Hanging Meat

[Island Mile]

What does everyone do if you don't have a cooler ? What temp will you hang game in your garage ?

weather is forcast to be 25 this weekend and if I do get an animal I assume it would be far to warm to hang it in the garage.

Any advice would be helpful.

I am trying to find a butcher or someone with a cooler

Nanaimo Nanoose qualicum are all close enough.

I called Hilliers and he will hang if he has space but it's 1st come 1st served.

Thanks

Mike

[rab89]

i'd also like to know about how cold to keep it in the garage

[MuleyMadness]

How big is your garage? Reason I ask is a friend of mine just installed a window A/C unit in his so he can keep the temps down when it's too warm to hang naturally. Works out to about 600sqft to 12000BTU of cooling needed to keep it cool enough to get you by for a couple of days. It's not perfect, but it keeps the meat from going off.

[Butcherman79]

Any meat should be hung at 3C to 0C. It should also have a good air flow for the meat to firm up. Good luck to ya sat. morning...

[Steeleco]

I made my own cooler of sorts! I asked the same question as you early last year. One member, sent me a PM with some web site links to making my own.
I did as suggested and it works great. I get my large freezers for FREE of craigslist. If they pack it in, they can be dumped for free at any transfer station. As I type this post, I've got my son's deer out in back yard chilling.

I set the device to a lower limit of 34*F and upper limit of 37* and it's worked excellently. The smart guys, Mr.Dean and Phil went and got water proof controllers and are able to take their freezers and a genny in the bush and put their game on ice in the field.

Here's the links I was provided:
http://www.blueridgecompany.com/radiant/hydronic/287/johnson-controls-a419-series
http://www.zymico.com/thermostat.shtml

And a picture of my set up:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/steeleco/controler.jpg

[Steeleco]

Forgot this site. I've actually considered a version of raising the lid so I can hang the halves. A small fan and it should work fine for deer and bear and not take up the whole yard!!

http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1986/42894/kegerator.htm

[Toad Hunter]

So, how do you keep the deer at home coo0l - on ice or you plug it in? Is the freezer on edge? Any pic's?

[Steeleco]

I so far have to lay the pieces on milk crates. I'm thinking of placing 2"x12"s on top to raise the lid as the beer site shows. A couple of good stiff stainless rods near the top and I should be able to hang deer halves??? I kept a deer in there last year for 2 weeks because of work and such, other than a few roast having a tartan pattern on them, they all tasted good!!

The controller acts as an inline switch, when it senses the temp at the lower limit it turns off the power to the freezer, when it gets too warm it turns it back on. An upside to this, if you ever need a real freezer, you just take the sensor out of series and plug in the freezer like normal.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/steeleco/cooler.jpg
One end of the cord is plugged into the mains, the other the freezer is plugged into.

Also if the member that put me onto this idea reads this, put up your hand, I've forgotten your nick, but it's you that deserves all the credit. Thanks

[Ozone]

Thats awesome.

[krazy]

That's a great idea! I just used an old fridge this year - quarted up my sons youth season buck and layed it out on the racks - it worked great and with the fridge turned down to the coldest setting it held it just above zero for a week before I butchered it up. But the freezer would give you much more room and with that controller it looks like you can keep the temp exactley were you want it! Thanks for sharing!

Do you think the freezer would work up on edge? Cause if so why not tip it up, throw a piece of steel (flat or channel, whatever) accross the top and drill through to rig up some sort of hanging set up?

[Steeleco]

I doubt they'll stand up and still work, but if someone can tell me for sure, I'll be the HBC guinea pig!!! I just got this freezer 2 weeks back and have access to another if this one kacks, so I'm game. I just have to empty it first!!

[dawn2dusk]

I got an old beer fridge removed the racks and I can usually fit either halfs or quarters in it. After hunting season put racks back in fill with beer again.

