Any suggestions on what to get? If your on a budget like most of us this is great option. Has anyone heard that? Find the model number of the scale andcall the company the services the scale. 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. It provides barcoding for POS and I can keep multiple customers price lists stored in it. This seems quite high for our cut & wrap facility. We do a fair amount of slicing bacon for farmersand we just leave a empty package toseparate between each. of grind a day) and what brands do you prefer and why? A tool balancer is a good way to offset the weight of the heavier saws. Im now trying to return LabelView 2012 and purchase a used copy of LabelView 8. Bottom line in my opinion is I would contact a smoker manufacturer(s) and tell them what you want to do. Their web address is scottpec.com. So far we havent had problems but Ive heard parts are starting to become an issue for the Berkel 180s. Jim Mays of Mays Meats shows us their Digi-Auto Wrap machine, which automatically wraps trays and applies labels. Is anyone using one, what kind, and are they expensive to purchase or operate? What are the Different Food Processing Jobs? I think most printers can be customized for whatever labels you need. There are many types of meat processing equipment used when cutting and processing animals into food. of trim at a time, non-destructively. It was an Alkar smoker which held 12 trucks if I remember correctly. Id plan for worse case scenario. We do 600 lbs. Staying off the demand produces a million btus for about $4. I attended a really good workshop at the 2013 New England Meat Conference where scales, inventory reports and invoicing were being discussed. After cleaning, I crank off the tank for sanitizing. I will be the first to tell you it is not cheap, but what a good POS can do for you is worth it. You have to use the COMwatch function to listen to the COM port for the RS232 output. I do know of another processor using Quickbooks PoS and they found a third party that was able to tweak it to read random weight barcodes. They were very helpful when I needed tech help, etc. Any bad experiences? We have Labelview12 and in conversations with tech support, they told me that it was not possible with v12. 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. @Emilski - Interesting question. 
For a 700 lb. This also provides the same information. Anybody have ones they like or that I should avoid? The first micro-processor house we had was a Smith, then an EnviroPak and then a Vortron. About how much meat actually comes away after a butcher cuts up the various animals? So beware it may be a great product but you have to buy it from a good source. However, the processor says they have no method of reporting the total quantity of each type of cut from each steer so that the producer can have an accurate inventory of what a particular animal yielded. Read more about Acre Station here. Answer #2: We just dropped a great deal of money on an all bells and whistles Radiant system with CounterPoint SQL. 
Answer #2: Decagon Devices/Aqualab (same company) makes a portable one that costs $1500.00-$2,000.00, I think. It measures 13 lbs. Reading the article and thinking about this question did get me thinking about how you would make a small scale butchering business. Answer #7:Scale with indicator and RS232 output goes to computer, through Labelview, then goes to Zebra printer. I used CounterPoint V7 before that. 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.
Answer #6: We dont use steam in our smoke house. Theright equipment can make a world of difference in a small meat processing facility. They collect information. Im setting up a printing station right this very minute with LabelView. I don't think that deer yield good meat from all of the places that a cow would, though, so I figure there are differences in the areas that are butchered. http://johnscustommeats.blogspot.com/2012/01/fat-fun.html, http://www.charm.com/en/products/atp-hygiene-swabs.html, http://www.aggsoft.com/asdl-log-scales-weight-excel.htm. Are there different types of knives that need to be used for beef compared to poultry or even something like veal or lamb? Average test time is about 5 minutes and it needs to be calibrated every day that it is used. I would suspect that most small processors that are running small batches arent going to have much in the way of real estate to put most Rollstock machines and the RA-200 from Rollstock, Inc (one of the smaller ones on the market) would be sufficient for the average processors needs. Overall it is a reliable scale and the ability to connect with a computer makes a worthwhile investment. Say it cost $80,000, no money down, 4 year term, 5% interest then the monthly carry is $1,842. The question of easy segregation is going to depend on the competency of the crew running it. Answer #2: From the mechanical stand point you will need to know what your load is, i.e. I am familiar with this process in Labelview8 and older as I had worked with the COMwatch function but I havent found that capability yet in v12. Found several software products that have lots of capabilities but are very pricey. 
