laying meat on plastic

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buzzy

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
OTBS Member
Feb 11, 2007
875
475
Cumberland Co. PA
Well it's that time of year to butcher hogs. Getting 2 to cut up for sausage, ribs & chops. Oh an a big kettle of scrapple. My question is will there be any ill effects if cut up meat is placed on a new painters drop cloth overnight? The shop will be kept under 40 & the meat spread out thin. We cut up hot hogs. Process everything next day. Wondering about thoughts on this.
Thanks in advance.
Duane
 
My question is will there be any ill effects if cut up meat is placed on a new painters drop cloth overnight?
I don't know , but I'll share what I do know in case it helps . Painters plastic , the .31 mil stuff should be just plastic .
When you get into " Plastic sheeting " 2 mil and up , there are different types . Some have additives . Like UV protection , anti-static , even fire rated .
So depending what you have , might be an issue .
Just FYI .
 
I don't know , but I'll share what I do know in case it helps . Painters plastic , the .31 mil stuff should be just plastic .
When you get into " Plastic sheeting " 2 mil and up , there are different types . Some have additives . Like UV protection , anti-static , even fire rated .
So depending what you have , might be an issue .
Just FYI .
The package does not state any of this. Just plastic.
 
Well it's that time of year to butcher hogs. Getting 2 to cut up for sausage, ribs & chops. Oh an a big kettle of scrapple. My question is will there be any ill effects if cut up meat is placed on a new painters drop cloth overnight? The shop will be kept under 40 & the meat spread out thin. We cut up hot hogs. Process everything next day. Wondering about thoughts on this.
Thanks in advance.
Duane
Do you have the ability to hang the meat? If not whole or split, cut into primal cuts and hang? The problem with the plastic, to me, is the heat of the meat and the plastic together could cause sour in the meat. Hanging will ensure the meat cools all around. Now if the meat was already chilled, I don’t think the plastic would be a problem, but warm meat and plastic is asking for problems even bacterial problems.
 
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Can you hose the meat down with a hose, that should help cool it down greatly.

Ryan
 
I would suggest building a couple 2x4 post type fence rack and hang them vs on the floor with mice, spiders, fly's, and other things that may/will crawl all over them....... Second if on a concrete floor the meat will very quickly be the temp of the floor/ground which will be typically be higher than 40, ie more like 50 to 55...... Now if you have to put them on the floor, I would put the plastic on the floor then would put some 2x4's in a line on top to elevate the meat then put a clean 100% cotton sheet over the 2x4s and then put the meat on that.....
 
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Can you hose the meat down with a hose, that should help cool it down greatly.

Ryan
This could make the bacteria problem worse adding water. Carcasses need to cool and dry on the surface to keep bacteria at bay. Laying wet or moist meat on plastic is not good because the meat touching the plastic can’t dry. Every living organism needs moisture to survive, including bacteria, good and bad types.

This is why hanging meat is the preferred way.
 
Understand about the hanging & cooling part. Cut up meat will cool down quicker than leaving in primal cuts. What I didn't include in process is we lay meat on old slate top pool table covered with plastic. With temps a high of 18 & overnight temp of 3 the table should be plenty cold to lay meat on. There is no heat in shop after today. Then we spread cut up meat out in a thin layer on table. One year we had a warm spell when butchering (temp of 45) so we covered top of table with reusable ice packs before laying down plastic with meat on top. Worked out great. That table was a great $25 purchase.
 
I'd, personally, wipe down the meat with a big wad of cheese cloth and a jug of cheap red wine to remove any blood or hair, then hang it over the plastic with a fan on it for air circulation.
 
As long as temps are cold enough I think you'll be fine.
In TX many times I hunt and kill an animal I have to quarter and put in a cooler full of ice and cover the meat with ice. This does perfectly fine.

We don't have the luxury sometimes of hanging in a cooler of keeping it completely dry so ice and a cooler is the only option we have and no meat spoils this way. Now it stays on ice until deboned and then goes in a fridge or gets vac sealed and frozen. Again no time to dry BUT the meat is always at a safe cold temperature minus the time it takes to debone.

Do what you will with that info. I just wanted explain that as long as things are super cold where bacteria can't/won't do it's thing then u are ok.
 
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Plastic down on 6' portable tables set right by garage door. When done cutting, doors open to cool garage down. We usually do about this time of year so temps normally single digits.
 
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