Under perfect conditions...
01-24-2008 | 06:35 AM
#11
Bartender
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,634
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
RE: Under perfect conditions...
We have a walk in cooler anywhere from 3 days to a week also.
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
I've aged mine for a lot longer than has been posted. I actually wouldn't hesitate to hang one in a cooler for a week.
I've aged mine for a lot longer than has been posted. I actually wouldn't hesitate to hang one in a cooler for a week.
01-24-2008 | 06:35 AM
#12
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 62
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From:
RE: Under perfect conditions...
As mentioned, it depends on what I want done with that meat. Also as mentioned AAA beef is aged 14-16 days. I would remove the hide and if you needed to put those game bags around it to keep it clean.
01-24-2008 | 06:37 AM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,394
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From:
RE: Under perfect conditions...
I've read and followed the directions to hang in a cooler (not outside) for 14 days. Some of the best steaks I've ever had. Only difference between hide on or off, is that with it off the outside of the venison (or other meat) will take on a very thin dry looking layer. Which isn't a problem.
Don't age outside. In most places in the lower 48 the temps swing between day and night. Since you don't want any meats to sit in 40 degree temps, it isn't hard to image that if it won't freeze at night, it'll probably reach 40 during the day. You wouldn't buy a fine steak from the butcher and freeze it, then thaw it, then refreeze it, then thaw it... and so on, because you'd ruin the steak. Hanging a deer outside in most cases will do the same to the venison.
"hey, this tastes gamey..."
Don't age outside. In most places in the lower 48 the temps swing between day and night. Since you don't want any meats to sit in 40 degree temps, it isn't hard to image that if it won't freeze at night, it'll probably reach 40 during the day. You wouldn't buy a fine steak from the butcher and freeze it, then thaw it, then refreeze it, then thaw it... and so on, because you'd ruin the steak. Hanging a deer outside in most cases will do the same to the venison.
"hey, this tastes gamey..."
01-24-2008 | 06:46 AM
#14
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 961
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Under perfect conditions...
I read a study many years ago in outdoor life that was done in a large prossesing plant.Where they used taste testers and They found out the best way was to leave the hide on and aged it for 28 days,till an inch of mold grow on the inside of the cavity.I could never make it that long with out eating most of it .But I have tryed .
[/align]
01-24-2008 | 07:54 AM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,482
Likes: 0
From: IA/WI/IL
RE: Under perfect conditions...
I proccess deer within 24 hrs and skin and gut them right away, the most important step is to get the temp of the meat down as fast as possible. I have have aged ven, it can be more tender, especially if no attention is payed to which cuts are used, but I have not seen it improve the flavor. Of course, I always have delt with corn fed deer.
01-24-2008 | 09:19 AM
#16
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,132
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From: Fairbanks, AK
RE: Under perfect conditions...
Aging deer meat is useless unless you want to let your meat rot. Beef is aged because there are a certain type of enzyme inside the meat that allows the muscle strands to break down, causing the meat to become more tender. Deer meat does not have this enzyme and aging it will not make it more tender. There have been many studies proving this. Any local butcher worth beans (who handles both beef and venison) will be able to tell you this.
That being said, we quarter our deer within a few hours of them being shot. The loins are normally frozen within the next day or two, but the quarters may sit in our fridge for up to a week before we debone, chop, and grind them.
That being said, we quarter our deer within a few hours of them being shot. The loins are normally frozen within the next day or two, but the quarters may sit in our fridge for up to a week before we debone, chop, and grind them.
01-24-2008 | 09:27 AM
#17
Super Moderator
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,024
Likes: 22
From: Trumbull County, Ohio
RE: Under perfect conditions...
I have done everything from cutting up within and hour (80 + degrees that day) to hanging them up to nine days. It is all personal opinion. I do whatever the weather allows me to do though. I do know that the best steaks I usually marinate AT LEAST five days. So letting them sit and marinate in the fridge, makes very good meat!
01-24-2008 | 09:34 AM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,520
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From: Southern MD
RE: Under perfect conditions...
ORIGINAL: shed33
two weeks hanging in the right temps.. like a walk in cooler.. or cool/near freezingfall temps out here..
two weeks hanging in the right temps.. like a walk in cooler.. or cool/near freezingfall temps out here..
. I have considered making my own walk-in cooler. I have read that a small, well insulated shed and a small air conditioner will work, especially in the cooler months.
01-24-2008 | 09:41 AM
#19
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,520
Likes: 0
From: Southern MD
RE: Under perfect conditions...
The process of aging venison is controversial. Meat cannot be properly aged unless it's hung in a temperature-controlled room for 10 to 14 days. The temperature must remain between 34 and 37 degrees (Figure 3). This allows enzymes to break down some of the complex proteins in the carcass.
When done properly, aging usually improves venison's flavor and tenderness. The key word there is usually.
Few hunters have the facilities to properly age deer. Therefore, it's not wise to age meat by yourself.
Many processors I've talked to over the years say deer younger than 2 1/2 years old shouldn't be aged. However, the processors agreed that venison from old bucks can sometimes be improved by aging. No deer should be aged if it is to be chopped or ground.
Two important points to remember for aging venison are:
Don't attempt to age a deer that was stressed before it died.
Pay a professional to age your deer in a temperature-controlled cooler.
[ul][/ul]
When done properly, aging usually improves venison's flavor and tenderness. The key word there is usually.
Few hunters have the facilities to properly age deer. Therefore, it's not wise to age meat by yourself.
