DIY Butcher Shop

[C.guy970]

I've been wondering about processing my own elk this coming fall. Let me preface by saying that I grew up raising cattle and slaughtering and butchering our own meat since my earliest memories and I want to get back to that. We would always slaughter our beef at end of October-November when it was cold outside all day/night and let it hang in the shop covered and it would stay cool naturally. Then later on we built our own walk in cooler and let it hang for days, then begin the butchering process. I've since moved 9 hours and a state away from our family ranch and, therefore, our butcher "set up".


My question is what happens when you get off the mountain? How do you keep it cool if you let it hang? Come September during archery season, its still 80-90+ degrees outside.

 

[Bowhunter1]

I butcher all my deer and elk. I also do some cows and pigs. I wait till it is cool enough to hang for several days if I can. Otherwise I quarter and place it in an old refrigerator in the shop. I wrap my animals in old sheets to keep from drying out.

 

[ribo451]

We built a walk in cooler that cost us about $3000. I think I made a page for it on here somewhere. I will see if I can find it. 

 

[ribo451]

After re-reading my post I said it cost us $1100. Not $3000. Since then though we have added a permanent roof and metal siding. That only cost another $100 or maybe less. I got the metal off a building I demoed for somebody.

 

[cnelk]

I dont have a 'butcher shop' just a place in my barn I cut up meat.




But to answer what to do with meat coming off the mtn, and keep it cool...


I put the quarters [that should be somewhat cooled down by night-time temps] in big coolers with frozen milk jugs. I will put something in the bottom of the cooler so the meat doesnt lay in any blood.


I dont like to hang the quarters in camp so they get the 'crust'. Its just more I have cut off later. I let them hang only long enough to barely dry to touch. So they go into a cooler right away.


Once back at home, I will turn the meat everyday or so, but keep the meat in the cooler. To me, it doesnt matter if the quarters are hanging or in a cooler, the meat is still 'aging'. But I dont like to age elk meat very long at all.


Usually Im too busy to process my elk in Sept-Nov, so I put the quarters in trash bags, wrap them up tight and freeze them until December when I have more time.

 

[lang]

I process it as soon as I get home.  I have tried both, and think hanging is over rated.  Just my .02

 

[ben782]

I just came across a controller called the Coolbot. You can use the controller in conjunction with a in-wall AC unit.

Our group uses an 5x8 trailer to haul all of our gear out west from Wisconsin. I'd be tempted to try mounting the controller and AC unit in the enclosed trailer and use a generator to have an off-grid cooler/freezer.

 

[Wenzel747]

We have hung meat in the shade but mostly use large coolers or we bring generator and small freezer along and butcher right in camp

 

[Jadixon2]

Depending on daytime and nighttime temps we bring a deep freeze that we will put the meat in and pack ice around the meat. Works great! If temp doesn't get above 40 at night and 70 during the day then hang meat in the shade.