I've recently been sorted out some bait from a friend, good price, smells decent and looks it. The only problem I'm having is I ordered shelf life and this stuff could be put in a musket and kill someone it's that hard. The 18mm I can barely crush between my fingers let alone the 15mm.

I'm having to soak this stuff 2 days prior to a session, which is a pain as I go as and when I can. I'm soaking in boiling water, mixed in with some liquid feed from another company. Any pointers on if I can speed up this process or soften the baits another way?