Most if us are huntin now and it sounds like we're getting a few. Let's talk about aging. What's your method?
I have a "meat fridge" in the basement that I age meat a week or so depending on age if animal.
How you do it?
Tim B
I usually prefer not to hunt, if the temps are too high. NY really threw us a curve ball a couple years ago, when they legalized the cross bow for the later part of the bow season. The Oct 1st opener means leaves on trees, and hard hunting for us Mountain Men. I guess it's ok if you're hunting crop fields? I usually start serious hunting around the end of Oct, early November. Temps are cooler & we can leave them hang in the tree, like we always have.
I always skin and de-bone my deer out pretty quick after harvesting it....whether it is hot or cold outside.
After that it is striaght to the fridge. I like to put it in seperate trays where each cut is seperated and not touching one another. On the second day I will take it out and rinse each cut off....along with rinsing the blood out of each tray. Then I repeat on day three.
Day four I do the final trimming...then package and freeze.
You don't really get a great deal of benefits from aging meat until a few weeks have passed. A cool root cellar is perfect, a refrigerator works well too.
I dont. Waste of meat doing so on most wild game! Get it cold. Cut it up!
I do it just like you and have for the last 40 years. I quarter, cut out fillets and back straps. Bag and put in my shop fridge for a week, then cut, wrap and freeze. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
QuoteOriginally posted by AkDan:
I dont. Waste of meat doing so on most wild game! Get it cold. Cut it up!
X2, I've tried it all and can't tell a bit of difference in taste or tenderness.
Tracy
2-3 days in the ice chest, adding fresh ice and draining each day.
if I have the time I'll do it the day I get the animal. if not I put ice in the bottom of the cooler and have the meat up on top of the ice and leave it for a few days until I have time with the drain plug open.
Cold out:
Let'em hang skin on or off but lately off just to get tick infested hides to the garbage.
Warm out:
Skin
Quarter
Into coolers for 7-12 days changing ice regularly and draining liquid.
This has worked beautiful for us and probably won't change it. If the big coolers are full, we will debone and do same process.
Dumb question, but i have to ask. If you regularly age meat in coolers, or live in areas where even for folks who dont age but heat is still an issue. Why not build a insulated shed and use a Ac unit ? Cabelas sells a deal to make it a full on commercial style walk in cooler. Coolers these days are not cheap!
I always wondered why more are not modifying fridges, the shed idear makes this process even more convienient. Even for my use if i lived somewhere other than Ak, i would have one to get meat cold prior to cutting. The other benefit is it keeps quarters cold (firm) which significantly aids cutting. Drop the temp, pull out pieces as needed and get to processing. Something comes up or you need a break, youre not forced to finish no matter how hot it is!.
If you want to age a week or two or you prefer to cut once rigors set and the meats cold through. It would be a benefit to both!
From what I've researched over the years 36 degrees is the perfect temp for aging meat but it's almost impossible to maintain without a walk-in designed for it so hang if cold out but adjust the timing of aging to the temps you have to deal with. When too warm iced in a cooler or in a fridge as already mentioned accomplishes the same thing.
I have a deer fridge. All of the shelves are removed and I have metal bars cut to fit across the ledges on the side walls. I skin the deer as soon as possible, hose it off, quarter it up, and then hang the pieces in the deer fridge. I keep it at 35 degrees. I like to wait 7-10 days before I process the meat. I don't know if that's the best way but it's my way and it works for me.
I think the taste of deer meat is greatly affected by how it's handled from the time of the shot until it's packaged and in the freezer. I've ate meat from professionally butchered deer that tasted terrible. And I've processed mature bucks, 4.5 - 5.5 years old that you couldn't tell apart from a young doe by taste and tenderness.
Good input boys - thanks
I feel like I'm losing meat due to it just drying out on the front quarters.
Tim B
I don't... Once broken down into quarters and large cuts I keep it in a fridge at 35 degrees for two days while it drains. On day 3 it is boned out, prime cuts are vacuum packed and the rest ground with some seasoned and ground for sausage. All ends up vacuum packed. Freezing breaks down the meat to some degree same as aging without the risk of hanging and a possible temperature slip up and bad meat. Sounds like me and AKDan are on the same page.
Let me state, there is no wrong way, short of loosing meat to spoilage! If it works great, results speak!
