Question for ice & drain crowd

[Pineywoods]

I always keep my deer and pigs quartered on ice for 3-5 days, draining and re-icing as necessary until I debone the meat. I have stretched it to 6 days but never longer. Today is day 6 and I need to debone it tonight but I will have more time tomorrow. Is 7 days ok? What's the longest you've waited?

[Mayhem]

Yes.

[Huntindad]

you're good to go. i keep mine on ice for about 7 days or so. some folks go 10 days.

[Backwoods101]

Originally Posted by Pineywoods

I always keep my deer and pigs quartered on ice for 3-5 days, draining and re-icing as necessary until I debone the meat. I have stretched it to 6 days but never longer. Today is day 6 and I need to debone it tonight but I will have more time tomorrow. Is 7 days ok? What's the longest you've waited?

I've iced em down for 14 days before...zero issues

[dphillips62]

I have left a deer as long as 10 days as long as the cooler is full of ice and the drain is always open you should be fine.

[Pineywoods]

Thanks... I figured it would be fine. I was just used to getting it deboned within 6 days or so and wasn't sure.

[Raypo]

My vote is - good to go.

[Landrover]

I done 10 or 12.....zero issues.

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[Pushbutton2]

Originally Posted by dphillips62

I have left a deer as long as 10 days as long as the cooler is full of ice and the drain is always open you should be fine.

Drain Open?

Are you supposed to leave it open?
I'm new to this ice and drain. Last year I did it for 3 days. I wasn't really happy with results. Meat just seemed kinda saturated with water.....

As Always My Heart is filled with Love for you and Your Families. Not because I am commanded to Love my Neighbor but because I can, am able to and it brings me Joy.

[Landrover]

Drain open and I tilt my chest so water never accumulates.

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[Burnadell]

Originally Posted by Pushbutton2

Drain Open?

Are you supposed to leave it open?
I'm new to this ice and drain. Last year I did it for 3 days. I wasn't really happy with results. Meat just seemed kinda saturated with water.....

As Always My Heart is filled with Love for you and Your Families. Not because I am commanded to Love my Neighbor but because I can, am able to and it brings me Joy.

Yes. Tilt the cooler with a brick, log or whatever to let the water and blood drain. You don't want the meat sitting in ice or blood.

[Pineywoods]

Originally Posted by Landrover

Drain open and I tilt my chest so water never accumulates.

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This is what I do

[Jspradley]

Originally Posted by Pushbutton2

Drain Open?

Are you supposed to leave it open?
I'm new to this ice and drain. Last year I did it for 3 days. I wasn't really happy with results. Meat just seemed kinda saturated with water.....

As Always My Heart is filled with Love for you and Your Families. Not because I am commanded to Love my Neighbor but because I can, am able to and it brings me Joy.

Yes, leave the drain open so it doesn't soak the meat, replenish ice as necessary. Don't listen to the " it draws the blood out" crowd, fresh water just don't work that way because physics.

It likely won't ruin the meat if it soaks but it makes it pretty gross and doesn't have any benefit.

But yeah 7 days should be alright.

[Pushbutton2]

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with me

As Always My Heart is filled with Love for you and Your Families. Not because I am commanded to Love my Neighbor but because I can, am able to and it brings me Joy.

[texan4ut]

I shot a doe Saturday morning, still on ice and draining. Will process it Sunday. I have gone as many as 12 days before.

[Slick8]

I've gone two weeks.

I was recently given some Wildebeast when hunting with J-J Matt that was in the walk in cooler for 2 weeks then I didn't get to it for another week while kept on ice. It was as good as I've had!

Think about it, steaks are wet or dry aged for 21 to 60 days. The only difference is when wet aged they're vacuum sealed so the fear of the edges becoming water logged isn't there.

[gingib]

Originally Posted by Burnadell

Yes. Tilt the cooler with a brick, log or whatever to let the water and blood drain. You don't want the meat sitting in ice or blood.

x2

[Patton]

Yep, I’ve done longer as well. Also if you have a garage fridge with room to spare, they can come in real handy in a pinch. mine right now..

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

Your good. That’s imo the absolute best way to butcher game.

I’ve had some rough smelling meat and processed it in this method and it’s been awesome.

[dbrock63]

My FIL processes all of my deer and exotic meat and he does a great job!

14 to 21 days he leaves in the cooler iced down but not soaking in the water or in the fridge to age the meat before he de-bones it. Best tasting and most tender wild meat I normally taste each year comes from this method.

[Slick8]

For those who soak on ice like me, you can buy a simple metal shelf rack which is plastic coated. Time and place in the bottom of the cooler. It will keep your meat about 1 inch off of the bottom.

[Slick8]

Originally Posted by Patton

Yep, I’ve done longer as well. Also if you have a garage fridge with room to spare, they can come in real handy in a pinch. mine right now..

My uncle has an old convenience store 2 door drink cooler in his shop which works great for this.

You'll loose a little meat to the outter skin turning hard but that's usually trimmed off anyway. It's great for the aging process.

[Dirtymike]

Originally Posted by Backwoods101

I've iced em down for 14 days before...zero issues

Me too, with kids and full time jobs sometimes the timing just aint right. I have even moved it to trays in the fridge.

[stxhunter]

I usually leave mine for about a week, stretched it to 10 days though.

Last two years have been using this to keep the meat out of the water, drain twice per day. Been working well.




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[Patton]

Originally Posted by Slick8

My uncle has an old convenience store 2 door drink cooler in his shop which works great for this.

You'll loose a little meat to the outter skin turning hard but that's usually trimmed off anyway. It's great for the aging process.

I bet that works really well for cooking/aging meat!

Definitely is a little meat loss but I think I came up with a solution. I’m saving the dried meat I cut off, in addition to hind quarter bones, and I’m going to make a venison stock with.