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Started by yukon cornelius, March 08, 2016, 10:45:02 PM

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yukon cornelius

On Sunday we butchered one of our pigs. We are making all we can from it and learning a lot. Lard rendard in the crockpot and homemade cracklings. Bacon and hams get cured tomorrow and sausage will follow. Learning how to do this is a great experience for my boys.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

Chuck White

There's a lot more to it than most people realize.

We are scheduled to get a 250 pounder hanging at the processing plant, in late Spring!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

sandsawmill14

yep its good to teach them how and let them know where food actually comes from smiley_thumbsup i fooled around till its to late for me to cure 1 this spring but i will have smokehouse finished and ready for fall. we have never killed hogs in the spring but i thought i would give it a try but it just didnt work out. i am going to raise 50 or so broiler chicken for the freezer though :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

sandsawmill14

yukon is this something yall always do or just starting ???
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

First pigs for us. As A kid we raised and bucherd pigs and a couple cows. I missed the curing part and we never made lard. We have always butchered our deer and have had chickens. We have a goal of eating whole food and raising all we can of it.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

sandsawmill14

thats a good goal smiley_thumbsup  we always cook the lard off on the stove in dishpans but the hogs we get here are so lean it takes almost all the fat to make the sausage barely get enough cracklins for cornbread. if you dont have a favorite sausage seasoning leggs is a real good one. if you already know disregard but put plenty of fat in the sausage and DONT over mix when mixing saesoning it will be tough when you cook it. good luck :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

I didnt know that about the overmixing. we have made sausage before from hunks of pork we bought on sale and ground. we don't use a mix though. we use our own recipe.

I found a simple curing recipe for the bacon and ham we are going to try. we don't plan on the meat needing to be actually cured as we are going to freeze it but more like marinated or seasoned for flavor and smoked.

we raised red wattle pigs this time and this one is really fatty. the second pig needs a bit more time. she was small from the start.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

LeeB

If you want it to taste like ham or bacon you will need to do a full cure on it. Otherwise only the outside will taste like it and the inside will just taste like regular pork. Brining is a good way to do it. If your hams are very big you may want to inject it with the solution to get it cured all the way through. Try to get it injected as close to the bone as you can. With a brine cure it doesn't have to be as salty. Check with your local meat processor for curing agent. I like it much better than the Morton's Tender Quick which is way too salty for my taste.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

sandsawmill14

those red and the old spots and black p&c are good fat hogs. when i worked at the feed mill ( i was 18-20 yo) purina came out with lean generation supplement to replace the 36d to try to reduce the fat on a hog and it worked pretty good we had 2 test barns on different farms and the hogs looked completely different just from changing the feed this was right before all the rr seed and all the other gmo stuff came out. but the hogs us country boys remember are all but gone. sorry i got to rambling :D i dont know anything about curing other than about 6-7 days per inch of meat for full cure and it needs to be kept from freezing and under 55-60 degrees with 40-45 being the best.here thats normally around the first of november but if your gonna freeze anyway weather shouldnt give you any trouble
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

Magicman

 

 
Da great Yukon/Furby pig roundup.   :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

sandsawmill14

maybe he overheard the discussion ;D :D :D :D
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

WV Sawmiller

YC,

   Are you making souse (Hoghead cheese) out of the head? Feel free to send me a nice thick slice and I will act as the official food critic for the FF. Maybe we can chip some up in a pot of grits.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

yukon cornelius

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on March 09, 2016, 07:54:31 AM
YC,

   Are you making souse (Hoghead cheese) out of the head? Feel free to send me a nice thick slice and I will act as the official food critic for the FF. Maybe we can chip some up in a pot of grits.
that is something we didn't try this time. That topic is in the foxfire book I have been reading.
The plan for butchering in the spring would have been better if we had normal temperatures. It has been so warm we were in a rush to get it done. Overall we estimate having around $0.80\ lb for the edible meat. This could have been lower with a cheaper and bigger feeder pig.  We started with pigs sold to be 25-30 lbs but when we got them home they weighed 15. Lesson learned.
I do know that supermarket meat is allowed to be sold injected with more than 40% weight of water. When cooking it shows. Their meat runs water out when cooking and ours just cooks.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

sandsawmill14

homegrown is certainly better than what you get at the store and you know what your eating :) the broilers i raise are the same way their is no comparison between them and a store bought chicken :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

sandhills

See, I know I was a little late, but still tried to warn you guys, never rope a hog  :D :D.  MM that pictures priceless!

