Aging game meat

fly2cast

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I've been doing some reading about how to process moose. Most of the internet agrees that it should be hung at a proper temperature and aged 10-14 days. Thats what I want to do. So I called Butcher Block meats to ask them if they would age it if we brought it in. They said that if you age moose more than 7 days it will turn the meat dark.

Anybody else hear anything like that? I couldn't find anywhere on the internet that mentioned this.
 


Wags2.0

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I’ve started aging all my big game meat for atleast 10 days and I’ve noticed a huge difference in tenderness. Keeping it cool but not frozen seems like the hardest part. It does darken the meat some but I just trim off anything that looks goofy but I’m a nazi about silver skin and fat anyway so the trimming doesn’t bother me. A giant moose I have no experience with , but if you can have it aged I wouldn’t hesitate imo

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There’s some people that have aged beef for like 200-400 days. Search it on YouTube it’s crazy and kinda gross but they just trim off the gross stuff
 

Big Iron

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I have nothing to add except that it is usually 70 degrees for the rifle deer opener.
 

Retired Educator

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Keeping it cool at a consistent temperature is the key. Aging is done for beef, why not moose. It's red meat for both. I'm wondering if the processor is trying to save some room by not having 4 moose quarters hanging in his cooler. Keep in mind that lots of butcher shops today receive their beef boxed and ready to cut the day it arrives in their store. Unless someone brings in a beef from the farm/ranch, most of these shops don't work with quarters. Lots of butcher shops do work with private beef and pork but not all of them.
 

LBrandt

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Is'nt there some rule about tame animals cannot hang with wild critters. That just dont sound right but you catch my drift.
 


Bed Wetter

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I thought aging venison didn’t have the same effects as aging beef because of different enzymes in cows or something.
 

KDM

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I age my deer depending on the age of the deer. Does and young bucks (2.5 yo and younger) I only hang a day or two at 40 degrees. Mature bucks get aged 5-7 days at 40 degrees. I also leave the hide on as I don't like wasting venison due to it drying out or getting funky. I've not had the pleasure of dealing with a moose yet. Maybe some day.
 

CatDaddy

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One of the best steaks I ever ate was aged 28 days.......cost of the steak was about $5 a day. I'd think the same process would do wonders for an older deer or large game. Personally, my meat has been aged for much longer.....TMI, I know haha
 

shorthairsrus

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I kill and grill the same day.

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I like muley rare as it can be
 

Turtle

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Don't worry about aging the Moose for 7 days. The outside will turn dark and dry but once you trim it off it will be very good meat. Don't listen to Butcher Block they don't want to hang your moose unless they process it. Trust me I know. I hung my Moose for 2 days, I would of hung it longer in my garage but the temps were climbing and there is no way I would step foot in Butcher Block. I shot a big cow 2 years ago and and only 2 days aging, the steaks were excellent. The ribeye were something special. Some of the best meat I have ever had. If you get a big bull I would try to hang it for at least 7 days, more if you can. longer you hang more trimming equal less hamburger. Temps should be 38 to 42, and can get up to 50 but as temps climb aging process speeds up but it won't spoil your meat unless it stays over 50 for a long time. cool it down as soon as possible after kill. And enjoy the lobster of the north plains.
 


SlamminSalmon

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I’ve aged elk, deer, and bear all for at least a week when possible much better table fare. If you don’t believe me ask my wife!
 

wjschmaltz

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First moose I got, it was 40s at night and 60s during the day. Shot it early in the hunt so it hung for 7 days before we could get out and then processed it once we got home. I think it was 8 days from kill to freezer. Shot a moose in the arctic one year in late September and it was about 15 every night and 40s during the day and it was about 10 days from kill to freezer. This year's and last year's animal were cut up within 72 hours of the kill which were early august kills (uppers 20s at night and mid 40s during the day). I didn't notice any difference it any of them moose. All big bulls.

You will likely turn most of it into burger. For the cuts that are not burger, I take them out of the freezer 5-7 days before I plan to eat them and place them on a wire rack in the fridge, sprinkle generously with rock salt, and loosely cover them with tin foil for the week. That will get most of the blood out and I think makes them cuts much more tender (and the wife claims in removed the game flavor). It's all personal preference. Most people don't have a climate controlled space to hang meat for that long. If I did, or if we take an animal and the weather allows that I can let it hang or rest on a pallet for a few days, I usually do.

