Age Deer in fridge or Ice chest

[ArcheryNerd]

So I have two options I can age a couple deer in my beer fridge staking all the quarters on end so they get a fair abound of air curculation.. Or should I put both deer in an ice chest and change Ice out daily for a week?

I feel like the fridge is better I don't think you get a whole lot from the ice melting on top of your deer..


P.S. no beer was injured in this process

[Big_gun]

In for comments. Seems two sides to this historic question.


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[texan16]

Although both would work just fine, the fridge option is probably the better of the two since you will be able to keep the meat dry. Keeping the ice chest propped up and the drain plug off works just fine for me too. I usually keep my deer on ice for 7-10 days.

[Smart]

I like the cooler option for quarters sitting on trays or wrapped in a garbage bag in a cooler because the fridge cleanup can be a biatch if you have a spillage accident.....especially if you have a wife.. That red myogloblin has to go somewhere and i like it to go out the drain with the melting ice.....not down in the crisper drawers in every crack and crevice.

[ArcheryNerd]

Yea my son, one his first every whitetail hunt, popped a nice buck and two does.

For the buck I put the roasting rack in the bottom of my cooler stacked the meat on it and dumbed ice on it.. I expect to add more everyday or at least check the ice.

For the two does I stacked the quarters in a rubber made tub like from home depot and set it in the bottom of my beer fridge.

I have backstraps in both so maybe I should post it and then do a taste test at the end

[jt400]

If you can clear out your beer fridge and hang them without anything touching anything this is hands down the best way I've found to do it. Makes the whole deer taste like backstrap. I've dedicated this sxs refrigerator to dry aging. The freezer holds any heads till i can get around to euro mounting them.

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[eastxhunter]

I can tell by the striations in the muscle fibers and the shade of red that that deer was around 4.5 but I don’t think it will make 5.5

[tanto]

Fridge is best in my opinion, but there is some meat loss due to the rind forming on the meat, especially with smaller cuts (backstraps, etc.) If you use a cooler, freeze milk jugs and lay your 1/4's on top of them, they will get cold and there is much less meat loss. Best of luck.

[SETX_Insanity]

Wetness promotes bacteria growth. Either way try and keep the meat as dry as possible

[ArcheryNerd]

Wetness promotes bacteria growth. Either way try and keep the meat as dry as possible

Thats alway been my question with the cooler method. it's "Wet Aging"




[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipElqEo98pI"]HOW TO Wet Age Venison in a Portable Cooler (over two weeks!!!) - YouTube[/ame]

[AntlerCollector]

Fridge is best!

[Casey]

THese days, I let them sit in a cooler with the bottom lined with 1/2 gallon milk bottles of frozen water. I'll pile a couple more on top. I've managed to get enough that every couple days, I can switch the ones in the cooler out for more frozen bottles. The ones on the bottom allow the meat to sit up off the bottom and not in the blood/water. Works great!

[justletmein]

Definitely prefer the fridge option if you have the space.

[AntlerCollector]

THese days, I let them sit in a cooler with the bottom lined with 1/2 gallon milk bottles of frozen water. I'll pile a couple more on top. I've managed to get enough that every couple days, I can switch the ones in the cooler out for more frozen bottles. The ones on the bottom allow the meat to sit up off the bottom and not in the blood/water. Works great!

Works a lot like a fridge

[ClayW]

THese days, I let them sit in a cooler with the bottom lined with 1/2 gallon milk bottles of frozen water. I'll pile a couple more on top. I've managed to get enough that every couple days, I can switch the ones in the cooler out for more frozen bottles. The ones on the bottom allow the meat to sit up off the bottom and not in the blood/water. Works great!

May have to try this with my next one