Hey all I’m relatively new here and was hoping to see some pictures of your guy’s at home butcher shops. Wether it’s elaborate or simple, I’m intrigued to see what others have going on. My family and I eat deer for about 95% of our meat, we shoot on average 6-8 a year and our local meat guy is retiring after this season. So I will have a year to obtain the processing equipment I need. I’m hoping to buy some equipment used, I have a few things such as a grinder but definitely would a appreciate something larger hp in the future. Thanks
At home meat processing
- Thread starter Butcher
- Start date
you don't need much other than some cutting boards, sharp knives, and a table to do the work on and wrap it up. It can be as simple as you want or you can spend as much money as you want on it. Me: I choose the simple and economical approach, not much to take pictures of
Oh, guess I do have a grinder and small sausage stuffer, but that's about it
Oh, guess I do have a grinder and small sausage stuffer, but that's about it
brocksw
Well-known member
Sorry, Don't have any pictures to share. But we process several deer, an elk or two, a couple antelope, a couple beef, and a couple pigs almost every year. We just work in the kitchen and garage.
Some things we do to make life easier. This will vary depending on the amount of meat your processing at once. We have everything off the bone and ready to grind the day we're going to process.
1. Process in the winter/cold months whenever possible. Setting all that meat out in a cardboard box is much easier than shuffling freezer and fridge space. We use totes and food grade tubs for each 25 lb batch(Keep the meat cold at all times!).
2. If you're grinding hundreds of lbs of meat at a time like we do, get the biggest (highest HP) you can afford. Get one size bigger than you think you need. If you don't do much grinding (just a couple deer) a half horse grinder will be sufficient. Just takes a little longer.
3. If you do a lot of stuffing (country style, snack sticks, brats) a 20-30 lb stuffer is a huge time saver and makes life way easier. This is especially true when you're stuffing into collagen casings and dealing with air pockets that will pop said casings. We stuff snack sticks and brats into collagen casings, country is the only thing that goes into hog casings. Getting an electric stuffer with a foot pedal made our operation way more efficient. My mom and wife will stuff snack sticks, brats, country style, while my dad, brother, and I are mixing and grinding. My wife can stuff 50 lbs of snack sticks by herself in relatively short order.
4. We found the mixers that hooked up to your grinder were not worth it for us. THey're harder to clean, expensive, take longer, and tie up your grinder if you're using an LEM style electric grinder and compatible mixer. For mixing we use tall 5 gallon buckets, a high torque drill, and a drywall mixer arm that fits into the drill. Dual purpose usage for the drill and doesn't take up a ton of space the rest of the year when not in use.
5. We also have a 5lb stuffer for random stuff. We tend to do summer sausage out of that one while the more tedious stuffing is done with the big one. I also use it for smaller batches of Salami, Soppressetta, Pepperoni, and liver sausage as well.
6. We have not invested in a smoker big enough to be useful. Last year for wild game processing we took in 50 lbs of country, 50 lbs of snack sticks, 75 lbs of summer sausage, and 50 lbs of brats. I think our bill at the local butcher to smoke all that was a little over a 100 bucks. We'd have to have a pretty good size smoker to do it all at once and we'd only use it once or twice a year. Its convenient to just drop everything off and then pick it up when it's done.
Scale up or down to suit your budget and processing capacity. We've got our system down pretty good. Every Dec/Jan we process a few hundred lbs of meat in 1 day. Start at around 8-9 am and we're done around 6 or 7pm.
Some things we do to make life easier. This will vary depending on the amount of meat your processing at once. We have everything off the bone and ready to grind the day we're going to process.
1. Process in the winter/cold months whenever possible. Setting all that meat out in a cardboard box is much easier than shuffling freezer and fridge space. We use totes and food grade tubs for each 25 lb batch(Keep the meat cold at all times!).
2. If you're grinding hundreds of lbs of meat at a time like we do, get the biggest (highest HP) you can afford. Get one size bigger than you think you need. If you don't do much grinding (just a couple deer) a half horse grinder will be sufficient. Just takes a little longer.
