Red stag head prep advice

[lamby91]

Hi

I have boiled my first red stag head and didn't want to over do it due to the brittleness of the bones. I skinned the head prior to boiling and boiled for one hour.

It has stripped a lot of it off but is left with the odd bit here and there. Do I just persevere with scraping/picking/scrubbing the last bits off or boil it a bit more - any advice welcome? see picture attached

r

 

[75]

Have you jetwashed it? That's take most of it off.

 

[baguio]

Have you jetwashed it? That's take most of it off.

If after jet washing it’s still got stuff attached then boil it for another 10 minutes and jet wash again. Red skulls are not too delicate.
A good one to take BTW. Well done.

 

[HonestJohn]

Boil for 2 minutes, scrape, use pliers to pull out the bits in the nasal cavities, around eyes, etc, some of that really sticks!! Scrape with a knife downwards standing it in the antlers, really go at it! It’s a BIG job, repeat and repeat.

A power sprayer really helps too, get it really close and blast it, enjoy the taste of brain when it comes back in your mouth!

Just finishing this, it was like yours about an hour before I got to here

 

[lamby91]

Have you jetwashed it? That's take most of it off.

Hi .. yeh I had jet washed to that point just bit stubborn in places.

 

[lamby91]

If after jet washing it’s still got stuff attached then boil it for another 10 minutes and jet wash again. Red skulls are not too delicate.
A good one to take BTW. Well done.

Thanks will give this another go thanks for advice

 

[lamby91]

Boil for 2 minutes, scrape, use pliers to pull out the bits in the nasal cavities, around eyes, etc, some of that really sticks!! Scrape with a knife downwards standing it in the antlers, really go at it! It’s a BIG job, repeat and repeat.

A power sprayer really helps too, get it really close and blast it, enjoy the taste of brain when it comes back in your mouth!

Just finishing this, it was like yours about an hour before I got to here

Thank you for the advice just been a bit worried about damaging the skull - will keep cracking at it

 

[baguio]

If it's boiled enough you should be able to pressure wash it clean in 2 minutes, no problem, with no need to scrape at all. Scraping is in effect what the HP water is doing.

 

[lamby91]

If it's boiled enough you should be able to pressure wash it clean in 2 minutes, no problem, with no need to scrape at all. Scraping is in effect what the HP water is doing.

I boiled this yesterday just obviously not enough by looks and sounds of it .. will it be okay to re-boil tonight or will it make the bone more brittle boiling it twice?

 

[baguio]

I boiled this yesterday .. will it be okay to re-boil tonight or will it make the bone more brittle boiling it twice?

No. It will make no difference. The bone is not brittle in reds.
When done, the gristle should be shrinking away from the skull so that you can pull it off with your fingers leaving clean bone. If you can’t do that you haven’t boiled it for long enough. I have done 3 this season so far so reasonably competent.

 

[lochty]

After pressure washing, treat the whole head with hydrogen peroxide or sorgene if you can get it. Dries out any remaining gristly bits and leaves the bone nice and white.

 

[Sol]

If you dont want to re-boil it you've removed enough flesh you could just re-fill the pot place the head in it and leave nature to do its job in a week or so, the hyper hydration of flesh and cartilage strips it all off with mild agitation simple as walking over giving it a twirl in the water every few days.

Its how I do all my roe inside (water changed daily) since I HATE scraping, the benefit at the very end of the day I literally have a flesh free animal there's nothing on it every bone I can see and there's no cartilage or dried up flesh inside it.

My roe are usually a little cleaner than your red doing that, but if your doing it outside it hardly matters tbh.

 

[lamby91]

Thanks for the advice guys

 

[wytonpjs]

Alternatively, give it to a good mate to do - having just returned from Scotland with 4 heads I dropped them off with Paddy as I picked up a fallow mount he did for me from a while back. Not the biggest head but one full of memories about the "chase" over months. It's now sat above my desk as I type, bringing back fond memories

As @triggertrix states, no matter what you do you'll get covered in brains at some point when you power wash. I did see a "hack" whereby someone had fitted a open Tupperware container over the lance to minimise "splash back" and I'll give that a go with my next roe, but reds - over to Paddy

 

[FISH BOY]

Hi

I have boiled my first red stag head and didn't want to over do it due to the brittleness of the bones. I skinned the head prior to boiling and boiled for one hour.

It has stripped a lot of it off but is left with the odd bit here and there. Do I just persevere with scraping/picking/scrubbing the last bits off or boil it a bit more - any advice welcome? see picture attached

View attachment 388170View attachment 388171

r

Lovely dark antlers.

Enjoy your brainwash.

 

[lamby91]

Alternatively, give it to a good mate to do - having just returned from Scotland with 4 heads I dropped them off with Paddy as I picked up a fallow mount he did for me from a while back. Not the biggest head but one full of memories about the "chase" over months. It's now sat above my desk as I type, bringing back fond memories

As @triggertrix states, no matter what you do you'll get covered in brains at some point when you power wash. I did see a "hack" whereby someone had fitted a open Tupperware container over the lance to minimise "splash back" and I'll give that a go with my next roe, but reds - over to Paddy

View attachment 388185View attachment 388186View attachment 388187View attachment 388189View attachment 388188

Looks great - Yehh the brain spray is going to be fun

 

[lamby91]

Lovely dark antlers.

Enjoy your brainwash.

Thanks haha

 

[Freeforester]

Hi

I have boiled my first red stag head and didn't want to over do it due to the brittleness of the bones. I skinned the head prior to boiling and boiled for one hour.

It has stripped a lot of it off but is left with the odd bit here and there. Do I just persevere with scraping/picking/scrubbing the last bits off or boil it a bit more - any advice welcome? see picture attached

View attachment 388170View attachment 388171

r

Did you add a couple spoons of soda crystals to soften and help degrease the tissue when boiling? If not, don it for a further 20 mins in boiling water with the crystals added.

 

[lamby91]

Did you add a couple spoons of soda crystals to soften and help degrease the tissue when boiling? If not, don it for a further 20 mins in boiling water with the crystals added.

I added two dishwasher tablets that was all I had to hand at the time .. thanks for the advice

 

[baguio]

I added two dishwasher tablets that was all I had to hand at the time .. thanks for the advice

I use washing up liquid these days. Dish washer tablets will do the same thing.
I look forward to seeing the end results.