Forty four people participated in the Sausage Making 101 Class at the Hermann Wurst Haus on May 24, hosted by Wurstmeister owner Mike Sloan. Patrick Mallory, assistant Wurstmeister, graduate of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Education and the grandson of longtime Hermann educators, Raymond and Gladys Kessler, also helped teach the classes, along with Ron Leibach of Ruff Acres Farms. (See his resume below.)

Participants came from four states, with eight students receiving the class as a birthday or anniversary gift. Students received instructions and hands on experience on the fine art of sausage making, which includes:

• meat selection
• grinding principles
• seasoning options
• mixing techniques
• use of binders
• how to make flavored sausages
• when and how long to apply smoke

The 2 ½ hour class also includes a private wurst, wine and beer tasting. A meal, Wurst Haus goody bag, 10% off coupon for same day purchases and 2 lbs. of sausage (that participants made that day) are all included in the cost of the class.

The end of the class, involves a friendly but competitive Iron Chef type competition to determine the “Best of the Wurst”.

The next classes scheduled:

• Saturday, August 16 – Sausage Making 101 Class; 10am class is full, 2pm class has openings
• Saturday Sept. 13 – Sausage Making 101 Class; 10am & 2pm classes
• Saturday Nov. 1 – Summer Sausage Making 101 Class; 10am & 2pm classes. Focus will be on summer sausage making just in time for the fall hunting season.

Our Sausage Making 101 Classes are fun, entertaining, informative sessions where a person can develop a new hobby, further develop an existing hobby or just be creative.
For more information call us, 573-486-2266 or register on line. 

Wurstmeister Mike Sloan – Hermann Wurst Haus

Mike has been involved in making sausage since the age of nine when he was linking sausage for his family. He worked for other people, making and developing sausages, butchering and making different kinds of cured meat, for thirty nine years. Mike and his wife, of over 20 years, Lynette decided it was time to go out on their own. September 1, 2011, they opened the Hermann Wurst Haus. Mike has won over 350 awards for his sausage and different styles and kinds of processed meat. They sell sausage, process all kinds of meat including wildlife; they have ingredients to make sausage along with the equipment to do the job of making sausage for yourself. 

Ron Leibach – Ruff Acre Farms

Ron has been making sausage for forty years, although not commercially. His introduction to sausage making came when he worked for Hobart, a company that makes meat processing equipment. He has taken his recipes and written five different books on how to make sausage and the recipes are for ten to twenty-five pounds of sausages per batch. He started writing recipe books in 2005, and then in 2006 along with his wife Ruth started packaging pre-mixed spices for ten pounds of sausage. Every sausage in his books has been made and tried by him for taste, if he did not like them, they did not go into one of his books. He continues to develop and check recipes for the next book.