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Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:27 am
by Anna
My first dexter beef is now hanging on a hook. I haven´t eaten beef for decades, so I am very curious about the taste. Will it be as good as you say it should!?
The heifer, 18 months old, was killed on the farm, parted in quarters and then hanged in the barn for about six hours. It was something between 5-10 degrees (Celsius) that day. After six hours the meat was moved to a fridge room, the temperature there was just above zero so I tuned it up to 10 degrees since I had a faint memory of reading that it is not supposed to be very cold during the first 24 hours. When checking the temperature the next day it was about 5 degrees, so it seems the teperature has been a little to low during part of the first 24 hours. Do you experienced beef producers think that it should be a reason for worrying over the result?
I later found a helpful description about how to hang beef in the sheep keepers manual.. it sais that temperature not should be below 6 degrees during first the 24 ours, then 2-4 degrees for 2-4 weeks. I am now tuning the temperature to 3-4 degrees. Would you advice me to change that of some reason?
I´m all new to this and should better have researched this before, but I couldn´t have myself to worry about the meat before the cow was dead. It is much easier with the lambs.. but this is also very exiting.
Anna
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 12:30 pm
by Sylvia
Hello Anna, I don't think many people in Britain have any control over the temperature their meat is hung at. Our animals go to the abbatoir are hung for about 3 weeks and the next time I see the meat it is butchered and vacuum packed. I'm afraid this isn't much use to you, but I am very impressed with your hands-on approach and hope it all works out alright.
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:07 pm
by Anna
I see..
Of course most beef and mutton is passing through the abbatoir here too. Small scale home slaughter is only allowed as long as the meat is consumed at the farm.
Let´s hope that there is one or another abbatoir out there who is reading the forum 
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:21 pm
by Broomcroft
Anna
If you don't get a response soon, then send a message to Caroline Ryder (Pike End Farm). They have their own hanging room and they will have all the answers.
Edited By Broomcroft on 1195579308
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:34 pm
by welshdexterboy
In the not too distant past when we were allowed to slaughter at home for own consumption we used to just leave it hang in the shed off an RSJ. It was always Winter when we killed but the weather was never freezing but it certainly was colder than most days are now. If i was to guess at the temps for the days I would say around 3-4 degrees c. The beast would hang for a fortnight and it would be fine. I know it is not scientific but ourselves and many other farmers did it on a regular basis through the Winter without ill-effect. I don't know if you have colder weather or not so I'm sorry if it's no use to you.
Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:00 pm
by Anna
To hang elk, deers or home slaughtered meat in the barn or simply outside during this time of year is very common here too. The time is adjusted after the temperature, and the nose is used to judge when it is time to take it down. Some kind of rule seem to be 40 degrees/day (like 4 days in 10 degrees or 40 days in 1 degree, I don´t konw how to put it in English).
Since my nose is not trained and since weather is unpredictable this time of year I have borrowed a hanging room from a kind neighbour. We have quite mild weather for the moment, but we have had freezing degrees for a few weeks earlier.
Clive, thanks for the tip.
Anna
Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:53 pm
by Sylvia
In the not too distant past ALL food was judged by sight, nose and, if they both seemed OK, taste. But now we have sell by dates and use by dates on everything and some things which aren't even edible anyway. So it is not surprising that we are all losing the necessary skills, not to mention the will to live. Sorry Anna, not much help, but I couldn't resist mentioning it.
Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:29 am
by welshdexterboy
Well not so long ago people killed animals at home and just hung it in a shed or wherever and had no cold rooms at all. They all survived and were a lot healthier and tougher than us. People are getting to hung up (if you pardon the pun) on all these regulations. I think I will start a revolution against regs.
Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:35 pm
by Anna
I must say I fear the day when home slaughter becomes unlegal in Sweden. I hate driving my animals to the slaghter house, and don´t know if I would go on keeping sheep if I had to. Tried it once and never want to do it again. Your term abbatoir make me think of a local place with a shop at the front and butcher who is a craftsman, but maybe that is not the case anymore? Anyway, in Sweden we only have these big places and there are not many left either so the animals have to travel.
Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:00 pm
by Broomcroft
It's going that way here Anna. And it's the little ones, I think, that are the best because they've got so little room they have to do the job quickly. I took a bull and one steer yesterday and they went straight in for slaughter.
I have to say, if we were left with just a few big abattoirs, I would not wish to farm any more. Even if they were near.
There are so many rules they have to comply with, but the rules don't pay enough attention to the livestock.
Edited By Broomcroft on 1195736460
Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 6:48 pm
by Kathy Millar
I think home-kill would be great and there may be more of that in the future when more of our small abattoirs close. Here in BC, the gov't has pretty well outlawed local meat sales in some places because of the new regs. There was (and is) a LOT of protesting so the Gov't couldn't disallow home killing for home consumption. Of course, hunters can do what they like with their deer, elk etc. but most choose to just gut them in the field, then deliver the carcase to the local cutter (after days in the field and on the road as much hunting is done hundreds of miles away, especially for elk and moose). Not looking too good for local food production