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New walk in cooler, best temp to hang?

QDM4ME

By QDM4ME,
in Deer Processing

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QDM4ME Newbie

QDM4ME

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Anyone know any professional butcher's, or any of you diy guys:

Last week I scored a used 8x14 walk in cooler at auction. Finally finished putting it together and wired the compressor and disconnect up tonight.  

I'm planning on butchering 2 of my Angus calves next week (hired a professional butcher to teach me along, I've done a few with friends). This is my first year raising beef, so between my beef and venison this cooler will pay for itself, and also takes the headache out of worrying about temps too warm to hang a deer. I would like to turn the cooler on tomorrow to make sure there are no issues with compressor and such, but.....

What should I set the temp to hang meat?

Also, anyone else own a walk in cooler, did you modify anything on the ceiling for extra support? Worried about the weight with beef quarters hanging along with deer... 

Thanks 

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wolc123 Grand Master

wolc123

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If I had one, I would set the thermostat to about 35 F.   That is where the old fridge out in my garage usually runs, and I use that, with all the racks removed, to hang skinned deer halfs in, if it is too warm for hide-on, inside the garage aging.   I have a big old doe hanging in my garage now, that a neighbor kid shot with his bow out back on Sunday morning. The thermometer I have stuck in the arrow hole, in the front shoulder, has been running at slightly below 40 F, since yesterday evening.  I will process her this Saturday, when the temperature is predicted to rise above 50.   I would age a 1.5 year old deer for one week at 35, a 2.5 year old for 10 days and older deer about 2 weeks.  The rigermortice will break down quicker at higher temps.  You don't have to worry much about the meat rotting if you keep it below 50 degrees.  

You will probably want to stop raising the beef when you see how good the aged venison is (I know we did).  It does not get more "organic" than that, and surely it is a lot better for your heart.   It is also nice that the deer take care of feeding themselves and I sure don't miss things like dealing with vets, frozen water supplies in the winter, and trying to get the hay in before the rain. Also, killing the wild deer don't bother me as much as killing the tame steers and heffers that we raised from birth.              

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QDM4ME Newbie

QDM4ME

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9 hours ago, wolc123 said:

 

You will probably want to stop raising the beef when you see how good the aged venison is (I know we did).  It does not get more "organic" than that, and surely it is a lot better for your heart.   It is also nice that the deer take care of feeding themselves and I sure don't miss things like dealing with vets, frozen water supplies in the winter, and trying to get the hay in before the rain. Also, killing the wild deer don't bother me as much as killing the tame steers and heffers that we raised from birth.              

Thanks for the response, and yes I did one winter feeding and watering beef I'll never do it again! What a pain. I'm just going to buy calves at auction in the spring and butcher late fall. 

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dbHunterNY Proficient

dbHunterNY

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for aging you want 34-40 degrees, just above freezing. have redundant thermometers simple basic ones as a backup.  a commercial butcher is always around and can make up a small loss.  it'll burn your ass if something goes wrong and you don't catch it because a nice digital thermometer went bad.  anything laying hasn't to be laying on a rack to keep it out of capillary drainage.  hang deer head down to not trap heat and drain away from the better cuts.  pull tenderloins before hanging and don't dry age with "back straps" on too long.  they'll dry up on the rib side and you'll have waste.  I always leave the hide on to prevent waste but don't leave the hide on if putting it in your cooler.  it could in introduce dirt, bugs, and whatever else into whatever else is in there.  longer you dry age to a point of 3-4 weeks the better it'll be.  you'll lose a lot of water weight and outsides will get dried and crusted over.  you fillet all this off later.  depends on how much loss you're okay with.  make sure you've got some kind of odor and gas filter like a hanging humifilter.  you don't want to trap odor and gas in there or your meat will smell and taste like it.

tuckersdaddy is right about processing meat when its borderline freezing.  especially grinding meat.  only exception being your hands aching like hell.

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QDM4ME Newbie

QDM4ME

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15 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

for aging you want 34-40 degrees, just above freezing. have redundant thermometers simple basic ones as a backup.  a commercial butcher is always around and can make up a small loss.  it'll burn your ass if something goes wrong and you don't catch it because a nice digital thermometer went bad.  anything laying hasn't to be laying on a rack to keep it out of capillary drainage.  hang deer head down to not trap heat and drain away from the better cuts.  pull tenderloins before hanging and don't dry age with "back straps" on too long.  they'll dry up on the rib side and you'll have waste.  I always leave the hide on to prevent waste but don't leave the hide on if putting it in your cooler.  it could in introduce dirt, bugs, and whatever else into whatever else is in there.  longer you dry age to a point of 3-4 weeks the better it'll be.  you'll lose a lot of water weight and outsides will get dried and crusted over.  you fillet all this off later.  depends on how much loss you're okay with.  make sure you've got some kind of odor and gas filter like a hanging humifilter.  you don't want to trap odor and gas in there or your meat will smell and taste like it.

tuckersdaddy is right about processing meat when its borderline freezing.  especially grinding meat.  only exception being your hands aching like hell.

Awesome, That's a lot of info thanks! 

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Doewhacker Newbie

Doewhacker

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I would go for a thermometer that can be linked to a smart phone along with a traditional thermometer inside the cooler.

Like this   https://www.amazon.com/SensorPush-Wireless-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Android/dp/B01AEQ9X9I/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1477491397&sr=1-2&keywords=thermometer+smart+phone

 

Throw in something like these https://www.amazon.com/Moso-Natural-Purifying-Refrigerator-Freezer/dp/B00EPNDYRE and you are good to go.

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QDM4ME Newbie

QDM4ME

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Andddddddd the condenser is shot.

This project is on hold lol.

The problem with buying from auction is you have to bid accordingly. Luckily, even with buying a new condenser unit, from what I'm researching I'll still come out ahead. Rather do it now than have the thing break down while I'm not around and ruin meat. Is what it is. 

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QDM4ME Newbie

QDM4ME

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1 hour ago, growalot said:

None of my business,That said, I am curious as to what it went for at auction. You can tell me none of your business and I'd understand...

No worries here bud.

 I paid $960 at auction, there was only one other person interested but he said that was not what he was there to bid on.  

It is 8x14x7, 108 sqft.. All the hardware was there, stainless walls locked together easily, door locks and shuts and seals properly and the cooler itself was in really good shape, no damage. I've been searching for a used walk in for several months so I had an idea of what I was prepared to bid.

I basically had it set in my mind that I would only bid on the cooler itself since it was in great condition and I had no way of knowing if the refrigeration unit was in working order. 

I'm  replacing the compressor as well, only because I know a refrigeration guy and I can get a really good deal if I get the condenser and the compressor which is rated for said condenser from his business. 

When it's all said and done I'm figuring I'll still have saved just over $3200 compared to what a complete 108 sqft complete set up is going for. (Not including what I paid to have a concrete floor poured)

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