? For guys that process there own deer

[Mike81]

I am going to process my own deer for the first time this year. I usually just grind everything up. I do not have the ability to let the deer hang for awhile, so after you quarter the deer up do you put it in a cooler of ice for some time to drain the blood out or do you go ahead and debone and run it through the grinder?

 

[KKrueger]

In the cooler with ice for a week is my norm, sometimes a little longer. Tilt the cooler and leave the plug open. Or age quarters in spare refridgerator.

 

[B. White]

You will see a lot of very long threads on this from last year, since processors were slim. I picked up a giant coleman cooler a few years ago and we take it down to the twice the ice machine and get a put 50-75 lbs in the bottom. I've put two at a time in it quartered. Some folks leave the drain open. I just go open it once a day, if necessary. It doesn't melt fast in the shade. I put a small generator on top to keep critters out. With two deer in it in October weather I did add a little ice 5-6 days in, which was pretty close to the day I ground it. I just wanted to make sure it didn't run out with 70 something degree days. I've used a spare fridge, hung in coolers or other ways, but this is as easy as it gets and turns out good. Ice was also pretty cheap using the bulk machine.

 

[Jimmypop]

I bone everything except hams immediately after shooting. Put meat in a large ice chest, cover and let soak in ice water 24 hrs. Drain, put on a rack under ice with drain open. Pour off drainage and change ice daily for 5 to 7 days. Keep in shade. Then process as desired.I have used this system at least 20 yrs. with 0 problems. We don't eat beef any more. Should have said salt water.

 

[baddave]

leave in ice cooler for a few days( depends on a lot of things) bone the shoulders for ground. use backstraps and tenderloins for steaks. bone the hindquarters and go thru looking for good size muscles for sirloins style steaks. there's a muscle on the front of HQ about the size of a nerf football that we use for a brunswick stew in the crockpot. we look for good / lean pcs. for cubed . grind the leftovers. typically end up w/ maybe 15-20 lbs of ground. ez pz

 

[antharper]

I also age mine in a cooler for 6-8 days . Keep water drained off and plenty of ice . I also try to do my meat hunting when it’s cold .

 

[WOODIE13]

I bone everything except hams immediately after shooting. Put meat in a large ice chest, cover and let soak in ice water 24 hrs. Drain, put on a rack under ice with drain open. Pour off drainage and change ice daily for 5 to 7 days. Keep in shade. Then process as desired.I have used this system at least 20 yrs. with 0 problems. We don't eat beef any more. Should have said salt water.

I will let mine hang if the temp gets no warmer than 45 for a few days.

When I can't, I skin and quarter it up, and lay a base layer of ice on the bottom, then add the quarters and backstraps, then add frozen water bottles to the top, the bottles seem to last longer, open the drain and angle the cooler with a 2x2 so the water runs off. Usually let it age 3 to 4 days.

 

[35 Whelen]

I use a spare refrigerator to age the quarters for 10 to 14 days before cutting and wrapping for the freezer.

 

[Whit90]

Ive always used the covered in ice in the cooler method for aging. I think this year I will add salt water. A lot of times I will brine meat before cooking it, and I am wondering if I add the salt and water at the cooler/aging stage if it will be about the same as brining it after aging. I figured if anything it will pull out a little bit more blood.

Any thoughts on slat water and ice verse only ice?

 

[WOODIE13]

Ive always used the covered in ice in the cooler method for aging. I think this year I will add salt water. A lot of times I will brine meat before cooking it, and I am wondering if I add the salt and water at the cooler/aging stage if it will be about the same as brining it after aging. I figured if anything it will pull out a little bit more blood.

Any thoughts on slat water and ice verse only ice?

I've done the salt water soaking also, does draw a lot of blood out, can't distinguish it when I cook it

 

[elfiii]

Pretty much the same as everybody else. I usually bone mine out at camp and then age it in the cooler over ice for 5 or 6 days.

 

[rnfarley]

Getting an old fridge for the garage to age deer was one of my better decisions. Big meat tubs with cookie racks in the bottom keep airflow high and clean up low and the meat has a nice time when you go to trim for nicer cuts. Usually age about a week then process as we have time over the following week. I often have 2 at a time in that old garage fridge and it works great rotating them through.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

I quarter mine up and put them in a cooler. I elevate the end of the cooler where there is not a drain plug so the melted ice/water will drain. On the inside of the cooler I put this Vienna’s can drilled with holes over the drain hole. It keeps the meat from clogging the drain and let’s the water flow. If you let the meat sit in bloody water it’s about the same as marinating it. Just check the ice each day and make sure the meat is covered. I studied up on aging deer meat last year, I went 14 days with mine in a cooler in the shade……the best deer meat I’ve ever ate PERIOD. My buddy has a walk in cooler I can use for free, we sometimes have 6-8 deer hanging in there. In 3 days time there is not a coffee cup full of blood drained from all the hanging deer. A cooler is the way to go if you don’t mind fooling with it. Watch the drain and cover it so flies leave it alone.

 

[WOODIE13]

I just miss the cold weather like we had years ago...crazy it hits 75 November, December and January now.

We would let them hang a while in the cold

 

[fireman32]

Quarter it, ice it for at least 7 days. Debone and process after the 7 days. I keep trimmings for sausage separate until I’m done for the season. Good bit of work and cleanup making sausage, I like to make it once and done.

 

[bfriendly]

I quarter mine up and put them in a cooler. I elevate the end of the cooler where there is not a drain plug so the melted ice/water will drain. On the inside of the cooler I put this Vienna’s can drilled with holes over the drain hole. It keeps the meat from clogging the drain and let’s the water flow. If you let the meat sit in bloody water it’s about the same as marinating it. Just check the ice each day and make sure the meat is covered. I studied up on aging deer meat last year, I went 14 days with mine in a cooler in the shade……the best deer meat I’ve ever ate PERIOD. My buddy has a walk in cooler I can use for free, we sometimes have 6-8 deer hanging in there. In 3 days time there is not a coffee cup full of blood drained from all the hanging deer. A cooler is the way to go if you don’t mind fooling with it. Watch the drain and cover it so flies leave it alone.

This^^!! Ice, no water and make sure you get the glands put!

 

[NCHillbilly]

I leave mine in a cooler for at least a week, plug open and tilted. It's not to get the blood out, it's to let it go through the rigor process and age. It makes a huuuuuge difference. If you cut one up immediately and freeze or cook it without aging while the muscles are still in rigor mortis, it will be so tough you have to drive a fork in it with a clawhammer.

You want to keep water away from it. Don't forget that the tender muscle groups in those back hams make excellent steaks.

 

[CaptKeith]

I leave mine in a cooler for at least a week, plug open and tilted. It's not to get the blood out, it's to let it go through the rigor process and age. It makes a huuuuuge difference. If you cut one up immediately and freeze or cook it without aging while the muscles are still in rigor mortis, it will be so tough you have to drive a fork in it with a clawhammer.

You want to keep water away from it. Don't forget that the tender muscle groups in those back hams make excellent steaks.

How do you put it in a cooler on ice, plug open and tilted, yet keep water away fromit?

 

[dang]

How do you put it in a cooler on ice, plug open and tilted, yet keep water away fromit?

You tilt it?

 

[dang]

You don’t want it sitting in a pool of water, hence the reason for the drain open and the tilt. Water from melted ice drains out the drain