Is it to cold to hang a deer if the temperature is in the low 30's during the day and in the mid teens at night?
To cold? I worry about to warm, though as a kid growing up, my neighbor always seemed to have a deer hanging in the garage all summer and he would cut the "green fuzz" off and then cut up a piece to fry for us.
I guess I should clarify a little. Is it to cold to age the meat? I was reading a little about it and it said the best temps are somewhere around 32-40 degrees.
Heck I have killed 2 does this year with the day temps getting into the 60 and as long as you gut them put a stick in between the ribs and placed in a well shaded area your meat will be just fine.32 to 40 degrees I would have no issue with aging the meat in that temperature. Most house hold refrigerators are set at 37 to 40 degrees.
I know 32-40 is good but what I read basically said it would freeze and stop the aging process. It's going to get pretty cold and I don't have a spare fridge to put the meat in. So would it just be a waste of time trying to age the meat in temps mostly below freezing or should I just cut it up right away?
Well it really depends on the maturity of the deer. If it is a you buck it will only take 3 to 5 days and if it is a mature buck your looking at 7 to 10 days. I would say you would be ok as long as you keep the meat out of the wind. The wind chill can really hurt it the most causing it to toughen up really fast
Rather than "hanging" your deer, if you have a place to let it lay, you're much farther ahead. The term "top shelf meats" comes from placing meat on a shelf to cure. As the enzymes in the meat begin to breakdown through the natural aging process, rather than stressing the meat in any way, the best cuts of meat were placed on shelves to allow for rigor mortis to set in and the breaking down of tissue to happen easily. I have room in my shop, usually, to lay my deer on the floor as soon as I can get them out of the woods and unless it is above 40*, I'll let them lay there for 3 or 4 days before they get processed. By the way. I have found that in processing my venison burger, rather than adding 5% beef or pork fat, using bacon makes the absolutely best burgers possible.
I would try it but I don't even have any space to lay meat except the floor in a old barn infested with rats, mice and coons. I really have limited space and it sucks.
Ouufffff... lots of people that don't have a clue about meat giving advices here... no wonder there are so many animals wasted year after year... ;o( For ideal results to age meat, make it beef, moose, deer elk, etc, the animal should be hung so that there is good air circulation around them. (So NOT on the ground!) The body temperature should be dropped to 45 F (7Celcius) within the first 24 hours, then it should be maintained around 36-39 F (2-4 Celcius). If you are able to maintain a stable 39 F, there is NO problem aging meat for 10- 15 days. It will be much more tender and will taste very good. If you are not able to maintain a constant temp, reduce the duration. The warmer the temp, the shorter the time to hang it. If and animal freezes before rigor mortis has set, then the aging process will stop and your meat will be tough a leather. Removing the hide is optional if you can cool it fast enough, I've aged moose with and without the skin with no problem. Most butchers will want the skin off when it enters the fridge so there is no contamination with hairs and dirt. Removing the skin will produce a more even cooling of the quarters and with adequate ventilation it will seal itself with a very thin dry layer on top of the meat, not enough waste to even mention it. Avoid cycles of freezing and thawing, but it is not a big deal if the temp drops slightly below freezing overnight. Last, the meat on older animals is tougher than on young one, and also darker. So an older dear (or moose, elk) should be aged longer than a spike or a young doe. Oh... I forgot... DON'T WASH the animal after gutting it, just wipe the inside with cheese cloth or a clean rag. Washing will spread the bacterias inside the meat and increase the chances of ruining it. ...
Seems like you're very experienced so I'll take your word for it. Thanks and I'll be sure to remember that.
Thanks Shane, we're lucky enough to have a butcher with years of experience in our moose hunting group, and for him all that matters is the meat. Doesn't care a minute about antler size. We have our own cold room next to a dedicated butchering/processing shed. I've also done a bunch of research in books and articles to make sure we get the best results since it can be quite hot during the early archery season... cheers
