A question of meat storage before cooking

[floaty]

OK...just got back from Sams Club.  Bought a big ol' 13 lb. brisket. Came with the flat AND the tip!  I also bought 6 racks of babybacks.
Now, the "sell by" date is July, 7th.  I'm planning putting these in my bradley this coming Thursday, just in time for our big 4th o' July bash.  Today is Saturday.
My question is this...will it be safe to store all this meat in the refrigerator until that time OR do I need to put them in the freezer?
Im thinking it will be ok to just refrigerate them since that is probably what Sams does until the sell by date.  But I want to make sure...I don't want to make everyone sick over the holiday weekend.
Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Floaty

[Ka Honu]

If you cook them before the "Sell by" date, you can store in the fridge until then.  For use after that date you should freeze them.

[KyNola]

Floaty,
Welcome.  Perfectly safe to hold them in the frig.

KyNola

[floaty]

sweet!  I was hoping you would say that.  My wife was hoping too...we didn't want to have to make room in our freezer for all of it.
Thanks so much...you guys (and gals too) are great!

[beefmann]

welcome to the forum and you shouldent have a problem waiting till the 4 th to smoke

[NePaSmoKer]

Welcome floaty

I have a few friends in the grocery biz. The sell by date is when the stores have to pull the item. Its usually good for 7 to 10 days after the date pulled.

nepas

[westexasmoker]

Welcome to the forum floaty

Everyone has got you set....I routinely age most of my larger cuts of meat for 2-4 weeks (even past the sell by date), as long as its cry-o-vac'd or vacum sealed.  Air is your biggest enemy!  Good luck!

C

[FLBentRider]

Fridge.

Having said that, I've had cuts go bad BEFORE the "sell by" date.

[Ka Honu]

... I've had cuts go bad BEFORE the "sell by" date.

I bought a whole, previously frozen chicken a couple of years ago well before the "sell by" date.  Opened it us and it was green on the inside and smelled bad enough that I tossed it immediately instead of keeping it to take back.  Definitely better to eat the cost rather than the bird that time.