Okay I have a question for the home deer processors here. Typically I hang deer in my garage for Anywhere from 3 to 10 days before processing, the aging time definitely improved the quality of the venison. However the limiting factor is always temperature. I have heard that some people vacuum seal their venison and age it in the fridge for some time before freezing. Anyone here using this method? If so I'd love to hear the details.
I age mine in the fridge 2-3 days before I process. But after that I like to get it in the freezer after packaged. Always interested in how others do it though. Sounds interesting
I have aged venison in the fridge many times. I have never owned a vacuum sealer but instead just bag it and then turn the bags once or twice a day. I also drain the blood that collects in the bags which I think is important. The fridge needs to be 35 to 37 degrees. I never leave it more than 3 days if I can help it. Keep as much air out of the bags as possible however. Next year I will have a fridge in my barn specifically for this purpose. I keep the hind quarters and shoulders whole with bone in. Works for me just fine.
i like to age the meat , min 7 days up to max 14 days- usually around the 10 day mark as your self- all depending on temps.
when i shoot deer in the summer, i hang overnight, process and vac bag the next day- then put them in my "meat" fridge for 10 days to 2 weeks, then freeze them- i figure if i was gonna hang it for 10 days, then being in the fridge 10 days is about the same!!!
really make a difference to the quality of the meat!!
From what I understand the vacuum sealer is the key to wet aging, when dry aging wet meat spoils fast so the goal is to have air flow, keep the meat dry and cool. But apparently the absence of oxygen keeps the moist environment inside the vacuum bag from spoiling the meat. If it gives good results it sounds like a great option for when temps aren't ideal.
Temps down here in TX where I live are almost never low enough to dry age without a walkin cooler.
I age mine in an ice chest. I layer ice and the meat and leave the drain plug open. I leave my deer on ice for around 7 days, adding ice as needed.
Pulling the plug is important to keep the meat from sitting in water.
Bisch
That's a great idea Bisch....
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
Temps down here in TX where I live are almost never low enough to dry age without a walkin cooler.
I age mine in an ice chest. I layer ice and the meat and leave the drain plug open. I leave my deer on ice for around 7 days, adding ice as needed.
Pulling the plug is important to keep the meat from sitting in water.
Bisch
I do the same. Works great!
Bisch I've done it the same but once after 5 days I saw magits in the meat. Had to come from the open drain plug.
I've heard guys say to put a screen over the plug hole to keep flys out, but I have never had that happen, so I have not done it. I may just get a little piece of screen after hearing this from someone I know!
Bisch
Wet aging is typically describing how meat is vacuum sealed, refrigerated, and allowed to age in its own juice. The length of time may vary. I have aged briskets for almost 3 weeks in a cryovac wrapper. They smell like rotten eggs when opened but it's common and not an indicator of bad or rotten meat. Trim and rinse the meat and it smells perfectly fine.
"Aging" is simply controlled decomposition (un-controlled, some call it rotting). While living in Montana, I hung field dressed deer whole in an un-heated shed when outside temperatures ranged from 20s at night to around 50 or so during the day. After a week or so, yellow spots of mold would show up on the meat in the body cavity. Sponged off with some vinegar/water, the hide was then removed and the meat processed. I've never had better venison. I would think it's hard to find a refrigerator big enough to accommodate bagged venison from an entire deer and far harder to find that understanding of a wife. I would also suspect that vacuum sealing the meat inhibits bacteria's ability to "age" it.
QuoteOriginally posted by Jim Wright:
"Aging" is simply controlled decomposition (un-controlled, some call it rotting). I would also suspect that vacuum sealing the meat inhibits bacteria's ability to "age" it.
Rotting? Really Jim? Different than any information I've gleaned over a few years of checking on aging issues.
When meat is fresh, there is an enzyme in it that upon death, starts to break down connective tissue. That is what I've been told ages meat. As soon as meat is frozen, that fresh enzyme is killed and upon thawing, your supposition of "rotting" takes place...albeit, when done at lower temperatures, at a slower rate.
Fresh meat will also spoil (rot)if the temp isn't right.
I knew lots of old timers when I lived in MT, who let their elk hang even in commercial coolers, for 14 days with green mold on the outside. They "claimed" once it was cut off, it's no problemo!
Science says that the roots of mold, called rhizomes, go DEEP into the meat and some can be carcinogenic. I prefer to avoid mold.
I've had young of the year, shot, butchered, wrapped and frozen all in 12 hours or less and while it was a very young deer, was tougher than boot leather on eating.
Again, just from science research, the claim (?) is that if
rigor isn't out of the meat before it's cut up and frozen, the meat will be tough all the way thru your digestive system...regardless of preparation. I've had 2 occasions where I didn't age and both were TOUGH!
