Hanging, ageing meat.

[Treeman]

So it has finally come to be that I am the owner of a cooler room, this was a big wish for me and I always kinda knew that it was one of the "never gonna happen" dreams. Much like my hidden below ground walk in safe room, the one where my rifles can be above the fireplace and handguns on the walls above my coach. (One day - just maybe those numbers will come in, all 6 of them)

Onto the subject. Here in South Africa, our conditions, how do you hang your meat, how long and what temperature ?
Do we hang skin on or off ?
My game often spends 12-20 hours at above 25 Cel before we get back from the hunt, shot sometime Saturday, sleep over, drive home Sunday - worrying, but never a issue yet.

This cold room is just so so so much a big part of my life and wish's that just never was possible, I am so enthusiastic. 

[Tripodmvr]

The ageing period that I have heard of is 2 weeks at 2-4 degrees. Skin on would help with the meat being fresh on the outside with no dry biltong type layer.

[Treeman]

The ageing period that I have heard of is 2 weeks at 2-4 degrees. Skin on would help with the meat being fresh on the outside with no dry biltong type layer.

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Yes I have dealt with case hardened meat before. It would seem that the consensus is about 0.5 - below 4 Celsius, seems not much happens till after 3 days and then pretty much stops after 10 days with venison.
They say its much more work to skin it when aged skin on ? 

[Ds J]

The skin becomes thinner and clings more to the carcass. It is definitely easier to remove a fresh skin, but the gains on the meat outweighs the trouble of the skinning. Actually, the most troublesome pieces of skin are those where the carcass has been cut open and the skin dried.

My mom used to take the hardened meat and cook it slowly in sweet wine for pies.

[oafpatroll]

My mom used to take the hardened meat and cook it slowly in sweet wine for pies.

Damn! That has me drooling.

[Treeman]

Cody has two weeks of exams still to write , only in two weeks will I be able to create a need for my cooler room. I just so wanna use it , going to have to control myself not to open it all the time to ? dunno what, ya know, like look inside and say ' "yooooo its cold hey", maybe Cody can nod his head in agreement.

I am going to hang two animals one skin on one skin off.

Brings me to an question I thought of, what about hanging an animal for the initial stage skin on and then second stage skin off - just to reduce case hardening ?

[Ds J]

The meat dries into a clump within 36 hours. I would not advise it, but please give feedback on your experience?

And few things beat a case of beer to test the functionality of the coldroom. You can enjoy the cold ones with Cody in the evenings after he's done studying.

[Treeman]

The meat dries into a clump within 36 hours. I would not advise it, but please give feedback on your experience?

And few things beat a case of beer to test the functionality of the coldroom. You can enjoy the cold ones with Cody in the evenings after he's done studying.

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Thanks, dries, ja, understood, but does not yet become that hard biltong shell ? Was wondering if there was a balence that could be got to age it somewhat and then skin before it becomes to difficult and finish curing before it makes that real hard casing on outer.

Beer, have not drank since somewhere early March, came home one day and just forgot to have a beer and then thought next day would be like two days without a beer, thats two days more than in like 40 odd years. That became "make it a week" which became " make it a month". I had a friend who lived his entire life 4 months drinking, smoking, eating as and what he wanted - 4 months party animal. Then he went 4 months no drinking, no smoking, eat like a health guru. So I decided I would do as he did, only when 4 months came and went I just carried on not doing many things.

Had another friend (same group, both were yachtsmen who sailed around the world every few years), he went two years as he pleased and one year absolute nothing, not even ordinary bread or coke.

So ya, I have not drank for some time - beer or fizzy or fruit juice, not used even one spoon of sugar nor a slice of white bread. Not eaten one sweet.
I have lost 17 kg over last 7 months and last 2 kg took 3 months of that time.
Will do a write in general sometime.

[oafpatroll]

I wonder if wrapping the meat in hessian or similar would help prevent the crust.

[Treeman]

I wonder if wrapping the meat in hessian or similar would help prevent the crust.

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Guys use some oil on hands and coat meat with thin film - reports say it works ?

[oafpatroll]

That makes sense.

[Ds J]

I am not sure whether I heard/read about wrapping meat in plastic wrap for cooling and ripening, but it works great for transport.

[oafpatroll]

I am not sure whether I heard/read about wrapping meat in plastic wrap for cooling and ripening, but it works great for transport.

Our local gucci boutique butcher has beef cuts aging in vacuum bags in their display fridge so. Their rump steaks, which I eat a lot of are fantastic so 'wet aging' seems to be a thing if you do it right.   

[JamesNotBond]

My father was the founder owner of the Ferglen butchery, I grew up around carcass's and cured meats.I have known of meat that has been oiled outside, but not in the cavity and then aged, never over the years have I heard of a problem yet. The carcass is then washed with vinegar or citrus based cleaner day before processing.
I have often heard talk of cling wrap being used, but never seen it done, nor followed up with someone from pre doing it to after doing it. I would at first thought think there could be problems with the wrap glueing to the carcass.
I however speak only of beef,I have never dealt with venison in its raw form.

[zguy]

The meat dries into a clump within 36 hours. I would not advise it, but please give feedback on your experience?

And few things beat a case of beer to test the functionality of the coldroom. You can enjoy the cold ones with Cody in the evenings after he's done studying.

If you can find some glass bottle Coke or other cooldrinks that the lightie can have, that will also be amazing.
Nothing beats an ice cold coke in a glass bottle.