 WOW – OK Grouselady, here it go’s!
I will do my best to give you an idea of what you will need to do in order to make sausage and the alike.
First, you need to get a recipe – these can be found all over the net and/or go to your local sportsman store and look for a prepackaged kit. I start with a kit myself but then we add seasonings to that and give it our own flavor. By the way – that’s the best part of the process – giving the meat your own little touch. As you read the seasoning kit, it will tell you everything you need to know – how much meat, cure and seasonings. The cure and seasonings need to be added just as the instructions call for! or you will have problems!  
I then take my venison cuttings and run them into the meat grinder ( a good meat grinder is helpful!). Then if my recipe is calling for 30lbs of meat – I take 15lbs of venison and then will add 15 lbs of pork. – Now I use coarse ground pork or will buy my own pork and grind up. Also, getting the weight correct is important – I use a scale. From here you simply mix the 2 kinds of meat, seasonings and cure per directions. I like to leave this mix sit in the fridge over night before stuffing but if the directions say its ready – its ready!
Before stuffing the sausage it’s a good idea to run it all into the meat grinder one last time. This helps the seasonings get into all on the meat along with mixing the meats. Try not to run any meat into the grinder more than 2 times at it will get tacky. Now you are ready to stuff sausage. I have only used animal sausage casings, I use sheep for the sticks, pork or beef for the brats and summer go’s into its own casing. For the stuffing process I have an early 1940’s sausage stuffer that has lasted Liz’s family for generations but there are attachments for meat grinders that work just as well if you do not want to buy a stuffer. I will fill the casing with meat, wet it down and use my hands to make it all one thickness. From here you simply measure the brats to your length and twist the casing. 
To smoke or not to smoke!  Well, all kits will tell you if you need to cook/smoke the meat. If you do not own a smoker – the directions will tell you how to do it in an oven. I have done it both ways and enjoy the end results on both. I use a smoker because I love the flavor it adds – for example; Brats when stuffed can be packaged right away but I like adding them to the smoke for a couple of hours to add some smoke flavor. Summer sausage needs to reach a temp of 165 MIN. this can be done in an oven but in a smoker you add even one more flavor!
OK – now it’s all done? Not yet! Packing is the final step. I for one put a lot of pride into each batch of meat so I use a vacuum sealer machine to seal in every last drop of flavor. Wrapping paper is fine but I prefer to go the extra step and seal it for the long winter ahead.
To recap – you need =
A good meat grinder
Meat tubs – to put meat in
Sharp knives
Seasoning kit /s
Pork
Casings
Stuffer – or tubes for grinder
Packaging – for end product!
Well – I hope this helps!
For me it’s all about “enjoying the experience” 
I enjoy walking the woods early before season
I enjoy sighting in my gun LOTS
I enjoy planting food plots
I enjoy getting camp ready
I enjoy deer camp with friends and family
I enjoy the stories and making new ones
I enjoy making sausage
I enjoy sharing the sausage
I enjoy it all!!!!
Hope this helps! Give it a try! |