I once took all my food out of the fridge in VA and put it in coolers, took out the shelves and put 2 dead deer in to "age"...worked. ;)
I tend to coat my skinned animal (I always peel the bark as soon as possible to get the heat out of the meat)with Crisco to retain internal moisture...stays pink...Crisco doesn't turn rancid in the freezer and avoids that ugly dark hard crust on the meat! Just me...
Fun thing is that we can all go with our own experience, read as much as we want, but if what you do
works and you don't get sick, it becomes FACT and... to each his own.
:saywhat:
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
Temps down here in TX where I live are almost never low enough to dry age without a walkin cooler.
I age mine in an ice chest. I layer ice and the meat and leave the drain plug open. I leave my deer on ice for around 7 days, adding ice as needed.
Pulling the plug is important to keep the meat from sitting in water.
Bisch
x2 do the same in SC
^^^^
Same here in Alabama
Jim I typically do it like you, hang it in my garage for preferably a week to ten days if weather permits. I did some research and found that the majority of the beef sold in his country is wet aged, not dry aged. Wet aging is more profitable since the meat doesn't lose moisture weight, so dry aging is less common and the buyer pays a premium. In my experience meat (any meat) sours quickly when sitting in its own juices and exposed to air, apparently that's where the vacuum sealer comes in, it allows meat to age somewhat without the oxygen present that let's undesirable bacteria grow and sour the meat.
http://m.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/04/dry-vs-wet-a-butchers-guide-to-aging-meat/38505/
Short but interesting read on the subject
Dave, I'm not quite sure what you understood me to write but I believe that keeping meat in a controlled temperature/time frame such as the one I described "ages" it. Had I had left the deer outside the shed in high temperatures and direct sunlight (uncontrolled), I would expect it to rot! As for my understanding of the process, it was a butcher in Billings who suggested the skin be left on, the approximate time frame and to skin and butcher the deer when the mold spots showed up. Jim
When the temps are cold I leave the hide on while I age my venison, it's tougher to get off but it helps keep the carcass from freezing and actually helps keep the meat temp from swinging up and down so much.
Going back to wet aging of meat: This doesn't have to be done at the time of butchering. Meat can be vacuum packed and frozen, then thawed later for consumption. Leave it in the vacuum pack in your refrigerator (below 36F) for up to 2 weeks and then you can open & prepare it. I have done this many times.
I always hang my deer skin on and for a long time 2 weeks or so when it's cool enough here in Wester NY. Sometimes they get mold on inside of cavity and when I process I just cut it off much like mold on cheese, never had a taste problem.
If my original reply hi-jacked this thread even slightly it was not my intent. I stated my own experience aging meat and my doubts about the feasibility of vacuum packing being a method to do so. I had no idea the process was used commercially, color me better informed. Jim
QuoteOriginally posted by Kevin Dill:
Going back to wet aging of meat: This doesn't have to be done at the time of butchering. Meat can be vacuum packed and frozen, then thawed later for consumption. Leave it in the vacuum pack in your refrigerator (below 36F) for up to 2 weeks and then you can open & prepare it. I have done this many times.
Yup, this is how I do it too.
I put my deer meat in an ice chest with ice, a liberal amount of salt, and a little water. Every night I drain the water and add more salt. When the water runs clear, about 3-4 days, I pull out the meet, cut it up and freeze it. The salt supposedly pulls the blood out of the meet and lowers the freezing point of the water, making the ice water colder.
Here is how I do it. I am eating some wet-aged shoulder roast as I type. Forgive the grease on the screen :)
10-20 days before cooking, I pull the packaged meat from the freezer. I do not vacuum seal but use one layer of freezer paper, wrapping to remove almost all the air. I put the wrapped package in a ziploc bag, again removing almost all the air before zipping. Put it in the back of the fridge for at least 10 days.
Before cooking, drain blood, trim fat and sinew and let air dry for a few hours in the fridge. I usually add a dry rub that has a good amount of salt. This helps dry the outer part so you get a nice crust on it. Otherwise, it seems to stew to a less appetizing grey color. Cook to medium rare.
The shoulder roast I just finished was wrapped in bacon, trussed up, cooked at 450 for 20 minutes and 325 for 30 more. It is just past rare and delicious cold on a good bread with a touch of mayo. This piece was from a 3 year old buck killed in October 2013.
I've always had it cooled and packaged within a few hours of recovery. I generally have to marinade it before cooking to get good results. I've had some pretty good meals on the table and tender meat doing it this way. I guess I'm doing the same as you guys but on the back end.
