Sous Vide Deer European Mounts

[squid]

I discovered a much better and cheaper alternative to using the souse vide. Pick up a submersible water heating element. I got one on ebay for 9 bucks. I also got a 10 gallon plastic garbage pail at home depot for 15 bucks. Zip tied the element to a stick to get it to the right level in the bucket, water came to a simmer. Entire process took less than three hours between boiling and power washing in between.

Ebay Heating element: https://www.ebay.com/itm/110V-1000W...223321?hash=item3a9f919c99:g:n3oAAOSwvg9Xfddj

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I discovered a much better and cheaper alternative to using the souse vide. Pick up a submersible water heating element. I got one on ebay for 9 bucks. I also got a 10 gallon plastic garbage pail at home depot for 15 bucks. Zip tied the element to a stick to get it to the right level in the bucket, water came to a simmer. Entire process took less than three hours between boiling and power washing in between.

Ebay Heating element: https://www.ebay.com/itm/110V-1000W...223321?hash=item3a9f919c99:g:n3oAAOSwvg9XfddjView attachment 120872

An element like this is great for a guy on the road, or someone that is going to sit and watch their skull, but similar to boiling with a burner you have to watch it to make sure it doesn't boil and it's will likely require a lot of picking to get it clean (especially on a deer sized critter). It's not set and forget.

So yes, it's a great cheap option, but more a replacement for a propane setup rather than sous vide one.

 

[RobG]

An element like this is great for a guy on the road, or someone that is going to sit and watch their skull, but similar to boiling with a burner you have to watch it to make sure it doesn't boil and it's will likely require a lot of picking to get it clean (especially on a deer sized critter). It's not set and forget.

So yes, it's a great cheap option, but more a replacement for a propane setup rather than sous vide one.

Would the sous vide require any less picking?

By the way, I connected a dimmer switch to an outlet for my soldering iron. This could be used to regulate the temperature of the heating coil.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Would the sous vide require any less picking?

By the way, I connected a dimmer switch to an outlet for my soldering iron. This could be used to regulate the temperature of the heating coil.

In my experience the Sous vide method requires little to no picking because you can lower the temperature to a level thats “safe” for cartilage but will cook the meat off the bone. Eg I did a bear for several days at 125.

 

[RobG]

If you use washing soda (sal soda) everything comes clean with a garden hose. The nose cartilage turns to gelatin. Maybe you have to put your thumb over the hose to get a little spray, but you don't need the pressure washer. Nasal bones and everything stay intact.

 

[RobG]

In my experience the Sous vide method requires little to no picking because you can lower the temperature to a level thats “safe” for cartilage but will cook the meat off the bone. Eg I did a bear for several days at 125.

So if it is "safe for cartilage" how do you get that piece that separates the nostrils? That's a bugger to get out.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

So if it is "safe for cartilage" how do you get that piece that separates the nostrils? That's a bugger to get out.

Sometime it detaches, sometimes I can jiggle it loose with a kabab stick, once my wife had to remove it for me with a scalpel. I’ve only really had it be an issue with small deer.

 

[jt13]

So if it is "safe for cartilage" how do you get that piece that separates the nostrils? That's a bugger to get out.

That was the most resilient piece in this project in both the deer and the elk. Took quite a bit of playing with to get out

 

[RobG]

Sometime it detaches, sometimes I can jiggle it loose with a kabab stick, once my wife had to remove it for me with a scalpel. I’ve only really had it be an issue with small deer.

To follow up, why does it have to be safe for cartilage? The sal soda reduces it to gel and I haven't seen any ill effects on the final product, but maybe I'm missing something.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

To follow up, why does it have to be safe for cartilage? The sal soda reduces it to gel and I haven't seen any ill effects on the final product, but maybe I'm missing something.

Essentially, you want to cook off all the meat but you don’t want to break down all the connective tissue that holds the skull together. You could actually cook the skull apart at say 155 for 4 days or something but at 125 that’s impossible.
Kinda like why use a torque wrench rather than a regular socket. Because it’s precise, will a heater work, definitely, you just can’t set it walk a way for a day and no it will be totally fine.

 

[squid]

I'd say with the element that I got off of ebay, there has been no picking and no monitoring of any kind. Its a 1000 watt element and In five gallon and 10 gallon setups that I have used it in, it did nothing more than bring the water to a simmering boil. I suspect with less water, might be an issue of over heating.

I'd probably be sleeping outside if I used the souse vide for deer skulls as I don't think my wife would approve ;-)