Hunting Washington Forum

Community => Butchering, Cooking, Recipes => Topic started by: Salmo on October 29, 2012, 09:37:45 AM

Title: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Salmo on October 29, 2012, 09:37:45 AM: So how long do you all prefer to hang/age venison? I almost alway cut and wrapped on the 3rd day due to lack of access to a walking cooler. Temps just never seem to cooperate..

Anyway, how long do you hang your venison?
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: JohnVH on October 29, 2012, 09:41:10 AM: weve hung them up to a week, if its cold. My bear was in the cooler a week.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: pianoman9701 on October 29, 2012, 09:41:23 AM: 1-2 weeks in a cooler. Less without, especially if it's warm. Aging assists and multiplies enzymes which break down fibers making the meat more tender. I do this with elk too. There's a lot trimmed off, but the results are excellent.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Jingles on October 29, 2012, 09:47:25 AM: I only hang them long enough to get them from the day they were shot til I can get them out of camp and home and depending on weather might be next day. Keep it hung in barn while I skin, bone and cut them up . Then the wife goes to work cutting all connective tissue off and wrapping. By the time we're done it is all as tender as backstrap and doesn't have any of the gamey taste
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: jaymark6655 on October 29, 2012, 09:49:20 AM: Just long enough to butcher the thing. Hanging too long makes the meat too mushy.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: runningboard on October 29, 2012, 09:52:31 AM: 3-5 days if you can keep it cold, heard something I wanna try, hang from ribcage & rope around flank in front of rear 1/4s no tension on muscles supposed to make it more tender. worth an experiment :dunno:
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Smokepole on October 29, 2012, 09:55:18 AM: Ten days is a good time to hang them if the weather is cool. You have to keep your eye on the carcass and smell it daily if the temps are over 40. I like to age long as possible, since it dries the meat a bit and you don't get as much water oozing out into the fry pan. Tenderizes it too. I've also butchered them shortly after the kill, and the meat is fine, just not as good, IMO.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: adamR on October 29, 2012, 10:05:46 AM: We only hang them as long as we have to. Typically we take the animal home, skin it, and butcher it all one after the other. I don't typically let it hang longer than nessasary.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Huntbear on October 29, 2012, 10:20:34 AM: 5 - 7 days minimum... longer if it is a big old nasty thick necked blacktail that has been rutting in the alder thickets...

:chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: WSU on October 29, 2012, 10:23:44 AM: Depends on temperature. Here is a good read based in part on a study done by the University of Wyoming:

http://www.theoutdoorlodge.com/features/articles/wild_game/handling_big_game_carcasses.html (http://www.theoutdoorlodge.com/features/articles/wild_game/handling_big_game_carcasses.html)
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Greenhorn on October 29, 2012, 10:37:10 AM: Good article WSU!
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Jonathan_S on October 29, 2012, 10:39:16 AM: I have never hanged deer for longer than two days at any temperature
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: jaymark6655 on October 29, 2012, 11:14:28 AM: Quote from: WSU on October 29, 2012, 10:23:44 AM
Depends on temperature. Here is a good read based in part on a study done by the University of Wyoming:

http://www.theoutdoorlodge.com/features/articles/wild_game/handling_big_game_carcasses.html (http://www.theoutdoorlodge.com/features/articles/wild_game/handling_big_game_carcasses.html)
:yeah: Everytime this comes up I post a study down by another university, CO I think, that says hanging/aging game meat is bad and makes it too tender.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Russ McDonald on October 29, 2012, 11:25:36 AM: Doe I shot in Minnesota this year. Gutted, pictures, hung, skinned, butchered, wrapped all in about 5 hours. Aunt buck she shot the first day I was there we gutted, pictures, hung, skinned and quartered threw quarters and backstrap in bags and put in chest freezer to firm up because it was actually hot in Minnesotat. Butchered and wrapped the next morning. Hunting as a kid in Minnesota I don't every remeber us leaving our deer hanging.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: superdown on October 29, 2012, 11:30:46 AM: The absolute minimum amount of time. I like my meat butchered as quickly as possible and off the bone even quicker so there is no possibility of anything effecting the quality or flavor of the meat.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Hunterman on October 29, 2012, 11:35:52 AM: Everything depends on the weather..Normally one week, but not less then 3 days..