I will say. I travel south quite a bit. One of my trips i shot a doe the morning before i flew back to ak. I was persuaded to cut it up while it was still warm (pre rigor). That was by far and away the worst deer i have had that my familys shot. I have had bad deer for sure and agree quality steaks are in meat care! This was years ago and what spawned a meat fridge idea. We had until recently a fridge just for this (dans trips home lol). The fridge has died, i rarely hunt deer anymore with the passion of my youth, and the landowner i grew up on is passing. Something we never talk about.... the last hunt, has entered reality. A family, and property that most would dream to have! They have been great times!
Good luck this fall! Its almost winter here..... i am slightly envious of those with inexspensive months long hunting! There's no better place for a soul than in the mountains or woods.....
aging venison (http://www.theoutdoorlodge.com/features/articles/wild_game/aging_big_game.html)
This is the article that started me on the way to aging venison. Originally from the University of WY. Could not find the original document.
I typically skin quarter and game bag the venison right away. Then into a fridge at 36 degrees for 3 to 10 days depending on my schedule.
If it is cold enough in the garage, I will let it hang overnight before skinning and breaking it down into the refrigerator. But if I do this, I split/prop the rib cage open. I also zip the skin open all the way up to the base of the neck and remove the esophagus.
I have also processed deer immediately and even vacuum packed and into the freezer when still warm. But I do not like working with warm venison. But if time dictates, so be it.
There is some discussion about cold shortening, which occurs when venison is cooled too rapidly. I believe I have experienced this a couple of times. Makes for tougher eating.
Good article, CRS. Thanks for sharing.
This is season #40 for me. I've tried a bunch of different ways but for several years I had an extra fridge that we would put our boned-out meat into for 10-14 days.
I'm still not sure the meat tasted any better than after immediately butchering, but there were two unmistakable advantages. First, every cut was noticeably more tender. Second, the sinew was MUCH easier to strip/remove.
Those two reasons alone make aging worth it to me, if I am in a position to do so.
As an experiment, we hung a skinned, young doe in the garage one winter. Dad killed it in early-mid December. We did our best to keep the temp around 40° (not difficult in IL).
After a couple weeks we started cutting enough meat off the carcass for a meal. There was a small amount lost due to outside layer getting hard. However, we just removed that thin shell with a fillet knife like you would removing skin from a fish.
That doe lasted us into February and was the best venison I've ever eaten. It's not a practical way of doing it, but I hope to build a cooler one day to try it again.
Hackbow, saw a buck hanging in a garage 3 months after the season ended (in Wisconsin) and thought they had ruined it - after hearing your story I guess they knew what they were doing.
Nice article on aging CRS, thanks.
When possible I like to hang quarters of elk for example with the bone in as I believe it limits the effects of rigor. After reading the article I better understand it.
I have noticed that aging ducks results in a significantly better piece of meat than cleaning right away. I generally will age ducks a minimum of 4 days by laying them on their backs either on top of a cooler in a cold garage or in the lower part of my frig. The result is a very tender bird with a mellow flavor. I switched to hunting 95% diver ducks many years ago and this method not only makes them palatable but exceptional on the table. "Best duck I've ever eaten" is a common comment from my guests.
Never dry aged any of my wild game....
BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have found that COLD SMOKING for an HOUR is INSANE!!!!
Sorry I wasn't much help.(unless he learns how to cold smoke :cool: )
Pete- I do the same thing with ducks! Works great!
Terry - learn us how to cold smoke now
Tim B
I always thought it is bad to get water on the meat before freezing, is it true or not?
A local processor opened up here a couple years ago. He ages the deer in a controlled walk in cooler for 7 days keeping the temperature and humidity at the proper level. The deer he has processed for me was way better for taste and texture than any aging method I have tried at home. Since it is usually hot here the deer is quartered placed in large trash bag then into a cooler adding ice around the bag and off to processor. The processor said keeping the meat wet while aging promotes bacterial growth, not good. It does cost a bit more but worth it to me.
