High meat tasting like ammonia after 2months

[favetelinguis]

Just finished my first jars of high meat. The meat im using is beef heart, organic and grass feed. I started eating from the jars after about 2 weeks but then they taste just a bit dull and bad. Then after about 2 months in the jars they tasted like some sort of chemical, i would think something like ammonia. If i ate like just 30 grams i could feel that my nostrils really reacting from the inside of my body. Super strange and hard to explain (OBS I got no ill reactions from this). My question is if it is normal that high meat starts to taste more like chemicals after a few months?

[TylerDurden]

High-meat should not really taste like chemicals unless it has not been aerated at all for ages, which is bad. High-meat should instead taste like raw, aged cheese. Of course, my definition of taste may be wholly different from your description so......

[Dr. D]

There was one point in my high meat jar about a month in that the upper portion of the jar smelled a bit like ammonia, but the meat was aging with no chemical taste. I searched around the forum here and found that a byproduct of some bacteria growth is ammonia.

Make sure your jar is getting stirred as you age it and that you replenish all the air. You can also add some fresh blood and stir it in and give it a few days and that may take care of the ammonia. It will naturally break down with oxygen exposure.

[favetelinguis]

Great, i will try to air them more if i feel any hint of amonia.

I have now put in 6 beef hearts and 2kidneys for this next trial, will report if i get ammonia issue again.

[Inger]

I have had high meat that taste like ammonia but I liked it... it was like and old roquefort to me. Delicious. If you got no ill effects from it I doubt there is anything wrong. Just do not forget to air, at least every third day. Fill the jar only about 1/4.

[favetelinguis]

I would need a bigger cooler if im going to fill it 1/4, i have had two jars, one that was 1/2 full and one that was 1/4 full but noticed no difference. Then one that was 1/4 full aged only a few days faster i woud say, at least at the start but no other difference so now im just doing 1/2 jars to save space and just try to air them often. Have you noticed a bigg difference?

[Inger]

It is just because I am terrible in remembering to air my meat.... it can often get 4-5 days before I remember. That is why I like to have more air in my jars, so it does not matter too much if I forget to air you see.

[Dr. D]

More frequent airing definitely helps it age quicker. Again, I not sold that the ammonia smell isn't just a "natural" byproduct that is not unlike the carbon dioxide that comes off fermenting alcohol. It should die down after a couple weeks IIRC.

That said, my meat never tasted chemically either, so if it doesn't taste good, wait. I've always been able to down my high meat with no repulsiveness to it's flavor. If it tastes bad there's a reason for it. (Look at me, sounding all instincto)