Lesson 1Stuffing and casing selection: portioning accuracy, casing types (collagen, fibrous, natural), casing prep and seam integrityCovers filling sausages and picking casings. Talks about exact portions, collagen, fibrous, natural types, prep, linking, and seam checks to stop bursts, air traps, leaks.
Selection of collagen, fibrous, and natural casingsCasing soaking, flushing, and handling hygienePortioning accuracy and stuffer calibrationLinking, clipping, and loop formationSeam integrity checks and defect controlLesson 2Grinding and particle size control: grinder settings, follower plates, temperature control, and cross-contamination avoidanceFocuses on grinding and size control for sausage mix. Covers grinder choice, plates/knives, temp watch, no smearing, no germ mix between batches.
Grinder capacity, knives, and plate selectionTarget particle sizes for sausage stylesTemperature control to prevent fat smearSanitary changeover between meat batchesMetal-to-metal contact and wear checksLesson 3Final vacuum packaging steps: vacuum levels, vacuum chamber operation, gas purge considerations if used, seal formation and integrity checksDescribes last vacuum pack for sausages, vacuum strength, chamber use, gas flush if needed, seal making. Stress on pack checks, leak tests, clean, labels before cold store.
Vacuum level selection and pump performanceChamber loading, cycle setup, and timingGas purge options and residual oxygen limitsSeal bar setup, width, and temperatureSeal inspection, leak tests, and reworkLesson 4Reception, storage, and trimming: objectives, equipment, contamination control, and yield optimizationCovers getting meat and extras, cold store, trim methods, clean handling. Stress no dirt, right tools, max yield by good cuts, less waste.
Raw material receiving checks and documentationChilled storage temperatures and time limitsHygienic trimming methods and tool sanitationTrimming specs for fat, sinew, and defectsYield calculation and loss minimizationLesson 5Mixing and massaging/emulsifying: protein extraction principles, salt and phosphate function, sequence of ingredient addition, temperature control to prevent protein denaturationLooks at mixing, massaging, emulsifying sausage batter. Explains protein pull, salt/phosphate work, add order, tight temp to dodge overwork, fat split, damage.
Myofibrillar protein extraction principlesSalt, phosphates, and functional ingredientsSequence of ingredient and ice additionMixer speed, time, and vacuum mixingTemperature limits to prevent denaturationLesson 6Thermal treatment options and parameters: scalding, cooking to internal core temperature targets, pasteurization vs full cook, and recommended core temperatures for beef sausagesDetails heat treatments like scald, cook to core temps, pasteurise vs full cook. Covers time-temp mixes, kill power, feel effects, beef sausage temp guides.
Scalding conditions and surface decontaminationTime–temperature profiles for cookingPasteurization versus full cook decisionsCore temperature targets for beef sausagesVerification of thermal process lethalityLesson 7Finished product cold storage and dispatch: storage temperature targets, FIFO, pallet and load management for supermarket distributionExplains cold store and send-out for supermarket supply. Includes temp targets, moisture, first-in-first-out, pallets, secure loads, load ways to keep safe and shelf life.
Cold room temperature and humidity targetsFIFO and stock rotation documentationPallet configuration and wrapping methodsTruck pre-cooling and loading sequenceTemperature monitoring during transportLesson 8Cooling and chilling processes: cooling curves, blast chilling, core cooling times to reach safe storage temperatures, cold-hot transfer controlsLooks at cooling meat and filled sausages, curves, blast chill, core temp goals. Focus quick pass danger zone, air flow, load setup, watch hot-cold moves.
Cooling curve interpretation and validationBlast chiller settings and loading patternsCore temperature targets and probe useControl of cold-hot transfers between roomsRecording and verification of chilling dataLesson 9Temporary storage, metal detection/X-ray, trimming of defects, and batch traceabilityHandles temp hold between steps, metal/X-ray checks, trim faults, batch tracking. Stress hold apart, reject rules, good records.
Time and temperature limits for interim storageMetal detector and X-ray sensitivity settingsDefect trimming standards and rework rulesBatch coding, labels, and data captureHandling of nonconforming or held product
