My meat aging adventure

[HuntInWild88]

So after reading a few of threads in here I decided to try and age some meat.

I had a freezer/fridge side by side that I have decided to covert into a meat locker.
I ended up cuttinh out a big center piece and installed some u bolts through the roof for a hanger system.

After a little research and suggestions I settled on a ink bird ITC 608T to regulate both the temp and the humidity. It's done really well at keeping the temp right at 35° but I have been having issues with my humidity spiking above 80..
I have a front and hind quarter from my buck and all four quarters from a doe in there currently. They went in fully frozen 10 days ago and I am a little surprised by the lack of blood flow. However, it is starting to get little specks of white mold.
I swapped out the paper towels today as the one on the left is getting pretty full.

 

[chadcharb]

Just curious, why leave the hide on?

 

[Michael54]

Pe

Just curious, why leave the hide on?

People say it allows less air to get to the surface of the meat. So it stops the discoloration and trimming off of meat that went bad during the aging process. I personally skin mine out

 

[HuntInWild88]

Just curious, why leave the hide on?

Honestly I plans to skin them out once they thawed. But wife tested positive for covid so I was busy last week taking care of her.
I'm not sure if it's too late to skin them out or if I should just leave them.

 

[Brianmp01]

Alot of places say to leave the hide on less meat explosed to get damaged.

 

[HuntInWild88]

I've read that it helps and I've read that it doesnt... only time will I guess

 

[AdamJames89]

I always try to skin it right away, I just heard that if you skin it right away, then the meat will be much softer in the future and will not be weathered

 

[Joshk358]

How'd it turn out? I turned an extra garage fridge into my meat locker this year. Aged a whitetail buck for 7 days in it. Meat is perfect and tender.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Does aging even work with the hide on??! I’ve never seen such a thing.

 

[robby denning]

Does aging even work with the hide on??! I’ve never seen such a thing.

sure, it does but what it doesn't seem to do is decrease the amount you still have to trim off. I think that's why opinion vary on the subject.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

sure, it does but what it doesn't seem to do is decrease the amount you still have to trim off. I think that's why opinion vary on the subject.

Interesting. I can't even remember the last time I left the hide on a quarter.

 

[robby denning]

Interesting. I can't even remember the last time I left the hide on a quarter.

ya, chef McGannon says "skin 'em!"

 

[HuntInWild88]

Does aging even work with the hide on??! I’ve never seen such a thing.

Yeah it absolutely worked.. I aged the meat for right around 30 days. But like Robby said it didn't change the amount needed to trim. The exposed areas had a good crust and the areas below the hide had a slightly odd tent to it so I trimmed it off too. All of the meat was amazing! The first steak definitely had a different taste then I'm used to so I wasn't sure what to think. But I love the taste a d wish I would have stated aging my meat along time ago..

 

[kylehey]

Interesting setup, Thanks for sharing!