yukon cornelius

Roping was certainly not what I wanted to do but as we were quickly getting farther from home it became the choice between roping and butchering that day. :D
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

yukon cornelius

Now she is "cured" from wanting out and is resting comfortably in the freezer.  ;D
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

sandhills

Darn those dirt raised hogs anyway, they think they can run anywhere!  :D  We used have about 60 or so sows and didn't have much for facilities, so I got a real kick out of MM's picture, I sure wish I could've been there to help, I'm always in for a good rodeo  ;)

Raider Bill

I've been thinking of making some mild Italian sausage out of the next hog we get from the Amish. They make real good southern sausage but never heard of Italian.

Having never made sausage before my understanding is to not grind it too small [bigger than 3/8] and add seasoning at the end just before casing it. Is that correct?




The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

21incher

Great thread. I would love to raise a pig, but my wife won't let me. She says she would not let me butcher any animal that she would name. So I am stuck with store bought pork that contains god knows what, while enjoying all my home grown canned food that I know what is in it. Someday I hope to change her mind and this thread will get me started on it.
As a side note I went to the store the other day to buy some fresh chicken breast and after reading the fine print on the package it said it had 15% broth injected in it even though it said fresh. Enjoy your pork Yukon and I hope you have a smoker.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Magicman

Just name it Bacon, Pork Chop, or Ham.  Problem solved.   food3
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

coalsmok

21incher. Find a local farmer to buy a hog off of, its better than store bought without the naming of the animal.  We are doing that until I get the homestead up and running better.   

sandsawmill14

i remember when i was 5 or 6 years old the the first part of november dad killed ELMOE  i was was there for the entire process helping what a 5 yo could but i wouldnt eat a bite of bacon or sausage till dad started buying it at the store for me :D :D :D that went on till the next hog killin . every time we had fried meat i would ask if that was elmoe  >:( i learned not to make a pet out of livestock because you might HAVE to eat it someday :o . i have always loved all animals some just in different ways ;D we have had alot of fun out of elmoe and dad still ask me if i want some elmoe and eggs every once in a while :D :D :D  i know thats a useless story but alot of fond memories with it :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

sandsawmill14

mm my oldest daughter did name one porkchop when she was about 8-9 years old but i taught my girls from when they were old enough to talk what which animals were for and i am sure it was because of the story i just told :D :D :D
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

thecfarm

Freezer Camp will fix just about any animal problem.  ;D
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Chuck White

The best way to rope a hog so that it can be handled is to put a slip noose around the neck, then go behind the front legs and up and over the body, then through and under the rope creating a half-hitch and tighten.

The hog won't like it, but a man should be able to handle a pretty good sized hog.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

yukon cornelius

Our youngest son is 4. He really liked them but we told him often they were to be butchered. I still went out early to put her down. When she was hanging in the shop he came out. I told him it was butcher day and asked if he wanted to see.he said he did and can in and said "cool". Then I started teaching him all the parts. He was OK with it. He has been with me on a few successful deer hunts and had seen that.

Bacon and ham is seasoned. Simple cure recipe.
** no metal pan or it will react and give an off taste**

Kosher Salt, curing salt, black pepper, brown sugar
Pack, flip daily, 5 days for bacon and 10 for ham.
Smoke to 170 degree core temp.

Hot Italian sausage and breakfast sausage coming soon but o need to dig out my recipe. I make both with deer and it is a great flavor.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

rjwoelk

I remember those days, did my best to get out of school and stay home. The groind up lard and bits of meat on the lard all went into a very large cast iron pot about 32 to 36 inch across I believe. All heated up with a wood fire. Once it was melted the ribes were added and the aroma,  was delicious. Winter my favorite was fried potatoes,  eggs ,fresh bread, hot out  of the oven, and cracklings, I am drooling as I write. Lol
Lt15 palax wood processor,3020 JD 7120 CIH 36x72 hay shed for workshop coop tractor with a duetz for power plant

sandsawmill14

yukon thats alot different to how i do it  we cold smoke everything after a full cure just like they 200 yrs ago
be sure to keep us updated and how well you like it ??? if you say it good i might try one  ;D what will you smoke it in to get to the 170 ???
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

west penn

  If you want to load a hog the easy way-- get one guy on his tail and one to put a 5 gallon bucket over his head and he'll go anywhere backwards trying to get out of the bucket!   Works every time!

