Sous Vide Bad Smell?

[Nickofthewoods]

I've had a sous vide cooker for several years now and really enjoy using it but one thing I have noticed is there is commonly an off smelling "aroma" once the meat is done and I take it out of the bag. It hasn't been an issue yet with the final product on the plate but it's definitely not very appetizing. Last night I almost threw out an elk tenderloin because the smell was so bad. When I took it out of the bag it smelled just like the gut pile or as if the stomach was punctured during the process. This elk wasn't gut shot and I removed the tenderloins gutless like I always do so I didn't think it was exposed to anything nasty. Not wanting to waste this tenderloin I went ahead and salted and peppered it and let it rest for about 20 minutes before searing in cast iron pan like I normally do. Apparently that did the trick again because it tasted fine, great actually, and my wife didn't say anything and she is way more sensitive to off tastes and smells than me. I'm just glad she wasn't in the kitchen when I opened the bag because it was difficult to fully enjoy this meal after having smelled that.

Anyone have the same experience with sous vide smells and wild game? I notice it with almost every wild game steak I sous vide on some level and I never notice it when cooking conventionally on a grill or pan so it's something to do with the sous vide process and being cooked in a bag I think. Can anything be done prep wise beforehand like maybe pre-seasoning it before it goes in the vac bag?

 

[MuleyFever]

I bought a sous vide and tried it on an elk steak a few years ago. It smelled horrible and I havent used it since.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I bought a sous vide and tried it on an elk steak a few years ago. It smelled horrible and I havent used it since.

Sorry to hear that. Like I said the finished product is really good. Even with as foul as that tenderloin smelled coming out of the bag it was still fantastic. The main problem to me is that it's an appetite ruiner. I'm hoping someone has a technique to neutralize that part of the process.

 

[JakeSCH]

This happened to me on Christmas, I put a entire cow elk sirloin tip roast (~10lb) in the souse vide. After 8 hours at 125 I cut off about 6 lb to sear it on the cast iron with no issues. Turned out amazing and perfect Christmas dinner.

The second half I left in for a total of 30 hours as a test and the smell was horrible. Similar circumstance to you except my family also smelled it and i was left to eat it alone.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

No. What kind of bags? What temp and how long is your cook?

 

[dmoto]

Lactobacillus. Try and sear the meat first. Then seal and dump into the sous vide bath.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

There is a known issue with fresh pork in an Instant Pot. Maybe the same situation.

Buddy of mine ruined a pork shoulder at Christmas because the cooking temperature, while high enough to actually cook the meat, it is too low to kill bacteria. He ended up with a bacterial culture brewing in the enhanced growing conditions. Smelled and tasted like barf, yes he taste tested it.

The same recipe cooking in a slow cooker on low was perfect. Probably 10*f difference is all it took.

 

[fmyth]

There is a known issue with fresh pork in an Instant Pot. Maybe the same situation.

Buddy of mine ruined a pork shoulder at Christmas because the cooking temperature, while high enough to actually cook the meat, it is too low to kill bacteria. He ended up with a bacterial culture brewing in the enhanced growing conditions. Smelled and tasted like barf, yes he taste tested it.

The same recipe cooking in a slow cooker on low was perfect. Probably 10*f difference is all it took.

Instapot reaches 235 on low pressure and 250 on high pressure. I'm guessing something else was to blame for the poor result.

 

[fmyth]

Lactobacillus. Try and sear the meat first. Then seal and dump into the sous vide bath.

Lactobacillus bacteria start to die at temperatures above 120 degrees.

 

[fmyth]

I souse vide every piece of deer/elk backstrap I cook and have never had one smell bad. I rinse the meat, pat it dry, brush with olive oil, season with salt pepper and garlic salt and vac seal. Then put the bag in the pot and set the sv cooker to 129. I usually let it go 4 hours but have gone as long as 8. Then I pull it and sear in a cast iron pan w butter or pop it in a preheated Traeger set at 350 until it browns but before the temp reaches 135. Let it rest 30 min and then slice.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I e always been told when you have a foul smell while cooking meat, that is a sign of sour meat.

I know a guy who killed an Elk and every time he cooked it would make his kitchen smell rotten. They ended up throwing the elk out.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

I've had a sous vide cooker for several years now and really enjoy using it but one thing I have noticed is there is commonly an off smelling "aroma" once the meat is done and I take it out of the bag. It hasn't been an issue yet with the final product on the plate but it's definitely not very appetizing. Last night I almost threw out an elk tenderloin because the smell was so bad. When I took it out of the bag it smelled just like the gut pile or as if the stomach was punctured during the process. This elk wasn't gut shot and I removed the tenderloins gutless like I always do so I didn't think it was exposed to anything nasty. Not wanting to waste this tenderloin I went ahead and salted and peppered it and let it rest for about 20 minutes before searing in cast iron pan like I normally do. Apparently that did the trick again because it tasted fine, great actually, and my wife didn't say anything and she is way more sensitive to off tastes and smells than me. I'm just glad she wasn't in the kitchen when I opened the bag because it was difficult to fully enjoy this meal after having smelled that.

Anyone have the same experience with sous vide smells and wild game? I notice it with almost every wild game steak I sous vide on some level and I never notice it when cooking conventionally on a grill or pan so it's something to do with the sous vide process and being cooked in a bag I think. Can anything be done prep wise beforehand like maybe pre-seasoning it before it goes in the vac bag?

Have you tested the water temperature to make sure your sous vide is getting it right? Not sure that would matter but it crossed my mind.

 

[txtransplant]

You’re probably at too low of a temp for too long. I’ve read that you shouldn’t go beyond 2.5 hrs if the temp is below 130F. Can’t find a source right now, but it was at the Anova website on an article written by Kenji Lopez-Alt.

What time and temp are you doing? Have you checked the water temp with a thermometer to see if it’s accurate?

 

[Legend]

At too low of a temp for too long. All you are doing is making the perfect warm wet environment to grow bacteria. And you can grow a lot of bacteria in a couple hours.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

My cooker is Anova and I do follow the guidelines for just a few degress above medium rare which is 132 degrees at between 2 and 3 hours. I believe the Anova cooking guidelines for red meat is no more than 4 hours which I have never come close to surpassing. Last night I made elk backstrap steaks with the sous vide and the smell was present but not nearly as overpowering as the tenderloin last week. I'll reiterate that the steaks were fantastic and perfectly cooked with no foul smell when served so maybe I'll just start wearing a nose plug for the portion of time between opening the bag and searing so I don't lose my appetite.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I e always been told when you have a foul smell while cooking meat, that is a sign of sour meat.

I know a guy who killed an Elk and every time he cooked it would make his kitchen smell rotten. They ended up throwing the elk out.

Definitely not sour meat. This issue has spanned several different animald that were all well cared for in the field and no problem or smell at all when cooking conventionally so it's definitely a sous vide thing.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Definitely not sour meat. This issue has spanned several different animald that were all well cared for in the field and no problem or smell at all when cooking conventionally so it's definitely a sous vide thing.

Maybe something here will help?

 

[fmyth]

Maybe something here will help?

I'll have to try pre searing and see if it makes a difference.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Instapot reaches 235 on low pressure and 250 on high pressure. I'm guessing something else was to blame for the poor result.

as a "slow cooker" (and I get it that it /r ) ... not hot enough.

https://www.reddit.com/r/PressureCooking/comments/nz7cpq/8_qt_instant_pot_fails_as_a_slow_cooker