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Post by ballhagen on Oct 2, 2012 12:56:49 GMT -6
How do you guys freeze your coon? I have three chest freezer. In the past years I've rolled them into a ball and then froze them. I hate doing it that way because it seems like you always get a few that don't freeze all the way through. What I'm asking is there a way you guys freeze your coon with out rolling them into a ball??? Some advice would be appreciated and maybe some picture might give me a better understanding. Thanks Mike
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Post by Pinky "P" on Oct 2, 2012 13:06:11 GMT -6
always freeze them laid flat. Dont lay too many on top of each other at a time. Let a few freeze, then lay more on. You'll also like the faster thaw time  |
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Post by littlehawk on Oct 2, 2012 13:08:43 GMT -6
Here is how Groenewald Fur Co wants them frozen.
Always freeze the fur FLAT, fur-side OUT, with no exposed flesh.
NEVER roll furs. NEVER freeze or thaw furs in plastic.
Thaw larger animals with heavy flesh (coyote, raccoon, beaver, badger) 5-6 hours in a cool room or until partially thawed before selling.
NEVER thaw so long that grease melts or skins become slimy. Keep them cold. Keep them away from sunlight.
Muskrats should be frozen FLAT and NOT thawed before seeing the buyer.
ALWAYS err on the side of selling something too frozen rather than too thawed.
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Post by ballhagen on Oct 2, 2012 13:10:55 GMT -6
Pinky "P" do you put a piece of plastic or something between the layers? Like plastic or something?
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mowey
Shy Talker
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Post by mowey on Oct 2, 2012 13:45:42 GMT -6
No need to put anything between them. They should all be dry when you freeze them with all the flesh inside and covered so no worry about them freezing together.
mowey
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Post by medicdano on Oct 2, 2012 15:55:50 GMT -6
Ok, so why not roll? When u roll tail first u can hang them by the nose on a hook and in a few hours they are thawed and unrolled. I have never had any issues with not freezing or damaged hides.
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Post by Scott W. on Oct 2, 2012 16:15:12 GMT -6
It takes longer to freeze a rolled up hide. Not good. Not the end of the world, but flat is faster, and faster is better.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2012 16:17:00 GMT -6
The warm air on the inside of the pelt where you roll it can be trapped in there for a VERY long time and cause them to spoil. Do you flesh your pelts and ever come across a green one with a distinct green apple smell? That is why. I'm sure if your freezer is cold enough it wouldn't hurt anything. I only tuck the faces in on themselves a little bit to prevent freezer burn on the nose area. It can make them a pain to get on the stretcher.  Never roll them. And never bag them. |
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Post by medicdano on Oct 2, 2012 16:59:27 GMT -6
I do flesh all my fur and never had any green apple smell or any problem of any kind. AND I bag them before they go in the freezer because (1) the wife would kill me if I didn't and (2) they won't freezer burn then. My freezer is set @ -5 degrees, so maybe thats why I have never had any issues.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2012 17:10:49 GMT -6
I do flesh all my fur and never had any green apple smell or any problem of any kind. AND I bag them before they go in the freezer because (1) the wife would kill me if I didn't and (2) they won't freezer burn then. My freezer is set @ -5 degrees, so maybe thats why I have never had any issues. That's what I am thinking too. |
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Post by LLLTrapper on Oct 2, 2012 18:58:50 GMT -6
Quote CTNick " Never roll them. Never bag them."  LLL |
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Post by justwannano on Oct 2, 2012 19:19:48 GMT -6
I thought I'd chime in here.
I always rolled and bagged them. Thawed and sold to fur buyer. Throughout those years he never mentioned anything about my handleing the fur wrong. Rats and mink were handled the same way.
Fur was de bagged in the morning and just put in the bathtub to thaw til I got home that night.
Just my $.02
just
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2012 19:39:26 GMT -6
Another thing with the rolled fur, it took forever to thaw them out. Nothing is more frustrating than all of the flat frozen furs un-thawed and the rolled ones still partially frozen in the middle.
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Post by medicdano on Oct 2, 2012 19:46:45 GMT -6
Another thing with the rolled fur, it took forever to thaw them out. Nothing is more frustrating than all of the flat frozen furs un-thawed and the rolled ones still partially frozen in the middle. Thats why I roll them tail first and when it is time to thaw hang by the nose on a nail. Thaws faster than flat gauranteed, mostly because they are not laying on anything like a cold floor. |
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Post by riverbandit on Oct 2, 2012 19:58:39 GMT -6
Rolling and bagging is like playing Russian roulette. Things may be fine for awhile but eventually a problem will arise. Unless you follow that pelt all the way through the dressing you have no idea whether there was epidermal damage or not. Heres a test for those who roll. Stick a thermometer in the middle and get back to me on how long it takes the center to reach 32 degrees let alone 0. The outside will be froze LONG before the center. For every minute that center remains un frozen, bacteria is breaking down tissue and leather. That damage isn't always noticeable but is irreversible. Makes absolutely no sense to risk it IMO.
