Carcass going off

[Tim.243]

Interesting thread. I travel some distance now to my ground, so I’m holding off until overnight temperatures get below double figures, but the couple I’ve had recently I have been very conscious of doing a full bleed and gralloch and getting it as cool as possible before extracting it to my vehicle and then straight home, before hanging overnight in the garage with skin on, butchering early the next morning and straight into the fridge.

I don’t headshot and I noticed the OP said this one was. Should you bleed it immediately, to lower the risk? I try to bleed immediately, whatever, even if the full gralloch is delayed for an hour or two.

As a beginner, I’m keen to learn from these experiences, so thanks to all for your wisdom. Never seen a gralloch done the same way twice, so I’m finding my own way!

In truth what we all do compared to the main food industry is way out to the standards they have applied to them, there are exceptions as in farmed deer who will be very close and under a much more controlled environment.
Doing what we do which is grubbing around woods fields extracting deer from every possible place they have run or fallen into can't be helped as we take on a wild animal. (I know that as I do it my self)
Most of what we do (in loose terms) is in secret by the very nature of how you have to go about shooting deer as it is not a line of guns people can watch from the footpath having birds pushed over them (but the birds often end up at the same game dealer as the estate's deer)
Personally I shoot deer all year around (quite local) and in the last part of the day for a few reasons (work, far less flies are 2)
A muntjac buck with a full bladder will have the poop tube tied off with the rest out and delt with then (as I have to come home) as that gives me a better chance with it! A lot of others will do it differently which is fine but we all do it differently.
@maximus otter I have read what he posted uses a set of forceps to deal with the bladder of his shot deer.

Estates who put people out in high seats for a 2-3 hr session with brief people not to get out until they are picked up or the keeper is on his way with a text so that could be the same time you are looking for your deer that ran and you walked past it 5 times

This example is about the worse I have seen for promoting venison, swap that stag for a prime sheep and try to convince Mrs Smith at the butchers her roasting Sunday joint was handled with care.

 

[JeffreyL]

I would say that no air circulation and no humidity control in the chiller would be the main issue. Sticky carcasses are not pleasant to deal with.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

I’ll throw a spanner in the works here, I hang mine for up to 28 days in the skin, but I run my chiller cold 1° low and 4° max and I can honestly say I’ve never had that happen, the humidity is never under 70%

And to be fair in 2 weeks time it will be on permanent until the end of the season.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

I think the biggest problem here is present price of power people aren’t running their chiller long enough , I’m only guessing but I would say the chiller went on an hour or two before you collected that carcass?

If I’m stalking in the summer or warmer times my kcgiller is on 48 hours in advance. I want that chiller cold and it’s cold as I can get it.

 

[Tim.243]

I’ll throw a spanner in the works here, I hang mine for up to 28 days in the skin, but I run my chiller cold 1° low and 4° max and I can honestly say I’ve never had that happen, the humidity is never under 70%

And to be fair in 2 weeks time it will be on permanent until the end of the season.

You have more spanners than in the Snap-on dealers van Lee

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

You have more spanners than in the Snap-on dealers van Lee

Absolutely when it comes to this kind of subject the retired butcher brain kicks in

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

They key here is to get the core of your chiller COLD once it’s cold, it will be more efficient to run for longer periods of time

 

[Tim.243]

I think the biggest problem here is present price of power people aren’t running their chiller long enough , I’m only guessing but I would say the chiller went on an hour or two before you collected that carcass?

If I’m stalking in the summer or warmer times my kcgiller is on 48 hours in advance. I want that chiller cold and it’s cold as I can get it.

I get in with deer first thing is shut the gates unlock the shed switch on the chiller, mine being a de-tuned freezer with a fan like a jet engine comes down to temp by the time the kettle has boiled, let the deer hang and cool down trim the dangling bits. Or like you when 3-4 fallow are on there way from another estate it goes on as I get a text "just leaving" then the head and feet are coming off like a fox in the chicken run lol

 

[moeggesit]

If there’s stomach contents spill is will smell and contaminate the exposed surface, and spoil quite rapidly depending on the temperature. The joints and saddle is fine unless it has been contaminated by direct contact. The skin protects the meat indefinitely (until processed).

