So I know that this question has been discussed all over the internet, but I am still not sure what to do. I just processed my first deer recently, and in hindsight I am second guessing the way I did it. So, I skinned and quartered the deer, and took the tenderloins, back straps, and neck, ribs and other odd cuts right to the kitchen. The quarters I put into a cooler with ice. I laid a contractor garbage bag on the ice, quarters on top, another garbage bag on top of the quarters with a bag of ice on top of it all. I kept it like that for 2.5 days (it was a small doe) checking to make sure water wasn't pooling. I noticed some water pooling on the last day, but they came out that day. I must admit that I questioned the way I did it. I was a little paranoid, and something about the humidity in the cooler freaked me out. Also, I was unsure with the softness of a couple parts of the meat, and a little smell here and there. Nothing crazy, but enough where I was thinking about it. This was my first kill so I am not yet knowledgable and what everything should look and smell like. So I guess I have a few questions. 1- Opinions on the best way to age? I am considering wet aging with vacuum sealing it and putting it in the freezer. This seems the safest way to me. I don't have access to a walk in, and it is not cold enough to hang outside. 2- Should I have deboned the meat before aging? If so, would I cut into individual cuts first? This would make sense with wet aging, but does it also work as well with the cooler method? 3- Any of you really advocate for not aging? And is that even possible since freezing occurs with wet aging, or is wet aging strictly with a vacuum sealer?
If the temp don't get above 40° f I like to leave them hang whole, skinned, and covered with plastic to keep clean for at least 4 or 5 days. Then cut it up the way I want. If the temps gets above that 40° f mark to process it right away. Use zip lock freezer bags either way. Meat is all used within a year and have had to storage problem. I am sure others have their own way of doing it. I think you would have been fine with just putting the quarters in a fridge for a few days without the ice. I take it by "cooler" you mean one of the plastic portable insulated containers. In that case the ice should be on top as cold air falls and warm air rises.
I didn't think about the fact that it would be warmer at the top. If I were to use the cooler method again, should I bone out the meat? I may just get it right into the freezer next time. I don't have the space in the refrigerator, and I'm still questioning the cooler.
I usually just hang it a couple days in the pull barn. If its too hot I cut it up right away. Honestly I can not tell the difference between if I let it hang and if I don't. The only reason why I let them hang is because when the temp is right it is usually prime hunting time and I wait until a bad weather or wind day to butcher.
I finally wised up and keep a half dozen gallon milk jugs full of ice in the chest freezer leading up to hunting season. You can wedge 3 jugs in the chest gut cavity and it last 3 times longer than cubes. It is all temp based but I like to age bucks a week or so, does a 3-5 days. I do this in a climate controlled shop so if it is warm out I can bring the temp in the shop below 40.
I’m no expert but my understanding is you want to leave each muscle intact when aging and preferably on the bone. So the best way to truly age is to hang the whole deer in low temps. Next best is quartered. In your case I think your method was just fine. Processing deer is much more about temperature control and cleanliness than aging. Your #1 priority is don’t let it spoil. The only way I would be concerned with aging is if I’m trying to impress or convert someone to venison, or I have a mature buck whose meat is naturally tougher, or I’m gonna cut a hind quarter into steaks (and even then there’s ways to cook them tender...just don’t grill them). I personally can’t taste the difference, but again I don’t have a lot of experience. It’s a texture thing to me. Back straps and tenderloins DO NOT NEED AGED. Typically neck and ribs are ground so why age it. Keep the quarters uncut and cool for 3 or 4 days, then get it all butchered and in the freezer. Cook, enjoy, repeat
