How Many Grinds

[GreenNDark Timber]

Do you grind your burger once or twice?

I bought a new LEM #22 grinder this year to replace an old cheaper #8 grinder and used it the first time last night processing a full bull elk. I was extremely happy with it's speed on the first grind with the large plate (3/8") which took maybe 10 min for the entire elk. The second grind through the small plate (3/16") was significantly slower and took about an hour and a half. I know the second grind is always slower but was expecting it to take about half the time it did. Now I'm considering ordering the 1/4" plate and just doing a single grind from now on. Just curious what others are doing.

 

[gelton]

Ran into the same problem myself last season which was my first season to run a grinder. What I found is that during the second grind you have to continually take off the plate to clean it (gets stopped up). After that it runs fine for a short while.

I also have an LEM and wish they would have included 1/4" in there as well.

 

[TSAMP]

If your having to take down the grinder mid process to clear a plate your not prepping your meat properly. I've never had that happen to me with my 3/4hp setup in 6 years of processing.

I think the second grind has alot to do with what your plans are for it. Burger? Prob get away with a single. Sausage? Second grind might be helpful.

I grind it all twice, and like you dread the second round as it takes awhile. I may get a in-between plate myself. I think the important thing is to take breaks and toss the grind head assembly into the freezer along with your meat for 5 or 10 min. Going at it for 45 min straight things are going to heat up, which is not good.

 

[Don Qui Puncher]

Try putting back in the freezer after the first grind, mine will chew it up with the smaller plate but it needs to be a little frozen otherwise when pushing the plunger it comes up if it’s not partially frozen

 

[5MilesBack]

For just burger my 1hp has never needed more than one grind with the small plate, and it moves quickly.

 

[GreenNDark Timber]

Couple of other things I forgot to add. I was using the 2" stuffing tube with the tubular ground meat bags on the second grind. I'm sure that slows things down a bit as well. I did put the meat in the freezer before the first grind and before the second grind (about 30 min each time). I didn't put the head and pan in the freezer (I usually do but got lazy).

LEM says the small plate is 3/16" but when I measured the holes are actually just a shade over 1/8". Maybe their 1/4" plate is actually closer to 3/16". The stomper is also about 1/2" smaller diameter than the feed tube so when stuffing meat in the feed tube for the second grind it just squeezed out around the stomper and shot up out of the throat. I'm going to see if I can find an aftermarket stomper that is closer in diameter to the feed tube to prevent this.

 

[bsnedeker]

Has anyone tried out Lem's double-grind attachment? I've been considering it because I HATE doing the second grind but haven't seen many reviews on it.

 

[GreenNDark Timber]

Has anyone tried out Lem's double-grind attachment? I've been considering it because I HATE doing the second grind but haven't seen many reviews on it.

I considered buying the dual grind version when I bought the grinder but after looking at it, it doesn't seem to be a true dual grind. It only uses one blade and just passes through the large stuffing plate first. Like you, I'd love to hear some real world feedback on it though.

 

[bsnedeker]

I considered buying the dual grind version when I bought the grinder but after looking at it, it doesn't seem to be a true dual grind. It only uses one blade and just passes through the large stuffing plate first. Like you, I'd love to hear some real world feedback on it though.

My thoughts on it exactly. If it had two blades and you could use different plates for the first one it would be perfect...the way it is makes me wonder if it's actually useful.

 

[Tod osier]

Do you grind your burger once or twice?

I bought a new LEM #22 grinder this year to replace an old cheaper #8 grinder and used it the first time last night processing a full bull elk. I was extremely happy with it's speed on the first grind with the large plate (3/8") which took maybe 10 min for the entire elk. The second grind through the small plate (3/16") was significantly slower and took about an hour and a half. I know the second grind is always slower but was expecting it to take about half the time it did. Now I'm considering ordering the 1/4" plate and just doing a single grind from now on. Just curious what others are doing.

Just one grind through a fine plate for burger and sausage unless it is something special.

 

[Poser]

I worked at a butcher shop with a commercial grinder that you could easily drop a body in. We always did 2 grinds on beef. As a result, I always do 2 grinds on game meat -the results are significantly better no matter how much HP your grinder has

 

[long hunter]

I run a hobart, first grind is a coarse grind and second is the finer plate, as stated make sure the meat is totally prepped removing all silver skin,sinew and that sort of stuff, also the meat will grind better if really cold.

 

[Tod osier]

I run a hobart, first grind is a coarse grind and second is the finer plate, as stated make sure the meat is totally prepped removing all silver skin,sinew and that sort of stuff, also the meat will grind better if really cold.

Different strokes for different folks, but grinding to me is to turn that connective tissue rich (chewy) tissue into tender edible meat. I have never gotten a tough bit or chunk in meat that has with silverskin and ground once through a fine plate. I am not grinding slabs of sinew or huge tendons like the Achilles.

I was taught by grandpaw to double grind, first coarse then fine, and found that I was wasting a lot of time doing that.

 

[Poser]

Different strokes for different folks, but grinding to me is to turn that connective tissue rich (chewy) tissue into tender edible meat. I have never gotten a tough bit or chunk in meat that has with silverskin and ground once through a fine plate. I am not grinding slabs of sinew or huge tendons like the Achilles.

I was taught by grandpaw to double grind, first coarse then fine, and found that I was wasting a lot of time doing that.

I agree. You can leave a lot of silverskin in if you double grind.

 

[Trial153]

I grind twice, for most everything. I never switch the plate out between grinds

 

[Lawnboi]

One grind through a fine plate for me.

 

[Wrench]

I prefer 2x. If you are needing to clear the grinder in the course of an elk....your grinder plate and or blades need to be sharpened.

 

[Tod osier]

I prefer 2x. If you are needing to clear the grinder in the course of an elk....your grinder plate and or blades need to be sharpened.

Yes on the sharpening improving cutting (which is easy to do on a diamond stone), but accumulation of tissue on the plate and knife can also result from simply not having the screw ring tight enough. The ring needs to be snug to force the knife into the plate to get a clean cut.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Try putting back in the freezer after the first grind, mine will chew it up with the smaller plate but it needs to be a little frozen otherwise when pushing the plunger it comes up if it’s not partially frozen

+1 for this. Partial freeze makes going easier and my machine stays cleaner. A buddy runs two heads on his grinder and swaps them in and out of the freezer between batches to keep the grinder itself cold As well.

 

[jmez]

I single grind everything.

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