I age my meat about 7 days but I dont do it on the hook because its too warm. I rough butcher and sit in int he fridge for 7 - 8 days. Then eat / package for freezer.
No i wouldnt! Not with temps being that high. Even when the temp below feezing i wouldnt want it to hang more than a few days.
First off, I can't believe he left the hide on. Not a good idea, that cape is a blanket for bacterial growth. I always question these guys that don't skin their bucks to get pictures the next day. I bet if we really knew the the truth a lot of meat gets wasted in sacrifice for a picture, it needs to be near freezing out to keep from spoiling over a 24 hour period with a cape on. On the other hand, if you get the hide off ASAP and if the temps are cool enough.. 35 and lower, you can hang them for several days. I often hang my skinned out bucks for 7-10 days before butchering. If its warm out and I dont have access to a walk in cooler I skin them asap, get them in a fridge and start butchering right away.
There are a lot of specifics that go into dry aging meat versus wet aging it. I'm not an expert, but you need to keep the temperature between 34-38 degrees and have constant air movement for dry aging. In addition, all moisture on the meat's surface should be removed. Any excess moisture on the meat can lead to spoilage. The more common way of aging today, from what I've heard, is wet aging. They seal the meat in a vacuum bag and age it that way. If you look at the USDA's recommendations, they don't think that meat should be stored in the fridge longer than 48 hours regardless of whether or not it's in a sealed package.
I agree Matt as this is exactly what went through my mind as well. Very much irresponsible of that individual.
It doesn't deal with the question of WHY the meat hung so long. Was it an honest "if a little is good, then more is better" mistake. If that is the case then learn and move on. If a time management issue... Proverbs 12:27 speaks to wasting game. As far a s safe or not, I found this at Ask.com All warm-blooded animals contain a pigment called myoglobin in meat tissues. This pigment is normally a dark grayish-purple but when it comes in contact with oxygen, it becomes oxymyoglobin and reacts by turning a deep red color. Meats that are vacuum-packed have not been exposed to oxygen long enough to turn red. It is for that eye-pleasing coloration that most fresh ground beef sold in clear packages at the market is packaged using a clear film that is oxygen permeable. The oxygen goes through the film and allows the meat to turn that pretty red color we associate with fresh beef. This is why it is not recommended to freeze meat in store packaging. Coloring can also indicate spoilage. If your package of ground beef is grayish all the way through and does not turn red when exposed to air for fifteen minutes or so, it is most likely spoiled. Usually your nose will tell you right off the bat, as spoiled ground beef will smell sour. It will also feel tacky to the touch. Don't take any chances with spoiled meat. When in doubt, toss it out.
Also, look at Appendix B on the USDA site, it deals with proper cooling of meat to control the growth of Clostridium perfringens.
Like, take it our of the freezer, thaw it and let it sit in the fridge for 7 days? Absolutely, do it all the time. But, my fridge isn't 50-60 degrees either.
The USDA is a little extreme with some of their suggestions. But, in this day and age, they have to be. Because people are....well.......dumb.
Skinned, quartered and in cooler same day or within one day at BARE MINIMUM. No way I would eat that deer.
The first stop I make after a harvest when the temps are above 40 is the nearest gas station. I pack the cavity with ice assuming I didn't quater it in the field. Cooling the inside is every bit as important as cooling the outside. The extra $5 spent is just worth it to me.
For you guys that age your meat in the refrigerator - do you put the meat in wrapped up, or do you let the meat be exposed to the air in the refrigerator. I can see how the meat could age better exposed, but I can also see how it might become dried out in the refrigerator. I have heard the absolute best way is to age the deer is in a walk in cooler. The deer is gutted and hung with the hide still on the deer to minimize the meat drying out. At the end of the ageing process the deer is then skinned and butchered. I have never been able to hang one like this and the deer processing places I have been through all skinned and then hung the meat. I am sure there were people that gutted their deer and then hung them in the cooler when the processing operations had no employees there at night. I am curious what your thoughts are on this.
I started this thread. I told my friend not to eat it. It hung for 7 days because he was waiting for another of his friends to butcher it for free.
I really think aging meat is overated. I don't really even know very many people that let them hang anymore. The only aging I do it after it is thawed and prepared to cook. Dry season,place in bowl with saran wrap over the top of it. Cook and eat in 2 to 3 days. Try it, I bet you can't tell the difference.