LeeB

I really really want to see video of this one.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

WDH

What happens when the bucket comes off the hog's head?  :D
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

sandsawmill14

you better have the gate closed :o :D :D :D
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

Quote from: west penn on March 09, 2016, 11:29:57 PM
  If you want to load a hog the easy way-- get one guy on his tail and one to put a 5 gallon bucket over his head and he'll go anywhere backwards trying to get out of the bucket!   Works every time!

I have never heard of that.

It seems I have a history of escaped hogs. As a kid my 4h pig got loose and we had to put up missing pig signs. Then at the county fair she got  away and ran through the whole fairground. It took several to catch her.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

Magicman

This pot bellied pet pest visited me twice after escaping.  LINK


 
His name was actually Bacon, but I was thinking "whole hog" if it came back again.  food6
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

yukon cornelius

You must have what pigs like!  These guys had never been out until you were here. They had to bust out to come see you  :D
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

Magicman

Larry, I am assuming that you skinned rather than scrapped your pig??
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

yukon cornelius

I did skin with the exception of the hams. I scorched the hair of anywhere near an opening I would make with a knife. I then tried to dip and scrape the hams alone. Was not a success. I ended up skinning them if I had not scorched the hair on them short it might have worked. The best part of doing 2 at separate times is I can try to rectify it on round 2
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

west penn

  I don't remember as I ever had the bucket come off but loaded lots of hogs that way. I'm a lefty so I had my left hand on the bucket handle and my right on the hogs back and even backed them up ramps into a crate on a pick up. Had 10 sows at one point and raised little pigs until I got a disease in the barn and had to give it up.  You can't hardly make a 350 pound sow go forward if it doesn't want to go.

sandhills

west penn, you have no idea how much I know about that, sure wished I'd have known about the bucket trick back then.  Everyone thinks mules are smart and stubborn, they never raised hogs  :D.

WV Sawmiller

Quote from: rjwoelk on March 09, 2016, 10:40:28 PM
I remember those days, did my best to get out of school and stay home. The groind up lard and bits of meat on the lard all went into a very large cast iron pot about 32 to 36 inch across I believe. All heated up with a wood fire. Once it was melted the ribes were added and the aroma,  was delicious. Winter my favorite was fried potatoes,  eggs ,fresh bread, hot out  of the oven, and cracklings, I am drooling as I write. Lol

RJ,

   Can you tone it down a bit? You're clogging up my arteries :D

   As to naming animals when we were kids we raised one steer on our milk cow and got attached to her and could not eat her. After that we'd name them Hamburger, Ribeye, Round Steak, etc and it was easier to see them go and to eat them.

    My wife's folks raised pigs when she was a girl and she hates them. No problem eating pork just doesn't want a live one on the place. When I was 7 y/o I got cut by a young wild hog on Christmas Day down in Dixie County Fla that got under Grandpa's house. He killed it as it ran away after cutting me and the dog (who got him off me) then they took me to find a doctor. Doctor was an hour or so away and at home having a Christmas party and was drunk. His nurse was there and they bent me over the hood of the car and gave me a shot and taped the cut shut and sent me home. I was upset we did not even eat the hog but he had been out in the Fla heat several hours when we got back.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

brianJ

21incher typed,  " I would love to raise a pig, but my wife won't let me. She says she would not let me butcher any animal that she would name"

A few decades ago when I was a young teen, I raised a veal calf for my summer's pay.   My mom being the emotional thinker she is asked what I was going to name it.   I replyed, "Any four letter word I can"   after her shreeking was finished I continued on with my answer,  Like bull, coin, calf,  veal, or fair as in the Fonda Fair that ended my summers.   That explaination calmed her right down and even earned me her compliment that it was a wise outlook.

