A:   We usually recommend that beef is held for approximately 10-14 days to achieve increased tenderness from the cooler aging process. Holding a carcass for 3 to 4 weeks should not present significant problems and is not usually a food safety concern. The extended aging period could increase the dry aged flavors in the beef. Some people enjoy these dry aged flavors and restaurants will promote this on the menu. Other customers may object to the dry aged flavor. The down side to extended aging time is an increased drying of the surface which will need to be trimmed at fabrication. This will result in reduced yield. In addition, in some processing facilities mold growth can occur on the carcass surface with extended aging periods. While the molds are not usually pathogenic (cause human illness), some people are sensitive to molds. In most plants mold is not a problem for 3 to 4 weeks of aging but could occur for with longer aging periods.

Because repairs can sometimes take longer than expected, you may want to ask the butcher if they have other options. For example the butcher may be able to freeze at another location (depending on meat inspection). The butcher could also fabricate the carcass into subprimal cuts and vacuum package the cuts. However, many small operations do not have the equipment to package larger cuts of meat.