# Refrigerator to age venison?



## clayfish

Ever the schemer I am, I have been thinking of better ways to age my kills. I typicaly age my venison in ice water for several days before taking them to the processor but I know dry aging is a much easier process that leads to a superior finished product. (Aging is the process by which naturally occoring enzymes begin to break down the connective and muscle tissue leading to a milder flavor and more tender texture. Aging also greatly reduces the amount of residual blood in the meat giving it a better flavor.)

So this is my idea; I want to buy a dedicated refrigerator and build a rack inside that I can hang venison from to dry age it. Is the air in a fridge considered very humid or dry? I will also rig up some sort of drip pan to collect the blood that drains from the meat and empty it periodically. 

Does anybody curently do this? I can find a used fridge in the $100 range but I don't want to waste my money if this isn't going to work. What say you?


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## Paymaster

Here is a site with aging help.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06503.html


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## Minner

To me refrigerators seem too dry to leave meat in unprotected. I left a squirrel in one to age for several days unprotected and it didn't work out well. A deer ham being much larger might be different, I don't know.

I always wrap meat up in cellophane when I age. I used to have a dedicated old fridge for stuff like this but it finally gave up the ghost. I don't have room for a third, dedicated fridge anymore.


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## BDD

I use two 5 gal. buckets,  the one I put the meat in has holes drilled in the bottom to let
The blood drain into the bottom bucket.  The bucket with the meat in sits inside the other bucket.

 I put the lid on the meat bucket to keep the meat from drying out.  I usually let it sit for about
5 days.  You can stack several of these inside a frig. works pretty good. 

    When you drill the holes,  drill lots of them even up the side of the bucket a few inched , that keeps
 the blood from damming up.


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## Longstreet1

Out of there skin and into the skillet or onto the grill


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## Doc_5729

Back in the days when I still hunted, I bought a commercial single door beverage cooler. The free standing kind you see at C-Store with soft drinks or juices.

Used the racks that came with it and positioned them with one at the top and one in the middle. Made a drip pan from sheet metal to catch the blood.

I quartered all of my deer and used S hooks to hang the meat from the racks. Worked great.


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## rescueman19

*This is what I do*

I quarter my deer up and I de-bone the hams. I have a dedicated fridge for deer meat. I use the racks that came in the fridge(its an older one so it has three metal grate racks) I cover the racks with tin foil and lay the meat out on them. I only let mine age 5 days. I have went 7 days and the meat is fine but it is darker and gets brown spots. I put a box of arm and hammer in there the rest of the year. I recomend anything you can do to quit putting your meat in water. I personally hate the film that water creates its impossible to get rid of.


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## 7Mag Hunter

I do not keep venison in the frig, but when I thaw a pack out to
eat, I remove the freezer paper, and place frozen meat in a large
colander and put colander and meat in a larger bowl and cover
with a wet dish towel and let thaw and age for 3-4 even 5 days
before I cook it...The meat will thaw, drain blood and water and
age before you cook it....


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## rifleroom

I have some friends who use and old coke machine to age their deer meat. It does make a difference.


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## Bill Mc

Most modern refrigerators have a defrost cycle that might "dry" out your meat.

I've heard of someone using a window airconditioner unit in a small insulated building to age his meat.


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## floridaboy

I have always put my deer meat in trash bags and aged in the bottom of the fridge for 5 to 7 days. When you take it out to cut it up, the outer parts may have a bit of a spoiled smell but if you rinse it off and start cutting it up, you will find that it has a pure beef type smell to it. I do not like keeping mine in ice or ice water.


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## pop pop jones

Longstreet1 said:


> Out of there skin and into the skillet or onto the grill



We all learn sooner or later


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## whitedog

It will work great. I have two deer in mine right now. I have some extra racks/shelves in mine . It doesn't dry it out at all. I have aged it for up to 14 days. I'll take a pic if I think about it.


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## Lester7009

Texas where I have hunted Because of warm weather I used ice chest . Ice down Deer meat for about 3 to 5 days. This will Bleed deer and remove Blood from Deer. Makes a Big diference in Taste


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## scoggins

what is the "Better " flavor that I have seen refered to 

is that to say to remove the "gamie-ness" I thought that was the whole reason for harvesting WILD-LIFE was to enjoy something that you can't go to the groc. store and get.

OUT OF THE SKIN INTO THE SKILLET so to speak.


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## Nitro

rifleroom said:


> I have some friends who use and old coke machine to age their deer meat. It does make a difference.



That is what we use. I have one in ours that I killed in late November....we are cutting it up tomorrow and intend to eat all of it .........


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## Swamprat

At one hunt camp we had an old fridge that had a bar installed with meat hooks that we would hang deer quarters in. Never had any problems with it drying out the meat. We would leave the meat in there for a week or so. Seemed to work pretty well.

We had a tray built out of sheet metal to catch any of the dripping blood. 

I am thinking of doing the same thing at the house. Not a huge fan of the leaving the meat on ice for several days. Just don't like the looks of "grey" meat from being in contact with ice or ice water.


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## Irish Sitka

*ageing meat*

Over here in Ireland I use the beverage cooler as well. It will hold 4 average size Sitka Deer. Sliding doors, keeps the meat between 2c and 5c. I leave the skin on and let it hang for 14 days or more. Out then, skin and render it. Leaving the skin on keeps the moisture in the meat. You will never taste anything so good.


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## Lester7009

The purpose of de-gaming is to balance flavor. Just like when you season anything it is to bring out the flavor. Ageing Deer Meat is the same as a great aged beef steak. There is nothing wrong with making the best out of good deer meat. It is good for you and outstanding meal. Doing your best to make it the best is just common sense. Refrigerate for a while or put on ice to bleed out is the way to go.


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## huntfish

We place quarters in game bags and hang them with hooks from the racks.  Works great.


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## deersled

I don't like the way ice/water discolors the meat. But, I don't have room for a fridge. I guess that (fridge)would work better. And remember......deer is not beef. so, it aint gonna taste like beef.


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## dsfischer2000

*Humidity*

I've converted my garage fridge to a deer hanging/aging cooler.  Is there a recommended humidity level for aging meat.  Also, any techniques to get the right humidity?


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## Havana Dude

I quarter my deer up, put in large garbage bag placed in cooler before hand. All meat goes in bag, then folded over and under, then iced down for 4-5 days. Works fine for me.


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