sandsawmill14

brian that reminds me of a mis understanding with my mom one time. she has been in a wheelchair since 1990 so i came in from the field for lunch one day and stopped at moms house to check on her as i did everyday until dad retired and soon as i walked in the door she said "fix me a ham sandwich" and i thought she said "fix me *amn sandwich" and i gave her one more tongue lashing >:( she looked at me and said "what is wrong with you all i did was ask for a sandwich" so i said yea but what kind of sandwich did you ask for and she said "a ham sandwich" then i got tickled and told her what i thought i heard :o :-[ and we both laughed about it and went on :D :D :D  now she can only say just a few words and some days not at all :-\ its hard watching them age but thankful to still have them ;) :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

drobertson

Quote from: Magicman on March 09, 2016, 07:10:00 PM
Just name it Bacon, Pork Chop, or Ham.  Problem solved.   food3
I remember the last Uncle Jess butchered, slightly comical, I was young, but never will forget the dialog between Jess and Aunt Opal,,  Opal would say," what's this cut?"
Jess would say "more pig",  ;D  this went on till all was put up,  "more pig" :D
Now Grandma Lolly, had the smoke house and the whole bit, back in N.C. I was real young back then, lived with her for a short while, she used the whole hog, I mean whole hog, I still can imagine the smell during the cleaning process, but now the hams when done, and the link sausage, real close to unbeatable,  to this day I've never heard of her secrets or techniques, only two left now, Aunt Marilyn, and Uncle Gayle, and this thread has me on a mission to rescue the family secrets,,
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

yukon cornelius

I seem to be too late to rescue our family "secrets" like that. we are starting our own  ;D we have a few of the foxfire series books we are enjoying and other older how to books. we have one we call the great big book of everything. it is self sufficiency start to finish. everything like how to buy your land, build your house, make furniture, clothing,raise your food, recipes, and games. I think there is a loss of so much information about how to do things. we are trying to recapture all we can.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

sandsawmill14

i wish i had paid more attention growing up :-\  there was a lot to learn from the old folks :) but if you think its bad now wait another 25 years  :( kids dont know how to do anything but the bad part is they are taught in school they dont need to do anything except for computer/tech type stuff they dont teach any trades now and very little useful ag >:(
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

That is only one of the reasons we homeschool
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

21incher

Quote from: brianJ on March 11, 2016, 08:12:12 PM
21incher typed,  " I would love to raise a pig, but my wife won't let me. She says she would not let me butcher any animal that she would name"

A few decades ago when I was a young teen, I raised a veal calf for my summer's pay.   My mom being the emotional thinker she is asked what I was going to name it.   I replyed, "Any four letter word I can"   after her shreeking was finished I continued on with my answer,  Like bull, coin, calf,  veal, or fair as in the Fonda Fair that ended my summers.   That explaination calmed her right down and even earned me her compliment that it was a wise outlook.
At least I have been able to convince her to allow me to get a batch of chickens by promising I will only eat the eggs after this. it is a start and should something happen to one of them I am sure she will find it tasty. ;D 8) 8)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

drobertson

Well, as it turns out, Aunt Marilyn ran for the city back in the day, moved in with mom and dad in Washington, Uncle Gayle is the last resource, and I got him tonight, lost his number when the cell phone broke in half last winter,  after making the trip to SC this past week a cuz got with me, and tonight I spoke with uncle Gayle,  turns out grandma Lolly cold smoked with hickory, salt and and sugar, cure, with spices,, so, we are gaining on the  process, nothing in paper so this is going to be a processes for sure,, sage and spices on the sausage, no amounts on paper,, sounds like trial and error,, chittlins  and fatback are what they are, ate my share,  it really seems a shame how fast time goes along with many family traditions,  real proud of Larry,(yukon) for bringing it back to his side of the tree,,,,  it makes for many memories and last but not least, some good eatin'  you go yuke,,!!! 8) 8)
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

sandsawmill14

dr  8 lbs  salt  2 lbs sugar and and 2 ounces sodium nitrite (saltpeter) will give you a good starting point or mortons make a sugar cure that works good to if you want one thats ready to use. the only seasoning we ever did was just the cure and a heavy smoke so i cant help with what spices you might want to use :) this would do roughly 100 lbs of meat :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

