Wild game processing with the family

[Dick284]

With both our children and their mates having this weekend off we decided it was time to get after sausage, jerky, and pre made burger making.

It started Tuesday evening with Mrs D and I bringing all the un processed game out of the deep freezers.



I booked Friday off work and with the Pit Boss and his gal both being off we began production about 9 am.
8 pounds ground and pressed goose jerky
12 pounds goose pepperoni sticks
25 pounds maple breakfast deer
25 pounds hot Italian deer
25 pounds pizza pepperoni deer
12 pounds chorizo deer



The daughter and son in law with grandson in tow, arrived about 7 pm Friday.

We started Saturday with removing the goose jerky from the smoker, as we started it at bed time, then we started the pizza pepperoni and goose sticks in the smokers.

We mixed up 12 pounds of Italian sausage ground deer, 12 pounds of maple breakfast deer patty’s, and 65 pounds of pre seasoned deer /beef burgers.

A few hours more for some of the pepperoni, and today will be done




Tomorrow will be the final washing of the tables in at the car wash, and slicing the pizza pepperoni.

[colt45]

Nice lookin set up , looks organized
Nothing like getting the family together to process the meat

[Dom4]

Awesome thread here! I really love to hunt but I would say getting everyone together to do the meat processing might even rival the actual hunting for me.

The only thing I think you missed including is a beverage of your choice while working.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Dom4

Awesome thread here! I really love to hunt but I would say getting everyone together to do the meat processing might even rival the actual hunting for me.

The only thing I think you missed including is a beverage of your choice while working.

It wasn’t missed, trust me.

[Moo Snukkle]

Truly sorry I missed out on helping. Looks like it went off without a hitch. Hope I get an invite next year.

[waldedw]

Looks great, that's some fine eats your doing there, nice to see the consumers getting in on the manufacture process

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by waldedw

Looks great, that's some fine eats your doing there, nice to see the consumers getting in on the manufacture process

The kids have always been part of the processing of our wild game, they all hunt after all. The treat was having the whole family helping out for a change, and did it ever make the tasks less laborious on me and Mrs D.

All that’s left is the smoking of a small batch of summer sausage, slicing the pizza pepperoni and table cleaning at the car wash.

All the sausage making equipment is washed and stored on the shelves, it’s just the meat slicer and vac sealer we need today.

[Savage Bacon]

I bet you're glad that big job is done. It's nice having kids to help with the labour. What a delicious menu!

Sent from my SM-S901W using Tapatalk

[DiabeticKripple]

Nice!

I made a pile of sausage by myself this year.

30lbs of Spicy Italian
30lbs of Jalapeno Cheddar Bacon Smokies
15lbs of Jalapeno Cheddar pepperoni snack sticks
15lbs of Country Style Breakfast Sausage
15lbs of Garlic Sausage

I used Duncan Henry's recipes from his youtube videos, and each and every sausage is killer. Like holy sh!t good.

I blended my deer and elk 50/50 and then added pure pork fat to get the proper ratios.

[Phil McCracken]

Very awesome for the family getting together for this! Good on you and enjoy!

As for me, making tag soup for tonight...

[sns2]

Way to go bud. Pass on a hello to Richie for me. That goose hunt we had together with those fellers rates at the top for sheer entertainment and excitement. LOL.

[Greatwest]

That’s awesome. I miss those days with my dad and my brothers and all our families back in Sask.

It won’t be long and your grandson will be in there helping and getting his hands in the nice cold ooey gooey meat. Then few more years after that you will have an extra deer to process. Pretty sure that boy will be sitting in on one of Grandpa’s blind adventures.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Greatwest

That’s awesome. I miss those days with my dad and my brothers and all our families back in Sask.

It won’t be long and your grandson will be in there helping and getting his hands in the nice cold ooey gooey meat. Then few more years after that you will have an extra deer to process. Pretty sure that boy will be sitting in on one of Grandpa’s blind adventures.

The waterfowl blind too!

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Greatwest

That’s awesome. I miss those days with my dad and my brothers and all our families back in Sask.

It won’t be long and your grandson will be in there helping and getting his hands in the nice cold ooey gooey meat. Then few more years after that you will have an extra deer to process. Pretty sure that boy will be sitting in on one of Grandpa’s blind adventures.

We have a powered meat mixer, so frozen hands is a thing of the past. The only hands on part is filling the sausage stuffer, or when making pressed burgers.

The thought of the grandson and his involvement in our families passionate pursuits, in the near future, warms my heart to a great degree.

