Hazards Of Boiling Beeswax For Medieval Leather Bottles

[woodandsteel]

Here's a picture of some Southern style, buttermilk biscuits. Wonderfully soft, but more dense than a croissant or loaf of bread.. Mostly eaten for breakfast, with jelly, honey or butter, or covered in a thick, white gravy made with flour and sausage. They are also traditionally served as a side with fried chicken as a lunch or dinner meal.

Edited October 21, 2011 by woodandsteel

[tonyc1]

They look like what we call Scones. We often have them as sweet variety with raisins, sultanas or dates in them or a savoury type with onion and bacon and cheese in the mixture and also just plain, it depends what sort of mood the "Kitcheneer" is in on the day. Very nice!

Tony

[azrider]

So Ray, how about some pictures of your deep fryer and the dipping process?

[r lenna]

I use a cup warmer and a short glass pan, that way I don't have to listen to the wife. Rob

[amuckart]

I've done this a bit. I used a big baking dish over a bbq grill.

The warning sign is smoke. The smoke point of beeswax is very close to its flashpoint, so if it's smoking, turn the fryer off and leave it for a bit.

It sounds like you've got the right kit to extinguish a fire. Treat it just the same as a deep fat fryer fire.

The most useful learning I got from hardening veg tanned leather in beeswax was to put it in a 50 degree C oven for an hour or two before hand to make sure it is completely dry. If there's any moisture in the leather it'll shrink and buckle as soon as it hits the hot wax.

[UKRay]

Thanks for all your contributions and help. I'll post some pics next time I fire (hopefully not literally!) up the fryer and dip some goodies. Hopefully the fire precautions will suffice...

Particular thanks to Winterbear for the biscuit recipes... nom nom nom lol

Al, the oven idea is a good 'un and i'll definitely make sure to get the moisture out.

I'm swamped with work right now but will do the pics asap.

Thanks again folks!

Ray

[AnthonyD]

Here's a picture of some Southern style, buttermilk biscuits. Wonderfully soft, but more dense than a croissant or loaf of bread.. Mostly eaten for breakfast, with jelly, honey or butter, or covered in a thick, white gravy made with flour and sausage. They are also traditionally served as a side with fried chicken as a lunch or dinner meal.

I am reading this qoute at 9 oclock at night and see a pan of bisquits, thanks guess I will have to make some for breakfast.

[Massive]

To make a dressing in which you combine beeswax with a solvent, simply grate the beeswax first, and then add it to the solvent, it will dissolve. If they were meant for each other. No heat required.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Here is an MSDS for beeswax (material safety data sheet)

http://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/02556.htm

[TwinOaks]

Though, unrelated to beeswax, here's a snippet of conversation (as related in the tales of family lore) between my aunt (when she was about 6) and my grandmother regarding making buttermilk biscuits:

A: How much flour do you put in?

G That depends on how many biscuits you're making.

A: How much shortening do you use?

G: You use shortening according to how much flour you put in.

A: Well, how much buttermilk do you use?

G Get out of the kitchen.

P.S. I'm rather upset that after reading this thread I have a sudden overwhelming craving for fresh buttermilk biscuits.....and, yes, my wife is looking at me strangely because I'm about to make biscuits at 11 P.M.

[UKRay]

Here is an MSDS for beeswax (material safety data sheet)

http://fscimage.fish.../msds/02556.htm

Very useful information. Many thanks!

Hope the indigestion has improved, Mike... Biscuits at 11pm eh?

Ray

[TigerPal]

Fresh hot home-made buttermilk biscuits with butter & sorghum syrup are GREAT at any time of day :-)

[TwinOaks]

Yes, Ray, biscuits at 11:35 (prep + bake time). They were wonderful with real butter and honey.

[Art]

My dad used to like them with Duck fat and honey. Now duck fat is about the greatest of things for frying eggs, but I drew the line at putting it on biscuits. I like just butter or SOS on biscuits. Butter AND SOS. You can use duck fat to make the rue for the bechamel sauce, but it is a waste of good duck fat, it doesn't make enough difference to matter. But I digress.

Art

Yes, Ray, biscuits at 11:35 (prep + bake time). They were wonderful with real butter and honey.

[ramrod]

What sort of consistency are these biscuits of yours? Are they like a bread? Are they hard like a cookie?

We do have muffins over here that are rather like a soft bread roll - is that the sort of thing you mean? McDonalds sell 'em with bacon and egg in 'em. check out: MUFFIN

Ray

they're great with bangers, ray. try 'em.