This is my first attempt at brain tanning. Deer hide is fleshed and de-haired/grained.how long do I let it dry before I take it off the board and start the process?

no idea but I am interested in seeing the finished product when you are done

I just dried it for a couple hours then took it off. Everything I read is different, some people apply the brain when the hide is wet and some when it is dry. It soaked the slurry right up. See how it goes!

Hope it turns out good. I will be watching to see the results

Pa Skinner can help ya , He does lots of them. I do a few a yr but I wet scrape , not to much experience dry scraping, I would think the drier the better for brain absorption. I just finished 2 today all except the smoking. Bob

I soaked it in water for a day and a half and scraped hair and membrane off

Ive done a few but i'm no expert . Grit Guy is knowledgeable about the process . After I bucked my hides (de haired in a lime solution) I grained , membraned and then soaked the hide to remove the lime from the hide . I wrung the hide out then did a mild acidification of the hide and wrung the hide out again . Its hard to describe the look of the hide when its just right for braining but you don't want it wet . It has to be mildly damp . If you can push your finger into the hide from the opposite side and push water through its too wet . A too wet hide has a bluish/grayish look to it . If you wring the hide it will get mostly a tawny color to it that when stretched turns white . That seems to be the ideal moisture content . Damp . Too much water in the hide and the fat/oil has no place to go to , there is too much water there . Too dry seems to interfere with absorption as well . I did not use brains but a mix of Ivory soap and Neatsfoot oil . I did two to three applications of the oil with wringing out in between . Then laced it up on a frame and worked it till it was soft , pliable and dry .

There's a guy on here from out east that does this for a living. Hopefully he'll chime in. I've read some of his posts and he's very generous with sharing his knowledge.

I brain tan. I use a mix of pig brains and ivory soap water to make a slury and slather it on.

The real work comes from keeping it moving while the tan dries. I'm thinking of getting an old concrete mixer to use for the breaking process.

edit: also don't forget to smoke it.

Pike, Pa Skinner is from Pa. and does it for a living.

We've always done it by feel but we also do it our traditional way so it's slightly different

What element does the ivory soap add?

The oils in the soap in addition to the oils and emulsifiera in the brains. Plus....ivory smells better than brains. Looks like I got a manicured once I'm done.

Thanks. Can you share the ratio?

The way you're doing it is fine. You can also brain them dry or slightly damp, but either way, expect to have to work it more than once to get it completely soft. When I'm doing a lot of hides, I usually wring the hide and let it dry in front of the fans until it's mostly dry to the touch, but still has some moisture inside. They take some time and/or effort to soak up the brains completely, then I wring again and start working over a staker. When the hide is almost dry, in most cases it will be about 85 to 90 percent soft, but have some areas will not be stretching perfectly. I let them dry completely and brain again the next day, wring and start the softening process.
Once you've done a few hundred, you can chase that perfect one braining and done if you like, lol. I just prefer two easier softenings to one really difficult one that generally is not going to come out quite as nice.
I use dried, ground pork brains with nothing but warm water added.
There is a lot more to it, but it would take a book to answer all the questions that might come up.

I've never heard of dried brains (except for my cousin's) . Where do you get these from?

Thanks for the reply’s everyone, I’m going to start working the hide after lunch. Just wondering how long it should be smoked, and if it needs to be smoked as soon as it is dried or if this part can wait a day or 2.

I buy them as raw brains. They are not real easy to find, but down south, they eat pork brains so there a few companies that sell them. I have a grocery store that will order them in bulk for me. They are then boiled in a cloth bag (piece of pant leg) then cut up and dried in a dehydrator and then ground into powder in a blender before adding to water, about the equivalent of two lbs to 3 gallons water will do a bunch of hides. I freeze them to keep them overnight and reheat on a hot plate. You can use them raw, but getting the blood out by boiling and drying them makes the oils more concentrated, IMO. To use them raw, just add to water and blend. Usually you'll have to toss them after a few hours, but they will work.

I don't have a hard and fast ratio. I also only have done fur (coons and rats). Its by volume not by weight donors not really precise. I use one brain and 1 cup of shredded soap with I think about 2 cups of water. Then use my wife's blender to mix it up good. I can usually do 4-6 coons with that.

I've also found it easier if I don't board. Just take the freshly fleshed pelt after (freezing green)and throw it in a pickle.

Interesting....thanks!

I made the mistake of trying to save left over brains...once....it only takes 1 time.

I think fresher the better for smoking so the pores or what have you are more open to take the smoke. But I could be completely wrong.

How do you plan on smoking? I have small yard shed that I stick my grill into and let it smoke for an afternoon.