How long do you ice age?

[Mike D Texas]

About 7 days for me. I built a PVC rack for the bottom of my cooler to keep the meat off the ice. I drain it at least twice a day depending on the ambient temp. I swear by this method. If it were cold enough here I would hang it but that's not the case.

I say 7 days because I normally hunt on weekends and then wait until the next Friday or Saturday to start breaking it down.

The PVC riser is a great idea!


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[SloppyJ]

The PVC riser is a great idea!


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A creative redneck with PVC can astonish you. My wife went looking for her cookie racks one day and I had to make a move!

 

[doc holiday13]

Popular science would say the ice age was a few thousand years... There was a guy on Rogan that said he's eaten wooley mammoth that had been uncovered during excavations for gold. He said it wasn't anything special, but it could have been the cut of meat ... User preference

 

[Ucsdryder]

I learned a few things this year and thought I’d share.

I ice aged 10 animals total.

2 elk
3 mule deer
5 antelope

I had issues with 1 mule deer and 1 antelope.

About a week into both I noticed an “off” smell coming from the somewhere around the cooler. I didn’t realize it was coming from the cooler until about day 10. The MD neck roasts were rancid and I ended up trimming quite a bit of meat off the quarters to make sure none of the spoiled meat got processed.

The antelope had a slight smell but I never found the culprit and after trimming the exterior layer everything else appeared fine.

The mule deer was killed in the snow and cold immediately. When I got home I left it in game bags for a couple of days as the high temps were right at freezing. When I put it in the ice chest it was almost frozen. I put a layer of ice in gallon zip locks in the bottom of the ice chest but nothing on top.

The antelope I also left for a couple of days in game bag and put ON ice but not covered in ice.

The other 8 animals turned out great. All were put on ice with ice on top, completely filling the ice chest with ice.

I was able to isolate the issue to 2 possible causes. It was either leaving the meat in game bags for too long, creating an opportunity for bacteria growth, or not having the meat completely covered in ice. I am not sure which one caused the spoilage. The ice chest stayed cold with ice throughout the 10 days but without any air movement, it’s possible that it wasn’t as cold as one would think an ice chest half filled with ice would be.

Going forward, getting the meat out of game bags asap and completely filling the ice chest with ice will hopefully be the ticket for quality aged meat!

 

[Stalker69]

Or just don’t soak in ice.

 

[Marble]

Or just don’t soak in ice.

This right here.

Rules for meat, keep it dry, keep it cold, keep it clean. Anytime I have had any meat spoil has been because one of these rules was not followed.

At night, we remove bags. Day time they have bags, only to keep critters away.

No ice on meat. If I need something to keep meat cold, it is almost always a gallon jug of frozen water.

If I suspect any contamination got onto my meat, a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar is applied to the outside and then air dried.

For Antelope, I don't think those are supposed to be aged at all. 10 days for wild game is a long time.

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[Ucsdryder]

Or just don’t soak in ice.

Ironically the ones that didn’t soak in ice were the ones that had issues.

Ice aging makes for a better end product, no doubt about it. We eat a lot of wild game, share a lot of wild game, cook a lot of wild game for friends and family. There is no arguing that the method works.

If I had a walk in cooler maybe I’d do it differently, but 3 years of aging and lots of animals later, I’m very happy with the end product.

 

[Stalker69]

We have friends and family in the south ( seems soaking, icing down is the norm). Those same people when we process there cattle and pigs, would not think about putting it on ice. Asked why, they just say never have. Well why do you do it to " venison", same answer, always have, brought up that way. Well there's good reason why game processes don't soak any meat ( unless brinning) in water. And the reason the ones that were not covered in ice, spoiled is because the meat that was not covered, was warmer then the meat that was. And bacteria growth caused the meat to ransid. Venison does not have the fat content beef and pork have, and do not benefit from prolonged aging. 72 hours, rigamortise has occurred and the meat is pretty much has aged as good as it going to get. Soaking on ice is generally a way to get rid of the gamey taste do to improper handling of the animal after it down.

