New scald tank!

[jiminpa]

where did you get the stock pot at?

 

[Lone Star Leghorn]

So for plucking you need a scalding tank to loosen the feather follicles. That will make the water in that tank dirty after a couple birds, with loose feathers and blood and whatever else.

With the shrink bags, you can use them right there at processing time, if you have clean water to use for sealing them. So by having a 2nd tank with hot water at 180 degrees (compared to 140 or so for scalding) you have a clean water source to do that final step of bagging them.

No need for a vacuum sealer if you have a shrink bag and clean hot water. If they're bagged on the spot after processing, they can go straight into the freezer/fridge.

So question. How many people chill their birds in cool water prior to bagging? Do you guys ever do that, or you just go straight to bagging? Thanks!

 

[mandelyn]

So question. How many people chill their birds in cool water prior to bagging? Do you guys ever do that, or you just go straight to bagging? Thanks!

For us the earlier ones are chilled but the last are not, depends on how long they have to wait before bagging which is contingent on how many we have to do.

 

[Phunktacular]

So question. How many people chill their birds in cool water prior to bagging? Do you guys ever do that, or you just go straight to bagging? Thanks!

I raised 100 Cornish Cross chickens this past summer. Looking to double that this year. I use 2 x 55 gallon drums with ice and water to let them rest for about 2 days after processing. This accomplishes 2 things for me. 1, they are well through rigor in that time and 2, the water forces out all the rest of the blood from that bird that didn't come out in the cone. Leaves very clean birds and great texture when cooked.

 

[Lone Star Leghorn]

I raised 100 Cornish Cross chickens this past summer. Looking to double that this year. I use 2 x 55 gallon drums with ice and water to let them rest for about 2 days after processing. This accomplishes 2 things for me. 1, they are well through rigor in that time and 2, the water forces out all the rest of the blood from that bird that didn't come out in the cone. Leaves very clean birds and great texture when cooked.

Thanks for that advice!