Many processors I've talked to over the years say deer younger than 2 1/2 years old shouldn't be aged. However, the processors agreed that venison from old bucks can sometimes be improved by aging. No deer should be aged if it is to be chopped or ground.
Two important points to remember for aging venison are:
Don't attempt to age a deer that was stressed before it died.
Pay a professional to age your deer in a temperature-controlled cooler.
[ul][/ul]
01-24-2008 | 09:46 AM
#20
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,520
Likes: 0
From: Southern MD
RE: Under perfect conditions...
Aging in a meat plant is done under controlled conditions of 35 to 40F. In aging venisons at
[/align]home, hunters are at the mercy of the prevailing outside temperatures. The following guidelines
[/align]can be offered for aging venison[/b].
[/align]1. If the temperature is between 32 and 40F, deer should be able to be easily aged for 1 week.
[/align]2. If the temperature is between 40 and 50F, aging should be shorted to 3 to 5 days. Since aging
[/align]involves chemical reactions which go at a faster rate as the temperature gets higher, 4 days of
[/align]aging at 45F might be comparable to 7 days at 35F. If the meat is frozen for a period of time,
[/align]little aging takes place at this low temperature. Remember, it is the temperature within the
[/align]muscle which determines how rapidly aging proceeds, not the changing outside air temperature.
[/align]3. From a food safety standpoint, lower temperatures are always preferred. Environmental
[/align]temperatures above 50F are getting into a higher risk zone. If daytime temperatures get above
[/align]50F for most of the day, and there are not good prospects for cooler weather coming, the deer
[/align]should probably be processed as soon as possible, or taken to a plant where it can be stored under
[/align]refrigerated conditions.
[/align]4. Unfortunately the storage temperatures this time of year can vary from day to day, and cause
[/align]a person to wonder how long they should hang the deer. The above advice should help in that
[/align]decision. Remember that bacteria growth and spoilage are a function of time and temperature.
[/align]A chilled carcass can withstand a few hours of temperatures around 50F but maybe not several
[/align]days of it. Carcasses held as a desireable temperature of under 40F may develop signs of
[/align]spoilage if held there too long. Use good common sense, and keep an eye on the carcass for
[/align]signs of spoilage, and the changing weather conditions.
[/align]
Here are a few other things to keep in mind:
[/align]• undisturbed carcass muscles are virtually sterile, and bacteria growth occurs on the
[/align]outside of the carcass where contamination has occurred through handling. Careful
[/align]removal of the viscera and clean-up of the abdominal cavity are important. If the hide
[/align]remains on the deer, bacteria growth can only occur in the interior of the carcass and
[/align]other exposed areas. Bacteria need moisture to grow, so as the carcass surface dries out,
[/align]bacteria growth slows down.
[/align]• deer will usually get well chilled during the cool nights, and this will carry over and
[/align]provide some measure of temperature control during the warmer days. To help prolong
[/align]the low temperature in the carcass during daytime hours, store the deer on the north side
[/align][align=left]
[/align]home, hunters are at the mercy of the prevailing outside temperatures. The following guidelines
[/align]can be offered for aging venison[/b].
[/align]1. If the temperature is between 32 and 40F, deer should be able to be easily aged for 1 week.
[/align]2. If the temperature is between 40 and 50F, aging should be shorted to 3 to 5 days. Since aging
[/align]involves chemical reactions which go at a faster rate as the temperature gets higher, 4 days of
[/align]aging at 45F might be comparable to 7 days at 35F. If the meat is frozen for a period of time,
[/align]little aging takes place at this low temperature. Remember, it is the temperature within the
[/align]muscle which determines how rapidly aging proceeds, not the changing outside air temperature.
[/align]3. From a food safety standpoint, lower temperatures are always preferred. Environmental
[/align]temperatures above 50F are getting into a higher risk zone. If daytime temperatures get above
[/align]50F for most of the day, and there are not good prospects for cooler weather coming, the deer
[/align]should probably be processed as soon as possible, or taken to a plant where it can be stored under
[/align]refrigerated conditions.
[/align]4. Unfortunately the storage temperatures this time of year can vary from day to day, and cause
[/align]a person to wonder how long they should hang the deer. The above advice should help in that
[/align]decision. Remember that bacteria growth and spoilage are a function of time and temperature.
[/align]A chilled carcass can withstand a few hours of temperatures around 50F but maybe not several
[/align]days of it. Carcasses held as a desireable temperature of under 40F may develop signs of
[/align]spoilage if held there too long. Use good common sense, and keep an eye on the carcass for
[/align]signs of spoilage, and the changing weather conditions.
[/align]
Here are a few other things to keep in mind:
[/align]• undisturbed carcass muscles are virtually sterile, and bacteria growth occurs on the
[/align]outside of the carcass where contamination has occurred through handling. Careful
[/align]removal of the viscera and clean-up of the abdominal cavity are important. If the hide
[/align]remains on the deer, bacteria growth can only occur in the interior of the carcass and
[/align]other exposed areas. Bacteria need moisture to grow, so as the carcass surface dries out,
[/align]bacteria growth slows down.
[/align]• deer will usually get well chilled during the cool nights, and this will carry over and
[/align]provide some measure of temperature control during the warmer days. To help prolong
[/align]the low temperature in the carcass during daytime hours, store the deer on the north side
[/align][align=left]
[/align][align=left][/align]The above comes from here: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/meatscience/aging-venison.pdf