 

[Ucsdryder]

We have friends and family in the south ( seems soaking, icing down is the norm). Those same people when we process there cattle and pigs, would not think about putting it on ice. Asked why, they just say never have. Well why do you do it to " venison", same answer, always have, brought up that way. Well there's good reason why game processes don't soak any meat ( unless brinning) in water. And the reason the ones that were not covered in ice, spoiled is because the meat that was not covered, was warmer then the meat that was. And bacteria growth caused the meat to ransid. Venison does not have the fat content beef and pork have, and do not benefit from prolonged aging. 72 hours, rigamortise has occurred and the meat is pretty much has aged as good as it going to get. Soaking on ice is generally a way to get rid of the gamey taste do to improper handling of the animal after it down.

Do you have any literature to back that up? Of course a processor isn’t going to wet age anything, they have walk in coolers. If I had a walk in cooler, I’d age that way as well.

I’m curious to see something that states that 72 hours is the the maximum time where the aging process has been completed.

I’m not saying I’m right, mine is bro science, but if you have something more concrete I’d love to see it.

Oh, and wet aging is a thing…lots of articles.

An Introduction to the Process of Wet-Aged Beef | Make Your Reservation

At Yo Ranch Steakhouse we’ve discussed dry-aged steak, now we think it’s time to examine the wet-aged process for steak.

www.yoranchsteakhouse.com

 

[Hill Difficulty]

What I do

• I dry age for as long as I can based on weather temps. Never less than 6 days (rigor mortis), but typically more than 2 weeks or as long as 3+ weeks. I cut sections from the backloins every couple days to sample progress, experiment with marinades. Killed a mule deer last month that aged for 27 days before I cut it up.
• If below freezing temps I hang in a clean garage with a sleeping bag wrapped around to keep from freezing.
• If 32F+, I lay out a poly tarp with cut/split pieces of hickory and lay the quarters (in cheap cotton game bags) on top. Hickory cuts clean/no bark mess. I flip/move the quarters most days and fold the tarp over top if it's going to rain or snow. Have never had a mouse on the poly.
• I use vinegar if I need to clean any of the meat + it wipes away mold easily.
• I like to age game birds for one week in feather, just guts pulled.

What I don't do/avoid

• Minimize use of ice, typically limited to travel only and separated/spaced from meat.
• Never expose to water or freeze/refreeze.
• Never place in a bag or material that doesn't breathe. Air is critical.

This is all preference stuff, just what I do.

 

[Team4LongGun]

We have done thorough testing on dry aging meat (whitetail) in a walk in cooler where we controlled the temps and humidity. We all had different opinions on if it worked or not, so we had to settle it. Over the course of many years and prob 30+ deer, we concluded that aging the meat (whether quartered or whole) a minimum of 5 days to 21 days makes a noticeable difference in both taste and tenderness.

On the science side, we have read and now believe that rigor mortis MUST come and go before any processing.

One thing that I now do that most don't is leave the hide on when hanging to age. The reason is that I don't have any nasty stuff to cut off before grinding. Some argue that it retains heat, it may to an extent, but I prop open the chest cavity and have it face the blower. At 38 degrees, it doesn't take long to bring the temps down. Saves a bunch of time and makes the meat nice and clean when removing hide.

I'd like to try the cooler/ice way at some point to compare.

 

[Stalker69]

Do you have any literature to back that up? Of course a processor isn’t going to wet age anything, they have walk in coolers. If I had a walk in cooler, I’d age that way as well.

I’m curious to see something that states that 72 hours is the the maximum time where the aging process has been completed.

I’m not saying I’m right, mine is bro science, but if you have something more concrete I’d love to see it.

Oh, and wet aging is a thing…lots of articles.

An Introduction to the Process of Wet-Aged Beef | Make Your Reservation

At Yo Ranch Steakhouse we’ve discussed dry-aged steak, now we think it’s time to examine the wet-aged process for steak.