Hunterman(Tony)
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Gringo31 on October 29, 2012, 12:40:19 PM: I used to let hang, now I burger most of my game as that's what I eat most. I process same day anymore....
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Kioti on October 29, 2012, 02:33:12 PM: I hang mine long enough to glaze up. Then I butcher it. I dont see the sense in hanging deer to make it more tender, when the meat is already tender as it is.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: hardcorecarnivore on October 29, 2012, 09:30:40 PM: Minimun of 24 for rigor to release and 4 or 5 days if cool enough. Hide on if the temps are too low....freezing the 1st day will leave tough.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Salmo on October 29, 2012, 10:34:12 PM: Quote from: hardcorecarnivore on October 29, 2012, 09:30:40 PM
Minimun of 24 for rigor to release and 4 or 5 days if cool enough. Hide on if the temps are too low....freezing the 1st day will leave tough.

Thinking I agree with this.

Carry on..
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: CHUCK S on October 31, 2012, 02:08:16 PM: All depends on the outside temp. I've hung deer 3 days and up to 6 days. I always hang with the skin on. Once I butcher them I put all the meat in garbage bags for another 3-5 days and the meet bleeds out even more. Then I cut and wrap removing all the tendons and fat. Works pretty damn good for me and takes any game taste out of it. I know, many guys do it differently and will say I'm wrong but I've done 13 deer in 5 years and each one came out great.......

P.S. Lotta freaking work though!
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: DoubleJ on November 01, 2012, 10:35:25 AM: Quote from: hardcorecarnivore on October 29, 2012, 09:30:40 PM
Minimun of 24 for rigor to release and 4 or 5 days if cool enough. Hide on if the temps are too low....freezing the 1st day will leave tough.

Dead and "hung" 24-36 hrs so rigor lets go. By "hung" I mean the body gets quartered and put in the fridge that I have with no shelves in it that's dedicated to deer carcases. Then off the bone and into game bags. Game bags go into the fridge at 36 degrees for 7-10 days. Pull it out, cut, wrap, and freeze
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: j_h_nimrod on November 01, 2012, 09:29:36 PM: Depends on temp and how/where taken. If it is cold enough (40 or less) I will hang for 5-10 days if the carcass is clean and the humidity is low. If it 40 degrees plus, was a messy carcass, or the humidity is high I play it by nose or butcher as soon as possible after rigor release.

I have often questioned why and how long I hang and have come to the conclusion that it is mainly to relax/tenderize and drain blood/fluids. I have not really noticed a flavor change but have not done a comparison of aged/unaged meat off the same animal.

Much more important than this debate of aging/hanging is just general care after the kill. I have had some horrible meat (not my own) that can be traced back to just bad field care. Every time I hear about someone using a torch to singe the hair off their meat I want to gag.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: TommyH on November 02, 2012, 11:06:38 AM: hey nimrod :chuckle:what is your number on to high of humidity?
I was just checking on this topic last night(temprature) and was supprised I didnt get any results from hunt-wa. I did find some intresting info tho, one thing i didnt know, was about rinsing your hanging deer off with water :dunno: few replys said it does more harm than good.
We have always let our deer hang 2-7 days hide off, I have heard of lots of people leaving the hide on.

Hide on or off what do you all do?
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: bullcanyon on November 02, 2012, 11:10:46 AM: We cut up a 21 day old hind quarter last night. Yum. Walk in cooler though....
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on November 02, 2012, 12:08:43 PM: If the meat is wiggling its ready, extra protein added. :yike:
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: j_h_nimrod on November 02, 2012, 09:46:47 PM: Quote from: TommyH on November 02, 2012, 11:06:38 AM
hey nimrod :chuckle:what is your number on to high of humidity?
I was just checking on this topic last night(temprature) and was supprised I didnt get any results from hunt-wa. I did find some intresting info tho, one thing i didnt know, was about rinsing your hanging deer off with water :dunno: few replys said it does more harm than good.
We have always let our deer hang 2-7 days hide off, I have heard of lots of people leaving the hide on.

