aging the meat

[2012_taco]

OK so maybe not the best title? I'm ready for the Pygmy comments! But seriously i know a lot of guys hang their deer for a while to let the meat age. I've been trying to do that also but this time of year it gets dicey. I shot my buck on wed night, took it home and threw some ice in the chest cavity and between the back legs, to get it cooling down. I hung it in my garage since. i just checked and it's 45 in the garage(feels colder than that) It's been hanging for almost 3 days. I'm probably going to cut it up tomorrow but i may wait until Monday?  Am I waiting too long? 

[Kmartinson]

I wait weeks if I can. If it gets warm it goes bad.... I debone the largest pieces and put them in the fridge until at least a week. Keep it dry and cold.

[wolc123]

It would take about 10 days at 33 - 45 F to get past rigor motis with a 3.5 year old buck like that.  Since you will not easily be able to keep it in that range for that long, I would get it processed asap.

If I were in your shoes, I would grind it all today, except for the back-straps and tenderloins.  Also, since you had some ice in it, that might turn to water, which promotes bacteria growth.  All the more reason to get it processed and in the freezer fast.

I think it is supposed to get warmer next week, so letting it hang till Monday might not be the best idea.  We use way more grind than anything else, so it never hurts to have plenty of that, and the grinder overcomes much of the toughness.  Even the hamburg from properly aged deer is a little easier to chew (I think Lary can attest to that), but I would choose tough over spoiled any day.

I always grind most of my first deer every year, since we always run out of that first.  I also just freeze the first one in zip lock bags, since it usually gets eaten within a couple months.  Vacuum sealing would be a big waste of time and money for that, but all the rest get vacuum sealed.  That way it can stay in the freezer 4 years and still taste fresh killed when eaten. 

I still have a few packs left from my 2018 buck, which was nearly identical to yours, except for a couple of busted off points (also weighed 182 pounds).  The lasagna my wife made with it last week was phenominal.

[Paula]

We aged ours for 7 days at 35 degrees

[Hock3y24]

Cut it up, leave in fridge for 7-10 days before freezing. Same effect. Below 40 I let hang.

[mowin]

I find no difference from cutting it up the next day or 7 days later.   

[UpStateRedNeck]

2 minutes ago, mowin said:

I find no difference from cutting it up the next day or 7 days later.   

Agreed.  Also this thread sounds like a magazine Pygmy used to subscribe to, but is now a website.  That he subscribes to.

[Daveboone]

I like to butcher my own deer when I can but if it is warm ( mid forties and up) I get it to the butcher. Ageing is a dicey thing. If cooler, mine might hang a few days at most, but I tend to cut it up asap. Other than an old buck, I have never found any difference in the quality of the meat...either tenderness or flavor. Field care and the deer shot makes a bigger difference. 

[Enigma]

Process that brute asap. The sooner he's in the freezer the sooner you can go kill another one! Seriously, your venison will be fine just like it is. Happy eating!

[Enigma]

20 hours ago, wolc123 said:

It would take about 10 days at 33 - 45 F to get past rigor motis with a 3.5 year old buck like that.  

since you had some ice in it, that might turn to water, which promotes bacteria growth.

Can you cite a credible source, other than yourself, to support these statements? Thanks.

[wolc123]

12 minutes ago, Enigma said:

Can you cite a credible source, other than yourself, to support these statements? Thanks.

Ask chef, he knows best.  Seriously though, try a google search on your computer and you will find dozens of credible sources, or just read grouse's next post.

Edited November 1, 2020 by wolc123

[Grouse]

The temperature of the meat is what is important, not the air temperature.  Use a meat thermometer to check the temp of the meat.  If you can keep it between 35 an 40 degrees, you can keep aging it.

I find the longer it ages, the more tender it gets.  If aged in this temp range, it won't spoil for weeks.

Rigor disappears in any deer, of any age, within a couple of days.  After that it's all about the meat fibers breaking down.

I once worked for a prime beef freezer service and they aged sides of beef in a fridge at 38 degrees for weeks.

I like to age my deer 7 or so days in the right temp range if I can.  Never had one spoil and they are always very tender.

As a young guy, I once killed, butchered and froze a spike buck the same day.  Toughest meat I ever tried to eat.  Learned to thaw it and let it sit in the fridge for a week to tenderize it.

Edited November 1, 2020 by Grouse

[Enigma]

22 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

Ask chef, he knows best.  Seriously though, try a google search on your computer and you will find dozens of credible sources, or just read grouse's next post.

