What do you use for a scalder?

[B-Goock]

I use a turkey fryer pot on a camp stove — meat thermometer to monitor temperature. I usually do no more than 8 birds per weekend. So far since last spring, this setup has been used for: 28 chickens, 1 duck, and a dozen or so quail.

I use just your typical propane turkey fryer. Like others have said adjusting temp can be an issue. Too low outside & it can go out. I started doing all my scalding in my outside shop garage. No wind makes adjusting for lower Temps easier without flame outs.

 

[RUNuts]

I use the cast iron burner and a large pot. Crawfish boiling pot or a turkey frying pot will work depending on the size of the birds.

Unlike a turkey fryer burner, it takes this thing a good hour or so to heat the pot of water up. And I can't turn it down low enough to keep temperature either. Get to temp, dunk 3-5. Reheat the water. 5-7 per day is about my processing limit and I hand pluck.

this is all a balancing act. Maybe juggling. I get large pots from goodwill or even the pawn shops will take crawfish pots occasionally. My best deal was from the junk yard. Somebody was moving and was getting rid of a big pot.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Thanks everyone. Still not sure what to get.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

You'll want a burner that can put out the btu's for quick reheating doing that many birds. At the same time it needs to be quality for good adjustment of flame so you're not boiling the water. Something around 200,000 btu is in order for 50 birds. But I can't stress enough the functioning adjustable flame.

Something like this looks good. Can't provide first hand review but looks good.

https://www.amazon.com/ARC-Propane-...ast+iron+propane+burner&qid=1618058230&sr=8-8

 

[Parront]

Thanks everyone. Still not sure what to get.

I think what matters is how many you do in one batch. If you will be doing all 50 in one day, you might want one of the professional grade electric scalders, that have a thermostat and a dunk arm. I just can't justify the expense when I only do a few extra cockerels at a time.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I just use a turkey fryer propane burner but the stock pot the fryer came with was pretty flimsy, so I ended up using my homebrewing Tall Boy Kettle (very sturdy!). I wish I had a plucker, though...that's the really time-consuming part of processing. I process smallish groups (recently did a batch of 15 and then a batch of 9 cockerels), but it's plenty of meat for my household and keeps the freezer full.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Thanks everyone. I do 50 spread through out the whole year. Typically 3 batches of 15 to 20 at a time. I am leaning toward a turkey fryer. Will keep everyone posted. Appreciate everyone's input.

 

[Timmy59]

Turkey fryer, bought online, amazon,ebay or maybe a restaurant supplier don't recall.. It is 100 % stainless pot and stand.. Monitoring the temp is not fun but it's doable.. Sheilding the flames outside is the greatest challenge but again doable.. We might do 20-30 in a day and the yardbird is a blessing to have..

 

[Dlmillion]

https://coopsnmore.com/products/18-5gal-120v-2-000w-s-s-pro-poultry-scalder-chicken

I have the 32gal version of this scalder. Easily does 4 birds at once and I can process batches of 100 birds. The thermostatically controlled temperature is a feature well worth having as it saves a ton of headache vs trying to manually regulate the temperature.
After I finish all the butchering, I crank it up to 180 to shrink package all the birds so they are freezer ready.

 

[Mountain Roost]

We cut up a food grade 55 gallon drum and use one half for the bottom fire pit and the other half as the scalder. We use a metal stand in the middle that was just around the house, I think it was some kind of side table before I found it. We use split firewood to heat the water and a digital meat thermometer to take the temperature. If the water is too hot we take some hot water out and put in cold hose water to get it right. We start the fire on our way out to start chopping heads, about 16-18 is all we can do in a day. One very long day. And when we get back we adjust the temp and only have to add a piece of firewood or two through the end.


Pluckers are amazing and I couldn't imagine doing 50-100 birds per year without one. We cut up a plastic barrel and bought the chicken plucker fingers on amazon. We use a "hole hog" type low speed drill on the shaft and pulse it, not full speed.

I have 100 broilers showing up next month and we did 60 last year and the year before.