Bleeding out meat after freezing?

[Efren]

I was fortunate enough to harvest a buck two weeks ago. I quartered it, put it in zip lock bags, and threw it in the freezer. I just heard that you could put it in an ice chest and keep adding ice for a couple of days, with the plug off, in order to remove the gamey flavor. Can I take it out of the freezer and put it in an ice chest? Should I let it thaw out first? Or just marinade it in milk?

[SB09]

Usually not very smart to freeze then thaw and refreeze. Next time you thaw that meat I would be prepared to eat it. Next time around you can experiment with the bleeding of the meat. Which I do, it works very well.

[courtatlawjudge]

I'd thaw it and cut my steaks then refreeze. When you get ready to eat, pull a package of steaks out and put in a bowl with cold water. Put it in the fridge and change the water several times over the next day. Squeeze the meat by hand occasionally to push more blood out. I've never had any bad results from refreezing but I don't advise it. Congratulations of the buck. If he was bow shot, a lot of bleeding out already occured.

[Efren]

Two very good pointers. Thank you!

[npe001]

I would not thaw out then refreeze. I bleed my deer for about a week in a cooler. Not with the plug open, I open the plug as needed then add more ice if needed as well.

[SB09]

I would not thaw out then refreeze. I bleed my deer for about a week in a cooler. Not with the plug open, I open the plug as needed then add more ice if needed as well.

Another good point. I may have stated the plug open thing wrong in the other thread. It's not advisable to leave the plug open as it makes a great access point for flies and other bugs.

[AggieVan]

I always bleed mine in a cooler for about a week with the plug open but I attach a water hose to it so I can leave the cooler in the garage and let the water run into the yard. Never had an issue with insects getting in.

[Slick8]

When you do this, leave the plug in. You want that little bit of water, it helps to pull more blood from the meat. You drain it daily and will likely add a little ice each day unless it's cold outside or you're using a super cooler.

I and most of us that process our own will freeze then thaw later in the season to make sausage, jerky and such.

The proper order would be; Kill it, quarter it, soak for several days up to two weeks in fresh ice draining daily. After soaking is complete, De-bone all 4 leg quarters cutting into steaks roast and cubed meat. Then do a final wrap or vac seal on your steaks while freezing your cubed meat in large freezer bags.

Tip-if using the large 2 gallon bags, don't completely fill them up only put enough to make them about 2 inches thick while pushing all the air out of the bag. This will allow them to freeze faster and thaw faster when you get ready to process.

I like to process in the late season after I've killed all or most of my deer. I usually work alone or with minimum help so l do burger and sausage on different weekends. Once complete, re-freeze and enjoy the benefits of your hard work.

[frios]

I agree with sb09 and npe001

the way I do it is - no walk in cooler - if the outside temp doesn't get past 60-65 I let the deer hang (of course in hanging room - no flies) for about a day.

if temps outside past 65 - quarter it up, place in ice chest (but DO NOT put meat on top of meat) layer it....ice, meat, ice, meat... leave in there for a few days..draining and re-adding ice as needed.

if you have walk in cooler - consider yourself lucky! - let it hang for a day or two.

then cut it whatever way you like - steaks, ground meat...etc.
if you take to a place where they process - make sure your getting YOUR deer and not someone elses. I take mine to Granzins. Man, they are good!! won't take my deer meat anywhere else.

[JB77]

If you use a YETI the ice wont melt and it makes more!

[Slick8]

One last thing. Given the current condition of the meat I'd thaw, cut steaks and cube the rest to be ground for burger.

You should be fine. You may think about this. Once steaks are cut and the meat is cubed, place it in extremely cold ice water for several hours then freeze. I'd make an ice water slurry with a little salt allowing the water to go below 32 deg just like making ice cream. This would be a quick bleed out. Remember once cubed and steaked with sinue and fat removed it won't take long to bleed out.

[Sleepy]

I've never noticed any difference in gamey taste whether I've "bled it out" for a week, or put it straight into the freezer. Also, there is absolutely nothing wrong with thawing and refreezing. I've thawed and refroze 3 or 4 times and the meat is fine. Just be sure that when you thaw it, you keep it around 40 degrees if you plan to refreeze it. I wouldn't advise thawing it to room temperature and then refreezing more than a time or 2.

I process mine till I get tired of messing with it, throw it in the freezer, thaw it out, start at it again till I'm tired of messing with it and so on and so forth. Nothing wrong with it at all as long as you keep it cold.

In my eyes, it's a deer, I want it to taste like a deer

[LWD]

The gamey taste isn't a function of blood in the meat. It is a function of good, safe handling of the deer. Gut your deer, toss it in the back of your pickup for an 8 hour drive home to only then drop it at the processor and your deer will taste gamey for sure—especially if the temp is above about 45 or 50 degrees.

On the other hand, if you gut your deer and get it to the processor within a couple of hours, it will be good to go. Or if you, again within a couple of hours, quarter it and put it on ice, it will be good to go.

LWD

[Efren]

Good tips! Thank you gentlemen

[R Herline Jr]

I would not thaw out then refreeze. I bleed my deer for about a week in a cooler. Not with the plug open, I open the plug as needed then add more ice if needed as well.

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