Thinking about trying a batch next summer. Is it the skins that make it black? Kinda want to keep the skins from the good ones and then chunk up the rest of the tail.

NO!

Beaver tail membrane, better known as leather after the work, it does Not leach out into the fat, as a dye would, No No No, lol!
The tails leather, does hold a fishy odor like a sponge from the beaver being in the water most of its life where fish live and shed there slim, that would make a difference in your end product.

It is similar to trout render, Similar, I said, Not exactly like! Check it out on a couple big beaver tails, you will see in time.
With beaver tails High heat temps are Very important, as in trout or others the higher the better, to about 125 degree F., that is about right, don't burn it.

You'll be fine using just the secret fat chopped up.
Use the black membrane (leather) to make yourself a Real Nice Wallet.
Hope that helps you out.

That does help me out. Thank You

I beg to differ ken ive skinned the leather off the tails you end up with a amber colored oil. With very little true bto smell resemblance! I believe the leather /skin is what gives bto its unique smell and stains the oil

Have Fun Tony!

Thanks ken lol but the reason a tail wallet wont leach out color is because its been chemically altered. I do agree that adult beavers have a far superior oil versus yoy beavers. Pan rendered bto would make a good boot oil but im not using it on my trapline! Always a pleasure ken I enjoy trying to decipher your reasoning. LOL me personally I like southern tails our pollution gives them a stronger smell

hELLO TONY, DECIPHER MY REASONING?? lol, iT IS CALLED TECHNIQUE!

So you are saying that the 'fishy' smell of beaver tail oil is from beaver swimming in water where fish and other animals live, and also from garbage in the water? But not from the degradation of tissues and fats from cooking in the sun for months and months on end? Wow, I've heard some whoppers, but that's a big one....

If I put a dead coon in a 5 gallon bucket for the whole summer, would it only smell bad if it ate from a McDonald's dumpster as compared to "clean living" in the forest?

See what I'm saying? I know TONY.F must understand.

YOU GOT IT! CAROLINA!

Some can't get over this thought of being a master chef.I think it is OCD or something. You mean to tell me that this castor or that castor makes any iota of difference in catching an animal? Senneker caught,what,900 and some using snares? Lol

KEN yes I have made and do make the tar pitch bto I use it in formulation. And I do agree somewhat to what your saying. UV rays from the sun can and will change sun rendered oils colors to a extent. I can get a broad spectrum of colors while rendering skunk oil. But imho the clear is best the longer it renders the more apt to congeal it gets. I render lots of oils they make a wonderful base for lots of applications. sun rendered fish oil is still my nemesis. I can not for the life of me perfect it! but im going down with the ship till I do! Ken keep the knowledge flowing! You do make guys think regaurdless of there comments. GOOD DAY OLE CHAP!

My BTO uses the entire tail, skin and all. That's what BTO is. Anything without the skin ought to be labeled so that the unwitting recipient can know the difference.

IE: Skinless BTO, or...Plain Jane Missing an Ingredient BTO .

I agree les without the skin its just sun rendered beaver fat

And mine is sun rendered.

Viola Tony! You go for it bud, practice makes perfect.
Do Not let them fishy fish waste your time, you'll get it, one way or another!
Have Fun Tony, that's what all this is, Is Fun Stuff.

What happens if there is no Sun for a year?? lester, stays cloudy every day?? Here Comes The Sun

No such year in my world. My containers are wrapped in black garbage bags, and setting in a greenhouse.

Mine will go in the hot box! sun is nice but not needed! Ken making it is almost as fun as catching with it! Making your own and catching stuff with it gives you a more accomplished feeling! But my hats still off to the commercial guys that don't sound like fun to me!

Been reading this with great interest as I’ve made both, with the leather and without. Without the leather I got a very light colored oil and it didn’t seem to make as much oil as the batch with the leather on. To be honest I didn’t check to se if it smelled any different.

I do have another question that’s not too far off topic if you all don’t mind. What do you end up doing with the chunks of tail when it quits making oil ? I plan to make bait and I know the chunks will work fine by themselves, but this is the way I use the oil. Was planning to grind the chunks and add ....... what say you ?

I've only done one batch but didn't end up with chunks so much as bones and sludge. I mixed it with some tainted beaver meat and put in a little knox gelatin to thicken up the liquid part. I'll probably add a drop or two of skunk quill just before the season. Plan on using it when the weather starts turning cold.

Take that for what it's worth from a rather new trapper and first year lure/bait maker lol!

Would BTO rendered in cast iron be less effective?

It wouldn't be sun rendered for sure. Probably would smell different too. It might depend on what you are using it for.

Seems to me that one of the commercial bait and lure makers on here “ cooks “ tails all the time to make oil ! Hopefully he will chime in !

My experience: Tail with the leather-- in sunshine (summer and winter) --in glass jars for 8 months to 1.5 years --filtered through a nylon stocking --yields a dark liquid that alone is a poor lure. But it makes a very good lure base for me. Not much odor alone so if you have some ingredients you like (I have mine) use BTO as the beginning base, add, mix and bottle for the line. I have had no significant catch difference in letting the additional ingredients "set" or "age" in the oil before using. Chemical decomposition/change will alter whatever odors you mix unless you can stabilize the batch so use what you have confidence in (salt, glycol, alcohol, sodium B., etc. etc.). My take.

I don't grind the chunks, just jar them and sell them as is, instructing folks to put it down a dirt hole.
I can't keep enough, and sell nearly as fast as I jar it. Took it off our website, since I'm out in a few weeks, once my regular customers know.

MAYBE, add something strong like a splash of Canton or White Musk??...my BTO is pretty strong smelling.

I try and keep stuff simple/inexpensive to make whenever possible as long as quality doesn't suffer.

I use a hot box in cool weather like TonyF too, they sure are handy....and bout FREE.

I "fillet" the tail off the bone so only the skin/fat of the tail drop in the bucket.
$2 electric carving knife from thrift store, come into the bone from 90*, every inch or so, then zip down the edge of the bone so the chunks fall into awaiting bucket.

When you guys say “hot box” ?...?
Thanks

Mine is a dead freezer with a 60 watt light bulb in it

and to monitor heat, I use an indoor/outdoor thermometer.....backwards, with the sensor down in the box. and used to uplug/replug the light until I put a dimmer switch on it to regulate steady heat.

same here john I got two old stand up deep freezes with 75watt bulbs no thermostat yet but I left the wires so it can be added later I use one for just tainting meat the other will be for just tincturing