[835]

Do you think the freezer would work up on edge? Cause if so why not tip it up, throw a piece of steel (flat or channel, whatever) accross the top and drill through to rig up some sort of hanging set up?



I dont think so. The freon might not werk right.
you know when you move them you should let them sit 24hr if yo utipped them outa whack. but i dont think you could screw it up by trying

[BillyBull]

The homemade cooler looks great... I have also heard of some guys taking the portable air conditioner out to the garage for the weekend and running it til Monday mornings....

[Ruger4]

I have a cooler at home for local trips now, when away I bring my med size chest freezer and generator, de-bone , throw in freezer , unplug when at right temp , you can monitor as needed , process at home.

[Caveman]

The homemade cooler looks great... I have also heard of some guys taking the portable air conditioner out to the garage for the weekend and running it til Monday mornings....

I did exactly that!! I shot a buck very early Sept. and hot as hell. Hung the buck in my garage and placed a window mount AC unit on a apple box ans propped it up so it pointed at the buck from about 6 feet away. The next morning it was cold to the touch and any ticks on it were laying on the floor. it was unskinned to this point if you didn't notice. I would check on it periodically for flys in the garge just in case.

[moosetaken]

I don't try to cool off the whole garage. I use a window shaker air conditioner and tarp off that corner of the garage so the animal is hangin in a space around 10 x 10 and just take down the tarps when it's time to start cutting.

[mark]

Why hang it??? Hanging is way over ratted and un-necessary! Debone and process your meat the same day. then you could put it in an old fridge if you like or just freeze it immediately!
I gave up on hanging meat a long time ago, much happier now!

[Ruger4]

when you hang yer meat, if you choose to, leave the fat on, wont dry your meat out. Properly hung meat doesnt look as fancy as nice clean slaughtered butchered and wrapped right away meat as some prefer. But your missing the point of hanging meat, after an animal is slaughtered the breakdown of oxygen occurs which produces lactic acids that begins the tenderising the meat process adding flavour. mmmm, well worth the wait. Cutting yourself short on the process , may as well buy some hamburger from Coopers. Overrated , no , I just dont like chewy steaks :razz:

[Steeleco]

I cut mine as time dictates. I'll start the front end right away as it's all ground, the back end is usually done within the week. No complaints so far.
When meatman lived in town, he told me the hanging time was based on moisture content. I trust what he said to be true. but all too fancy for me.

[ratherbefishin]

has anybody tried putting a reefer unit on an insulated trailer?

[granpa's_303]

[quote=krazy;510830]

Do you think the freezer would work up on edge?

Don't do it! It might run for about an hour before the motor burns out. Waste of a good freezer (even a free one).

[Arctic Lake]

Hello Ruger4
Not trying to offend you here,but it is the sugar in the animal that breaks down to lactic acid which in turn breaks down connective tissue,
Arctic Lake

[N-W-Redneck]

You will kill the compressor if you run the freezer on end. They must be upright to keep the oil in the crankcase. If you can remove and rotate the compressor then you're good to go. Lotta work for little gain though.

[jikkyo]

So do the majority of hunters hang their meat because it tendorizes the meat? Is this just a myth or is there some fact to it?:confused:

[sawmill]

So do the majority of hunters hang their meat because it tendorizes the meat? Is this just a myth or is there some fact to it?:confused:
Naw,I hang mine long enough to cool it out,at around 0 to +5 a couple days.Then BUTCHER TIME:mrgreen:I did hang a really stinky old Mulie buck one time for 28 days in a proper cooler with an exhaust fan in it.I believe it was set for 34 degrees F.Turned out great.But mostly I let `em hang for a couple days,till the conveniant time to cut and wrap.Kinda like what I plan to do this morning if I get lucky on my way to work:mrgreen:

[5 spike]

i agree with mark process the meat the same day put it in a fridge. i always take care on my meat the same day in hot weather. there is no difference in taste of the animal that i have ever noticed.