reassembled the grinder after the previous use.

Yeah, everyone is entitled to make a rookie mistake like that once.

The take away is, grinders are really simple machines and there are not many things that can go wrong.

When you do have grinding problems:

Understand how the plate and knife are supposed to fit in your grinder. Make sure your knife and plate are sharp. This is probably not a huge concern if you own a newer grinder and are a hobbyist/ occasional user. For best results, only grind very cold or partially frozen meat. Warm meat does not feed well in most grinders.

processhead said in Grinder Putting Out Mush? Don't Overlook The Obvious.:

Reviewing some posts of other people having problems grinding meat reminded me of a recent experience I had, and why you need to rule out the obvious when troubleshooting equipment problems.

Some friends and I had made sausage one weekend and after washdown, one of the new guys had reassembled the grinder head as we normally do so it would be ready to use the next week.

The following week, I was working alone and had just starting to grind some pork butt. I noticed the grinder was putting out mush meat and not feeding properly so I shut down the grinder.

I took the nut off the grinder and pulled the plate out and saw that my buddy had put the knife in backwards with the cutting edge facing inwards when he reassembled the grinder after the previous use.

Yeah, everyone is entitled to make a rookie mistake like that once.

The take away is, grinders are really simple machines and there are not many things that can go wrong.

When you do have grinding problems:

Understand how the plate and knife are supposed to fit in your grinder. Make sure your knife and plate are sharp. This is probably not a huge concern if you own a newer grinder and are a hobbyist/ occasional user. For best results, only grind very cold or partially frozen meat. Warm meat does not feed well in most grinders.

That’s great!!!

Finished up my experiment with a honey cured vs maple syrup cured. Both turned out pretty mild tasting. Maybe an extra day or curing would help. The next time I am going to use maple sugar instead of syrup. I used a pint of grade B, it darkened the pork a bit and was messy. I just didn’t want to use my limited supply of maple sugar until after sugar season. Smoked with hickory, should have the next belly ready in a couple of weeks.

IMG_20210301_204846623.jpg

No sugar. Just salt, black pepper, and garlic powder on this one.

YooperDog said in Grinding And Mixing for Breakfast Sausage and Brats:

You will have a better product with a stuffer

I too have been there and done that.

So, we got some information from our application specialist who knows Excaliburs processes well. His response was “Large batches are well mixed for distribution and then immediately packaged so no settling occurs.” Now, we are going to have an Excaibur guy on the podcast soonish so we will make sure to bring this up!

Ozgrams said in Venison Whole Muscle Jerky:

hell of an operation… never seen that brand of smoker… and you must have some great recipes in that safe…

Whats the benefit of dusting the seasoning and stacking vs adding water and marinating in Fridge

The short answer on dusting is, that’s how the instructions say to do it. The stacking just makes it easier to get them apart again when they are ready to go on the rack and also ensures that the un-dusted side is in contact with a dusted piece underneath it.
With a marinate, the amount of cure and seasoning to use gets a little iffy. With some trial and error, you could probably figure out a system that would work with a marinade, but ultimately, not all the dry ingredients in the marinade are going to stick to the meat, and some drips off somewhere you don’t want it to go. I like the meat to have the minimum amount of moisture to shorten dry time and just minimize the mess while preparing. Its just my method and I am sure other methods work just as well for others.

You have never seen a smoker like that one because it was a limited edition of one. In it’s previous life, it was a hospital blanket warmer.

After adding vents, a larger heating element, home-made pellet auger/smoke generator, and temperature controls, it is now a smoker.
Originally, I built electric smokers for my friends, mostly made from vintage refrigerators, the kind with the latching handles that kids would play in and…you know.
A buddy coined the name, cooked up a logo, and built some badges for the smokers I was making. Yes, kind of sick/dark. But easy to remember.

20210202_122729.jpg

Helps to know that background info, Jonathon. Thanks. We made up a batch of summer sausage this morning and used Excaliber ECA in the amount directed in the instructions. We always cook up some of the leftover meat from the bottom of the stuffer afterwards and the tanginess is just about right.
Its just one of those things I obsess about a little when preparing ingredients

Jonathon said in Cured Smoked Pheasant:

processhead Nice job! She fetched so she wins that argument!

Right you are, Jonathon. She covers my a$$ most of the time and is a great companion to boot.

Thanks, Jonathon. We finished a 25 lb batch yesterday evening and the three of us were very pleased with the finished sticks. We used 80/20 venison and beef fat for our meat block.

processhead welcome to a great community.

It continues to amaze me the depth of knowledge members have in this community and their willingness to share.