I always kept a refrigerator in my garage for aging deer meat. My method for wet aging wasn't as sophisticated but produced similar results. I would quarter the deer and put the shoulders and hind quarters in a scent free trash bag. I would place backstraps and tenderloins (blotted free of excess blood) into gallon zip lock bags. I would put the bags into the refrigerator which was about 35-36 degrees and leave them in there for a while, checking every few days. If the liquid in the bag was excessive I would change bags and back in the fridge. I found that 10 to 14 days was best for my liking and after a few deer you could tell best by the color of the meat. The red will dissipate over time and brown replaces it. A nice deep brown indicated it was ready for cooking and eating as well as cut, wrap, and freeze.

 

Those deer by gwyned mercy taste like crap🤪

 

I used to hunt with a family that always soaked deer quarters in big tubs of ice water. They would change the water out often and keep lots of ice on it. The meat was always good but to be honest my palate isn't refined enough to gauge gaminess. I've killed a lot of deer and I don't remember any of them being bad.

 

This sounds like a good idea for smaller cuts of venison, I copied this and will give it a try. Hmm, I wonder if this would work for squirrel or rabbit?

 

I have tried aging deer for a week or so and have not noticed much of a difference but I have never shot one that tasted bad.

I have had bad tasting deer from others and my take is that they don't gut the deer fast enough or get it processed fast enough and it gets gamey. I shot a 4.5 YO buck a couple years ago in the rut and he was excellent.

 

I've done this multiple times. If it isn't cold enough to hang outside in the smokehouse(my preferred method) , I'll cut it into manageable pieces, and put them in garbage bags in the fridge for a week to ten days. Either way works well, just a little more work if you hafta break down the carcass to fit in the fridge.

 

I’m not a fan of it (wet aging, or wet meat at all honestly)
In warmer temps I’ll either hang quarters in a gutted fridge in the garage (with a pan underneath to catch drips) or I’ll put quarters or boned sections on grates or perforated pans above ice in the jumbo coolers.
Letting the excess moisture out is key to texture in my opinion. I try to “age” a week minimum, but sometimes I have to start the “work” sooner due to other time constraints.
By rifle it’s usually cold enough I can let skinned deer or quarters hang in the garage a week easy. Some years Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate though, and the fridge and coolers get put into service again.
Late season they hang, sometimes have to put a little space heater out there to keep them from freezing.
Gaminess is due to shot placement (gut shots) and handling immediately after the kill. A clean kill and proper handling prevents it. Just keep the cavity clean, don’t spill bladder or stomach contents, and don’t drag the tarsals on the meat. If you do, flush the cavity with a LOT of cold water and dry it out with paper towels.
Never had a bite of “gamey” venison from a deer I killed or butchered for family members.

 

Yes, I have wet aged in vacuum bags for the past several years and it makes a difference for sure. I let all meat sit in the refrigerator for at least 21 days before it goes in the freezer.
When you thaw meat before cooking and letting it come to room temperature, all the excess blood drains from the meat prior to cooking. That is the key to a good sear, dry meat surface with added salt.
I have noticed no difference from wet aging to dry aging, other than wasting meat from trimming the rind from dry aging.

Meat aged in garbage bags will take on the odor/flavor of garbage bags. Unscented bags still smell like cheap plastic.