I'm not totally sure aging meat is really worth it unless you are going whole hog and aging it for a REALLY LONG period of time. like 60 days:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/03/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-dry-aging-beef-at-home.html
I've eaten meat hung for 0 days to a week, and it really makes little difference (to me). maybe my deer are just different from everyone else (lol just kidding here), but as long as it is not over cooked, cooking method agrees with the cut, I've not found any 'major enhancement' to the texture, flavor, or appearance 'aged' of meat.
also, John, it isn't just that the salt rub is drying out the outer layer, its that it's pulling protein laden moisture from the inner core to the outer layer...its this protein that allows the crustification :)
Hickstick, I definitely think aging improves flavor, texture and tenderness. Even 4 or 5 days helps and 7-10 days is even better. Actually cut some fresh steaks off a deer a friend got a couple years back, the rest of the deer we aged for about a week, the fresh meat was very good, the aged was better.....I guess the moral of the story is there is more than one way to make a deer taste delicious.
Here in NY I hang my deer in the unheated garage out of direct sunlight and weather permitting for at least 7 days and often closer to 14. If it's early season I leave the hide on, if it's late season and more likely to freeze I then will skin it to make it easier to get the hide off.
I have definitely noticed a difference in tenderness with the deer I have been able to age for 10-14 days. I will not even touch the inner loins for at least 3 days, as much as I would love to have them the day I have a successful hunt.
Catskill......if you're looking for a treat the day of a successful hunt, try the heart and liver, they don't freeze well and spoil quickly, but they are darn tasty fresh out of the deer.
I locker my meat for about 10 days, Never had any mold on it. The meat is always skinned and thoroughly washed and towel dried off before I take it in to the locker.
First thing I do is throw the hams into a cold stream or spring (abundant where I hunt) and cool them a couple of hours before taking them into town. When I take them into town I wrap up in a couple of old clean wet sleeping bags before I leave. I always take elk in the same day of kill , Deer I sometimes salt and cover with a bag and hang in camp in the shade. Never lost any that way and no mold.
God bless, Steve
Our august archery season sports 90 degree temps. Same in earlybMZ and rifle. Spray vinegar on the meat as I skin it( keeps flies at bay). Spray and wipe interior, then put tarps over the meat and put baggied ice on the tarp. Then another tarp to keep sun off. Bone it out when we get home. Let it cool andbthen wrap. Soak meat in cool salt water, with a touch of vinegar for a day, changing water twice. Now even my wife eats game meat. Some great ideas to try up above,thanks
I guess what I am going to try based on the different responses is to take the deboned meat and pile into a big aluminum pot and put in the fridge with a lid on it and daily mix the meat to keep the moisture cinsistent, pour off blood and juice.
This scares me a little. Maybe I'll freeze most of it today and wet age the rest. I kind of cherish my wild game meat.
Frank, I understand your concern. We cherish our venison in our home. Although I am fortunate to be able to process quite a few a year,I would use the same methods if I could only have one tag. Age a clean backstrap for two weeks and grill rare, med- rare and you will not believe the consistency of the meat.
I tried the wet aging but did not like how the outside turned brown and how the blood affected the taste of the meat.
This year I tried Bisch's way with the cooler, laying the meat on top of ice separated by some plastic and allowed to drain with the cooler tilted slightly and the drain plug removed. I really liked the way the meat came out. Another plus was that I didn't have to rush preparing the meat and I could take my time.
I don't vacuum seal it, just put it in plastic food bags, generally one or two gallon size, and twist tie them, then store them in a cooler of ice till I get to processing it, generally within two or three days. I don't wait 10-14 days, not saying it isn't right or even that my way is better. I am so used to my way, and I like it as it is, that I just simply don't want to change.
We need to be a little careful with making the "piles" too large because cooling like that is by conduction (slow) and the lag time could promote bacterial growth. This is repeatedly shown in lab tests.
Get it cold quick as you can, keep it cold till you freeze it.
ChuckC
Here is a nice short link from a butcher...
http://askabutcher.proboards.com/thread/1403/14-beef-dry-aging-wet
I have read some of his other stuff (I am a big grill guy) and he is spot on on most of his info. YMMV but given his 6 week aging time, it may be that none of us are effecting much when do "aging" for days. Also suggest the folks that mentioned leaving it in the fridge vacuumed seal for 20 days are so are onto something.
All and all, I still believe the most important thing to do is get the meat cooled asap. I have cut it and tossed it in a fidge in large soup kettles, use a method similar to Bisch's, and even dunked it is ice water for a week to 10 days. All were about the same.
I have only had one deer go bad and that was because I couldn't find it till midway the next day. All my other deer are great.
Be careful when you vacuum seal something, almost any food with pH not below 4.6, and you don't freeze quickly, as C. butulinum can grow and that you don't want. Other more common organisms can grow as well if the vacuum is not good enough to preclude O2.