I'm just trying the Kool Aid dying thing and used a technique mentioned recently in another thread....

Microwave 2-3 minutes...no vinegar....nice soft piece of white rabbit...It was very simple and the color of the fur was excellent....however...the hide became hard and brittle so as to be unusable as zonker or crosscut strips .

I think I remember someone saying it has to do with getting too hot???? I don't think I'd want to go much shorter for fear of a poor color take.
Is it the microwave?
How can I keep the hide soft?