Thread: Refrigeration for your hard earned venison

The current venison in the fridge is a 'loose' fit (lots of air space around it) with nothing touching the sides. The thermostat/temperature control is a 1 - 7 scale (L to R) with a thermometer icon on the right hand side. I've turned it from 1 to 5 and I'll check it in a couple of hours. You may be correct about setting it to freeze.

I've been looking at a unit like the one in your right photo KJ. Think it's about $200.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

I've been looking at a unit like the one in your right photo KJ. Think it's about $200.

$200 is not bad going. Some of the import ones are a touch less robust. Make sure it has all the shelves and clips. Mines missing a few and I need to scrounge some from somewhere.

Originally Posted by kiwijames

$200 is not bad going. Some of the import ones are a touch less robust. Make sure it has all the shelves and clips. Mines missing a few and I need to scrounge some from somewhere.

See a few Skope ones popping up in good working order.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

See a few Skope ones popping up in good working order.

Scope is built in Christchurch and are very good , especially the ones with the refrigeration unit on top. $200 for a good condition Scope is great going IMO

@kiwijames

Thanks.

Plan "A" failed and dumped

Plan "B" beginning to brew.

Cheers
Pete

Got a double door display cabinet. Works well but the meat dries out on the outside. Is that a humidity problem?

Originally Posted by Brian

Got a double door display cabinet. Works well but the meat dries out on the outside. Is that a humidity problem?

Yes. The refrigeration cycle will always do that. Even the commercial units have this problem. It is fine for Coke cans and packaged product as they are sealed. Anything exposed to the ambient condition will dry out. Keep your venison in the original packaging as long as you can or, if ageing try a vacuum packer or plastic bag. Vacuum packing is my preference. This is the same reason you get freezer burn and lumps of ice in your sealed frozen products. Mini climates in the bag with wet and dry bulb temperatures approaching equal, force the water out of the product and is then re-frozen during the run cycle. It can't go back.
The fresh fruit and meat industries have very large cooling coils to not only rapidly chill but also reduce water loss from their product. Lighter carcass weight = less money for your product so is money well spent. Every kilo of defrost water is a kilo of cash lost.
Even the wine guys suffer with what they call "Angels portion". The porous oak casks the wine matures in will leach out some water content and can get up to 5% lost through the the cask in refrigerated storage. This also bumps up the ABV%

A lot of our meat gets boned out in the bush. I'll try wrapping some in glad wrap for ageing.

Originally Posted by Brian

A lot of our meat gets boned out in the bush. I'll try wrapping some in glad wrap for ageing.

Should work. Make sure the meat has chilled first though. I'm using either a pillow case or mutton cloth to keep it in while cooling down. As Cam said a bit of external drying is not a bad thing.

Originally Posted by kiwijames

Yes. The refrigeration cycle will always do that. Even the commercial units have this problem. It is fine for Coke cans and packaged product as they are sealed. Anything exposed to the ambient condition will dry out. Keep your venison in the original packaging as long as you can or, if ageing try a vacuum packer or plastic bag. Vacuum packing is my preference. This is the same reason you get freezer burn and lumps of ice in your sealed frozen products. Mini climates in the bag with wet and dry bulb temperatures approaching equal, force the water out of the product and is then re-frozen during the run cycle. It can't go back.
The fresh fruit and meat industries have very large cooling coils to not only rapidly chill but also reduce water loss from their product. Lighter carcass weight = less money for your product so is money well spent. Every kilo of defrost water is a kilo of cash lost.
Even the wine guys suffer with what they call "Angels portion". The porous oak casks the wine matures in will leach out some water content and can get up to 5% lost through the the cask in refrigerated storage. This also bumps up the ABV%

Hi kiwi James
Thanks for all the tips in this thread. Appreciated.
I do this (above). Bone it out in the field then hang in a single door Skope type chiller for 3-4 days and yes, I get the “crust” on the outside too, which I then need to trim off. Then it gets vac packed into the freezer. Are you saying that I’d be better and get less wastage if I left the deer skin on? I’d be happy but the dogs wouldn’t ! 😂

Originally Posted by stu#71

Hi kiwi James
Thanks for all the tips in this thread. Appreciated.
I do this (above). Bone it out in the field then hang in a single door Skope type chiller for 3-4 days and yes, I get the “crust” on the outside too, which I then need to trim off. Then it gets vac packed into the freezer. Are you saying that I’d be better and get less wastage if I left the deer skin on? I’d be happy but the dogs wouldn’t ! ��

the skin is less permeable than membrane so you get less moisture loss thus less crust. you'll find that it is better with the skin on. Just more hair on the meat.

Its worth noteing a bit of drying can be benificial for handeling the carcass without it picking up all sorts of crap and all those outer guard/sheath muscles should be trimmed off your steak for sausages where they will rehydrate anyway.
Too much humidity can be very very bad with rot or even mould setting in.

My little chiller struggles in summer temps usually only pulling down to 7-9 degc. It was recently regassed and now ices up the cooler bit quite bad espesially if you put wet deer in there.

Sent from my SM-G800Y using Tapatalk

As per my PM @kiwijames Have access to this plus the chiller room that it supplies and a heap of extra panels if needed to make a door.

Worthpulling out? Time is limited

I know nothing about this stuff.

Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

As per my PM @kiwijames Have access to this plus the chiller room that it supplies and a heap of extra panels if needed to make a door.

Worthpulling out? Time is limited

I know nothing about this stuff.

Attachment 53298Attachment 53299

Hey @PerazziSC3. It looks like that may be a freezer not a chiller. It looks in reasonable nick. There's a little green nameplate with DWM Copeland on it. Grab the compressor model number and anything that might identify the refrigerant its using. From that I can give you a better idea.