I started wet aging my venison 5 years ago and I am convinced it is the way I will do it from here on out. I listen to everyones way and opinions. That being said, I do not process one or two deer a year, 6 -10 is more realistic. Virginia has very liberal tags. I put cut up deer on ice as soon as possible. I cut up and clean meat,remove silver skin. Put in large Ziploc bags and roll up to remove air. You will have to pour out blood and rinse the first 3-5 days. I age at least 2 weeks in fridge 3 is even better. If someone is willing to try this simple method, they will notice the meat is of fillet mignon consistency.
CRS, Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
Just for reference, I would conservatively say that this house has processed 10 animals a year for the last 15 years. From pronghorn to moose.
Have already processed two deer this year with 14 tags left between Dad, boys, and myself. Plus helping a friend with an elk tag/processing.
I have done the cooler/ice thing. If you keep the water clean, you will be fine.
I like letting the quarters dry a bit to form a crust before placing them in game bags. I have also washed quarters, patted dry with towels then let crust form before bagging and into the refrigerator.
I would love to have a walk in cooler so I could age complete carcasses. But I slum the spare refrigerator and get by just fine.
I aged 1 elk years ago-worst elk I ever et. Now, my meat is frozen within 48 hours. I've had butchers tell me that wild game meat doesn't benefit from aging like domestic animals do. Now, maybe corn fed whitetails are similar to domestic animals in fat content and may benifit from aging them.
I have an old freezer I converted to a cooler by a external thermostat so I can control at whatever temp I choose. That said like KS Trapper I never noticed any difference in flavor or tenderness. Most my deer, like the doe I shot last week, get skinned quartered and put in the cooler within hours of being shot and usually cut up the next day. Waiting a week didn't make any difference, at least to me.
I would urge anyone who has never aged venison, to try it.
Here is a challenge for those that are skeptics. The next time you kill a critter, pick a cut of meat. Make sure it is the same muscle bundle.
Cut one steak right away, season, coat lightly with some oil and cook on med high heat to your
Prefered doneness level. I suggest medium rare to medium.
Cook another piece the next day. Same method of preparation.
Take another piece and place in a cotton game bag. And another piece in salt water. Store in fridge.
If game bag get's bloody, change to clean bag. Change the water bath every day. Age deer for 5-7 days, Antelope 3 days, elk 7-10, moose 10-14.
After the aging period, cook with the same method as the fresh meat.
If you cannot discern any difference, carry on.
I have been a proponent of aging game for nearly 40 years. I can tell a significant difference. I'm in the South...I carry ice in my truck. If I am successful, that rib cage is opened, cavity is emptied, and ice goes in as quickly as I can manage it. 36 degrees minimum of five days, after skinning, quartering and wiping down. Yes, it gets a bark on it that you have to take off like a catfish skin...but you'll never go back once you try it.
I try to let my deer hang 7-10 days hide off. I am kind of lucky though in having a friend with a walk in cooler just 3 miles up the road. It makes a noticeable difference in taste and texture.
Ok, thoroughly confused now.
I have shot a lot of game (mostly with guns) over 50 years.
I never really set out to age my game, but my deer usually were field dressed immediately and hung for 3-4 days until I returned home and could cut them up. All of this assuming it was cool enough outside.
My worst tasting deer was field dressed and taken to a locker plant within a few hours on a cold November day. It stunk up the house when I cooked up the first steak.
Geese field dressed then hung for up for a few days in cold storage.
You will occasionally get an animal that is not good, even if everything is done right.
But you get far more bad ones if everything is done wrong. :D
Last year my buddy and I built an 8'x8'x8' walk in cooler. We keep it at 37 degrees and aged all of our deer 14-30 days. I think between him, another buddy and myself, we ran 18 deer through there last season. It has been by far a game changer. Every single deer had come out incredibly tender and had a mellow venison flavor. Every cut on every animal. Folks who don't usually care much for venison are have second and third helpings. I have always liked venison, but now I absolutely love it. I won't go back to non dry aged ever again if I can help it.
After a lot of trial and error this is the method I prefer best.
1.) Shoot the deer
2.) Methodically gut/field dress and do not remove hide
3.) If you did 2 well enough you will not need to rinse the deer with water, if not rinse body cavity thoroughly. I really try to avoid any water/moisture if possible.
4.) Hang in cooler for 10-14 days
5.) Process accordingly
Enjoyed reading this thread. Sounds like I will have to try aging out.
