How Long Have You Let a Deer Hang??

[robby denning]

I cut it up immediately after killing it. I've never had any issues with doing it this way.

You won’t have any “issues” doing it this way. But you’ll find improved quality if you age it, that’s all


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[CaseyU]

For what its worth my family has owned a small butcher/meat processing shop in a small town in norther ca for 50 years this year. I remember as a kid and well before all of the osha requirements and laws for food were in place. My family would hang deer well into 3 to 4 weeks. My grandpa would say it wasn't worth anything until the outside was molding. He had a walk in at his house that all the friends and family would age our meat for as long as I can remember. now days shops are required to keep game separate from other hanging meat and would get slapped (with fines) for having molded meat in their coolers. If you have the ability I would let hang for at least a couple weeks. It will make a tremendous difference. I would highly recommend taking the backstrap out. It will not benefit from the aging.

 

[N2TRKYS]

You won’t have any “issues” doing it this way. But you’ll find improved quality if you age it, that’s all


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How does it improve quality?

 

[Bulldawg]

Glad you gave it a try. A few things I’d offer

1) the mold is what you’re looking for and will really accumulate sometime after two weeks.

2). You’re right about the backstraps, they don’t really benefit from aging more than about a week (or before they dry up) as they are already pretty tender. With skin on like you did, after a week you could skin down from the spine just far enough to remove them and let the other tougher cuts continue to age. As you found with the loins, aging drastically improves the taste

As far as the waste, chef McGannon told me, I’d rather have 50 lbs of premium meat than 60 of not-so-good





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Yeah I know the mold is a good sign, but still it’s not normal in the today’s ultra clean world haha! The other thing that turned me off a bit was the inconvenience of hanging for a month, for me I have a small garage and hanging that deer up required me to park outside for a month and I don’t have a ton of parking! The bone in straps were off the charts and I do attribute that to the hanging, it had a slightly different flavor that fresh meat does because of the aging I’m certain. I probably would have cut them off earlier to eat them but I didn’t for a couple reasons, 1st I am going to tan this hide so I didn’t want to make cuts into it on the back, and I wanted them to be kept on the bone and that would make that difficult.

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[Bulldawg]

How does it improve quality?

Flavor enhances, it gets more tender, and to me, I you don’t get as much blood or red juices on the plate when you cut into it.


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[N2TRKYS]

Flavor enhances, it gets more tender, and to me, I you don’t get as much blood or red juices on the plate when you cut into it.


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I've been accomplishing this by soaking it in salt water for a couple of days before I cook it. I started doing duck that way and then tried it with deer. Works very well and I don't have to worry about our 70 degree days in the winter. Lol

 

[Crawl79]

Have let deer hang for a few days. In ice chest on ice for up to a week. Have one quatered on ice for 3 days now, probably won't get to it until Saturday.

 

[robby denning]

How does it improve quality?

Because the process of Dry Aging removes the gamey flavor of the blood. That is what is “drying” out, the blood. And the process of aging allows the natural enzymes in the meat time to tenderize the fibers, making for more tender cuts.

And it works wonderfully with ducks and geese too although I think the time frame might be different.

I did the salt water soak for years but it still doesn’t work as well as dry aging. I just get better flavor with dry aging.

I did a huge article on this a few years ago and included an interview with an expert in the field, Chef John McGannon. It’s at the link if you really want to understand the process, but as he says at the beginning of his seminars “it takes an open mind to try this stuff” (like Bulldawg did)

The font is a little jacked because it’s an old article, but all the info is there.

Who Is Wild Game Chef John McGannon? - Rokslide

Here’s a package of burger from a dry aged buck that’s been unthawed 2 days

No plate needed and as you can see, no blood on the package. That’s what’s improving the flavor.

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[N2TRKYS]

Because the process of Dry Aging removes the gamey flavor of the blood. That is what is “drying” out, the blood.

And it works wonderfully with ducks and geese too although I think the time frame might be different.

I did the salt water soak for years but it still doesn’t work as well as dry aging. I just get better flavor with dry aging.

I did a huge article on this a few years ago and included an interview with an expert in the field, Chef John McGannon. It’s at the link if you really want to understand the process, but as he says at the beginning of his seminars “it takes an open mind to try this stuff” (like Bulldawg did)

The font is a little jacked because it’s an old article, but all the info is there.

