Help with Air Chilling?

mendocinobirds

In the Brooder
6 Years
Jul 21, 2013
33
11
26
Fort Bragg California
I am slaughtering 25 cornish this Friday. A chef would like them air chilled. I do have a walk in freezer. Do most people put all chickens into a single bath of chlorinated water? If I wanted to air chill could I rinse them and then hang them up in the freezer? Any advice or articles on this?
 
I am slaughtering 25 cornish this Friday. A chef would like them air chilled. I do have a walk in freezer. Do most people put all chickens into a single bath of chlorinated water? If I wanted to air chill could I rinse them and then hang them up in the freezer? Any advice or articles on this?
CHLORINATED water??? Why would you do that??? Bleck!!!!
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I have heard about people RINSING in a mild bleach solution. I wouldn't personally want to do that though. I could be wrong, but air chilling is usually at refrigerator temperatures and not freezing.
 
Federal slaughter guidelnes call for use of some bleach in the water and all the big processors do it. So it doesnt help when people act like its my idea. Id rather not, I was asking if others who slaughter on farm use chlorinated/bleach (samething) water or not? Chicken has to be frozen eventually, but I am not sure if air chilling freezes solid or not. I have some pictures of a medium sized processor with air chilled chikcens frozen solid behind hanging upside down, in the style of Chinatown. Is there anybody here who air chills? Is there any way I can avoid plastics?
 
I don't water chill my birds, I just rinse thoroughly and stick them in zipper lock bags, and then in my freezer in my garage until I finish processing, then I rest my chickens in my spare refrigerator until they loosen up before freezing. My only concern with 25 is whether that amount of body heat might overwhelm your freezer.

Before plastic meat was wrapped in butcher paper. It works great, as long as you wrap it tightly, and double wrap.
 
Air chilling can be tricky. You want to make sure to get the carcass temp down to 40•F ASAP. I think within 2 hrs of kill. Putting them in a freezer would speed up the chill. Air chilling does eliminate added water weight.

Butcher paper should work. You might find something reusable.
 
By now You've probably learned how to air chill your chickens. I want to share what I've read on Whole Foods website and one of their chicken suppliers websites about air chilling. The reason air chilling is better than water chilled is the flavor is not lost in the water. Also, water chilling causing the chicken to absorb chlorinated water which is later trapped by the "diaper" in the chicken packaging. Air chilling involves cooling the meat directly after butchering and prior to rigor mortis setting in. So, the process has to be started within a short period after the kill, like 11 mins. I think. Also, the meat should not be frozen for 24-48 hours after kill. The reason is that the meat will be tough due to rigor mortis. The muscles need to relax before freezing. So, air chilling takes place around 33 degrees F. All of this is available online. I am searching for info on air chilling in the refrigerator. If you have learned anything about it would be appreciated.
 

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