The family business growing up was a custom butcher shop. We'd let a good number of beef hang for well over 60 days if the client requested it. Literally would be cutting off the outer inch or two all around the animal and throwing away the green and white mold. I never noticed a real difference in any of them compared to something that hung for a week. We only accepted grinder-ready wild game. Most of it was covered in dirt or hair and disgusting; which is why my dad never hunted an animal in his life.
 

guywhofishes

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I age 7-10 days.

I often don’t trim the dark off myself on tenderloins, etc. Once in a baggie w juices it magically returns to proper moisture.
 

shorthairman

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If any of you are familiar with Hank Shaw he recommends hanging venison at temps of 33-40 degrees for several days. I usually try to hang my kids' deer for 2-5 days hide on if the weather allows it. I wouldn't be afraid to go longer either especially if it was an older critter.

I'm pretty spoiled when it comes to beef because we have several rancher friends that we get our beef from, and the best beef is usually the beef that has aged the longest (3-4 weeks). Enzymes go to work breaking down the muscle tissues which tenderizes the meat both cattle and venison.

Have any of you guys ever seen or any of you have a coolbot? If I harvested a lot of big game, or raised my own hogs and beef, I think it would have one. It is a by-pass type device for a window air conditioner that allows you to cool down past the factory low setting. You build and insulate a small shed or garage and then use a coolbot to cool the shed below 40 to age your own meat.
 

Allen

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If the garage temps are right I will let it hang for 2-4 days. If it's too warm, I don't like the bacteria getting more than their fair share, so I will skin and cut them up as soon as they are out of rigor mortis. If it's really warm, I carve them up immediately.

Oh, and I prefer for them to hang with the hair if you can get them cooled down. Skin is a great barrier to bacteria.
 


Lou63

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big packing houses both beef and pork run sprinklers on the carcasses while cooling, years ago they used to wrap them in thick cotton cloth to help keep shrinkage down and helps cool them, they can add water to the carcass that way as long as they do not go over the warm carcass weight. as in 1000 lb carcass is acceptable at 999 lbs but at 1001 lbs they have to hang long enough to get back under the hot weight.

I think if you could wrap up the meat in sheets or cheese cloth and run a garden hose on it a couple times a day should help keep the outside moistened and help keep dust etc off the meat at the same time.

*disclaimer I spent over 20 years working in packing houses as a worker and an USDA inspector.

last deer my son shot a cold front moved in and it was too cold to hang long so it was brought home to skin and gut as it was only 5 miles home, with kids on the rope it took less than 1 1/2 hours to skin and gut it and bone it for the freezer with me doing all the knife work. I was just as tender as any other we had hung for a few days

I think a lot of deer meat issues have to do if you get them without stressing them running.
 

Apres

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I've hung 2-3 does the last 5yrs, some 7 - 10 - and 14 days I only hang the 1/4's backstrap tenderloin trimmings neck etc are fine without aging. I do the 1/4's because it's easier. if you can do hide on you'll lose a little less meat otherwise I use game bags old pillowcases and 2x cheesecloth. The best results have been the 10 day ones 14 you lose a little more meat to the rind 7 days just doesn't seem like it does as much but it's way better then nothing. I do it in my garage in the back corner that has about 4 ft concrete in the ground I don't stress much about the temp as long as it stays below 50 degrees for more then 12 hours a day and the concrete feels cooler then the air i have never had a problem. usually take a fillet knife and trim about an 1/8" off and good to go. I also hang whole pheasants duck geese there to at around 50 degrees but 3 days for smaller birds and 4-5 for geese and it makes them way better.
 

WormWiggler

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In my daydreams, on my dream place in the country, I have wondered if a smoke shack / walk in cooler could be made from a garden shed and old freezer.
 

LBrandt

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I have found that if the animal dies quickly and not run all over the country side it tastes a lot better. Even the beef I have done over the years dies on the farm, bled out and then hauled to butcher shop. If the animal never sees it coming the better it is for him and me.
 

Redneck1

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If conditions are right, I always think it's a good idea to keep the hide on animals while aging if possible, and age as long as possible, unless it's a pronghorn because we all know that those animals stink bad!
 


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