[Dom4]

Originally Posted by Dick284

We have a powered meat mixer, so frozen hands is a thing of the past. The only hands on part is filling the sausage stuffer, or when making pressed burgers.

The thought of the grandson and his involvement in our families passionate pursuits, in the near future, warms my heart to a great degree.

I do not want to take anything away from your post but if anyone doesn't have a meat mixer I bought a pair of the kitchen wash gloves that are insulated on the inside and I just wash them when I am done. Just an idea if someone doesn't have a mixer and they get cold hands.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Dom4

I do not want to take anything away from your post but if anyone doesn't have a meat mixer I bought a pair of the kitchen wash gloves that are insulated on the inside and I just wash them when I am done. Just an idea if someone doesn't have a mixer and they get cold hands.

That’s how we did it back in the beginning. Insulated dishwashing gloves, and cotton liner gloves. It saved the hands, but let’s face it your arms and back took a beating too, especially when you’re doing say 100-150 pounds of sausage in a weekend(I think one time with 4 hunters we did close to 300 pounds one weekend)
The price of a 20 pound mixer is pretty justified when the volume of meat processed crosses 100 pounds IMO. (~$199) powering it up was just a summer time hobbyists treat

[Ackleyman]

That brings back good memories Dick. Any hair on anything was like a VERY serious infraction ! I had a big Shepherd and bud had a Australian Kelpe , lots of trim on shop floor but if they both locked on the same piece it was a major dog fight. We locked both the buggers in a bin overnight.

[Hunter Trav]

Originally Posted by Dick284

We have a powered meat mixer, so frozen hands is a thing of the past. The only hands on part is filling the sausage stuffer, or when making pressed burgers.

The thought of the grandson and his involvement in our families passionate pursuits, in the near future, warms my heart to a great degree.

Awesome thread Dick! Just curious what size pulley you used on your mixer setup? I have one of those from Cabelas and a spare electric motor I could put to good use...

I also have to agree with the sentiment of involving your grandsons in your activities in the future. I just had my oldest grandson out this past weekend ice fishing for the first time and it was amazing!!

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Hunter Trav

Awesome thread Dick! Just curious what size pulley you used on your mixer setup? I have one of those from Cabelas and a spare electric motor I could put to good use...

I also have to agree with the sentiment of involving your grandsons in your activities in the future. I just had my oldest grandson out this past weekend ice fishing for the first time and it was amazing!!

1740 rpm motor, 1.25” pully on the motor, and a 10” pully on the mixer, it’s still a tad fast IMO, an 11” or 12” pully would be best, but this is year two of powered operation and, well we are a work in progress.

My grandson is only 15 months old, so the future is truly he right.

[roper1]

Great weekend with the fam reliving the hunts & preparing the feasts!

[Dom4]

Originally Posted by Dick284

That’s how we did it back in the beginning. Insulated dishwashing gloves, and cotton liner gloves. It saved the hands, but let’s face it your arms and back took a beating too, especially when you’re doing say 100-150 pounds of sausage in a weekend(I think one time with 4 hunters we did close to 300 pounds one weekend)
The price of a 20 pound mixer is pretty justified when the volume of meat processed crosses 100 pounds IMO. (~$199) powering it up was just a summer time hobbyists treat

With how much of the processing we are doing ourself it probably makes a good deal of sense with all of the money we spend on other things. Even though I think I am invisible I do feel it after I spend an hour or so mixing meat. HAHA Do you mind sharing what machine you have?

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Dom4

With how much of the processing we are doing ourself it probably makes a good deal of sense with all of the money we spend on other things. Even though I think I am invisible I do feel it after I spend an hour or so mixing meat. HAHA Do you mind sharing what machine you have?

Cabelas 20 lb meat mixer.

[Hunter Trav]

Originally Posted by Dick284

1740 rpm motor, 1.25” pully on the motor, and a 10” pully on the mixer, it’s still a tad fast IMO, an 11” or 12” pully would be best, but this is year two of powered operation and, well we are a work in progress.

Awesome thanks! Just looking at the picture with the mixer in it again and I see you have it plugged into some sort of switch, what are you using for that? Also what did you do to be able to tension the belt?

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Hunter Trav

Awesome thanks! Just looking at the picture with the mixer in it again and I see you have it plugged into some sort of switch, what are you using for that? Also what did you do to be able to tension the belt?

That’s a single phase Variable Frequency Drive, that causes me all sorts of heart ache, so it’s just a switch……… I am an electrician by trade, and dabble in millwrighting as I work with some millwrights. The base is 1/8” stainless steel.

[Hunter Trav]

Cool, thanks again!!