Meat spoilage in warmer temperatures

[Sobrbiker]

No worries, I’m a solo newer hunter myself. I’ve had some good hunts with others, but have decided to not plan my stuff (from where/when to go to processing harvest) around others’ sched/input etc.

I was considering leaving hide on, but in AZ early season temps it’s a complete no-no in my opinion. If I‘m successful in Jan when it’s cooler I may try it. My concern is that skinning in piece after aging may present its own challenges (handling, hair slipping everywhere, etc).

 

[TxxAgg]

Adding salt doesn't make sense. If your freezer gets to 0*F, then a salt water ice block and a fresh water ice block are both 0*F.

Salted ice melts at 28*F and fresh ice at 32*F, so the salted ice cube will have to absorb less heat in order to melt.

It's science.

 

[Superstockbigblock]

When you age and trim the dried crust how deep is that? There is a guga (foods or meats?) on youtube and the guy does a ton of experiments with meat... pretty interesting.

 

[Yard Candy]

When you age and trim the dried crust how deep is that?

It was not deep at all. I'd say 16".

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[Sobrbiker]

It's science.

Yup. Water has more heat transfer potential than ice. So even if the salted ice starts going liquid sooner but it cools better.

all I know is when I use frozen salt water in my cooler, it will freeze canned drinks to bursting, will last longer in my Coleman $60 cooler than my buddy’s Yeti (same suze, same sun exposure, not opening), and works well for me.
You don’t want to do it, fine-I’ll still be doing it.

Here’s a quick comparison, regardless of personal interpolations of chemistry books.

 

[Sobrbiker]

When you age and trim the dried crust how deep is that?

not very thick (maybe 1/16-1/8”) but my knife work on rounded cold meat takes more than necessary, and when a Coues‘ two rear quarters butcher down (minus shanks) to where 3 gallon ziplock bags can hold the wrapped meat, every bit counts....

 

[Superstockbigblock]

 

[rayporter]

i got to ask about putting ice in the chest cavity? just trying to get your thoughts on that.

bone sour that i have seen starts in the hind legs.

twice i heard another hunter shoot a deer late in the day and he did not find it. i found one before daylight the next morning in single digit temps and saved the backstraps as the hind legs were green.

the other was found about lunch in freezing temps and it was all green.

that said i have shot a few elk in mighty hot temps and got it hung in the shade and packed out the next day with no loss.

Arkansas WT shot in evening during 80* and hung over night [ done boneless] never lost an ounce. did not pack out till noon the next day a couple times.

 

[LostArra]

i got to ask about putting ice in the chest cavity? just trying to get your thoughts on that.

bone sour that i have seen starts in the hind legs.

Agree. An ice bag or frozen jug also goes inside the pelvis and between the legs if the deer is laying flat but a single gallon jug does a good job of cooling a whitetail carcass for a reasonable time. My processor comments on my ice jugs every time I bring in a deer. We wishes more people would think about the meat in transport rather than bitch about meat quality or meat loss due to spoilage then blame it on him. I have seen him turn away poorly handled deer carcasses.

I'm not getting into the salt water discussion (Ive used it) but this stuff works great.. I've inadvertently
frozen cans of drinks and lunch meat/cheese using gallon water jugs with this. I also use these frozen jugs to maintain fermentation temperature when making beer. They last much longer than plain frozen water.

Amazon.com

Where I hunt deer it's not so much a question of meat spoiling but the coyotes eating a deer left over night or sometimes even within a few hours. We usually start tracking sooner than most assuming a decent hit.

 

[rayporter]

dang yotes are getting bad. i have lost one i shot when it was raining, so no blood. he only went 10 yards into the weeds but that was enough. went right to the bones the next morning. just a little back bone with horns attached was all that was left.

the other was in ohio and i laid it out to cool and went about 300 yds away to keep hunting.
they got about a quarter before i got back still shocked over that one,