Processing equipment...

[Beentown]

I say we compile of list of items that would be beneficial for a person starting out or for the seasoned guy with new tricks or equipment. I'll start then you guys add on:

Set of sharp knives and a good sharpener (you would be suprised how often you should sharpen/hone)

Good table preferably not wood as it likes to hold bacteria (plastic or stainless)

Cutting board if you like (I cut on the table as they are made for it...the one I have anyway)

Meat hook

Box of thin latex gloves

Vacuum sealer and bags

Kitchen scale (great for trying recipes for brats and weighing out burger into ready to use sizes)

Grinder (if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer you can get a grinder/stuffer attachment for you)

Stainless bowls for holding cuts waiting to be packaged.

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For a food product I recommend you go hit up your butcher for natural casings that they have cleaned/prepped. They are not cheap by the pound but a pound makes ALOT of sausage.

Add on to this guys with good techniques and equipment.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

Meat Slicer - I finally broke down a few years ago and found one at Cabela's that was regular 99.99 that i picked up for 50 bucks. When you are doing jerky, the most common reason why it turns out inconsistent, is the slices of meat are not the same width. Now I just set my grinder to preferred thickness, and slice away.

 

[Beentown]

Yep I need one of those. I do my jerky in strips not ground. That would be handy.

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

Mix beef fat with your ground burger... just grind together. You can get it at any butcher, just ask.

 

[Milo]

i use food grade rubber made totes.. BLEACH also...oh cold beer too..

 

[Buckmaster]

Mix beef fat with your ground burger... just grind together. You can get it at any butcher, just ask.

I use pork butts at $ 1.39 per pound.

 

[Milo]

copy the BM...

I use pork butts at $ 1.39 per pound.

 

[Beentown]

Great additions.

I use Carfagnas or Smithhiser meats to get my extras. For sausages I will mix in a bit of fatty pork pieces.

BM beat me too it (you guys are quick!).

 

[Buckmaster]

Oh, I do my grind at the end of the season. It makes life easier only doing it once per year rather than 3-4 times. I just collect all the scraps and freeze. Half frozen meat tends to grind a little easier for me too. I have a #32 ginder hooked up to a 1hp motor. No issues with freeze, thaw, then refreeze.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

Good to know Buckmaster, that's why I have refrained from doing it before, because a lot of guys shy away from refreezing meat that has already been thawwed out.

 

[Milo]

i do the same as BM. its okay IF you grind it.

 

[Buckmaster]

Milo's my shadow today.

 

[Milo]

Milo's my shadow today.

does my shadow make you look fat? lmao

 

[jagermeister]

Cheap winch and pulley for lifting deer up on the gambrel. (Trying to get your wife to tie a knot while you're lifting a deer up is not fun....)

Jerky Gun (for making jerky with ground meat)

You guys have covered pretty much everything else... Just need sharp knives, a sanitary space to work on, and some meat tubs.

 

[Buckmaster]

Cheap winch and pulley for lifting deer up on the gambrel. (Trying to get your wife to tie a knot while you're lifting a deer up is not fun....)

I use and old boat winch off a trailer. It's mounted to the wall and the cable is ran to my roof top of my garage.

 

[Buckmaster]

does my shadow make you look fat? lmao

No help needed Milo. I'm already fat enough.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

I use and old boat winch off a trailer. It's mounted to the wall and the cable is ran to my roof top of my garage.

We had a similar setup at my buddies house. The boat winch was geared so low (or high) that it would like forever to get that bad boy in the air. Probably just the type of boat crank we had.

We ended up mounting two pulleys on the ceiling and one on the wall and used his ATV winch to lift them up. Talk about making quick work of hanging deer!

 

[Buckmaster]

The boat winch was geared so low (or high) that it would like forever to get that bad boy in the air. Probably just the type of boat crank we had.

I think they call that a worm gear. They are very slow.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

I think they call that a worm gear. They are very slow.

You got that right! Only other name that would fit would be snail gear! Still better than wrestling a big ole buck and trying to get him tied off and off the ground far enough.

 

[Curran]

Gambrel & hoist (gotta hang the deer from something)

Large working space / table (I think mine is about 2' x 4' or so)

Good set of knives

Sharpener (you'll need it plenty like Beentown said)

Large cutting boards

Plastic Tubs or Stainless bowels for putting your cuts into

I use butcher's freezer wrap, but a vacuum sealer would be ideal.

Small kitchen scale's are great (I usually pack all the ground in 1 lb. packages)

Grinder (I have an old hand grinder which works in a pinch, but electric grinders are worth the money!)

Pretty much what everybody else has listed!!