80 BULLETIN 433, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



STORAGE. 



The second quarter of beef was held in cold storage for an addi- 

 tional period of 177 days. The temperature of cold-storage room 

 No. 1 remained fairly uniform, ranging between 32° and 36° F. 

 during the larger part of the time. On a few occasions the tem- 

 perature ran up to from 39° to 48° F. for a few hours at a time, in 

 consequence of difficulties that were experienced with the refrigerat- 

 ing equipment, which finally necessitated the bringing of the experi- 

 ment to a close. It is not considered that the rises in temperature 

 that have been noted affected the value of the experiment appreci- 

 ably; although the meat could have been held in cold storage for 

 some time longer had these difficulties not been encountered. The 

 humidity of the cold-storage room varied from 70 to 84 per cent 

 of saturation. The following are a few of the observations that 

 were made concerning the condition of the beef during storage: 



After it had been 48 days in cold storage the quarter of beef was 

 in generally good condition. The exposed flank and shank muscles 

 had become darker in color and rather hard and dry in texture. 

 There was a slight growth of mold on the cut muscular surfaces at 

 the butt of the round and the tip of the loin. 



At the end of 98 days of cold storage the beef was still in good 

 condition. The color of the fat had changed from an original light 

 yellow to a grayish white. There was a rather heavy growth of mold 

 on the inside of the flank and lighter growths on the tip of the loin 

 and on the exposed muscular tissue at the butt of the round. A 

 slight odor was given off from the exposed, cut, muscular surfaces, 

 but none was apparent from other parts of the quarter. 



At the close of the storage period, or after a total period of 180 

 days of cold storage, the quarter of beef had a badly desiccated 

 appearance, the flank being as hard as a board, and the muscles at 

 the shank being hard, shrunken, and dark-brown in color. There was 

 a slight growth of mold on the flank, on the tip of the loin, and on 

 the exposed muscles at the butt of the round. The fat had become 

 very dark in color. Although there were no apparent evidences of 

 putrefaction, the quarter of beef was considered not to be in good 

 marketable condition on account of the badly dried out condition of 

 the meat. 



The beef showed a shrinkage of 10 per cent during storage. 



QUALITY OF MEAT. 



Quarter of heef stored 68 hours. — This quarter of beef was of only 

 fair quality, being rather rough in form and very unevenly covered 

 with fat. There was a heavy covering of fat on the top of the loin, 

 while the round was poorly covered. The organoleptic properties 



