plucking--what did I do wrong?

[dancingbear]

I find that as the bird cools it gets harder to get the feathers out, and I sometimes re-dunk in the hot, or pour on a bit from my tea kettle. The skin rarely tears, unless I get the water too hot, or yank too hard on feathers when the skin's gotten cold. Or try to yank out too many at once.

 

[zachslc]

OK, thanks. It sounds like my biggest problem is not plucking immediately after dunking. I was trying to do this in my kitchen with limited space, so I'll have to keep that in mind.

 

[boobooblueeyes]

I haven't read the tutorial on this site but when I took meat processing in college we were told to insert the tip of the knife through the roof of the mouth and into the brain. This is suppossed to end all brain function and allow the feathers too be plucked easily. I have never really heard of anyone else doing this but we had to in class. Good luck and I would keep trying too.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Yeah you probably waited too long after scalding. U want to start picking the feathers just seconds after the dunk for best results.

Also you can do away with the ice water dunk if your hand picking your birds. This is just a precaution that is used with drum pluckers.

The biggest problem was the water though. Just shy of boiling would have been over 200 degrees. Way too hot, keep it around 140-165 no higher. If you think the bird is done pull on the breast feathers to see if they come out. If it's done they should come out with ease and a perfect scald all you have to do is run you hand over the feathers and they pull out.

Try it again, but with a thermometer, without the ice bath, and do one at a time until you get to the point where you think you can handle 3 fast enough.

Good luck.

 

[mommahento5]

I would definatley only do one at a time, and not the ice dunk. We have found that the tearing usually results from the water being too hot, or scalding for too long. It is a trial-and-error kinda thing, that's for sure. We also like to keep ours on a thermometer. My husband has a huge brew pot he makes 5-gallon batches of beer in for a scalder, and we use one of the digital thermometers that you can leave in water and it will beep when it gets to the temp you set it for. Works well for us. Good luck next time, I am sure you will find what works for you!

 

[frugal]

Your water should be between 140° - 150° F. Much hotter than that and you'll scald your bird and it will not pluck well. This temp needs to be real close so use a thermometer.

The elapsed time from dunking your bird in your scalder, to a quick dip in ice water (yes it does help), and into the plucker is usually less than 30 seconds. If your bird sits around and cools it becomes difficult to pluck and the skin will tear.

 

[wisdom_seeker]

I tend to pluck the wings and tail feathers first because they are the hardest to pluck and the first to cool.

 

[TexasVet]

I don't pluck or gut any more. It's easier to skin them and then take the upper wings, legs & thighs, and breast meat. Nobody but me will eat the gizzard or heart, so I don't remove them either. After you're done, the only "meat" that you've really missed is those two little chunks on the lower back.

Kathy in Texas

 

[CityClucks]

Never heard of the ice dunk. Kill, bleed, scald, pluck, singe, cut up, freeze, cook, eat.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
You know what?? I never thought of it that way before.. but you might be right.. Now I have to try it your way..

now I am almost sorry I build a whizbang plucker.. 2 of them, actually..

maybe I will still pluck them.. but I can live without the innards.. my wife likes the gizzard for making gravy, though.. but she still would have the neck for that..