So with the last of my ingredients arriving yesterday, today became the day that I turned the kitchen into a boilie making factory with the help of the garage for the smelly mixing part to keep her indoors from moaning. After what seemed like hours of hard labour it slowly dawned on me that this was probably the reason that I packed in rolling my own years ago. Anyway that's not an option now as I've got all the ingredients to use up. I used marmite instead of vecon as lots of places are still closed around here. All went well with the mixing until I got to the sausage gun bit, it was a nightmare to get out of the gun, 2 hands and squeezing as hard as I could, in the end the last bit I rolled by hand as it was that bad lol.
I made the mix and then left it in a bag for 15 mins to firm up a bit. Should I have done this? When I first started rolling they were coming out like a sort of cushion shape with 4 corners, I thought this meant the nozzle was too small so messed around cutting another one to find this wasn't right either. So after messing again with another nozzle I settled on barrel shapes with a view to sort a better nozzle out next time as I was worried the mix was going to dry out. When I rolled it by hand into a sausage it was cracking and breaking a bit, so too dry I guess? Anyway there in a tray now drying ready to freeze in the morning. Will report what there like after taken some out to test.
I was looking for a better gun and came across this. Will this be any good to use please ? Link below, thanks

https://www.toolstation.com/roughneck-ultimate-mortar-gun/p85256

In reply to Post #108
Hah.. exact same story as me.. I was advised that gun.. arrived but not used yet, looks solid, a lot stronger than my previous. Also my table is crap I think I need a gardner one.. also if they are pillow the nozzle is too big.. apparently tmyou need a nozzle a size smaller than table. I was just thinking today, is this all worth it.. seems to have cost as much as a high end Hnv like Blake's hnv pro but with a lot of hassle but I'm confident knowing what's in it.. also I didnt make Pete's mix, mind had more experience milks, I actually broke my gun pumping it lol

In reply to Post #109
Somethings not right if it won't gun out easily, make the mix wetter and put it in the fridge for half hour ( wrapped in cling film )

Lightly oil the paste before putting in the gun and it should then be a lot easier

New carper I am still a complete novice when it comes to rolling but it sounds like your nozzle is too big therefore each boilie has too much paste and turning into squares. It's mix depending but try around 2mm smaller than what your rolling. Your mix also seems too dry. if it requires two hands to gun out it's the wrong consistency. Make up a small batch and get your nozzle size right you can always put a bit of oil on the rolling table to aid rolling. No doubt we could probably buy a bait cheaper that will work off the shelf but catching on your own and being able to tweak things once we have gained a bit of knowledge of what works and why is a great edge these days. Keep trying I am sure after a few times it will become easier and easier.

In reply to Post #108
If your boilies are barrel shaped its cos your sausages are to small in diameter to the diameter of the the table and if u get cracking on the edge of the boilies ( hollow centre ) it's because the boilie diameter is to big for the table diameter. It's easy to adjust if there barrel shaped just use a junior hacksaw and run the blade down the edge of the nozzle cutting a little bit at a time then try again on the table until u get it right.
Personally I got myself an air gun years ago cos certain ingredients can make the paste stiff and a nightmare to gun out, it might have been the marmite as yeast can make the boilie paste stiffer due to its binding qualities also a little bit of oil on the table helps
hope this helps tight lines

Yea obviously the barrel shape ones are from a smaller nozzle I think pillow shapes it's too big. Try in between . I am sure you will get there mate just cut it back little by little

Personally I find if the sausage is to big you get hollow centre which is cracking on the edge or the boilies completely break on the table. Is the sausage having trouble coming apart on the table if this is the case then this can cause a pillow sort of shape so my guess is the paste is to stiff causing it to slide rather than roll. Try upping the liquids to the mix and putting oil on the table.

In reply to Post #114
Spot on Dean that's exactly how it is, square sort of shape and sticking together on the table, sort of joined at the corners if that makes sense. Could it just be a case of not adding so much dry mix to the wet mix? I added some oil to the outer of the mix before putting it in the gun but none on the table.

In reply to Post #115
I usually keep the dry mix the same weight and play with the liquids I had the same problem the other day when playing about with a mix high in full fat glm and a high yeast content and put it down to the yeast content making the sausages to stiff so I added more liquid in my case I used a little bit of minamino to the eggs and made the nozzle on the gun slightly bigger and it solved the problem. I usually pour a little bit of oil in the barrel of my gun and also put a little bit on the table using tissue as u dont want to much on the table as again this can cause issues with the rolling of the boilies on the table.
Try cutting the marmite with minamino to thin it a bit and keep the belachan the same. In one of my mixes I use belachan, vecon and minamino and it works a treat

In reply to Post #116
I've got some squid hydro here could I use some of that, if so how much should I add per 6 eggs? Thanks.

In reply to Post #116
And how much marmite should I cut down to?

In reply to Post #117
PM sent

its old school to use only lamlac instead of predigested fishmeal or a mix of both, i presume the lamlac is for the soluble atraction part, and my findings in my bait are predigested is much more inducing to carp,

also some form of yeast would be nice, cheap brewersyeast is great stuff,

2 little extras but defo making this good bait, imo better

and instead of getting costly vecon , hydroslates are cheap and common now

a simple tuna hydroslate instead

In reply to Post #17
I know this is an old thread, How would you bind the mix if you don't use eggs? Do you use water and egg albumin? I would like the bait to leech more than it does

In reply to Post #121
I used to make it without fresh eggs, I used whole egg powder and blood plasma