www.yoranchsteakhouse.com

I didn’t say 72 was the maximum, I said after 72 rig amortize has happened, and largest benefits of aging have happened. Aging for longer periods under IDEAL conditions ( controlled temp, controlled humidity, and air circulation) sure. But meat on ice in a cooler is very farrrrrr from ideal, uneven temps, moisture, lack of air circulation all promote bacteria at a much much faster rate. Any dirt, blood, foreign matter on the meat soaking in the water exasperates the growth of bacteria also. If you don’t have a walk in cooler, and can’t control all of that, it’s far better to process and freeze the meat sooner, then later. Dry, clean and cold, asap are my top priorities with any meat. You can do it any way you want, I’ve seen animals hang in direct sunlight, at well above 65 degrees night temps and above 75 day time temps, dirt, dry blood and hair all over it, and guys say it’s great. If they like it who am I to say, but I ain’t eating it, or even processing it for them. We see some horrible stuff. Not only in coolers, stuff so bad maggots are crawling in it that they bring in to process.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I didn’t say 72 was the maximum, I said after 72 rig amortize has happened, and largest benefits of aging have happened. Aging for longer periods under IDEAL conditions ( controlled temp, controlled humidity, and air circulation) sure. But meat on ice in a cooler is very farrrrrr from ideal, uneven temps, moisture, lack of air circulation all promote bacteria at a much much faster rate. Any dirt, blood, foreign matter on the meat soaking in the water exasperates the growth of bacteria also. If you don’t have a walk in cooler, and can’t control all of that, it’s far better to process and freeze the meat sooner, then later. Dry, clean and cold, asap are my top priorities with any meat. You can do it any way you want, I’ve seen animals hang in direct sunlight, at well above 65 degrees night temps and above 75 day time temps, dirt, dry blood and hair all over it, and guys say it’s great. If they like it who am I to say, but I ain’t eating it, or even processing it for them. We see some horrible stuff. Not only in coolers, stuff so bad maggots are crawling in it that they bring in to process.

Once again, do you have anything you can point me to saying ice/wet aging is inferior and after 3 days the benefits of aging wild game is nil?

Most of our opinions are built through our own experiences, some with lots, some with not so much. I’m 27 animals in, so still a small sample size, but I bet a lot larger than many/most hunters.

I’m curious how many animals you’ve ice aged/wet aged and how you came to your opinion you prefer NOT to ice/wet age or let any moisture touch your game meat.

A proper ice aging, I think I have a pretty good grasp of it now, SEEMS to help with flavor and texture in the animals I’ve done. Maybe one day I’ll cut an animal in half, process one after rigor, and the other after 2 weeks and do some blind taste tests. I’ve read enough about wet aging to KNOW that it works, no bro science involved. What I can’t quantify is “how much” it helps and if it’s worth it.

If someone can PROVE that it is unnecessary and doesn’t have any affect on the quality of the final product, I’d love to see something because it is a lot of additional work. All I can find is positive information on wet aging (the closest I can find to ice aging).

 

[Hill Difficulty]

FWIW, dry age means to draw the moisture out of the meat so the flavor becomes concentrated.

Additionally, the natural enzymes from the meat work to break down and decompose collagen in the meat. Getting rid of the collagen is what makes meat tender.

The ice age idea does not seem to accomplish either outcome/contrary to the concept of aging.

 

[Stalker69]

We used to process beef, pork and smoke slabs of bacon and fish for a butcher shop growing up. We never soaked anything in water other then brine for fish and curing for the bacon( which wasn’t soaking in water, but defiantly wet). At the same time we all hunted and processed animals ( deer, elk, antelope, pigs, bear ) for other people. So as far as number of animals I could not even guess. We still process our own and close friends beef, pork, and game. But not nearly what we used to when my dad was alive. We hunt a bit out of state, and the southern states is where we first had friends introduce us to the “ ice bath”. And the meat they would pull out of those coolers were slimy, grey “ tofu” meat. After trimming away the grey slime, and losing a lot of meat that we didn’t by hanging in a walk in, that alone was a good reason not to soak meat. And occasionally they would open one of the coolers to a pretty nasty smelling slimy mess. We asked why they do it that way, and of course we ate some, and it wasn’t any worse or any better then “ traditional aged” meat but the hassle, and waste were crazy. And it was to age it and get rid of the gamey taste. They never said any thing about ours tasting gamey, and I could not really tell the difference in either texture or taste, for the most part. Some of the animals we shot down there ( their property) we could not hang in a walk in cooler. ( they dont have one) And we weren’t about it soak it. So we would hang them in the cellar with a fan going. And still do. And we would process ours and freeze it before coming home. So some animals hung for 7-10 days. But most maybe 2-3 days, some one day. We nor no one else could tell the difference between the 1 day to the 10 day aging. And in 40 plus years now not one person has been able to tell. As long as the animal dies, quickly and does not have a build up of adrenaline. The meats great, and thats with deer, elk, antelope, feral pigs, and bear, and a couple mountain lion. I will try and find the rigamortise thing, but I don’t know if it was in writing, or a surgeon ( sisters husband, back in the day) told us about it. And agin if that’s what you got and that’s what you like by all means, keep doing it. They do to. It don’t matter a bit to me how people do it. Just giving my opinion, and it’s worth what you paid for it. Lol Merry Christmas .

