First Euro Attempt- Sous Vide

[MTelkHuntress]

I recently got my first mule deer and decided I wanted to try to Euro mount myself since he isnt a giant buck. After reading up on every thread about euro mounts I could, I decided to give the sous vide method a try in hopes of reducing errors. Being my first time, I didnt know what to look for in the skull during the process and after some advice, I decided to try having the skull in at 140 for about 24 hours at first and check the skull at this point before leaving the it in for more time. I put in one scoop of oxiclean (I wasnt quite sure on the amount and didnt want to potentially over do it if that was possible) and started the sous vide.
The first 5 hours seemed to be going great (as well as the other times I checked it) and then I checked the skull at the 12 hour mark. This is where things got interesting. Out of sheer luck I tried to check something on the sous vide machine...but the buttons wouldn't do anything. It still said 140 so I thought at least the temperature part was correct. I then unplugged the machine because the screen wouldn't do anything and when I plugged it back in, the temperature read 180 (I later confirmed this with another thermometer just in case). I immediately grabbed the head and put it in a bucket of warm water. The skull came out really clean and there are some chunks of meat I need to remove as well as the brain. I have no idea how long the machine was not working properly and I'm a little afraid that the skull has been messed up.


On to investigating I suppose.

 

[TOGIE]

i doubt it's messed up

you probably just cut 12 hours out of your whole process is all lol

not being able to actually hold your skull, visually, if that upper nose bone isn't aggressively separating i would doubt anything happened in terms of over cooked bones etc

this could be a good thing, if we all just hit it at 180 for like 8 hours we could be done after that!

 

[thusby]

It looks to be in good shape to me.

 

[MTLabrador]

It’s looking great, I wouldn’t worry at all about the higher temperature.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

From my experience 180 is kind of the magic number where the material that keeps the bones knitted together starts to dissolve, and you get the big separation along the bridge of the nose. Had you been ten degrees warmer you might have had trouble, but from your pic it looks like it is in good shape...

Nice job.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Looks pretty dang solid to me I usually cook mine about that when I use the burner. A solid simmer. Though this sous vide is becoming more and more appealing

 

[MTelkHuntress]

Well I'm glad to hear everyone so far doesnt think its messed up. That's a big relief especially since I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for yet. Hopefully this was just one of those "happy accidents".

 

[Green Hunter]

Never thought of using a sous vide, that's a pretty smart idea. Though I think I may get some funny looks from the better half, maybe do that when she's out of town. When I did my euro I was surprised how the bone firmed up after so it may not be ruined.

 

[Hunting Wife]

That looks great! I’ve only ever simmered, no experience with sous vide.

You’ll start to see some misalignment and gapping of those front nasal bones if it goes too far. Also the turbinates ( the delicate curled bones inside the nose) will start to disintegrate.

 

[Pucky Freak]

My nose bones fell off - I pushed them back in place and when the skull dried and the collagen residue kept them stuck on there. If I had put a rubber band around the nose I probably could have fixed the split along the top too. I didn’t use a thermometer or a timer. Just checked the vat every few hours after the first 15 hours until it looked ok. Dish soap only. No wrapping, no peroxide. Picked out sinus tissue with a tweezers in an hour. No odor. Skull work is pretty forgiving IMO

 

[Bambistew]

Looking good. The temps should be fine.

I always remove the brain before cooking/cleaning as I found that if I don't the oils/fat will soak into the bone.

 

[TOGIE]

If I had put a rubber band around the nose I probably could have fixed the split along the top too.
View attachment 162675

brilliant, i hate the nose bone split and my next big experiment was gonna be to find a way to sous vide without this happening

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

As others have said you're all good. (Also that has to be a record for the most accurate and helpful string of comments on a thread)

I over cooked this skull, you can see the split where all the cartilage dissolved.


I also dropped the skull on concrete and these bones popped out, I've had they come loose on another skull that I boiled. You can just glue them back in if that happens.


As far as Oxiclean, I haven't found that there is "too much" I think if you add like 10 cups there is just no additional benefit over 1 or 2 the water becomes saturated and then the rest just sits at the bottom in a pile.

Machine issues, 1. sometime shit just gets funky when they're on for a long time, 2. If water vapor collects in the vent on the back it can get the circuitry wet and screws with the machine. I try to set them up to minimize condensation hence all the plastic wrap and trash bags in my pictures. Some models this isn't an issue others it's a huge problem.

Also I will second what @Midwest Greenhorn said, as the skull drys out things firm up and the color changes. My bear skull last year was super spongy and a bizarre color but it dried out fine.

I was sure this was going to end up in the garbage.




Also it's a learning process took me like 8 heads before I did one that was a good as yours is so far.

 

[Pucky Freak]

brilliant, i hate the nose bone split and my next big experiment was gonna be to find a way to sous vide without this happening

Let us know how it works out; I will too if I get a December buck. I am thinking just enough tension in the rubber band to pull the 2 bones flush. Too much pressure I’d be concerned about it collapsing. I’d bet once the skull completely dries there would be no remaining separation.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

Stubborn brains...make an interesting picture though. If only I had known how difficult they would be.

 

[TOGIE]

whenever I find something stubborn I let the water go back to work

I think I even had a tiny little bit of brain material still hanging out even when I put it back in for peroxide

 

[EYJONAS!]

Lots of people pop the ear canals out. It makes the brain material much easier to get out to.

 

[Pucky Freak]

If you jab your middle finger in there (gloved) and massage the leathery brain case, it will eventually pop loose and everything falls out. Careful not to tear it in half though though - you’ll never be able to grip the remaining half still attached. At that point it’s more time in the hot water bath and then flush it out.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

Almost cleaned up...I hope

 

[Flatrock]

Looking good!

@wllm1313 is gonna have all of us on here using sous vide on euros... I tried a couple last year and they turned out nice.