Hanging meat - below freezing.

[EdP]

Whether you put your meat in a cooler or cover it with a sleeping bag, adding a bucket or jugs of water will help to keep the meat from freezing. The water will freeze before the meat does.

 

[CentennialState]

I may of still left out a couple things. I put a 3/4" piece of plywood over the top of the dinning room table for domestic peace.

I bring in a half of elk or deer and set them on the table to thaw. Depending on the meat, they will thaw in two to three days. I then cut that up in an evening and start over.

When the kids were home and we had deer, I would have everthing cut by february.

When I lived in warmer climates I always figured to buy a refrigerated box off a wrecked truck. I never found one so that should give you a hint on how often that occurs.

I have seen advertisements of portable coolers on tv but nothing in Montana.

Thanks for taking the time to respond and sharing your system. I would have figured it would be not the best for meat to be frozen within that first day, taken out to thaw and process, and then stick back in the freezer until you’re ready to eat but sounds like it’s worked well for you

 

[Larry Bartlett]

From the animal's time of death to roughly 72 hours post mortem is the chemical process of glycolysis. That's the time to allow the muscles to stiffen and then relax as glucose is converted to lactic acid (tenderizing enzyme). For maximum tenderness, do not process before this time is complete and do not allow the meat itself to drop below 30F. After the 3rd day post harvest, do whatever you need to do because it ain't getting anymore tender than post harvest day 5.

If you're trying to prevent freezing the first 12-24 hours in "teens" temps, leave the hide on qtrs or huddle the meat together inside a tarp to restrict airflow and contain radiation heat. If temps are above 20F remove the hide from qtrs and restrict airflow with a tarp and monitor your core temps.

Don't hang meat if you're worried about freezing, as air temps flowing around hangin' meat has a hyper cooling affect (wind and moisture = temp loss)

 

[CentennialState]

From the animal's time of death to roughly 72 hours post mortem is the chemical process of glycolysis. That's the time to allow the muscles to stiffen and then relax as glucose is converted to lactic acid (tenderizing enzyme). For maximum tenderness, do not process before this time is complete and do not allow the meat itself to drop below 30F. After the 3rd day post harvest, do whatever you need to do because it ain't getting anymore tender than post harvest day 5.

If you're trying to prevent freezing the first 12-24 hours in "teens" temps, leave the hide on qtrs or huddle the meat together inside a tarp to restrict airflow and contain radiation heat. If temps are above 20F remove the hide from qtrs and restrict airflow with a tarp and monitor your core temps.

Don't hang meat if you're worried about freezing, as air temps flowing around hangin' meat has a hyper cooling affect (wind and moisture = temp loss)

Informative, thank you! Wish I lived somewhere colder- Colorado in September/October is still so warm Im trying to figure the best way to keep meat cold (not frozen) but also not too hot to spoil in those 72 hours

 

[Larry Bartlett]

with temps under 55F you have no major issues for the first 3 days. If higher than 60F, fat oxidation and autolysis is activated. To combat those temps, increase airflow by hanging or stacking with wind currents hitting all angles. Spray lightly with citric acid after the first 24 hours. Lots of tricks in warm weather too.

This has been extensively covered, here's a video:

 

[cjdewese]

What do you scrub them with? And in September/October in Colorado it’s usually not below freezing at any time of the day, so let’s say I shoot my deer at first light. I’m home by 1pm. I hang him from my garage rafters overnight with a bag of ice in the chest cavity or would you just break him down that same day and put into the freezer? My understanding was the longer it hangs, the better it’ll taste, but temperature control is an issue here and I don’t have enough space to make a walk in cooler

I've only killed 2 deer so far so take it for what it's worth. Both times though I have broken down the animal and got it in the freezer as quickly as possible.

1st deer was shot around 6 am and was in my freezer by 11 am. It was my 1st deer and where I hunt early archery is VERY hot so I was worried about meat spoilage as the temps started to go up.

2nd deer was shot later in season and much colder than my 1st. Shot the deer around 8 am broke it down into quarters for the pack out, got home and finished the rest of the processing and went into freezer by 8 PM that same day.

Both deer were fantastic tasting and I can't see how aging would have improved the taste. It wasn't gamey at all and was extremely tender in both cases.

 

[CentennialState]

with temps under 55F you have no major issues for the first 3 days. If higher than 60F, fat oxidation and autolysis is activated. To combat those temps, increase airflow by hanging or stacking with wind currents hitting all angles. Spray lightly with citric acid after the first 24 hours. Lots of tricks in warm weather too.

This has been extensively covered, here's a video:

Really appreciate the info and expertise, thank you very much

 

[hunterdanman]

Another vote for meat in the cooler in the car or unheated garage on below freezing temps. The lid can be all the way open to shut depending on if the meat is still cooling or cold all the way through. We have done this both with bone in quarters or boneless, of course you want the meat cooler if going on boneless.

 

[EdP]

Both deer were fantastic tasting and I can't see how aging would have improved the taste. It wasn't gamey at all and was extremely tender in both cases.

Larry did not mention taste in his post. Achieving maximum tenderness is what he wrote about. I also have processed deer quickly and they were good, but there are better ways.

 

[WCB]

If it is going to be in the teens...personally I would not leave the hide on. I would skin, quarter, cool the meat then throw in coolers. So much easier to skin right away and IMO and experience here in MN and killing A LOT of deer in the Dakotas and MN in December leaving the skin on in no way helps keep the animal from freezing. It is dead and no longer making or holding heat once gutted. Only experience I have had with it is negative trying to chisel hide off.