Ageing Venison in Ice Chest

[William Allis]

NYS has added crossbows to the bow hunting season this year. The season opens early, so I can forget hanging a deer outside. I plan to use an ice chest and dry age the good cuts. Loins and boned hind quarters. What is you experience, method, length of time and etc? I plan to put the unwrapped cuts on a rack and cover them with bagged ice and open the drain for blood to escape. Use a meat probe thermometer to keep track of the temp. Can I layer/stack the meat or should I keep it in one layer? I figure 10 days?

 

[BenAllgood]

I prefer to keep the meat dry by putting it in bags and have ice around the meat but not in contact. I'll freeze water in bottles or plastic tubs sometimes. Or, I've put ice inside dry bags and position them to where they don't leak as they melt. I did the ice on top of the meat leaving the drain plug open method for years, and much prefer dealing with the meat dry instead. I'll leave it in there for up to 7-10 days.

 

[victory]

The best way is to wrap the meat tight in plastic wrap. This keeps air off it and it can age a long time. As soon as it is cut wrap it up..

 

[yoderjac]

I now have a commercial reach-in cooler that can hold a couple deer at about 38 degrees for aging. I have a piece of galvanized pipe across the inside top and use meat hooks. I quarter my deer and hang the quarters.

Before I got the commercial reach-in cooler, I just used a side-by-side refrigerator. These are easy to find, often for free, or a few bucks when people remodel and discard perfectly good fridges. I simply took out all the shelves. I left the top two shelf brackets in place and cut a 1/2" threaded rod to size. I put 2 nuts on each side with the brackets sandwiched between the 2 nuts. Again, I used meat hooks. It was a tight squeeze, but I could get one deer in it.+

 

[Fishman]

I live in the south so no one is ever really able to hang a deer outside to age. Most soak the meat in an ice bath for a few days. Here is a video that compares soaking in ice verses or just keeping it cool in an ice chest.

 

[Drycreek]

I know a lot of folks will disagree, because I’ve been hearing for years to not let your meat contact the ice. I live in Texas, where you ain’t gonna hang meat in November most of the time. I have been quartering deer and covering it with loose ice for decades and it hasn’t hurt the meat yet. I used to hunt antelope in Wyoming a lot, always hot. We quartered those goats immediately and put them on ice. Best meat I ever had ! I usually leave them on ice for three to four days, draining the blood and refreshing the ice. Never, ever had a problem ! Note the short sleeves and it was still hotter than the hinges of hell’s gate in that blind during bow season.

 

[victory]

Again wrap it in plastic rap, it's by far the easiest way, it keeps air off the meat and it can stay in refrigerator for weeks and age. There is no way I would let the meat by anywhere near water. Try it you'll never go back.