#12 vs #22 Grinder Plates for Elk and Large Game: Throat Size and Grind Texture

meat grinders wild game processing equipment  · 

What the #12 and #22 numbers actually measure

On electric meat grinders and most stand-alone heads, the size number describes the grinder head opening—not the hole pattern on the plate. The throat is the cylindrical bore ahead of the feed screw; meat cubes must slide through it before the auger pushes them to the knife and grinding plate. A #12 head uses one plate outer diameter and one matching knife; a #22 head uses a larger set. Plates, knives, thrust washers, and most bone collars are not cross-fits: a #22 grinding plate will not seat correctly on a #12 head.

Retailers and parts dealers commonly verify fit by measuring the plate disc. Industry references cite roughly 2-3/4 inch outer diameter for #12 plates and roughly 3-1/4 inch for #22 (LEM lists about 3.2 inch on #22 stainless plates). Your grinder model label—LEM BigBite, Weston Pro Series, Cabela’s Carnivore, Kitchener, Hobart 4812 or 4822—usually prints the size on the housing. If the label is gone, measure an installed plate or match the manufacturer’s compatibility chart before ordering a fine, medium, or coarse plate kit.

Throat size and head size move together. A wider throat accepts slightly larger venison chunks, which matters when you are breaking down elk quarters on a tight schedule. It does not replace motor power: a #22 plate on an underpowered grinder still fights sinew and shoulder gristle.

When a #12 head is enough for elk and mixed large game

#12 is the default on many mid-tier electric meat grinders aimed at hunters—often paired with roughly 0.75 to 1 horsepower motors in the LEM #12 BigBite class, Weston Pro Series #12, STX Turboforce-style heads, and several Cabela’s bench models. For one elk a season plus a few deer, a #12 setup can finish burger, chili trim, and sausage meat if you respect cold meat handling and double-grind.

Run a coarse grinding plate first—commonly 3/8 inch holes for venison and other wild game—to chew through silver skin and connective tissue without loading the worm. Send trim through again on a 3/16 inch plate for standard burger, or step to 1/4 inch for rustic breakfast sausage. Fine plates (1/8 inch or 9/64 inch) belong on the second pass when you want tight emulsified sausage, not on the first breakdown of a bull quarter.

Where #12 feels tight is session length, not capability. Long elk-plus-moose weekends with minimal cubing mean more auger stalls and more heat in the bin. If you already own a #12 grinder, extra stainless grinding plates and a matched knife set often cost less than replacing the entire head—provided the motor and metal drive gears are healthy.

Why processors step up to #22 for elk volume

#22 heads show up on 1 horsepower and 1.5 horsepower commercial-grade bench grinders—LEM #22 BigBite, Weston Pro Series #22, larger Cabela’s units, and true butcher-shop Hobart 4822-class machines. The larger throat and plate give more clearance around the feed screw, so well-chilled elk and moose chunks feed with less babysitting when you are running multiple grinds back-to-back.

Throughput is a function of motor torque, auger condition, meat temperature, and plate sharpness—not the size number alone. Still, shops processing elk, bear trim, and bulk venison routinely standardize on #22 because plate and knife life scale with surface area, stuffing tubes for hog and collagen casings are plentiful, and cross-brand accessory charts list more #22 options than #12.

Moving from #12 to #22 is a grinder purchase, not a plate swap. KitchenAid stand-mixer grinder attachments and small #8-class heads stay in a different ecosystem. Plan for a heavier bench footprint, a compatible bone collar and locking ring you torque every session, and storage for multiple hole sizes—coarse for first pass, medium for burger, fine when you pair grinding with a sausage stuffer workflow.

Plate hole size versus throat size on venison

Buyers confuse throat diameter with hole diameter constantly. Throat size (#12 vs #22) decides which replacement grinding plates fit the head. Hole size—1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 3/8, or 1/2 inch—decides grind texture. Elk burger that smears usually traces to a dull knife against a worn plate, warm trim, or a mismatched knife-and-plate pair after you flip a reversible plate without swapping the blade.

Wild-game processors often keep three stainless plates per head size: 3/8 inch for first-pass breakdown, 3/16 inch for finished burger and meatloaf mix, and 1/4 inch or finer when stuffing bratwurst into natural hog casings through stuffing tubes. LEM and Weston both sell hole-size assortments labeled by head number; verify #12 or #22 in the title, not just “fine” or “coarse.”

Double-grinding is standard for venison: coarse pass reduces motor strain and catches sinew; second pass sets bite. Single-pass attempts through a fine plate on cold elk are how home grinders overheat and how fat smears instead of cutting cleanly—especially if pre-chilling slipped during a long boning session.

Cross-brand plates, knives, and stuffing workflow

LEM and Weston publish plate and knife sizes by head number; many #12 and #22 stainless plates interchange across brands that copied Hobart-style dimensions, but hub shape, blade notch, and locking ring depth still vary. Before assuming Weston’s #22 plate on a LEM #22 BigBite, compare outer diameter and center key against the installed set—or buy the manufacturer’s plate listing your exact head.

Knives and grinding plates wear as a mated pair, same as an engine ring set. When you reverse a reversible plate to fresh steel, pair it with a new grinder knife. Mismatched sets smear, chew, and can chip teeth on cast or stamped blades.

For sausage, you either swap to stuffing tubes sized to your casings—small for snack sticks, mid for Italian links, large for summer sausage—or move trim to a dedicated sausage stuffer for more fill control. Grinder-based stuffing still uses the same #12 or #22 throat; only the front hardware changes. Keep fiber or nylon thrust washers fresh so the plate projects correctly when the bone collar seats.

Failure modes elk hunters hit with the wrong head or plate

Ordering a #22 grinding plate for a #12 motor head wastes money and risks a loose locking ring—unsafe if the collar spins mid-grind. The opposite mistake is forcing a bull through a tired #12 with a chipped knife: auger slowdown, plastic drive gear stress on budget units, and mushy venison nobody wants in chili.

Heat is the silent texture killer. Elk and moose should stay cold through cubing and auger contact; warm fat smears even with a sharp #22 plate. Rust on carbon knives, skipped food-safe gearbox grease on metal-gear heads, and dried grease behind the feed screw all show up as drag before the plate is truly dull.

Maintenance after a long wild-game weekend: break down the head, wash plates and stuffing tubes promptly, dry aluminum and stainless parts, and inspect the bone collar threads. Stock a spare knife-and-plate set in the size your head actually wears so a hunt does not stop for parts mid-batch.

FAQ

Can I use #22 grinding plates on my #12 meat grinder?

No. Plate outer diameter, knife, washers, and most collars are sized to one head number. A #22 disc will not seat safely on a #12 throat. Confirm size from the grinder label or by measuring your current plate near 2-3/4 inch (#12) versus about 3-1/4 inch (#22) before ordering.

Which plate holes should I run first on elk trim?

Start with a coarse grinding plate—often 3/8 inch holes—for the first pass through cold venison. That breaks connective tissue without overworking the auger. Run a second pass on 3/16 inch for burger, or keep 1/4 inch for chunkier sausage meat before you stuff casings.

Does switching from #12 to #22 change sausage and jerky prep?

Head size changes which grinding plates and stuffing tubes you buy, not the basic workflow. You still double-grind, keep meat cold, and match tube diameter to hog, sheep, or collagen casings. A #22 head mainly helps when you repeat those steps across multiple large animals in one session.