Butcher Prices

[hammer4reel]

4 minutes ago, archer36 said:

I have a Foodsaver now for about 10 years. I'm not sealing a thousand pounds of meat and fish a year but it still works great. I bought a second one as a B/U and never used it. 

For my needs it's perfect. If you are looking to process high amounts of food, you would probably benefit from a chamber sealer. Until you see the price. 

If you use your vacuum sealer as much as I use my chamber sealer it costs you 15-20 times more to do so .

with inferior results .

chamber sealer shines because the bags are so in expensive .

machine pays for itself in one season .

.

[vdep217]

1 minute ago, hammer4reel said:

That’s the way it should be .

‘They get just as much pleasure prepping it for ease of use later .

‘Tracey enjoys cutting and packaging the deer more than I do lol

 

the guys who can’t put a hind on a cutting board  to break it down really need to grow a set .

whole deer can be done on a 2’ cutting board 

 

I've done a couple on the bed of my truck.  It's easier when hanging to break down but can be done.

[Rusty]

28 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

* This statement assumes one of two things: (1) you are not married or (2) your wife does not care.

(2) causes me to do most of my butchering in the garage  

Married 33 years, my wife helps.  

[hammer4reel]

Just now, vdep217 said:

I've done a couple on the bed of my truck.  It's easier when hanging to break down but can be done.

I hang them to break them down , but do that immediately when I get home .

it’s much easier to do then .

then they are immediately chilled 

[Rusty]

If it's warm I quarter them immediately and put the quarters in the fridge for a week.  If it's cold they hang in the shed for a week(ish) until it's convenient to process.   

[vdep217]

6 minutes ago, hammer4reel said:

I hang them to break them down , but do that immediately when I get home .

it’s much easier to do then .

then they are immediately chilled 

I usually do to even when cold out as you said much easier

[Kype]

20 minutes ago, archer36 said:

I have a Foodsaver now for about 10 years. I'm not sealing a thousand pounds of meat and fish a year but it still works great. I bought a second one as a B/U and never used it. 

For my needs it's perfect. If you are looking to process high amounts of food, you would probably benefit from a chamber sealer. Until you see the price. 

maybe its user error on my part. it never seems to get all the air out. and if theres any liquid (like blood) forget it, its even worse. 

[archer36]

22 minutes ago, hammer4reel said:

If you use your vacuum sealer as much as I use my chamber sealer it costs you 15-20 times more to do so .

with inferior results .

chamber sealer shines because the bags are so in expensive .

machine pays for itself in one season .

.

I agree. The volume is the difference. I find rolls very reasonable on Amazon. If you pay over a grand for a sealer, you better seal a lot of food to make that money back. I paid less than a hundred for my Foodsaver about 10 years ago. As far as results, I have had meat in the deep freeze for two years with no issues. I don't know if or why you would want better. 

Edited August 15, 2022 by archer36

[archer36]

1 minute ago, Kype said:

maybe its user error on my part. it never seems to get all the air out. and if theres any liquid (like blood) forget it, its even worse. 

When you are dealing with "wet" meat, you should dry it off first or partially freeze first. 

[hammer4reel]

9 minutes ago, archer36 said:

I agree. The volume is the difference. I find rolls very reasonable on Amazon. If you pay over a grand for a sealer, you better seal a lot of food to make that money back. I paid less than a hundred for my Foodsaver about 10 years ago. As far as results, I have had meat in the deep freeze for two years with no issues. I don't know if or why you would want better. 

You can buy house grade machines for around 500 now that will last a lifetime 

bags are under a nickel , that’s where real savings are .

.and until you have seen the difference in the end product you won’t get it .

.a food saver doesn’t come close to removing the air as it should .

.I can package , wet foods , soups , sauces , marinades etc .

‘you can’t do any of that with a food saver 

[hammer4reel]

14 minutes ago, Kype said:

maybe its user error on my part. it never seems to get all the air out. and if theres any liquid (like blood) forget it, its even worse. 

They don’t .

and as you said if the food is wet, it’s even worse 

[Buckeyes11]

My butcher vacuums seals everything. When I bring it home I keep it stored according to cuts in brown bags in the freezer . Zero issues 

[Michael Britt]

6 hours ago, FeniQuest217 said:

Feeding off of this - if you have a house you really should look into doing it yourself. I don't have a garage - and most will tell me who gives a shit but the last thing i want to do is hang a deer in the backyard in the open for anti-hunter to start shit with.

That said - check your ordinances but i believe there's nothing AND I MEAN NOTHING that prohibits you from processing game harvest on your own property. nothing!

I need a vaccuum ssealer thats for sure. They're clutch

I think vac seal is overrated. I've had no bad meat with butcher paper but have had a few issues with vac-sealed stuff getting loose or discolored a smidge.

[archer36]

11 hours ago, Michael Britt said:

I think vac seal is overrated. I've had no bad meat with butcher paper but have had a few issues with vac-sealed stuff getting loose or discolored a smidge.

Vac sealing comes in handy with irregular shaped meats.  If the meat is smooth and flexible, you can seal out all the air with wrap. When saving things like jerky, the vac sealing does a much better job than any wrap can. 

[Dominant buck]

18 hours ago, GoodOleBoysinPA said:

I don't have a garage either(not yet anyway).   So I built this.

I'm originally from Western PA.  I've never even heard of people getting a butcher for their deer before I moved here.  

 

I take mind to big dog butchering in central nj.

I did many myself, but I have too many nosey neighbors these days who already think I'm a barbarian just for hunting, they would probably protest and picket my house if they saw or heard that I butcher my own deer.  It's a shame and far cry on where we are today in society.