Aging

[elkhunt2434]

How long do people usually age elk meat?

 

[Laramie]

How long do people usually age elk meat?

Want to buy something in the classifieds, ehh?

 

[isocyanate]

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

 

[Laramie]

How long do people usually age elk meat?

I have a few packages from 2024 that are still aging in the freezer.

If I have a climate controlled cooler that I can hang meat in, I age 14 days. If not, I age 1 week with quarters in vented igloo style coolers with ice blocks ensuring the meat stays out of the melting ice water.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Depends on temp, I’ve butchered day after, or 2 weeks. Haven’t had issues with meat. All tasted the same, lot of times I prefer quicker to not have as much loss from dried meat on the outside.


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[wytx]

Anywhere from 1 week to 14 days. Walk in cooler with a Coolbot controller.
Anything getting ground, not near as long.

 

[idelkslayer]

The main thing is to wait until rigor mortis is over and the muscle fibers have relaxed. 48 hours I think, longer (another 24 hours) in cold temperatures. Everything after that is an incremental gain. That said, I usually wait 4-7 days and butcher one or two quarters a night so by the time I finish the last quarter it might have aged 10 days.

 

[wapitibob]

Mine stays in the cooler for about a week.

 

[rayporter]

by the time i get it off the mountain and drive home it has been five days. then cut up as soon as i can.

 

[CMF]

I've wet aged up to 30 days.

 

[270-300]

I dont go out of my way to age elk but it does take me a while to get it cut up.

The one i shot last fall, i shot about 10 am. I cut it up , put it in alaska game bags and hung it in the shade while i retrieved my frame pack from my vehicle. This let the meat cool off to the ambient 50 degrees with a stiff breeze. . I like this better than locking hot meat in a cooler. I had it packed out and on ice by 4 pm. I had it in 2 large coolers, with 110 lbs of ice spread over all of the meat. I waited until 9 am the next morning to start my cutting. Some did not get finished until the next day. So far it has all been very tender, more so than commercial beef. Sorry I do not have any scientific test results for you.

The pheasants I shot i hung whole for 9-11 days. They are very tender.

 

[robby denning]

we just did 14 on @Cashman bull and it wasn't enough.

I don't have the lab-age back but I'm guessing a 5+ bull.

We've eaten rounds (as jerky), sirloin & backstrap and all are tougher than my buck that was lab-aged at 6 and also right around that 14 day mark.

Bull still tastes fine, just a little more chewin' than I like.

I had Chef McGannon on the Rokcast last fall and he likes 28 days for bulls.

https://www.rokslide.com/tt68-dry-aging-wild-game-with-chef-john-mcgannon/

 

[bz_711]

I never intentionally age elk meat. I usually have it in cooler in under 8 hours...and processed in 2-5 days. One year solo was only time I hung it overnight in the mountains. All my family members love the elk meat and prefer it over nearly all other meats. Age of the bull and how quickly it expires has more to do with final outcome than aging IMO.

Do what works best for you. Good Luck.

 

[willfrye027]

I did 14 days on my bull this year and also wasn’t enough.

Had some loin last night next to a deer loin that was aged 10-12 days. The deer loin was significantly more tender.

 

[MountainMan83]

I have done between 7-30 days hanging in my Koolabuck cooler that fluctuates between 33-38 degrees. The decision comes down to when I have time to get it all done in one weekend as I like to package and freeze it ASAP once it’s processed. One day to debone and clean up individual cuts, one day to slice steaks/roasts, grind and package. I am usually deer hunting the week after elk, so 14-21 days is most common. I do loose some weight due to loss of moisture but still end up with a freezer full of meat so doesn’t bother me.

 

[longtail]

Wet age backstraps and tenderloins for 21 days.
everything else i grind up for sausage/sticks normally around 5 days

 

[BuckSmasher]

What is "wet age" sounds gross.

I have never intentionally aged elk meat. This year took a few days to get it onto ice and to the processor but it was cool/coldish at night. We rinsed it in the creek after butchering and tried to keep it dry and clean. Tastes real good. I was afraid of spoilage being a few days out of a cooler in september but it didn't.

 

[longtail]

What is "wet age" sounds gross.

I have never intentionally aged elk meat. This year took a few days to get it onto ice and to the processor but it was cool/coldish at night. We rinsed it in the creek after butchering and tried to keep it dry and clean. Tastes real good. I was afraid of spoilage being a few days out of a cooler in september but it didn't.

vacuum sealing and keeping in the fridge before freezing. keeps the oxygen from getting to the meat and keeps the bacteria out. makes a big difference on how tender your meat is.

 

[BuckSmasher]

vacuum sealing and keeping in the fridge before freezing. keeps the oxygen from getting to the meat and keeps the bacteria out. makes a big difference on how tender your meat is.

Yeah that doesn't sound bad. I thought it was keeping it soaking in water.

 

[PrisonMike99]

I think the sweet spot is 38-40 degrees 3-7 days.


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