Selfsufficientish.com

Hi

I am trying scald plucking this year

Can anyone tell me how long you can wait between killing and scalding?

Thanks

When I did this I did it as soon as I could after slaughter, which is what was suggested to me. To be honest, although a lot of people swear by scalding, I've now gone back to dry plucking - marginally more hard work, but no soggy feathers sticking to absolutely everything.

Pointless scalding them after killing....They can't hear you.

you guys are on form exactly what I thought

Thanks mr Element

oldjerry, don't give up your day job

Well

Including heating the water 9 turkeys took me 4.5 hrs to kill scald and pluck

I recon on 1 hr per bird to kill and dry pluck from previouse experiance, so I am definately converted to scalding

We always scald it's just sooooo much quicker to get those feathers off especially with ducks and geese. We normally set the water boiling first thing in the morning, take the dogs for a walk and then kill a batch of birds. So roughly by the time the birds are all dispatched the water is ready to go. In answer to your question, time from killing to scalding ? I don't think there would be any problem if it was several hours but we probably would take around an hour to kill the birds (depending on how many we are doing) and then start scalding.

http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n50 ... c7250e.jpg

New improved scalding tank


Fire bricks!

I scalded a chicken in a large metal pail the other day

It was very easy. Just bought a large sauce pan to the boil and pored it into he bucket, killed the bird then then topped up with cold till the water was at the required temp (145-150 F)

Simples

Scalding tank Mk III

http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n50 ... 960728.jpg

refractory cement cast in the othetr end of the oil drum, with a 4" airhole in the middle, and raised upon bricks

detail...

http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n50 ... 5f00ec.jpg

Did 5 chickens by scalding in 1.5 hours

approx 18 mins to kill and pluck