Food-Safe - Produced under the highest quality standards according to food laws.
Special Feather Wax saves time and money. Poultry can be plucked quickly and cleanly with this feather wax. It is almost indispensable, especially when plucking geese and ducks.
Currently available in "white" as shown in the second picture.
Instructions for Feather Wax:
Dip the pre-plucked animal into the liquid wax, which has been heated in a water bath. After the wax has cooled, it can be removed along with the remaining feathers, leaving the animal clean. The wax can be strained and reused. Sodium hydroxide, which is also used for cleaning cooking pots, can be used to easily remove organic residues such as feather quills, etc.
You will receive the wax in plates, with each plate weighing 4.6kg.
IMPORTANT NOTE, as regular wax is now also sold as feather wax: With genuine feather wax (like ours), the wax is only heated to the temperature at which it becomes liquid (55-60°C). It should never be heated to almost boiling temperature, as required for regular wax. If heated to such a high temperature, genuine feather wax crumbles, and you would have just as much work removing the wax as if you had worked without feather wax.
Further detailed instructions for using HEKA Feather Wax (also available for download; click "Media" below the product image)
How much feather wax do I need?
The vessel in which you liquefy the wax must be large enough to fully immerse the poultry. When liquefied, the feather wax has a volume of approximately 1.2 liters per kilogram. About 0.1 liters per animal are lost. Based on this, you can calculate the "optimal" amount of wax you need. However, you can also reuse the wax (see below), which reduces the required quantity.
What temperature do I need?
The feather wax only needs to be heated to the temperature at which it becomes liquid - this is in the range of 55-65°C. Under no circumstances should you heat the feather wax to boiling temperatures, as this would cause it to lose its desired properties and not adhere properly to the poultry.
What container should I use?
Ideally, you should use a scalding kettle (item number 30170-30230) with a wax insert (item number 30195). You can set the water temperature in the scalding kettle using the built-in thermostat. The wax in the wax insert is uniformly heated and liquefied by the surrounding hot water. If you don't have a scalding kettle with a wax insert, you should try to replicate this method as closely as possible (a container with wax suspended in a container of hot water). If necessary, you can also work with a single container directly heated from below (such as on a stove burner). However, you must be extremely careful that the feather wax does not reach (partially) high temperatures.
Can I dilute the feather wax with water?
No - this would cause the desired properties of the feather wax to be lost, just like with excessive temperatures. The feather wax would no longer adhere properly to the poultry.
How do I slaughter and pluck before using feather wax?
When slaughtering by neck cut, wax will inevitably enter the neck incision - these wax residues are difficult to remove and can be easily overlooked. Therefore, the beak puncture is preferable to the neck cut. You can proceed as you wish when plucking - it doesn't matter whether you pluck by hand or use a wet or dry plucking machine. Important: Animals that are molting or have skin damage from feather picking must be thoroughly plucked by hand - they are not suitable for the use of feather wax.
How do I properly dip the slaughtered poultry into the feather wax?
Hold the roughly plucked poultry by the head and legs. Dip it briefly into the feather wax so that all body parts are covered. Allow the wax to drip off when lifting it out, and then briefly immerse it in cold water.
How do I remove the feather wax?
The easiest way is to hang the waxed animal by its legs and place a container to catch the wax underneath. If you have done everything correctly (especially important: not heating to high temperatures), you can simply pull off the feather wax in long strips, removing all feathers, quills, etc., with the wax. It is easiest to start with the thighs and then work from "bottom to top." Finally, check carefully to ensure that no wax residues remain on the animal.
Can I reuse the feather wax?
Yes - the feather wax is reusable - as long as you re-liquefy it immediately after use and sieve out the organic components (feathers, quills, etc.). Simply reheat it as before and then pour it through a sieve or cloth. Again, make sure not to heat the feather wax to too high a temperature.
How long can I use the feather wax?
The feather wax can be used for at least 1 year from delivery - when stored cool and dry, it can be used for at least 2 years. The number of times you can or should use the feather wax depends heavily on the specific use, so no general statement can be made about this.
