# Smells funny



## bishgeo (Jul 4, 2014)

Any body else pork shoulder smell a little off when u unwrap it. Date is 7-7


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## bear55 (Jul 8, 2014)

Not here, but do not take a chance with it.  Return it, or toss it.


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## venture (Jul 8, 2014)

Was it cryopacked?

Sometimes cryopacked meat has a smell.  Not a spoiled smell, but a smell?

If in doubt, throw it out.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## demosthenes9 (Jul 9, 2014)

Yep yep, sometimes some gassing goes on in cryovac.   Give the pork a good rinse, let the air (and your nose clear) then give it another sniff.     Here's where it gets somewhat complicated.  If smell is gone, then no more worries.   If it flat out smells bad, get rid of it (or take it back and complain).   If it just smells a little different than normal, cut a small sliver, fry it up in a pan and take a nibble and see how it tastes.


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## welshrarebit (Jul 9, 2014)

If my understanding is correct when you cryovac something you are taking all of the oxygen out and replacing it with some nitrogen. That's probably what you are smelling. Open it up and let it air out for about ten minutes and if the smell is gone you're good to go...

I use to work at a place that sold hamburgers that were vacuum packed and they smelled off when you opened the bag but after a while the smell was gone.


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## noboundaries (Jul 9, 2014)

I don't mess with funny smelling meat.  I buy 95% of my meat at the same grocer and I'm in there 3-5 times a week picking up things I need.  They know me.  I've taken a chicken and a pork tenderloin back because they didn't smell, feel, or look right.  They took them back no questions asked.  Didn't have the receipt with the pork tenderloin.  It was cryovac'd, half price, and the sell by date was 30 days away. I actually bought four and only one smelled like "don't eat me or you'll be sorry."  It was a slightly different color too I didn't notice when I purchased it.


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## demosthenes9 (Jul 9, 2014)

Noboundaries said:


> I don't mess with funny smelling meat.  I buy 95% of my meat at the same grocer and I'm in there 3-5 times a week picking up things I need.  They know me.  I've taken a chicken and a pork tenderloin back because they didn't smell, feel, or look right.  They took them back no questions asked.  Didn't have the receipt with the pork tenderloin.  It was cryovac'd, half price, and the sell by date was 30 days away. I actually bought four and only one smelled like "don't eat me or you'll be sorry."  It was a slightly different color too I didn't notice when I purchased it.


Over the years, I've opened plenty of cryo packs that gave off a different smell than normal.   Followed the advice I gave above and have never had a problem with it.    Of course, if it's green or still foul smelling after a rinse, it gets trashed and my butcher gets an earful.  :)


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## bluewhisper (Jul 9, 2014)

Sometimes in the meat case I'll see a cryovac that lost its seal, and the plastic is loose. Sometimes the meat is gray. I never touch those.


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## atomicsmoke (Jul 9, 2014)

Welshrarebit said:


> replacing it with some nitrogen. That's probably what you are smelling.



Nitrogen does not smell; or this whole planet would be a stinker (The air we breath is almost 80% nitrogen).


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## venture (Jul 9, 2014)

I don't pretend to understand it?  I have heard things like the "inert" gas used to prolong the shelf life to bone dust somehow morphing into sulphur? Some things I just don't need to know?

I do know the cryopak smell is sometimes there.  Usually a ten minute rest or a quick rinse will clear up the problem.  Yes, I do know we aren't supposed to be rinsing our meat.

If a bad smell persists, there may be something more serious going on. 

Good luck and good smoking.


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## bishgeo (Jul 9, 2014)

Yea it was Tyson meat went back to Wally World. Couldn't wash the smell off it. First piece of bad meat I've got there.


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## Bearcarver (Jul 9, 2014)

bishgeo said:


> Yea it was Tyson meat went back to Wally World. Couldn't wash the smell off it. First piece of bad meat I've got there.


You did right, just like Demo said (below).

Bear


Demosthenes9 said:


> Yep yep, sometimes some gassing goes on in cryovac.   Give the pork a good rinse, let the air (and your nose clear) then give it another sniff.     Here's where it gets somewhat complicated.  If smell is gone, then no more worries.   If it flat out smells bad, get rid of it (or take it back and complain).   If it just smells a little different than normal, cut a small sliver, fry it up in a pan and take a nibble and see how it tastes.


Exactly.

Bear


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