3. If you do a lot of stuffing (country style, snack sticks, brats) a 20-30 lb stuffer is a huge time saver and makes life way easier. This is especially true when you're stuffing into collagen casings and dealing with air pockets that will pop said casings. We stuff snack sticks and brats into collagen casings, country is the only thing that goes into hog casings. Getting an electric stuffer with a foot pedal made our operation way more efficient. My mom and wife will stuff snack sticks, brats, country style, while my dad, brother, and I are mixing and grinding. My wife can stuff 50 lbs of snack sticks by herself in relatively short order.
4. We found the mixers that hooked up to your grinder were not worth it for us. THey're harder to clean, expensive, take longer, and tie up your grinder if you're using an LEM style electric grinder and compatible mixer. For mixing we use tall 5 gallon buckets, a high torque drill, and a drywall mixer arm that fits into the drill. Dual purpose usage for the drill and doesn't take up a ton of space the rest of the year when not in use.
5. We also have a 5lb stuffer for random stuff. We tend to do summer sausage out of that one while the more tedious stuffing is done with the big one. I also use it for smaller batches of Salami, Soppressetta, Pepperoni, and liver sausage as well.
6. We have not invested in a smoker big enough to be useful. Last year for wild game processing we took in 50 lbs of country, 50 lbs of snack sticks, 75 lbs of summer sausage, and 50 lbs of brats. I think our bill at the local butcher to smoke all that was a little over a 100 bucks. We'd have to have a pretty good size smoker to do it all at once and we'd only use it once or twice a year. Its convenient to just drop everything off and then pick it up when it's done.
Scale up or down to suit your budget and processing capacity. We've got our system down pretty good. Every Dec/Jan we process a few hundred lbs of meat in 1 day. Start at around 8-9 am and we're done around 6 or 7pm.
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duckhunt
Well-known member
Before I had a smoker I would add liquid smoke to the meat and finish off in the oven for snack sticks and summer sausage. Lots of YouTube videos to learn from. Also can get butcher paper and wrapping supplies from your local grocery store.
Gellar
Well-known member
I have a grinder, cutting boards and a sawzall that is only used for butchering. I also have a canner for canning stocks and stew meat. I have a dehydrator as well. Also a stainless table and bowls, food grade tubs and a scale are helpful to have but not necessary.
To make sausage I go in with 2 other families that we hunt with and we have a meat mixer and vertical stuffers. If you are going to make sausages a stuffer and mixer are the only way to go! We worked out a deal with an Amish guy and he smokes it all in his commercial smoker. Drop it off in the morning ready to go and it’s done by the next day.
To make sausage I go in with 2 other families that we hunt with and we have a meat mixer and vertical stuffers. If you are going to make sausages a stuffer and mixer are the only way to go! We worked out a deal with an Amish guy and he smokes it all in his commercial smoker. Drop it off in the morning ready to go and it’s done by the next day.
Hunting Wife
Well-known member
No pics either, because we just pull everything out and do the processing in the kitchen, then put it all away when it’s done. We do a couple deer, a couple antelope and maybe an elk every year, on average.
We get by with a half HP grinder/stuffer. I leave a lot of things in bigger cuts and braise them instead of cutting/grinding them. We invested in good knives, a couple large cutting boards, a few large food-grade tubs/totes. We use a scale quite a bit when making sausage. We also have a small smoker now but it isn’t a necessity.
When we started out we had knives, a couple cutting boards, and a Kitchen-aid grinder attachment. It doesn’t have to be complicated to get started, and upgrade when you know what would be most useful to you.
We get by with a half HP grinder/stuffer. I leave a lot of things in bigger cuts and braise them instead of cutting/grinding them. We invested in good knives, a couple large cutting boards, a few large food-grade tubs/totes. We use a scale quite a bit when making sausage. We also have a small smoker now but it isn’t a necessity.
When we started out we had knives, a couple cutting boards, and a Kitchen-aid grinder attachment. It doesn’t have to be complicated to get started, and upgrade when you know what would be most useful to you.
Dakotakid
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2014
- Messages
- 817
I have collected some items over the years but do not have it set up in current house. I have a long stainless counter that works well but I really want adjustable legs on it.
I am tall enough that most tables are back breakers.