I'm not asking Chef. I'm asking you. And "seriously though", since you're an expert on rigor mortise and meat care, I'd much rather have you direct me to a "google" article specifically supporting your claims. Preferably from someone credentialed in meat science, preferably with repeatable and non anecdotal evidence. It'd save us all time . . .  Thanks

[Grouse]

5 minutes ago, Enigma said:

I'm not asking Chef. I'm asking you. And "seriously though", since you're an expert on rigor mortise and meat care, I'd much rather have you direct me to a "google" article specifically supporting your claims. Preferably from someone credentialed in meat science, preferably with repeatable and non anecdotal evidence. It'd save us all time . . .  Thanks

https://community.legendarywhitetails.com/blog/how-to-age-venison-at-home/

[Enigma]

10 minutes ago, Grouse said:

https://community.legendarywhitetails.com/blog/how-to-age-venison-at-home/

Appreciate that but I was asking for a credentialed source. Something with citations, perhaps peer reviewed. A blog on venison care from an apparel company doesn't really cut it for me. Pun intended.

Edited November 1, 2020 by Enigma

[Grouse]

"The final key in aging is time. While beef is often aged 21 days or longer, venison lacks the fat and connective tissue that make such a long age time viable. Over the years, I have tried various lengths of aging time. I have settled on two to seven days as the prime window for the highest-quality venison. Older bucks might benefit from a bit longer hang time, up to 14 days if conditions allow, simply because they have more muscle mass and connective tissue to break down."

https://www.realtree.com/brow-tines-and-backstrap/the-great-debate-aging-venison

 

Rigor Mortis: The Importance of Hanging Deer

Learn how to achieve tender venison meat by applying these essential deer-hanging tactics during the rigor mortis period.

https://www.petersenshunting.com/editorial/rigor-mortis-the-importance-of-hanging-deer/331287#:~:text=Rigor mortis is the stiffening,to tough pieces of meat.&text=This is achieved by hanging deer after field dressing.

By: https://www.jennwheatley.com/   

PHOTOGRAPHER, WRITER

& RECIPE DEVELOPER

Edited November 1, 2020 by Grouse

[crappyice]

Appreciate that but I was asking for a credentialed source. Something with citations, perhaps peer reviewed. A blog on venison care from an apparel company doesn't really cut it for me. Pun intended.

Or find it to yourself and back off someone offering his own experience with how meat could/should be handled.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Versatile_Hunter]

6 minutes ago, Enigma said:

Appreciate that but I was asking for a credentialed source. Something with citations, perhaps peer reviewed. A blog on venison care from an apparel company doesn't really cut it for me. Pun intended.

The Meateater crew interviews a meat expert (https://animalscience.unl.edu/faculty-staff/chris-calkins) :

https://www.themeateater.com/listen/meateater/ep-227-red-cutter

[Grouse]

 

National Center for Home Food Preservation

https://nchfp.uga.edu/tips/fall/venison.html

[Enigma]

10 minutes ago, Grouse said:

"The final key in aging is time. While beef is often aged 21 days or longer, venison lacks the fat and connective tissue that make such a long age time viable. Over the years, I have tried various lengths of aging time. I have settled on two to seven days as the prime window for the highest-quality venison. Older bucks might benefit from a bit longer hang time, up to 14 days if conditions allow, simply because they have more muscle mass and connective tissue to break down."

https://www.realtree.com/brow-tines-and-backstrap/the-great-debate-aging-venison

 

Rigor Mortis: The Importance of Hanging Deer

Learn how to achieve tender venison meat by applying these essential deer-hanging tactics during the rigor mortis period.

https://www.petersenshunting.com/editorial/rigor-mortis-the-importance-of-hanging-deer/331287#:~:text=Rigor mortis is the stiffening,to tough pieces of meat.&text=This is achieved by hanging deer after field dressing.

10 minutes of time I won't be getting back after reading those articles. One unnamed author and a woman with a BA in literature. More fluff.

[Grouse]

You're Welcome anyway.

 

[Enigma]

9 minutes ago, crappyice said:

Or find it to yourself and back off someone offering his own experience with how meat could/should be handled.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I could find it myself without doubt. I'm just trying to ascertain where all the "experts" on this forum go to get there info. I always looking for other's perspectives on how to get it done. Appreciate your comment with respect to Wolc but the constant self aggrandizing "experience" he spews daily could negatively influence a new hunter.

Why's it so hard? If you're always presenting yourself as an expert, yet post anecdotal shit with no evidence but are then are asked to support your position and cannot, well . . . 

[Enigma]

38 minutes ago, Versatile_Hunter said:

The Meateater crew interviews a meat expert (https://animalscience.unl.edu/faculty-staff/chris-calkins) :

https://www.themeateater.com/listen/meateater/ep-227-red-cutter

This sounds appealing and I will listen to it later. TY.

[Enigma]

38 minutes ago, Grouse said:

 

National Center for Home Food Preservation

https://nchfp.uga.edu/tips/fall/venison.html

Much informative info there. Thank you.

[2012_taco]

From what I'm reading 35-40° is good to age for several days. I just checked and the temp deep inside the rear thigh is 45° so I'm not going to wait any longer. What else do I have to do today other than watch the Bills game?