Hide on or off what do you all do?

I would say probably in the 80% or higher range for humidity, mainly I see if the outside develops a skin or not. If the outside stays damp or just shy of damp I cut her up quick, that is the perfect Petrie dish for some real nasties. I almost ruined a animal that way one time in only 2 days after the kill when the temp never got above 40 but it was raining hard keeping the humidity high in the hanging shop. This was SE Alaska where humidity less than 70 is rare and usually there was not a problem but this time it was a bit higher and almost catastrophic.

Always try to take the hair off as soon as I can get it hung or quartered. A lot easier to do when it is fresh and I rarely have to worry about it being too cold. If I am going to be moving it around where it might get dirty and is cold enough I may leave the hair on until I get it hung and ready to butcher.

I never rinse the outside but have scrubbed the cavity if real bloody or dirty.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: BowHunterZ7 on January 03, 2013, 06:30:42 PM: you should only hang a deer 3-7 days in a cooler after that the outside meat starts to age and u end up wasting more meat in the end, if u dont have a cooler a maximum of 2-3 days is what i prefer. Make sure u get all the game fat out and u will have a nice product
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: robescc on January 05, 2013, 04:28:30 PM: If it is cold enough, I will hang it overnight and cut it up the next day. If it is not cold enough, I quarter it and put it in an ice chest with frozen bottles of water. I cut it within 24 hours because I don't see why I should hang it longer and have to trim it and throw away any meat.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: whitey on January 07, 2013, 09:27:42 AM: Until the legs slip off.. :yike:
Or is that how the Chinesse used to do their pheasants. :dunno:
Never mind, I dont know chit.. :sry:
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: NWBREW on January 07, 2013, 10:32:15 AM: 5-8 days but the weather usually looks like this.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Bob33 on January 07, 2013, 11:29:20 AM: Quote
Minimun of 24 for rigor to release
I learned the hard way that cutting in the first 24 is not a good idea. It was the toughest meat I ever had from an elk.

Beyond 24 hours, I think it's mostly a matter of preference that doesn't make as much difference as other factors such as age of the game, how it was cared for, etc.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: Dansk on January 07, 2013, 12:01:15 PM: Gutless method in the field immediately after kill, Kifaru meat baggie to pack out, then into a heavy fishbag in cooler with ice.

Tenderoin and backs are always tender... I can't tell the dif in taste between hanging or not... maybe just me, but I can't tell that much difference. Infact, people (non hunters) think it tastes better- prob because you can get much more of the blood to drain if you cut it up sooner. :dunno:
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: sneakyjake on January 08, 2013, 09:08:02 AM: I hung my elk quarters Friday in the garage. Skin off because I was alone when I shot it. Most points can be argued from experience. They all have their time and place. With the temp in Lakewood fairly cool and the humidity ok, how long would you hang the hind quarters for? I hung my mule quarters in oct for a few days and it got pretty dry. I had to cut away a little bit of dry meat, but it fileted off like fish skin. It was an older deer. Sould I place cheesecloth/game bags over the quarters to keep them from getting too dry? I haven't read anything on this.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: KopperBuck on January 08, 2013, 09:16:49 AM: At least a week, have gone as long as 3-4 weeks. If I can't get the length I want, I'll age it a little longer in the fridge before eating.
Title: Re: How long to age/hang venison
Post by: JLS on January 08, 2013, 09:19:49 AM: Game bags and/or cheesecloth won't keep the outside of the meat from drying out. The only time I use bags is to keep flies or bees off the meat. Just skin away the dry layer like you did, helps to get rid of the muscle fascia so it's not a big deal.

Remember, life begins at 40! If it's below 40 degrees you can hang meat a long time without worry. If it's warmer than that be a little more cautious. If it's a constant 60 degrees, you can hang meat for three days and then it needs to be in the freezer.