Grinding frozen venison then refreezing - thoughts?

[Ldav]

Hey guys, quick question. Butcher this year wanted an astronomical amount of money to grind and wrap the trim meat from my deer, so I opted to take the meat and grind it myself. I've been wanting to acquire some processing equipment anyway. My question is, I know the popular thought is that frozen meat should not be thawed out completely and then refrozen. But would it be alright to let it thaw just enough to grind and then refreeze after? Or will this ruin the quality substantially?

Thanks for any insight!

[WSU]

I do it all the time.

[greenhead_killer]

I do it every year. Save up any deer I shoot(multiple states) and do it all at the end of the seasons. Debone and freeze. I’ve never had an issue

[JBar]

 

[Watimberghost]

 
I've almost always done it this way. Shouldn't have a problem

[bobcat]

That's how I do it. Right now I have a couple hundred pounds of boned out/cleaned meat in the freezer ready for grinding. I'm waiting until after my deer hunt in a couple weeks, so that hopefully I'll add one more deer to the mix and grind it all at once.

[Camo]

I use a butcher for my grind and sausage. By late season he is usually too busy but actually recommended that I freeze it and bring it too him later.

[lokidog]

As everyone says....

However, remember how much the accumulated time not frozen is and add 10-20% for freezing time. Freezing does not reset the bacteria clock.

[Ldav]

Thanks for the replies, definitely feel more confident now. How long do you usually let the meat thaw before throwing it in the grinder?

[bobcat]

It grinds much better if it's partially frozen.

[Brushcrawler]

Yes, just thawed enough to get the pieces apart will grind the easiest.

[pianoman9701]

Refreezing meat isn't normally encouraged. The reason being: it's usually brought to a temperature above 40F (like thawing on the kitchen counter), which is in the danger zone. The recommended way to thaw is in the fridge, grind it quickly or in a refrigerated environment, and then refreeze.

[dscubame]

Refreeze away no issue.

[mossyhead]

I have been doing this for years without any issues what so ever.

[jaymark6655]

Same as everyone else, I do this all the time. I usually just thaw mine in the fridge to the point I can stick a clever through it. Where I have seen issues is freezing wet/damp meat (doesn't matter as much with grind) or anything that causes frost or freezer burn to form.