Question: Im thinking Im going to need a steam boiler for the small slaughter / processing plant Im building in west Texas. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Our listservis a great resource for answering your equipment questions. choppers processing sold We receive 1/4 steer, 1/2 hog, and whole lamb & goats. The smoke production is fantastic. I did a fair amount of research on this a year ago and decided to go with the DSC instead. LabelView does have ability to connect with a scale. If you go lower and you end up with hogs with any size on them, youll be creeping a little too close for comfort on the floor. Sharp knives not only make the job of cutting meat faster, but they can also prevent accidents from happening. And remember, USDAtakes labeling issues very serious. Question:Our local meat processor is able to place the name of the producer, the cut name, weight, etc. Once you hang the hog from its back legs and it spreads down it will be 7 feet plus. Labelview Comment #3: Yep, you are right, Mike. Everyone likes how rollstock packaging looks, but can a small plant really afford to have/use one? For basic butchering, these two tools are all that is needed to break an animal down into eatable pieces. Along the same lines. Question: We are looking for a one-truck pass-through smoker. Great article. One of the most basic tools and pieces of meat processing equipment needed to process animals into table fare is a knife. Useful? What about for a chicken or pig? If you dont have many items and do not need random weight barcodes this may be an option. The first micro-processor house we had was a Smith, then an EnviroPak and then a Vortron. Subscribe to our newsletter and learn something new every day. We use a tankless gas on demand water heater. processing meat equipment pisces boning fish line Answer #3: With us it depends on the whole day production. deboner paoli deboner paoli processing equipment rebuilt fpec compressors polar cfs stein urschel screw heat etc including control sell Stayportableso you can use it for multiple tasks. Found several software products that have lots of capabilities but are very pricey. Answer #6: Can you describe the Labelview/COMwatch/ZebraZM400system more? Just like people have recommended to buy refrigeration through someone that will work with you, Id recommend the same thing for a label machine. I say Alkar only because that was what showed up on the lowboy. They have bench top meters and a portable handheld device too. What are the Different Types of Food Processing Machinery? You need to be able to tell them what you want it to be able to do, but not in generalities. Answer #4: The biggest key to a POS system is knowing what you want from it and communicating that to the vendor. We just use Labelview for some special projects. Due to our level of production, we need something a little bit faster but 1600 strokes per minute is over kill for our needs and the faster they go the bigger the footprint seems to be. $20 to $30k. Ive used the Univex already and while it is durable it did not have the accuracy that we were looking for. Answer #1: We bought a small electric boiler to run our sausagepeeler- it is aReimers Electric Boiler. If expanding to offer more professional butchering services, processing equipment in the form of tenderizers and grinders will allow the user to make cubed steaks and ground meat or burger. And we process two shifts and ours always seemed to fail at a time the service tech wouldnt answer his phone. It also allows fish to be smoked and cured along with a generous amount of other uses. After the workshop I spoke with a really helpful processor who recommended the Torrey LSQ-40L scale for printing out labels that had the correct sized font for USDA recommendations. In August, my backup scale for my poultry processing facility failed and I bought a Torrey LSQ-40L. Unless your processor is using scales from the 1970s or earlier they should be able to do this. Cleaning those buggers is no fun job and I usually ended up with scraped knuckles and it still wasnt clean enough for Dad. Easy clean up from the 180 we use to have. Very fast about 15 sec on a slab bacon. Am I correct in thinking that if you wanted to butcher animals and sell them from a home based shop, you would have to adhere to the same regulations as a supermarket, or are there special regulations for small scale butchers? For the cleaning side you may want to start with a pressure washer that has a steam cleaner option. Is that possible or even desirable? Another way to ask is whats the minimum batch size for using rollstock, and can you easily segregate product from different farmers? Try to get a hold of a service technician that works with your processor, as opposed to the sales dept. So far we havent had problems but Ive heard parts are starting to become an issue for the Berkel 180s. But as I said you must be able to communicate with the vendor your exact needs/desires and dont accept anything short of it. Many of the different types of equipment, such as grinders and mixers, are offered in both manual or hand-operated styles as well as electrical versions to speed up the process. carcass that would be $35.00 dollars, which would help cover the processors cost of creating the inventory by hand and ensure that the customer gets the information they