Brain Blaster 101: How to Remove Brains in 0.2 Seconds
What is a Brain Blaster?
A Brain Blaster is a device that attaches to either a water hose or an air compressor and quite literally blasts the brains out of an animal skull before you begin processing it. Brains are just big balls of complex wrinkly fat, so removing them will greatly help reduce degreasing time. I’m going to teach you how to easily make a brain blaster so you can quickly and easily remove brains, while having a little fun in the process.
What Materials are Needed to Build a Brain Blaster?
Water Method:
1. Water Hose
2. 1/4″ Copper Tubing (Need about 1.5ft)
3. 3/4″ to 1/4″ Compression Adapter
5. Hose Nozzle
When to Use the Brain Blaster
Ideally you want to remove the brains before processing (whether that be Macerating or using Beetles), but it does not matter if you remove the brains before or after fleshing the heads.
How to Build a Brain Blaster: Water Method
I prefer the water method of the brain blaster, as it washes out the cranium while also removing the brains. In addition to this, it is also easier/faster to screw on your Brain Blaster to a water hose than to wait for an air compressor to get ready.
Step 1: Lay everything out and take apart your Compression Adapter, it should come apart into about 4 or 5 pieces.
Step 2: Get your Copper Tubing and start attaching the parts of the compression adapter to it. The threaded part goes onto the end of the tube. Next slide on the thin compression ring, then the largest piece that will thread into your hose, and lastly the nut that screws into the first piece. Don’t worry about the black seal ring yet.
Step 3: You’ll need a wrench or some good pliers for this step. Push the copper tube into the end of the setup we did in Step 2 as far as it will go and then start threading on the nut. Once its finger tight, you’ll need to use two wrenches/pairs of pliers and grab onto the nut and the other hexagon piece of the compressor adapter and tighten them together. This compresses the compressor ring and secures the copper tubing so it doesn’t fall out or leak.
Next, insert the black rubber seal into the end of the compressor adapter and attach the whole setup to our Y Hose Splitter ( Make sure the Splitter valve is CLOSED)
Step 4: Carefully bend the copper tube into a U shape. You can cut off any excess with a pair of wire snips and then bend the tube back open.
Then you can attach your normal hose head if you’d like, and attach the whole assembly to your water hose. Make sure to use another rubber seal ring so you don’t have any leaks.
Step 5: To use the brain blaster, simply slide the head onto the copper tubing (in this case I’m using a sloth, but whether its a bear, deer, or bobcat the process is the same).
You want to get the copper tube to reach the back of the brain cavity. This way when we turn on the water the water will displace the brains and shoot them out the foramen magnum.
Step 6: Once you have the brain blaster in the right position, firmly hold onto the head (VERY IMPORTANT to keep the head facing you, so the brains don’t shoot out onto you) and then turn the valve on the Hose Splitter to turn on the water. In 0.2 seconds all of the brains will shoot out of the back of the skull.
Then turn down your water and wash out the residual brain matter from inside the skull, and finally give yourself a high-five for not getting brains all over yourself. That’s a huge accomplishment. You deserve the self praise.
Step 7: Enjoy your brain-free skull. You can put the skull up to a light and look into the foramen magnum to ensure that you got out everything. You’ll see a view as beautiful as a nice warm sunset inside the skull if you did a good job. Give yourself another high-five. You’re a professional brain blaster now. Mom would be proud.
Now detach your brain blaster and wash it off with your regular hose head, then hang it up to dry. This allows you to use the hose like normal and easily attach the brain blaster when you need it.
How to Build a Brain Blaster: Air Method
Similar steps to the water method, so I’m not going to go into as much detail.
Step 1: Set up your compressor
Step 2: Get an air gun attachment like the one pictured and bend the end into a U (Will be difficult but it’s not impossible)
Step 3: Follow Steps 5-7 of the Water Method
Make sure to wipe off the end after you’re done or the brains stuck on it will get yucky
What Now?
Continue processing! If you want to just use water to clean the skulls, you can follow my guide Maceration 101: How to Clean Bones with Water, and then afterwards read my degreasing article, Degreasing 101: Three Ways to Turn Yellow Bones White, and finally whitening, Whitening 101: How to Whiten Bones Without Using Bleach.
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Thank you for the information ? I enjoyed reading it. Not sure mother would be proud or not tho ? she probably would be tho lol
Is there a link to maceration or cleaning of small animals?
Hey Dana,
Using Dermestid beetles or a process called oxidation is recommended for small animals. I haven’t wrote a guide on either method yet, but if you search around online you should be able to get a gist of each. Best of luck!