scalder

coxy · March 09, 2015, 10:08:07 PM

does any one know where to buy a pig scalder don't want to do the 55gal barrel thing

POSTON WIDEHEAD · March 09, 2015, 10:12:33 PM

Red Oak Lumber may know. :D :D :D

scleigh · March 09, 2015, 10:40:33 PM

@POSTONLT40HD , You stirring the pot?

beenthere · March 09, 2015, 10:46:13 PM

A trough and a pot to boil water... here is a video. Or is this what you didn't want?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5qZP_8zQs

POSTON WIDEHEAD · March 09, 2015, 10:50:12 PM

Quote from: scleigh on March 09, 2015, 10:40:33 PM
@POSTONLT40HD , You stirring the pot?

;D

shinnlinger · March 10, 2015, 06:06:04 AM

I just skin the pig these days. Much easier.....

coxy · March 10, 2015, 06:57:05 AM

Quote from: beenthere on March 09, 2015, 10:46:13 PM
A trough and a pot to boil water... here is a video. Or is this what you didn't want?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5qZP_8zQs

that's what I don't want ;D thanks

Chuck White · March 10, 2015, 06:58:27 AM

My Dad used to butcher lots of hogs when most of use were in our teens!

Alway scalded them.

You have to be careful to, if you get the water to hot it will "set" the bristles, then they have to be shaved.

I don't remember what the temp was, but it was pretty specific for the best scald!

coxy · March 10, 2015, 08:05:06 AM

one other thing everyone does it different what is hanging weigh head- feet insides or no head- feet -insides :-\

Seaman · March 10, 2015, 08:09:31 AM

Coxy, round these parts Hanging Weight is NO head, feet , insides.
FRank

WH_Conley · March 10, 2015, 08:13:20 AM

The custom processors around here, hanging weight is everything except the insides.

WV Sawmiller · March 10, 2015, 12:56:23 PM

Not into butchering hogs too much (my wife hates raised them as a kid and hates them except to eat) but looks to me like a big hot water heater tank would work fine. I'd check with local plumbers or junk dealers and tell them to let you know when one becomes available then take the tank out of the case and split it. I have one for a feed trough looks like should work if I had not drilled drain holes in it. You might check to ensure such a tank would be safe to use for such and not too contaminated with heavy metals or such.

gspren · March 10, 2015, 07:33:59 PM

Would an old bathtub work?

Chuck White · March 10, 2015, 09:32:35 PM

Google "Hog Kettle" and you'll get lots of info!

Ford_man · March 11, 2015, 04:37:01 PM

A friend of mine used an old cast iron bath tub put cement blocks around it and a table even to the top on one side to lay the hog on and built a fire under it. I saw him use it once and it worked good.

Chuck White · March 11, 2015, 06:39:16 PM

Quote from: Ford_man on March 11, 2015, 04:37:01 PM
A friend of mine used an old cast iron bath tub put cement blocks around it and a table even to the top on one side to lay the hog on and built a fire under it. I saw him use it once and it worked good.

That's how Dad and us boys did it, only we had a 1-inch thick bowl shaped, cast iron kettle.

Our kettle used to be a casting kettle out of a foundry!

coxy · March 11, 2015, 08:24:56 PM

chuck do you remember what the water temp should be

kczbest · March 11, 2015, 09:16:59 PM

We used a 150 gallon cast iron kettle. As far as water temp we just let it reach a low boil, put in a couple of quarts of hydrated lime and never had a problem getting the hair off.

Chuck White · March 11, 2015, 09:23:26 PM

Quote from: coxy on March 11, 2015, 08:24:56 PM
chuck do you remember what the water temp should be

The water temperature for scalding a hog should be 150°.

If it gets much warmer than that, you will set the bristles and you'll end up shaving the hog rather than "removing" the entire bristle!

You DON'T add anything to the water except the hog.

Dunk the hog in the water for a couple of minutes then pull him up onto the table and see if the bristles will scrape (not cut) off, if they don't scrape off, dunk him again!

If the temperature is right, even the toe nails will come off of the dewclaws!

shinnlinger · March 11, 2015, 10:40:27 PM

Like I said, I just skin the pig, much easier but 150 is also the right temp for scalding chickens and right in the range of a gas hot water heater. I just hook one up on a stand, fill it with water and set it on high and drain the heated water into a half barrel with a turkey fryer under it on low. A floating thermometer monitors the situation and I adjust as necessary. You will probably need two 80 gallon jobs for the volume you need if you do it that way, but they are cheap to free if you poke around.

Another solution is cut the top of a 275 oil tank and flip it upside down over a brush fire to burn the oil out and then add the aquastat and burner set up from those gas hot water heaters and it will self regulate. You could buy a new aquastat and burner set up and apply to a galvanized water trough or old cast bathtub too. Perhaps even an old chest freezer that could take burners on the bottom. IT would be insulated to hold the heat better.

pineywoods · March 12, 2015, 03:06:42 PM

Wrestling a scalding hot 250 pound hog out of a tub of any kind is not a pleasant experience. We all danced with joy when somebody figured out how to lash a 12 foot pole to the 3 pt lift on a ford 8n, and use that to dunk the hog vertical in an upright 55 gallon barrel with a fire under it. If the hair don't come off (usually water not hot enough) real easy to just dunk the hog again.