want. of ground a week. I can set my desired temperature and carry on without a hitch. http://www.aggsoft.com/asdl-log-scales-weight-excel.htm. We built our smoke house. Seems that if you are able and willing to do some of your own programming you can save considerable dollars. How much trouble are these things to operate and maintain? Scales are basically little computers. He checked with the plant owner and then invited me to watch the set-up. I think that will be a big learning curve and I think I even need to buy something that is an intermediate piece of technology between the scale and the computer. Measure rollers, hooks, gambrels, etc.. add to 12 safety zone from floor, factor in high end length of carcasses, and youll have your needed height. Answer #4:We have Ishidas. This piece of equipment is used to inject brine and spices into cooked and smoked products. Years ago, I started with a block gravity house. meat equipment processing 330a patty matic machine Most of our label printing is done using VistaTrac with the same hardware set up. Answer #2: Decagon Devices/Aqualab (same company) makes a portable one that costs $1500.00-$2,000.00, I think. This machine, called The Beast, holds and rotates carcasses giving processors an ergonomic way to cut primals off the carcass. Answer #8:Has anyone used this software? Does a butcher use a typical chef's knife or utility knife like would be found in most knife sets, or do special knives exist for the purpose of butchering meat? Top shelf is cantilevered for easy access to the scale on the middle shelf. A lot of deer meat goes into making jerky and sausage, also. More than serves our needs. I know there are a lot of people who make a side business butchering deer and making different products, and I've always wondered how something like venison meat processing worked compared to a regular butcher. I always think it's interesting to learn about the behind the scenes action that goes into making our food. processing equipment unit conveyor plants manufacturing plant industrial machine machinery technology five form keep tips manufacturer equipments processors breakages rely equipment processing bakery welcome Answer #2: There is no problem doing what you want to do with small batches, all you have to do is take a black marker and make a mark on the edge of last package and then start with the next order. We are looking into brands like Biro, Grote, and Treif and would appreciate any recommendations regarding what works and what doesnt. We dont do ready to eat and even if we did Im not sure wed produce a product that required steam under appendix a. Answer #1:Ive been researching this same issue. Answer #1: You should keep the carcass at least 1 ft. from the floor. Labelview doesnt have the capabilities to connect with a scale but I know that the upgraded version of the software Codesoft is able to do it and based on my knowledge of Labelview it is something we may look into down the road. They typically use fuel oil in a reservoir that has a burner to make steam. how much steam you need for the task. I will be the first to tell you it is not cheap, but what a good POS can do for you is worth it. Are there different types of knives that need to be used for beef compared to poultry or even something like veal or lamb? Remember, the easiest person to lie to is yourself! I think most printers can be customized for whatever labels you need. We use our rollstock every day and every product that we run on it would be considered a small batch. Answer #4: I liked the answers that have been posted so far, and found them helpful, as we ask ourselves this same question regularly. Make sure you check your insurance and workers comp.- live steam can affect your ratings. Richard Huettman of Acre Station Meat Farm shows us their 500 lb. meat processing equipment grade commercial Is anyone using one, what kind, and are they expensive to purchase or operate? Question: We are considering purchasing a quick swab test kit for spot checking tabletops, work surfaces, machines, etc. I attended a really good workshop at the 2013 New England Meat Conference where scales, inventory reports and invoicing were being discussed. processing corn line equipment sweet production canning canned 85kw The reason for this is a dull knife will cause the butcher to force the tool harder and more violently through a piece of meat than a sharp knife. At 30-55 strokes per minute, the A400 is great if you only have a few bacons to slice and all day to do it. 7.5 ft to 8 ft should work fine for what your doing. Another one to look at is Quickbooks PoS. I know that there are other options like Near Infrared technology but those options are expensive and appear to require a lot of calibration to remain accurate. Read more about Acre Station here. I used CounterPoint V7 before that. We typically leave a whole advance cycle in between the different batches and the tags for each batch are passed down to the end and lined up as the product exits the machine. Easy clean up from the 180 we use to have. We have Labelview12 and in conversations with tech support, they told me that it was not possible with v12. These are older systems. Is the extra speed and packaging quality worth the extra monthly costs? They were very helpful when I needed tech help, etc. Answer #4: I hate to be the voice of