Who Is Wild Game Chef John McGannon? - Rokslide

Here’s a package of burger from a dry aged buck that’s been unthawed 2 days

No plate needed and as you can see, no blood on the package. That’s what’s improving the flavor.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I get through soaking mine, it's almost white. Mine is more of a space issue versus not having an open mind.

 

[Bulldawg]

Yeah that was a pleasant side affect that I wasn’t expecting, when the meat thaws out now it doesn’t “bleed” all over the fridge or what not. I know ducks and geese and other birds are a different ball game, some Europeans hang em guts in from the beak until they rot and break away from the beak, that’s when they’re good to eat lol.

I was talking to my dad about this the other day and it’s just not an option a lot of guys have, no space. Or anybody that lives in the south most of the time will not have access to an area where they can hang an animal because it’s just too hot, or if you kill an animal in September and even october, it’s just not cold enough to hang.

I’m going to build a walk in cooler probably in the next 3-4 years, I’ve been wanting one for so long, just need to get life settled down and in a location I’m going to be for a long time.

Because the process of Dry Aging removes the gamey flavor of the blood. That is what is “drying” out, the blood.

And it works wonderfully with ducks and geese too although I think the time frame might be different.

I did the salt water soak for years but it still doesn’t work as well as dry aging. I just get better flavor with dry aging.

I did a huge article on this a few years ago and included an interview with an expert in the field, Chef John McGannon. It’s at the link if you really want to understand the process, but as he says at the beginning of his seminars “it takes an open mind to try this stuff” (like Bulldawg did)

The font is a little jacked because it’s an old article, but all the info is there.

Who Is Wild Game Chef John McGannon? - Rokslide

Here’s a package of burger from a dry aged buck that’s been unthawed 2 days

No plate needed and as you can see, no blood on the package. That’s what’s improving the flavor.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[robby denning]

I don’t have a walk in cooler either. Just the garage and it takes till December to have the right temps, so I quarter my deer, freeze until December, then age away. I put a tub on the truck hood to catch the blood. All PIA, but so worth it to me.


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[robby denning]

hey guys, I documented the entire 26 days I aged this year's buck. I put all the info and text here:

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/the-deer-aging-thread.117002/

 

[5MilesBack]

No plate needed and as you can see, no blood on the package. That’s what’s improving the flavor.

I have to tell you that when I was scrolling down and saw this picture before reading the caption.........my first thought was......"Ooooo, burger gone bad".

Maybe I'm an exception, but I like the bloody mess on my plate. Makes good juice for the potatoes or the bread to wipe up. But again........I've never been a fan of deer. I guess this is how you have to do it if you want tasty deer.

 

[MuleyFever]

I have zero issues with the taste or tenderness of the animals I have eaten that get boned in the field and processed within a couple days. When in WI we could let deer hang a while in the cold but I cannot say I really noticed any benefits. I don't doubt any claims but for me it's more work than is necessary. Bon appetite.

 

[robby denning]

I have to tell you that when I was scrolling down and saw this picture before reading the caption.........my first thought was......"Ooooo, burger gone bad".

Maybe I'm an exception, but I like the bloody mess on my plate. Makes good juice for the potatoes or the bread to wipe up. But again........I've never been a fan of deer. I guess this is how you have to do it if you want tasty deer.

Stop by the house sometime, I’ll try and convert you!
And many people don’t like venison because they haven’t had it properly aged. If you’re eating bloody venison, it’s good for the potatoes as you said but not the flavor/tenderness of the deer.

Seriously, if your ever get up here, stop by. I’d like to check my archery form too.


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[5MilesBack]

Seriously, if your ever get up here, stop by. I’d like to check my archery form too.

Can't help you with that. I'm more of a Jim Furyk (golfer) kind of guy. Have no idea what proper form is (might be ugly as all get out), just that consistently touching arrows in the bullseye is all that matters.

 

[robby denning]

Can't help you with that. I'm more of a Jim Furyk (golfer) kind of guy. Have no idea what proper form is (might be ugly as all get out), just that consistently touching arrows in the bullseye is all that matters.

I've seen your groups, and you're doing something right!

 

[swampyankee]

Usually a week

 

[Kevinv]

Usually 7-10 days, depending on conditions.

 

[mattparliament]

Wild Game | University of Wyoming Extension | College of Agriculture and Natural Resources | University of Wyoming

Grab the "aging big game" pdf. This isn't a hunch or idea....it's a great resource.

Thanks for the link!