Let's talk about AGING MEAT

[Doc Nock]

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

[Skipmaster1]

Originally 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.

[mec lineman]

I encourage some if you to try wet aging. It is simple and very effective.

[mec lineman]

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

[MnFn]

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.

[randy grider]

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.

[old_goat2]

Let's not! Get it cooled and processed fast as I can!