dissent in this conversation but if accuracy is what you are looking for I would not recommend the Univex. LabelView 2012 is a bad deal. Commonly crafted from stainless steel to aid in cleaning and preventing bacteria from living on the machinery, this equipment is specifically manufactured for the purpose of cutting and processing meat and should not be used for other purposes. You need to run these scenarios before you pay. Beginners Guide to Local Meat Processing. Answer #2:I attended a really good workshop at the 2013 New England Meat Conference where scales, inventory reports and invoicing were being discussed. single truck smokehouse to our operation about a year ago and are extremely happy with it. Has anyone had any experience having a deer processed? Still, all this said, it is worth keeping things in perspective and not getting too over-the-top on accuracy, especially for very small plants: you can be 20% over on your fat, and be legally compliant with your label. processing frozen equipment alard plant packaging Hey, may be the avenue to start for your smokers! Richard Huettman of Acre Station Meat Farm shows us their packaging equipment. Labelview Comment #2:What version of Labelview are you running? Maybe something along the lines of a large filet knife, but for beef. Answer #6: Accuracy point well taken, my biggest issue with these small samplers is just that small sample size, because: After using a DSC HTF 2000 for a number of years, we found a used Anyl Ray fat sampler for a couple grand. It cost more but is more accurate in that it actually gives a digital read out of the fat content and is not subject to interpretation like the Univex. I tied the combustion fans into the thermostat so it gravity drafts when the temp is ok and kicks the fire up when its calling for heat. Labelview Comment #1:LabelView does have ability to connect with a scale. Electric boilers are great for point of use but Id do some energy calculations to determine what to put in for hot water. amfec This often leads to cuts, accidental self-stabbings and injuries otherwise averted by using properly-sharpened equipment. There are some advantages to having a boiler for hot water and for your smokehouses butit is not needed. Very affordable and easy to work and read. One day, Lad called me and asked if he could stop by, as he would be in the area installing a smokehouse at a small plant in WI. Boilers give up 10-20% over the high efficiency gas hot water heaters. Anyone can download a free amortization schedule and very easily play with this change price, term, interest rate. Answer #5:We use a CAS CL5000 and it comes with a pc based program CLworks to keep prices updated. http://johnscustommeats.blogspot.com/2012/01/fat-fun.html. It was an Alkar smoker which held 12 trucks if I remember correctly. We had another new two truck unit made by an outfit in Oregon which was very nice but the name slips my mind right now, but Google is your friend. The fact that it doesnt work with comwatch isnt good but the overall abilities of the program is a far cry from v8. Most butchers will agree that a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. No problems easy to use. We added a Scott 1,000 lb. It isnt perfect but it is well below the costof many of the systems that are out there. When one of the producers called the label machine manufacturer, he was told there is no labeling machine in existence that can give a cumulative inventory of what it labeled. meat equipment processing patty patties flattener bridge processing machinery equipment The Alkar is a good smokehouse but it doesnt compare to the Scott. Answer #2: I have always been fascinated with all of the moving parts on the Berkel 180s and from that perspective it is an impressive machine, until you have to clean it. But just wanted to respond to your post. Very fast about 15 sec on a slab bacon. I dont do humidity control. Answer #7:Scale with indicator and RS232 output goes to computer, through Labelview, then goes to Zebra printer. On this page we have videos of several processors sharing their favorite pieces of equipment and processor-to-processor advice about equipment. Question: Anyone have a good recommendation for slicers? mixers Im still convinced its better than all the chemical interventions because of the variables that must be adhered to with bleach, quat, etc. We use it every week. Our rails are 11.5 but we hang full sides. Lad Rudik is the owner of Scott, and you can reach him at lad[at]scottpec.com. For example, I work with Mettler Toledo Scales. equipment raque processing Ive not been in the industry long enough to ever see steam be required for cleaning. Both are vertical feed slicers and the concept makes sense but reviews to the positive or negative are non-existent so far. Something above a retail stacker slicer but below the high speed automation of a Weber type slicer. processing equipment unit conveyor plants manufacturing plant industrial machine machinery technology five form keep tips manufacturer equipments processors breakages rely Thats where it gets VERY expensive is the support on the back end. processing machinery equipment It puts out product in much less time and produces a superior product. And that works with the scales. The printing is then through LabelView to a separate printer, in my case a Zebra ZM400. Also, how