 

[MallardSX2]

1 week minimum

 

[Ucsdryder]

We used to process beef, pork and smoke slabs of bacon and fish for a butcher shop growing up. We never soaked anything in water other then brine for fish and curing for the bacon( which wasn’t soaking in water, but defiantly wet). At the same time we all hunted and processed animals ( deer, elk, antelope, pigs, bear ) for other people. So as far as number of animals I could not even guess. We still process our own and close friends beef, pork, and game. But not nearly what we used to when my dad was alive. We hunt a bit out of state, and the southern states is where we first had friends introduce us to the “ ice bath”. And the meat they would pull out of those coolers were slimy, grey “ tofu” meat. After trimming away the grey slime, and losing a lot of meat that we didn’t by hanging in a walk in, that alone was a good reason not to soak meat. And occasionally they would open one of the coolers to a pretty nasty smelling slimy mess. We asked why they do it that way, and of course we ate some, and it wasn’t any worse or any better then “ traditional aged” meat but the hassle, and waste were crazy. And it was to age it and get rid of the gamey taste. They never said any thing about ours tasting gamey, and I could not really tell the difference in either texture or taste, for the most part. Some of the animals we shot down there ( their property) we could hang in a walk in cooler. And we weren’t about it soak it. So we would hang it in the cellar with a fan going. And we would process ours and freeze it before coming home. So some animals hung for 7-10 days. But most maybe 2-3 days, some one day. We nor no one else could tell the difference between the 1 day to the 10 day aging. And in 40 plus years now not one person has been able to tell. As long as the animal dies, quickly and does not have a build up of adrenaline. The meats great, and thats with deer, elk, antelope, feral pigs, and bear, and a couple mountain lion. I will try and find the rigamortise thing, but I don’t know if it was in writing, or a surgeon ( sisters husband, back in the day) told us about it. And agin if that’s what you got and that’s what you like by all means, keep doing it. It don’t matter a bit to me how people do it. Just giving my opinion, and it’s worth what you paid for it. Loll Merry Christmas .

Fair enough. Seems like in Colorado during October and early November you’re lucky to get temps in the 50s, so hanging isn’t an option. Unless a guy wants to process immediately, which I think everyone agrees isn’t a great idea, the meat needs to go in a cooler or ice chest for a few days. This is how I got my start ice aging. I started with a few days then just kept going! Maybe it’s all in my head, but that counts for something too!

 

[TSAMP]

I use the frozen jug method in coolers and utilize a Bluetooth temp probe inside. I'm able to recycle 2 liter frozen water bottles from freezer to cooler about every other day and maintain a 38 -40 deg temp in a 125qt cooler for aging. That said, I do still see obvious moisture from the jugs thawing and condensation on the meat. Never anythinf grey or soggy.

I always hang overnight first though. I've put meat in after only a couple hours and that first night will thaw the jugs out quick.

 

[Stalker69]

We have used one of these to turn our freezers into a refrigerators ( we have chest freezers mounted to our side by side trailers) to keep the meat at temp. and dry, until we are ready to go home also. Then a couple nights before we are to leave remove it, and let it freeze solid for the ride home. At night when at motel, they let us plug in the freezers to keep everything froze. Works great.

Touch the image to zoom in

Jonson Controls A19AAT-2C Freezer Temperature Controller​

 

[KsRancher]

This year we ice aged my son's elk for 7 days and dad's elk for 9 days. Meat was so cold during processing that your hands hurt. Some dang good meat. Both elk we were able to hang in game bags over night and get cooled down really well. We put bagged ice in bottom of cooler then the meat. And then dumped ice on top until cooler was full. Never had to add more ice, had to dig quarters out of ice. Make sure to keep the drain open.