I use my meat slicer for whole meat jerky which I prefer. In fact I have a center round of a moose and an elk in the freezer, one of these days...
My wife prefers the game bags for burger, over the Saran/butcher paper. So a plastic tie dispenser is helpful.
A few food grade bins are also helpful.
I am tall enough that most tables are back breakers.
I use my meat slicer for whole meat jerky which I prefer. In fact I have a center round of a moose and an elk in the freezer, one of these days...
My wife prefers the game bags for burger, over the Saran/butcher paper. So a plastic tie dispenser is helpful.
A few food grade bins are also helpful.
SaskHunter
Well-known member
At home butchering set up:
It's not really about where you do it, but more how. You need basic stuff like a good cutting board (I'm done messing around with small ones and bought a large commercial grade board), knives, grinder, tubs and wraping paper. Temperature control is very important. Since I do my butchering in the house, I only bring in/work on no more than a quarter at a time and keep the cut meat in meat tubs with ice. I personally don't cut steaks and leave everything into roasts which I later cut into steaks. When its time to grind or do sausage, I do it with half frozen chunks of meat and make sure not to let the meat warm up. Finally, I wrap all my meat in cellophane then in butcher paper, that way I don't worry about freezer burnt meat.
I've done dozens of animals in the house with no issues. I don't know all the cuts or their name but I know enough to eat like a king and feed my family well. It's extremely rewarding to kill, clean, cut and feed yourself and family.
It's not really about where you do it, but more how. You need basic stuff like a good cutting board (I'm done messing around with small ones and bought a large commercial grade board), knives, grinder, tubs and wraping paper. Temperature control is very important. Since I do my butchering in the house, I only bring in/work on no more than a quarter at a time and keep the cut meat in meat tubs with ice. I personally don't cut steaks and leave everything into roasts which I later cut into steaks. When its time to grind or do sausage, I do it with half frozen chunks of meat and make sure not to let the meat warm up. Finally, I wrap all my meat in cellophane then in butcher paper, that way I don't worry about freezer burnt meat.
I've done dozens of animals in the house with no issues. I don't know all the cuts or their name but I know enough to eat like a king and feed my family well. It's extremely rewarding to kill, clean, cut and feed yourself and family.
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MThuntr
Well-known member
I like this idea.
I agree with Brocksw said...get a big high quality grinder. It will last a lifetime. Get a sausage suffer (I have a 5lber and cuss every time I use it for big batches) and go big. An electric one with a foot pedal control is very handy for processing alone.
Buy giant rolls of freezer paper with a roll dispenser and some plastic wrap. I think I got 1/4 mile of freezer paper at Costco for like $20.
Islander
Well-known member
I splurged on a custom 36x48 HDPE cutting board, bone saw, and grinding attachment for the KitchenAid.
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Thanks fellas! I’m not much different than any of you guys then. I’ve got the biggest cutting board I could find a portable table, a grinder but would definitely like to upgrade because mine gets bound up with tendons and silver skin, a variety of boning and skinning knives. Also a sawzall for legs, caps, etc. I keep a garage fridge so I can age a few quarters for a week or two in between kills and for when time allows to cut up more meat. I think I’ll keep it simple like everyone else. I’ve only done freezer paper but have thought of going vacuum sealer but feel like thats just a extra thing I don’t HAVE to have. Oh and I also have a electric smoker and dehydrater. Think I’ll upgrade the grinder and call it good 
So far in my 3 years of married life, away from a dedicated seasonal butchering set up, I’ve done three deer and a pronghorn on the kitchen counter. I try to bring in a quarter at a time. I use the biggest cutting board that BBY let us put on our registry ( 
) and sharp knives. I’ve gone from straight freezer paper to freezer paper over Saran Wrap with good results. I really need to upgrade my grinder as I’m using a dinky Kitchenaid one that attaches to the counter mixer but I take all the cuts out of an animal that I can and don’t end up having much more than 10-15lbs trim per animal. I save trim pieces in gallon bags, frozen, until needed to grind. That way I am only grinding 8-15 pounds at a time ( 1 or 2 gallon bags) and makes the KA grinder bearable through the year. I’m sure I am skipping something, but am pretty happy with my process. Usually from a hanging skinned deer, I can be cut and wrapped in right around two hours.