Here are two companies that design and make rail systems that can help you: Hantover and Bowlin Manufacturing. I did a fair amount of research on this a year ago and decided to go with the DSC instead. Ive heard the old Ancos will really crank out bacon. We have had a roll stock for a couple of years now and wouldnt be without it. Stayportableso you can use it for multiple tasks. Say you are making sausage for 5 farmers, ~100-200 lbs for each of them, and can run them through the rollstock one after another. Will it be practical to run a hose from the plant out to the inedible room maybe 50 75 ft.? Hey, may be the avenue to start for your smokers! Make sure you check your insurance and workers comp.- live steam can affect your ratings. 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.
Answer #2: In my plant inside the cooler the top of my rails are at 7.5 ft. Read more about Acre Station here. Do you have to add chemicals to the water? All this is on 3-shelf square cart with Monitor, keyboard and mouse. We are flying blind here would love some input, either positive or negative. The downfall on geos are the upper limit on temps are too low that you still have to finish with gas. You need to run these scenarios before you pay. Below is a list of a few units I have researched a little, but feel free to offer up suggestions on these or any other units: Answer #1: We use the Univex. Any sources for used pass-through smokers? But that takes time so we each have to make a business decision on how much value the software adds to the bottom line. Answer #5:We use a CAS CL5000 and it comes with a pc based program CLworks to keep prices updated. Our listservis a great resource for answering your equipment questions. in a day, so this was a must for us. Is Amazon actually giving you the best price? We have found USDA guidelines for slaughter facilities saying that the top of the rail must be 9 away from the highest point on the ground for headless hog. I never realized the tools that were needed to cut meat. Answer #3: A good heating guy can size your unit. The Scott brand would be the next smokehouses we would own. Answer #2:I attended a really good workshop at the 2013 New England Meat Conference where scales, inventory reports and invoicing were being discussed. How Do I Choose the Best Meat Processing Equipment? 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. They are not cheap but I have only found one other company that offers a meter cant remember name right off hand. It does take up a lot of room. We added a Scott 1,000 lb. The Jarvis 444s are the obvious choice, but they are expensive and over twice the weight. Seems that if you are able and willing to do some of your own programming you can save considerable dollars. Richard Huettman of Acre Station Meat Farm shows us their Handcrank Z Linker which automatically cuts individual sausage links. Does anyone have any wisdom or experience with these things that they would be willing to share? It would seem there should be a more efficient, less hands-on way of doing this. Here is a quick scenario: Assume the dealer will finance the machine. I am familiar with this process in Labelview8 and older as I had worked with the COMwatch function but I havent found that capability yet in v12. Editors note: the mention of the Labelview software generated a side conversation on whether or not theprogram could connect with a scale. But you can do other things with the machine, such as pack a number of other cuts (Provided you have the necessary plates). Ive had it for about 4 years no problems so far. I think deer meat might be one of the best kinds of meat there is, but maybe that is only because I don't get to eat is as much as the other types of meats. We get 4.8 cents a kilowatt before demand charges on rural member co-op power. This is from a scale indicator like the CAS x320 or the Doran 7000XL. We use a tankless gas on demand water heater. 5,000 sq.ft.
