Do you age your meat?

[Atroxus]

I was just watching another video on dressing/butchering game animals today and now I have more questions. I have watched about 5 different videos on field dressing large game so far and none were exactly the same. It seems there are a ton of different methods out there, so I am trying my best to pick and choose what seems like it would be most effective for me. In the video I watched today they suggested transporting the animal almost whole once it has been gutted, then skinning it, cleaning it up and letting the animal age for 3 days per 100 pounds of weight. A couple other videos I watched though said to get the skin off and quarter the animal ASAP to allow the meat to cool faster. I know that aging meat is supposed to be great for the tenderness/flavor if done properly; but really how many people have the facilities to properly age a whole animal?

Is it really worth it for deer, elk, or moose to haul out an intact animal to let it age whole rather than quartering, or boning it out where it falls?

How much worse would meat be if it was boned out at the site of the harvest rather than being aged?

Does anyone here age your meat? If so how do you do it?

Would a butcher shop let you pay to age a carcass in their refrigerator? If so how much would they charge?

[Jason]

I always try to get the hide of right away to get it cooling faster, I was always told the faster
you get the hide off the less gamey it's going to be.

If we get the animal home whole or in pieces it does not matter, it all depends on what it takes to get the animal out.

We usualy cut deer up the next day, Elk we try to hang for about 3-5 days, again depends on weather, if it's cold then
we hang them longer, if it's warmer then we cut as soon as we can.

The butchers are so busy during hunting seasons that most animals are first come first served, your's could hang from 2-10 days or longer.

[gasman]

I age my meat for at least 3 days unless it is to warm. I have hung meat in the garage for up to a week with the right temp out side.

Some butchers will allow the meat to age if they are doing the cutting, they do not like to let freezer space go to waste, so if you want them to age it only, they normally say "No, i need the space for my customers".

I do find that the longer the meat ages the less gamie taste it will have. as for tendernes  


A butcher one (old family butcher who always did me right) told me to hang it untill you have a slight black mold growing om th eout side. Cut off the outer dry layer and you are good to go  

[littlemac]

Hung my first elk for 5 days before I got it home and to the butcher. 

The last six have been in the field hanging for a few days before the run to the butcher.  So on average I'd say 3 or 4 days.

Unless the weather is too hot to leave them hang out in the field, we don't worry about a few days. 

All have been great.

[rasbo]

till it gets mold at the pelvic...usually a week

[Elkslayer]

I let mine hang anywhere from 7 - 10 days. Or like others have stated, till ya get a little mold growing on it. Trim it off and cut the rest up. But then again I have also ate game that was cut up the next day and it was good also. Ithink its more of a personal preferance. Just try different ways till ya find something that you like.

Almost forgot, the tenderloin usually only last a few hours before it hits the frying pan!

[GoldTip]

As long as it's cool enough, you can hang it till it starts to mold.  But if the temps are such that you need to get it cut right away, they turn out just fine that way as well.

[bobcat]

I never age them. If it's cold enough I will let an animal hang for a couple days until I have more time, but I never intentionally age meat.

[Coasthunterjay]

Well it all depends on whether im able to get it to a freezer or not...

I have access to a walk in freezer about 20 minutes from my hunting area...so typically ill let it age for about a week plus...7 days does well for me...and since im able to get it in the freezer so fast i dont skin the outside of the deer also...i noticed that after a day or two of being in the freezer its easier for me to peel or pull the hide off with minimal effort...compared to doing it when its warm and slippery...i also saw that i had less hair in my meat when i do this also...keeps the meat very clean...

OTHERWISE! when i dont have a freezer....I try to get it undercover...in a shop, garage...away from the flys, and make sure its bagged, skinned and out of the sun....deppending on how the weather is during the day and night depends on how long i let it age outside...typically 3 days...then butcher...

And i do all my butchering with my papa......so im not short hands when we start finishing everything up.....takes us typically a good afternoon to do 3 deer...

[Missing]

I'm with Rasbo, watch for the mold. In a cooler you can get about a week for deer and 2 weeks for elk, the longer they hang the more the meat breaks down making for better flavor and more tender. Do a search on the net about prime aged beef and you will find most premium beef hangs for 28 days. Doesn't matter if it is whole or quartered. I even hang deer that are boned out in the cheese cloth bags for several days before I process.

[BLKBEARKLR]

I have never aged anything from a deer to a moose. And they tasted just fine

[carpsniperg2]

yes depends on the size of the animal. some beef we let go 2 weeks which some let go 30 days and i know people that let deer go 2 weeks before they cut them up they have to peel the mold off that is gross i let my deer hang 2-3 days depending on weather and elk "depending on size and weather" 4-6 days. if you cut meat within the first 48hrs it might still have rigamortis and that is a   because it will be very tuff if you cut and freeze it while the mucles are in this stage.

[Magnum_Willys]

I've read that some cooks just pull the venison steaks out of the freezer and age it on the counter for a day before cooking.  What do you think ?  I can see aging in the fridge, but room temp, I dunno.  I don;t have a problem hanging my deer for a couple days at 70 day temp though.

[bobcat]

From what I've read on the subject, there is no benefit to ageing wild game.

[turkey buster]

I have let my deer hang for 3-5 days in the past, but last year I didn't have the chance so I processed it the same day I shot it, I didnt notice any difference between hanging and not.
chuck