drobertson

thanks ss14, I still am a little unsure on or about the cold smoking technique, Uncle said they would start a fire with hickory then put it out and just let it smolder,, they had a 3 bushel container they would put the fire in, directly in with the hanging hams,,this how you guys do it?
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

sandsawmill14

dr i use a metal 5 gallon bucket or what ever you can find similar size and shape. set it on concrete blocks to keep from burning floor. in a container like that a fire cant get enough air to burn good enough for much heat so it will put of a lot of smoke. it is easier to build a fire on the ground and let it burn down to coals then put a shovel full of coals in the bucket. then just add small pieces of wood as needed to keep it from going out. dont clean ashes out of the bucket as you will need to add 2-3 pieces of wood at bedtime and cover with the ashes and it will smoke all night and you wont have to build a new fire everyday ;D it may take a week or so to get the hang of keeping the fire smoking 24 hrs a day but you will get it. and it makes no difference if the fire goes out as the meat already has a full cure but it is a pain to start a fire everyday ;) . im building a new smoke house but the weather and a touch of lazy  :-[ has stopped work on it for a couple weeks and it so late know it will be next fall before i put meat in it anyway but i will put some pics of the bucket and smoking the house when i get done.  smoking a new house is just me not something i was taught ;) just looks like it would help with the bugs while the wood dries ;)
also when im smoking i use green lumber scraps with no bark or very little bark the bark seems to make the smoke favor stronger but we have had a hickory mill close by for all of my life. cutting hickory trees for the wood works perfectly fine it just take a lot of work as you will be needing small pieces instead of firewood sized pieces :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

sandsawmill14

i forgot to say after you get all the smoke you want wrap in brown paper and tie paper at the leg end of hams, hang back up and pour black pepper at the top where paper gather and it will keep bugs out if its warm weather doesnt do anything to deter the coons though :-\ >:( fudd-smiley and if they find a smoke house they will be very happy but you wont >:( i lost 2 hams a shoulder and a side of middlin  in about '91 or '92 (i was young and dumb but i got over being young  ;D :-[ )

clear as mud now ??? :D :D :D
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

Today was day 5 of bacon. Tomorrow rinse and smoke. Last night we sneak previewed the bacon without smoking. It was good! Good flavor and not too salty. The smoking will make it better. I am going to hickory smoke it. I will post results tomorrow 8)
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

sandsawmill14

glad to here its turning out good smiley_thumbsup 8)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

I need ideas for scalding procedures. I have read 155-160 degrees Fahrenheit. I have thought of using a 55 gallon barrel. Trying to get water to 170 and tranfer it to the barrel below hoist to raise and lower the pig. Any ideas if it would work?
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

Magicman

We tilted and propped the barrel up at about 45° and built a fire around it.  When the water temperature got right one end of the hog went in.  It was rolled over, pulled out and then the other end went into the barrel.  Of course all of the "old folks" had done it many times and knew what they were doing.  Me, I was just watching and ready to help scrape hair off.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

sandsawmill14

a square flat bottom vat works better but a barrel would work  :) the flat bottom and shallow water helps the water temp to be more consistent we have 1 vat that is rectangle and will do a 500lb hog good we also have an old 200gal fuel tank cut in half we turned into a vat have only used it 3 times in the last 15 yrs and made a mess every time so its scrap far as im concerned >:( im sticking with the flat bottom one.  yukon we have killed a couple of big hogs 750-800 lb that wouldnt go in the vat so we used burlap bags and poured the water through the burlap on the hog and the burlap would hold the heat long enough to get by but it is alot of work to do it that way. when you get a good scald 99% of the hair, the toenails and the outer layer of skin (sorta like the layer when you skin your arm but it doesnt bleed) will scrape off with ease. then take a feed sack ,twist it up like a log and light it then singe the hair of around the jaws and ears and other hard to get to places. i you are doing a hog for a pit bbq be VERY VERY CAREFUL not to cut the skin while scraping if you do when you turn the hog skin side down to finish cooking the grease will run out the cut and catch the hog on fire :o in the last 5 yrs or so 3 pits have burned to the ground because of this. all hogs were bought at the slaughter house and 2 of the guy noticed the cuts but went a head and took the hogs. i would have just made them mad and refused if it was me but it wasnt ;D  far as water temp i have never checked it with thermometer to know but the way i check it is make a swipe about 12" long that last about a second with your finger do this 3 times in a row and when its hot enough you cant hardly make yourself do the 3rd swipe its ready. and remember if its to hot it will set the hair then you have alot of singeing and scraping and washing but it doesnt hurt the meat at all so dont panic if you mess up  ;) :) :) oh yea cutting the skin while scraping doesnt hurt anything unless you  bbq for curing/smoking it makes no difference :) i will try to get pic of the vat tomorrow :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

