know your not sposed to over dry castors..........so what do I look for to know when they are done?

Lick them. If your tongue doesn't stick, they are almost ready....

no,you bite em and if juice dont squirt out their ready.jeez.

Too dry and you loose money, too wet and you get docked for moisture. There is no set time since they vary so much.

I go by color. One on left was removed 8 hours ago, one on right is dry. Licking also works just don't let your wife catch you.

They should be dry to the touch but still squishy. At least that is the way I,like them. I've never tried the color method.

You do not want to dry them rock hard. And some smaller castor won't have much squish.

This is good info... thank you much.

Some regions the colour method does not work because of the beaver feed has a bearing on the colour of the castors.

Wissmiss squishy method is best

Squishy is what I always was happy with, but keep in mind if you ship them enclosed in plastic they will be sopping wet when the shippee opens the bags. And if you don't enclose them in plastic you risk having them leak into the box and getting them set aside at the post office as hazardous materials (as happened to me once).

The outside should feel dry to the touch.

I hang 3-4 days at room temp,then in the freezer for storage(plastic is ok when in the freezer).Before selling I take them out of the freezer and spread them out on a rack for a couple days to dry off the frost.Then in onion bags and in a cardboard
box lined with paper to ship or take to sale.

I am not scientific with it. I hang them till the next time I skin and if they feel dry I put them in the freezer.

thanks for the info gang. def have a better idea on what to look for.

This is my method too. That being said, I have some hanging in the dark in an unheated building from summer.

Les I guess those castors are going to the winter meeting

Only if someone needs them. I have some in the freezer too.

Drop one in your glass of beer for out standing flavor.

I always start the season thinking I’ll put the castor in the freezer once it dries. But, usually, I mean always I end up leaving them hang over an ice cream pail till I bring my fur to Nafa in February. So once they’re black that’s when I know they’re dry.

You can lose a lot of money by overdrying castor before selling into the international castor market.
If you are making your own lure it doesn't matter.I prefer it black and rubbery for lure.

I let my castor dry about 48 hours in my basement (55 degrees) then freeze it in a plastic bag. I remove frozen castor 2 -3 days before selling to thaw and finish drying.