much would it cost to start something like this? The downfall on geos are the upper limit on temps are too low that you still have to finish with gas. Since both of the animals are similar in terms of body type and organ location, I would assume there are few differences in the overall process. Has anyone heard that? I started out with only the 8461 Deli Scale in my plant. The trick is good communication and some sort of break between batches. I really wish I could find the woman who recommended it so she could help me with it. Have to be honest, at this stage I am not sure it was worth it. Here is a quick scenario: Assume the dealer will finance the machine. For example, after butcher a cow, how much actual meat product is sold, and how much is bones, scraps, and organs? Find the model number of the scale andcall the company the services the scale. We also have a few sawzalls, but the cutting is not as precise and they arent made for wet environments, and short out with regularity. You have to use the COMwatch function to listen to the COM port for the RS232 output. Our gas bill runs under $900 per year. CounterPoint is my third POS system and I have had my trials with it also, but it has been the one that has served my needs the best. I told him I didnt have any questions but would like to come with to the install to see how they set up the smokehouse and how smooth the install went. Works well for our needs. mixers processing meat machine equipment market We do a fair amount of slicing bacon for farmersand we just leave a empty package toseparate between each. risco poussoirs embutidora So 90% lean/ 10% fat can really be up to 12% fat, and 85% lean/15% fat can really have up 18% fat, per 9 CFR 317.309(h)(5). The plant also needs to look at it from a financial perspective. Does anyone have experience with these brands and would recommend one over the other? we wont bother since on our machine being so large we would waste more film then what is required to the packaging. Staying off the demand produces a million btus for about $4. I dont have any idea what size unit Ill need. I would look at Pro Smoker before I did a Vortron and would look at a pellet generator if you are planning on using natural wood smoke. That is enough to pay the monthly carry for the machine. @Emilski - Interesting question. It does take some getting used to as you have to adjust your cutting a little and watch for sharp bones but you have to do that with vacuum pouches too. exchangers processing heat sold There are many types of meat processing equipment used when cutting and processing animals into food. I havent looked into printing inspection information on it since we only use it for weight and pricing purposes, the USDA required information is printed using Labelview software. Ive also heard the Biro horizontal slicer (109) is not built as durable as the European models such as a Treif. Just my advice. Will it be practical to run a hose from the plant out to the inedible room maybe 50 75 ft.? Answer: I would suggest you call Don at Equipment Distributing of America (402-592-9360). Answer #6: We dont use steam in our smoke house. . equipment processing weiler meat grinder regalequipment We are looking at: Which would you recommend? Another piece of meat processing equipment essential in the storage of the product is a quality cooler or freezer. The plant will be approx. This said, this is probably a more complicated and expensive solution than is needed for a small custom retail shop, as the original posting asked. They collect information. In addition to knives, the item of meat processing equipment most commonly purchased is a meat saw. They will cost you more than a well saw but a cheap saw that does not work isnt much help. I liked it because it had a small footprint (about the size of a sewing machine) and it only fired off when the smoker called for humidity. Below are a few equipment-related conversations from the listserv: Question: We use 2 Jarvis Wellsaw 404s, which are good, but they keep breaking their gear drives, very annoying. Get the owners manual. Answer #2: We use the Univex. The Scott brand would be the next smokehouses we would own. meat equipment processing matic flatten concepts universal and the apps you can get for modern tablets and phones that is a very economical way of getting started. especially in a non-demand situation. Average test time is about 5 minutes and it needs to be calibrated every day that it is used. We get 4.8 cents a kilowatt before demand charges on rural member co-op power. processing meat machine equipment market 5,000 sq.ft. The commercial kitchen manufacturers make steam generators or boilers that run kettles,boasters and the like. Old fashion poured masonry, insulated, and lined it with stainless steel. Amazon Doesn't Want You to Know About This Plugin. I think most printers can be customized for whatever labels you need. meat equipment processing 330a patty matic machine Answer #1: Ive had a really bad experience with CounterPoint SQL But I believe it is because of the support (or lack of) from the authorized agent. Editors note: the mention of the Labelview software generated a side conversation on whether or not theprogram could connect with a scale. One of the most expensive types of meat processing equipment for most buyers is a smoker curing oven.