drobertson

scalded one pig, bout a 150#'r  shot it in the head, brought it home, cleaned and scalded, it was brutal,, made the fire, a hot one,  two trucks on each side the fire,  had the beast over the barrel, boiling good,, dunked and scrapped, dunked and scrapped, got it, then on the pit,, never knew what the ole timers went through,,til then, we did it, pig fed near hundred folks, with the fixin's  cooked all night whole in a pit, rough one, but sealed pretty good for back then,
11:00 am serve time,, pulled like you've rarely seen,  little ash, should be expected, just good eatin'  the scalding was the worst part of the whole hog deal,,but we did it,,,it was the last time,, 1987'   ;D  I'm not ashamed, just smarter
now,  I think I could get it better now, but not sure I want to,,
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

sandsawmill14

sorry i got long winded but its hard to describe in a few words
dr sounds like the water was to hot normally takes me and my 2 brothers about 20-30 min unless i screw up the water >:( :D :D :D
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

LeeB

It is good info. I always assumed you scalded them in boiling water. Personally, I skin them but have thought it would be nice to have the skin on the hams and maybe a nice rind on the bacon.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

WDH

My grandmother would always throw in about a pail's worth of green pine needles into the scalding water.  She said that the pine needles would help the hair slip. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

sandsawmill14

i had never heard of skinning a hog before this thread :) but i'm no professional  :D i dont know how many hog we've killed but probably less than 50 with about 1/2 being cured/smoked and the rest being either bbq hogs or sausage :) and only about 1/2 of those since all the old folks died out and us boys on our on. now hog killing is both a fun and sort of sad day you never know how much you miss the old folks till something not going just right but i am lucky to to have 2 brothers to help we all have our job 1 of my brother shoots it and i stick it to bleed it out and when one dont bleed we argue about whose fault it is :D i say he shot it dead and he says i missed the juggler :D (a hog shot dead will not bleed) i am  in charge of the scalding , he cleans the out the insides and our youngest brother stays on tractor which is a very important job cause if he turns the vat over when dipping the hog your screwed :o we have never done that (yet i should say but i have herd of it happening) all in all it is a fun day for us with all the nephews helping and learning but i am the oldest and its sorta hard and sad because i have no one to ask for advice and always remembering when my dad, grandpa and great grandpa were helping but all in all it is a great day we all look forward to  :) the next one is planned for memorial day and i will get some pics unless some object thinking it would be to graphic :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

sandsawmill14

Quote from: yukon cornelius on March 14, 2016, 10:14:20 PM
I need ideas for scalding procedures. I have read 155-160 degrees Fahrenheit. I have thought of using a 55 gallon barrel. Trying to get water to 170 and tranfer it to the barrel below hoist to raise and lower the pig. Any ideas if it would work?
i think 170 will be to hot  ??? just put the fire under the barrel to heat the water be very careful when using a barrel and have it fixed where there is no way it can turn over and spill on you it will cause SEVERE burns that is the biggest problem i can think of using a barrel that and having to dip one end at a time :-\ i didnt get a chance to get a pic of our vat today but i will try to tomorrow :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

If I put a fire under the barrel it will burn my shop down! I don't have a way to lift the pig besides my hoist in the shop. I do however have a pump suitable for hot water. My thought was if I started at 170 by the time it was all pumped it would be about right. I can always wait for it to cool enough
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

sandsawmill14

well sometimes you cant get it like you want it :-\  what your talking about will work but not likely to be a pleasant first experience :D :D :D   just be careful and dont get burned trust me i got it splashed in my boot one time and i'll just say i have never wore rubber boots with my pant legs tucked in for another hog killing :'( :'( :'(
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