) and sharp knives. I’ve gone from straight freezer paper to freezer paper over Saran Wrap with good results. I really need to upgrade my grinder as I’m using a dinky Kitchenaid one that attaches to the counter mixer but I take all the cuts out of an animal that I can and don’t end up having much more than 10-15lbs trim per animal. I save trim pieces in gallon bags, frozen, until needed to grind. That way I am only grinding 8-15 pounds at a time ( 1 or 2 gallon bags) and makes the KA grinder bearable through the year. I’m sure I am skipping something, but am pretty happy with my process. Usually from a hanging skinned deer, I can be cut and wrapped in right around two hours.
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BuzzH
Well-known member
Acquire what you need over time.
I have a grinder, cuber, couple dozen knives, half a dozen or more good cutting boards (old counter tops work great), sausage stuffer, a couple smokers, the large rolls of plastic wrap and butcher paper...not much I don't have at this point.
If you ever build a house, heated garage, utility sink and area strictly for cutting meat, fileting fish, etc....that is the cat's ass. Glad I did that, keeps the mess out of the house and gives me a place to store all the processing equipment.
Only thing I would consider adding is a walk-in type cooler.
Nick87
Well-known member
Do you have a floor drain? Always thought if I do one in the garage like that I'd tin the walls and ceiling so that I could wash everything down with a hose.
I use 2 8' tables, left is a cutting board and right is stainless sink. (Excuse fryer, we use here in garage to keep cleanup and smell down) but having that cutting board tabletop is so nice and with 1 of my chest freezers next to it tons of work room. Everything gets sprayed with bleach water before/after processing. Cutting board gets sanded/treated every couple uses. Sausage stuffers, grinders and totes with spices, attachments and knifes etc all store under nicely. One tote is a vacuum bags and packaging materials. Next thing I add will be a rubber pad to stand on current scrap carpet helps but I am beat at end of day
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
I have a cheap butcher tool/knife set, large cutting board, kitchenaid mixer with grinder attachment, vacuum sealer, and dehydrator.
I hang the carcass from my garage rafters, lay plastic sheeting on my truck bed & tailgate for a workspace, then dissemble the carcass using a rubber mallet and a cleaver (it’s easy). I wrap the cuts in plastic wrap, butcher paper and secure with butcher tape. 1/4 of the trimmings get ground into burger in my kitchen, and the rest I wrap up to be ground at other times of the year.
New this year: epoxy garage floor for easier clean up, and upgrading from a 6 sq foot chest freezer to a 16 sq foot model (when I can find one).
New next year: completing my heated garage - I completed 75% of the work this year and last year.
Future additions: meat slicer, upgrade dehydrator, upgrade grinder, butcher tape dispenser, smoker, band saw, and sausage stuffer.
I hang the carcass from my garage rafters, lay plastic sheeting on my truck bed & tailgate for a workspace, then dissemble the carcass using a rubber mallet and a cleaver (it’s easy). I wrap the cuts in plastic wrap, butcher paper and secure with butcher tape. 1/4 of the trimmings get ground into burger in my kitchen, and the rest I wrap up to be ground at other times of the year.
New this year: epoxy garage floor for easier clean up, and upgrading from a 6 sq foot chest freezer to a 16 sq foot model (when I can find one).
New next year: completing my heated garage - I completed 75% of the work this year and last year.
Future additions: meat slicer, upgrade dehydrator, upgrade grinder, butcher tape dispenser, smoker, band saw, and sausage stuffer.
Nick87
Well-known member
She's a beautiful clark! I like the freezer right there.
I have some old knives, cheap cutting boards and a grinder attachment for a mixer. Plan to upgrade the grinder soon. Depending on the outside temp j will take some old countertop and throw it on sawhorses in the garage and process there. If too warm it’s in the kitchen. Nothing too fancy and it gets the job done but some of the additions items like a stuffer would speed it up.
like others have said a quality grinder and sausage stuffer if your going to get into that. Besides that i have done multiple elk and deer with a quality filet and butcher knife on the kitchen table. a couple LEM tubs are nice for transport of meat and especially for use during grinding.