Not meaning to hijack at all, but further the discussion: Whats everyone's reasoning for leaving hide on while it hangs versus gut/skin then hang?
QuoteOriginally posted by RedRidge:
Enjoyed reading this thread. Sounds like I will have to try aging out.
Not meaning to hijack at all, but further the discussion: Whats everyone's reasoning for leaving hide on while it hangs versus gut/skin then hang?
I don't like to remove the hide as it aids in keeping the meat from drying out during the process.
I also don't like doing any processing to the animal before aging as I want the carcass to rest. We have all been there - you shoot a deer - 20 minutes later or an hour later you begin cutting it up and it's still constricting. All that does is take away from the tenderness.
I was taught my process from a group of PH's from South Africa who take their biltong and aged meat pretty seriously. It's been excellent ever since and I've had the best bacon wrapped backstrap filets ever!
Cold weather let em hang for a week with the hide on.
(http://www.fieldandstream.com/sites/fieldandstream.com/files/styles/large_1x_/public/images/2016/11/2hang.jpg?itok=KhHw_mnM&fc=50,50)
Warm weather, put em in the frig.
(http://northernwoodlands.org/images/articles/meat_lead_pic.jpg)
I've shared this here before so will try to keep it brief...
I peel the bark ASAP to get the meat cooled down. Period... Bow season in PA never was "cool" enough and given deer's hollow hair holds heat well, I skin em quick.
Don't like it dried out. Rub the deer/critter inside and out with CRISCO..it's veggie shortening and doesn't turn rancid in the freezer in 30 days like some animal fats.
That meat will be as moist 5-7-10 days later in a cooler or fridge as it was the day it was skinned!
I scrape some off when I start butchering. Indeed, it takes 36+ hrs for rigormortis to get back out of the flesh... Carve it up while rigor is in the meat and it will still be tough when you put it in the terlet!
Enough of that... To each his own. :)
Have fun and it what you kill!
Reading back, I saw one that tasted bad and stunk.
I had one buck like that, but I was "away" and had limited resources...he was full rut, lay in his own juices for a few hours till we tracked and found him, was run hard prior to killing, and it turned warmed and rained and with dogs where we were I couldn't get it skinned as they wanted to hamstring my deer...nobody would put them up so it was left hang, hide on, but washed the body cavity out with bakin soda and then dried... but it rained/ turned warm and it was 2 days till I got it skinned... no way in those days to age it and it was RANK...required BBQ sauce on every bite, but I ate it all.
Several hunting buddies claimed ALL the venison they ate tasted like that...
Critters can be good or bad depending onmTheir diet (had a mulie doe lived on high prairie on sage all year and it was nearly unfit to eat, but I did), how much they're run before they die, and handling after...
that's my $.02 worth
QuoteOriginally posted by RedRidge:
Enjoyed reading this thread. Sounds like I will have to try aging out.
Not meaning to hijack at all, but further the discussion: Whats everyone's reasoning for leaving hide on while it hangs versus gut/skin then hang?
I skin mine before it goes in the cooler. First, it keeps everything nice and clean. Second, it cools faster. Even after 30 days, I haven't found the meat "dry". I mean , it's dry aged, but it's not like cardboard or something. Just a thin "rind" to trim off . I don't want blood/moisture/bacteria trapped between the hide and meat. There are reasons cows are aged hide off.
I encourage some if you to try wet aging. It is simple and very effective.
I encourage some if you to try wet aging. It is simple and very effective.
I let it sit in an ice chest for a week with the drain plug out. I ad ice as needed. I now have an extra fridge, and am probably going to convert it to a meat fridge.
Bisch
So Friday I shot an elk at about 7:00 PM.
Gutted her by 8:00. It was pretty warm so put it in a cold storage unit for the night. Quartered it at 10:00AM; put the backstrap and tenderloin on ice. Changed the ice Saturday night. Cut and wrapped by 10:00 PM Sunday.
Fried some tenderloins Monday night. Mmm good.
Hang deer by hind feet, skin, and debone while it's still warm. Toss meat in a large drink cooler half full of ice, or preferably frozen plastic jugs. This will keep several days. Replace jugs and/or ice as needed.if ice is used drain cooler daily. Never had any issues or complaints about my venison.
Let's not! Get it cooled and processed fast as I can!