A splash could be very unpleasant. If it will scald a pig then it will do the same to me. I have come to enjoy my skin still on me. I have a week or so before the second pig is ready.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

sandsawmill14

you have plenty of time to figure it out  :) just be careful and get a couple of old burlap bags or something so you can pour the hot water on any spots you miss or cant get in the barrel :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

69bronco

We always used to skin ours, seemed like they cured better. Haven't done one in years, brings back good memories of a nice fall day!

sandsawmill14

it is amazing how things are done so different in different areas of the country :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

I think the bacon cured too long. It is very salty. One small slab was pulled and sampled 2 days early and it is really good. The rest that went the 5 days is too salty. I will try to soak some ant pull salt out. Next try will be 3 days in the cure.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

Magicman

Our first breakfast after hog killing day was always scrambled eggs and hog brains.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

sandsawmill14

i always loved them mm but now i dont eat them anymore  ??? there was a reason it was supposed to not be safe several years ago so mom made us quit eating them but now i dont even remember what the problem was but seems like it was about the time that eggs would kill you  :o ::) :D :D :D
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

sandsawmill14

sorry to here its to strong yukon :( maybe soaking will help :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

yukon cornelius

Soaking fixed it. We ate some ham last night and it was great. Pig 2 will soon follow. This one will provide lots of sausage. Italian and breakfast.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

sandsawmill14

hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

coxy

that's it im moving  by one of you guys there is no one around here that does it or will help when doing it the only thing I cant do is shoot a pig or a beef I shoot every thing else  ??? ??? I would not be offended by the pics that's how things worked in the old world   but i cant speak for everyone

sandsawmill14

coxy its to late for me to kill one to cure this year but im gonna make some sausage soon i hope ??? its up to food giant now to put the boston butts on sale for .99 cents again :D we will normally make 75 lbs when they put them on sale 3 25 lb batches 1 for me and 1 for each of my brothers :) if i dont forget i can get some pics of that  ;D it will just start at the part where we would have had the hog blocked up/out (depending on whos saying it  :D :D ) if we had killed it ourselves  :) but this fall if the Lord is willing i will kill cure and smoke some and will get pics ;) :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

coxy

 :D :D how dumb am I never thought of the butts for the sausage making part  materhead

sandsawmill14

the butts work out pretty good for sausage you get bout the right amount of fat to make good sausage where when you kill your own hog its hard to get enough fat sometimes :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

coxy

then your not feeding them enough  :D :D   just poking fun with you              we did a pig one time in feb and there was no fat at all it must have used it through the winter was the worst tasting pork I ever had    so after that they bite the dirt around November just before hunting season  for the fat for summer sausage  digin1 digin_2 musteat_1

yukon cornelius

After the Bacon has sat a while it is much more mellow and not as salty. Awesome stuff!
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

coxy

good to here that it is still eatable  :D how much do you guys pay for piglets they sell for 100-175  :o :o a piece around here 

sandsawmill14

here they are 40-60 bucks for weanlings and go up from there :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

sandsawmill14

yukon i have never tried meat that fresh out of the cure so i would think it gets better as it hangs it is always at least a month but usually it would 2 months or more by the time we get it smoked and all and the hams would be 4-6 months old  :) once you take it out of the salt ageing gives the salt time to disperse through the meat better at least thats what i think :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

trapper

My wife wont even let me raise chickens.  remembers being chased by them too many times when she was young.  No problems eating deer rabbits and fish though. She just likes to see them when ready for the pan.  She does help cut up deer though
stihl ms241cm ms261cm  echo 310 400 suzuki  log arch made by stepson several logrite tools woodmizer LT30

yukon cornelius

My wife didn't want to see any of it when we first got together now she is a fish cleaning deer butchering pig product making machine! I was blessed with a wife made special for me  8)
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

sandsawmill14

you are lucky yukon to have found a good wife  ;) my wife will do about any of it to after the butchering she wants no part of that  :D but once it looks like meat instead of the  animal she will do anything to help :D :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

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