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. and the apps you can get for modern tablets and phones that is a very economical way of getting started. Find in the owners manual where it describes how to get the run totals for item numbers or PLUs for the cuts of meats you are interested in. A big if in many parts of the country. I say Alkar only because that was what showed up on the lowboy. 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. Learn about a little known plugin that tells you if you're getting the best price on Amazon. I have a fresh retail meat case so everything is random weight. Labelview Comment #2:What version of Labelview are you running? Can you inject the same steam that you use for cleaning into the smokers? And we process two shifts and ours always seemed to fail at a time the service tech wouldnt answer his phone. The meat saw is a large-framed, stainless-steel saw with a fine-toothed blade suitable for cutting through meat, skin and bone. http://johnscustommeats.blogspot.com/2012/01/fat-fun.html. The process could get pretty grisly, so I'll spare the details. I wouldnt go any lower than that. Question:We are putting meat rails in our processing facility we do not do any slaughter. The printing is then through LabelView to a separate printer, in my case a Zebra ZM400. Unless your processor is using scales from the 1970s or earlier they should be able to do this. Try to get a hold of a service technician that works with your processor, as opposed to the sales dept. They will cost you more than a well saw but a cheap saw that does not work isnt much help. Propane was just as high a few months ago but is down closer to $14 per million now. It is exactly how I have carcasses hanging in my plant. Answer #3: There is a company in Burnsville, MN called LPA Retail Systems check them out, I have not used it but know plants that do and like it. 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. They work much better than the CAS machines we had. of meat, how representative is that 1-2 oz.? Is there a market for things like second hand processing equipment and the like? It was purchased used and I moved it to another location and installed it. (It does assume no money down, which may be unlikely!). It also lets you bone out a carcass without splitting it. Yep, you are right, Mike. There are some advantages to having a boiler for hot water and for your smokehouses butit is not needed. This machine, called The Beast, holds and rotates carcasses giving processors an ergonomic way to cut primals off the carcass. Answer #1: We bought a small electric boiler to run our sausagepeeler- it is aReimers Electric Boiler. It is capable of providing the information you are seeking. Question: We are considering purchasing a quick swab test kit for spot checking tabletops, work surfaces, machines, etc. Answer #1:Ive been researching this same issue. Im not sure. as part of our SSOP program. If not, you just might need to ask them to create a hand written report. It also allows fish to be smoked and cured along with a generous amount of other uses. foot plant that does about175 head of beef/bisonand makes about 15,000 lbs sausage a weekand have never had a boiler. Question:Our local meat processor is able to place the name of the producer, the cut name, weight, etc. He checked with the plant owner and then invited me to watch the set-up. In August, my backup scale for my poultry processing facility failed and I bought a Torrey LSQ-40L. Another one to look at is Quickbooks PoS. It depends on how homogenous your grind is. Get it. We use a CAS CL5000 and it comes with a pc based program CLworks to keep prices updated. The horizontal slicers like the Treif Puma, or Biro 109, are the right speed but they do not stack or shingle very well and getting the product feed grippers to securely hold the product is difficult. The answers so far have looked at the question from an operational perspective. Question:What type of printing scale would work well for a custom, retail use? Answer #8:Has anyone used this software? Answer #1: Yes we use a rollstock for packaging small batches and multiple farmers. Answer #3: With us it depends on the whole day production. Answer: I would suggest you call Don at Equipment Distributing of America (402-592-9360). That is enough to pay the monthly carry for the machine. http://www.charm.com/en/products/atp-hygiene-swabs.html. Both are vertical feed slicers and the concept makes sense but reviews to the positive or negative are non-existent so far. But that takes time so we each have to make a business decision on how much value the software adds to the bottom line. Very fast about 15 sec on a slab bacon. More when you count storage losses compared to a tankless or tankless hybrid like the Eternal. Several people seemed to be working on some solutions. Simple operation and not overly expensive to purchase. 7.5 ft to 8 ft should work fine for what your doing. Question: We are looking for a one-truck pass-through smoker. Answer #1: You should keep the carcass at least 1 ft. from the floor. I imagine there is more natural gas in west Texas than should be legal so I would use that or tie it into one of those wind turbines out behind the barn. Read more about Acre Station here. Many butchers actually prefer to chill or freeze the meat prior to processing, as the colder product cuts easily and better retains its shape or position for cutting. . Question: Im thinking Im going to need a steam boiler for the small slaughter / processing plant Im building in west Texas. I would not say any of them were bad, In fact I have two Vortron 1,000 lb. 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.