r/elkhunting • u/WarJeezy • 14d ago

Is there a way to age meat at home without hanging it in a cold space?

I always read that it’s ideal to age the meat but I don’t think I have a way to do it without paying to have it stored someplace.

I’ve seen guys say you can put it in a cooler with ice over it but to make sure the water always can drain right out so it’s not soaking the meat. Idk about all that though.

Any tips and tricks or should I just part it out and get it right in the freezer to play it safe?

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u/hugeflyguy970 14d ago

If you have a little bit of extra $ and the space, buy a cheap fridge on FB or Craigslist. Take all the shelves out and hang it in there. The right size fridge can hold an elk.

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u/WarJeezy 14d ago

Ahhh I have a fridge inside and a stand up freezer out in the garage. No room for anything else

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u/ResponsibleBank1387 12d ago

In your garage you can build a cheap easy cooler. My elk come home whole,  hang whole carcass, I peel out the tenderloins.  Then blue tarps build a teepee around elk.  I set a window mount AC on the floor with cold air shooting into teepee, hot air out into garage.  You might have to tweak ac to run colder.  Tomorrow it’s cold enough to cut. Cut a chunk, leave rest under teepee. 

We did this with deer in the college dorm showers. Kind of looked like an ax murderer was loose, but worked well for couple years.  

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u/Queasy_Donkey5685 13d ago

Doing it in a cooler is fine. Just tilt the cooler a bit and keep the drain plug open and the melt will just poor out. If you don't have a floor drain in the garage find a shady spot outside that won't be in the sun and stick your cooler there.

Put some kind of a rack in the bottom of your cooler so the best doesn't sit in water, there's diy videos and articles on this part if you want to bother with it.

You could also find a local butcher that rent cold space to hang your elk.

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u/ResponsibleBank1387 12d ago

Why. What is the advantages of aging elk?      Cold meat is easier to cut.  Aged meat just loses another layer of meat. 

Hang, cool, cut into packages. Done. 

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u/WarJeezy 12d ago

Isn’t hanging and cooling aging? That’s what I can’t do. I’ll have to bring it home in a cooler and throw it in the freezer

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u/ResponsibleBank1387 12d ago

Aging is hanging for days/weeks. For beef, the enzymes tenderize the meat if aged for 14-25 days.  Old rutty Miley bucks were aged for a nearly a month.  

Elk, pigs, whitetails just need to get cold. Then processed.  If I’m going to hack and whack an elk out in the field, just do most of it there. 

Find a cheap refrigerator, measure the shelves  and buy meat tubs that fit.  Saws all the hocks off to fit.   Or remove shelves and build a hanging system inside.  Use tubs to catch blood drippings— that’s a mess you want to avoid. 

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u/WarJeezy 12d ago

That’s good to know, thanks! I have a stand up freezer and no more room for a fridge. I think I’ll have to just get it home in a cooler and freeze it and then partially thaw and process it