Processing Question

Ahoy hoy, tomorrow the husbeast and I are processing 4 roosters and while we know how to do most of it, we are unsure if the water for scalding should be 150 C or F.  Could someone please let me know?

It must be F. 100C is boiling and you can't have liquid water any hotter than that!

I thought so. Wasn't 100% sure though.

Happy plucking! Please post pictures of a feathery husbeast!

We don't check the temp anymore, so not sure exact temp. If you've done it enough times it's more instinctual knowing when to dunk; especially in regards to the outside temp. The surface of the water slightly changes. Hard to explain.
Starts to give off steam but not overly much. Way too much steam and the skin on your bird (and possibly your own) will get over scalded and peel (the feathers at a higher temp will sloth off though mighty quickly..but the end product is blotchy looking). Slightly cooler water allows for keeping them in the water longer, or dunking them more times.
I usually only have to dunk once or twice for chickens and turkeys. 3 times for Ducks.

You wan't the water to get right before the right before it's going to boil point.... If that makes sence...Blah!

If you are using a plucker we find the temp is more picky. Too hot and the skin is too tender and the plucker, when the rubber fingers are cold, rip the skin to shreds. If you are hand plucking, you have a bit more leeway as your hands will not rip the skin so badly.

This is Hub's method. The water is NOT boiling! HOlding the bird by the legs he dunks and swishes, then lifts it out of the water for a few second, repeats this about 3 times then does a test by yanking the largest wing feathers. If they come out easy, we're good to go. IF they require quite a bit of tugging, back in the water for a few more swirls. Start with fewer, shorter dips and progress to slightly longer dips if you find the feathers are not coming out easy.

Since these are not actual meat birds, they may be somewhat harder to pluck, keeping in mind that meat birds are designed for ease of plucking, and other birds are not. In that case it may take a bit more hot water dipping than for meat birds. GOod luck!

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I heat the water (with a dob of dish soap) to 145* and dunk for 45 seconds. I hand pluck and have found the the right temperature makes all the difference between an quick and easy pluck and a long frustrating pluck. If it's a young bird, 140* for 40 sec works just fine. If it's an older bird, you need a slightly hotter temp and slightly longer dunking. Bop & turn the bird in the water when you're dunking so that all the feathers get wet. Some birds (like the Chantecler) have very water repellent feathers and you can end up almost doing a dry pluck on them LOL.

After the dunk, test pull a couple of the long wing feathers; if they come out easy, you're good to go.

My water temperature was at 150 Fahrenheit last time I processed.
Here is a video I found on youtube.