Originally Posted by
Andrew Leigh
You would need a temperature of circa 3 to 5 deg c to age. The carcass or quarters need to be hung such that free air moves about them. Many will keep the skin on to avoid excessive drying of the meat. Butcher definitely won't do this for you.
So if you want cooking meat then this may be worth aging, I see no sense in aging what will become mince, wors or biltong. You may wish to process the meat immediately and to retain the cuts for roasts etc. The can be kept in plastic bags, preferable vacuum packed, in the fridge for up to two weeks if you so desire before freezing. This is wet ageing.
You could buy a 210l Defy chest freezer which has a fridge setting as well. Build a frame to go inside, this could be your cheapest option. I try have nothing in my 210l pre hunt. I come back and it takes me a week to work the meat which keeps getting returned to the freezer (on fridge setting). When all the meat is processed and the wors etc. done and it is packed, I turn the bugger down to freezing.
Remember you need to have you wors mix at 3 deg C before mincing so the chest freezer is ideal for large batches of mince to chill down.