Personally I trust my nose. Any parts with a hint of stomach smell goes to the dogs, but trimming the 2mm exposed layer is usually enough to get rid of the smell.

If a chiller works properly it will dry the air. I’ve never had any issues washing the carcass cavity and would recommend doing so if there is contamination present.

 

[Ratel]

Always remember my Grandfather saying, "Never leave the arse end in a deer carcase overnight, it will ruin the meat".

 

[gelert]

Sounds like it turned either in that first 24hours in the garage when the temperature peaked,or your chiller isn't working properly.
I've had deer in a cool box for a number of days before driving 5 plus hours home with nothing more than frozen milk bottles inside keeping it cool with zero issues,even in peak July during the rut.

 

[Mike L]

To be fair it sounds like a **** poor gralloch caused the problem. BUT I guess lesson learned for next time.

 

[homer]

If it lay in the garage over night, with the chest not split, this would help contain the residiual heat within the carcass. Mild air temps would also add to this.

 

[weblyish]

I don't get the bit about not taking the arse out with the gralloch even if you do the clear a section of the rectum and zip tie and cut it

Once you do that it is 20 seconds work to pull it through and cut the external portion off leaving the same thing as tunneling

What's the point of not sorting it while you have a knife in your hands is there some benefit

 

[Buchan]

That could be it, I made a hash of extracting the bladder and had a copious amount of urine run into the cavity. Garden hose was there so ran it for a while then flushed out the carcass, let it drain for an hour then hung it in the chiller.

Ah, bad luck. If you have to wash, make a saline solution 1% - 10g/litre (teaspoon to a pint) so you don't get an osmotic effect of water getting into the tissues as the tissues are more salty than plain water. Then wipe dry with paper towel (or the very nice bamboo recyclable wipes I found).

 

[NoIDeer]

Someone should edit out the unhelpful stuff in this thread and make it a sticky in the carcass prep section?

 

[buachaill]

Great topic

I’ve found that no matter what system you use, being meticulous is key. Personally, I generally avoid washing down a carcass, though in certain situations I have done so without any issues. What I always make sure of, however, is to carefully go over the carcass and dry it thoroughly with paper towels before it goes into the chiller. It may sound basic, but if the surface isn’t completely dry, that can sometimes be enough to cause problems.

I’ve also noticed that many commercial processors routinely wash every carcass they handle, so I don’t believe washing alone is the root of the issue. More likely, it comes down to how well the carcass is dried and the conditions inside the chiller.

I also agree that not completely removing everything straight away is asking for trouble.

 

[homer]

Great topic

I’ve found that no matter what system you use, being meticulous is key. Personally, I generally avoid washing down a carcass, though in certain situations I have done so without any issues. What I always make sure of, however, is to carefully go over the carcass and dry it thoroughly with paper towels before it goes into the chiller. It may sound basic, but if the surface isn’t completely dry, that can sometimes be enough to cause problems.

I’ve also noticed that many commercial processors routinely wash every carcass they handle, so I don’t believe washing alone is the root of the issue. More likely, it comes down to how well the carcass is dried and the conditions inside the chiller.

I also agree that not completely removing everything straight away is asking for trouble.

Yes, I wash out all my carcasses and never had a problem, and on the odd occasion where i shoot some in the morning and take straight to dealer, first thing they do is wash them out.
I also wash down both sides of the stomach and chest cuts, to get rid of as much blood as possible, this stops it pinging back onto the carcass when i skin it, making it look dirty. The wet carcass goes into chiller and is dry by morning. Maybe his chiller is not up to scratch.

 

[buachaill]

Yes, I wash out all my carcasses and never had a problem, and on the odd occasion where i shoot some in the morning and take straight to dealer, first thing they do is wash them out.
I also wash down both sides of the stomach and chest cuts, to get rid of as much blood as possible, this stops it pinging back onto the carcass when i skin it, making it look dirty. The wet carcass goes into chiller and is dry by morning. Maybe his chiller is not up to scratch.

sounds like a perfect storm of quite a few factors in this instance.

 

[homer]

sounds like a perfect storm of quite a few factors in this instance.

Never had a carcass rejected in 25 years (bar bad shot placement by guests).
Dealer always comments on how good my carcasses are.