I'll guarantee a coon frozen flat will thaw MUCH faster than any rolled coon hands down.
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Post by dahlyjr28 on Oct 2, 2012 19:59:51 GMT -6
Mine go in flat, the only thing I do is rotate them head to tail. You will get more of them in.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2012 20:25:26 GMT -6
Make sure that if you are using a walk in that the floor is insulated. I just laid down a bunch of seed corn bags and started a pile last season. Since the ground wasn't frozen last year the warmth underneath thawed out a few on the bottom layers. I caught it just in time and thankfully didn't lose any.
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Post by TexA on Oct 3, 2012 5:27:39 GMT -6
A few years back, I worked for a local Fur Buyer, skinning, fleshing and putting-up various furs.
He bought fur from all the locals as well as "others" out of state etc
BY FAR, the worse furs to come in-the-door were from some of the "Old Timers" who still INSISTED on rolling up their furs before selling them.
All too often, some of them had started to rot before their HOME FREEZERS could do the job. That part hasn't changed today either!
Most home freezers just don't have the capacity (refrigeration wise) to QUICKLY freeze any rolled-up fur.
If your fur is DRY, turn the fur-side out, lay them as near FLAT as you can. Don't put anything between them but let them chill good before adding another layer on top of them. Only GOOD JUDGEMENT on your part can determine when or how much time that takes your freezer.
Green fur will last a few days without being froze, just keep it in a cool place, NO SUNSHINE on it, and put them in the freezer as soon as possible - FLAT..........
No fur will thaw faster when it's rolled up than if it was frozen flat!
QUESTION: Does it take ice longer to melt in a CHUNK or when it is
in CHIPS, spread out flat ? That question alone should solve that debate!
Carcass FROZEN critters are a NO - NO in my furshed ...
It just doesn't happen!
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Post by LLLTrapper on Oct 3, 2012 6:01:19 GMT -6
Good post Tex. Could not agree more. LLL |
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joe1
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Post by joe1 on Oct 3, 2012 6:14:59 GMT -6
it dosent matter how you freese them the thing you want to do is when you skin it from a warm carcus scatter them out in a cool place so they are not hot when you put them in the freezer. if you put them in a freezer hot and to many at a time your going to have problems.myself i like them rolled up if it is 6 months before you get to them the more moister in them the more moister the easeir scraping. the reason a lot of buyers want them flat is they have a bunch of guys scraping for them when they get back with the furs they want them ready to put up. if you have them rolled up you put them on a cool floor and dont unwrap them they will stay cool inside for a couple of days. if you lay that fur out you laid flat you dont get to it put back in freezer your drying it out more every time you do this. you sell to a buyer the first thing they check is the inside that is to see how bloody it is and and if it is dry. if you lay them flat make sure you tuck the nose in and the tail in to hold the moister in. a lot of guys say the buyer doesent say anything is wrong if he explained everything to you you would be there for half a day. so if he sees your fur is dry inside it might cost you dollars and he wont tell you why. the bottom line is make sure your fur is cool before you put it in the freezer scatter them out so they freeze as fast as possible and make sure there is no flesh exposed.
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Post by bradphillips on Oct 3, 2012 18:25:23 GMT -6
Good post Tex. Could not agree more. LLL Me too, good info there |
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Post by ~ADC~ on Oct 3, 2012 18:52:48 GMT -6
I hang mine by an eye hole overnight if its not hot out to allow them to stiffen up and "stretch" themselves out then I lay them in the freezers flat. I don't have to even thaw them before going to the buyer this way and he can still measure them for length. If your scraping them yourself I'm not sure if it makes any difference. I have frozen lots of carcass coons too in the past but I lay them out and spread them out flat as I can and let them cool down, then layer them in the freezer just like the hides. Don't hurt a thing IMO.
~ADC~
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Post by lil griz on Oct 4, 2012 14:07:41 GMT -6
I do flesh all my fur and never had any green apple smell or any problem of any kind. AND I bag them before they go in the freezer because (1) the wife would kill me if I didn't and (2) they won't freezer burn then. My freezer is set @ -5 degrees, so maybe thats why I have never had any issues. My girlfriend would kill me to so instead of bagging them i lay a tarp in the freezer and then i dont have to trade beds with the dog |
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LLL
