Search Results for 'wet aging before dry aging'

[Carl Glaze]

This is my second attempt at dry aging. The first was whole rib roast turned out wonderful. The second not so much
the meat aged fine, no funky smell. Cut into 1.5″ Steaks cooked medium rare. Tasted fine but man were they tough.

Did I do something wrong or did i get a dud sub-primal?
I noticed the Package Date of the Loin sub-primal was 8/31 and transferred to the Umai Dry age bag on 9/12 (14 days Wet Aged?)

should I pay attention to the package date and wait the 28 days for the wet aging to happen before transferring to the Umai bag for the Dry aging?

all in all the Flavor was good but man it was tough piece of meat.

Thanks in advance

[Thea]

Hello, Thummper.
The reason we recommend a a regularly used modern frost free kitchen refrigerator located in a room temperature environment is that a decade+ experience has proven that smaller fridges cannot keep up with the humidity management. While dry aging, the meat is going to release 17-20% of it’s weight in water–for a standard 20 lb boneless ribeye, that’s about 4 lbs of water. How many cups is that? Fans will only move that moisture around, or worse, will not wick the moisture off the surface so that the meat is just sitting there in it’s own moisture. Sure, like wet aging, the enzymes are working away at the texture. The oxygen permeability of UMAi Dry® is allowing for some of the flavor to develop. But without the proper rate of moisture transmission (and removal from the environment), you can’t predict the bacterial environment.
If you opt to use your beverage cooler, remember to ensure the temp remains between 34-38F (1-4C), and let us know how it goes.

[Kyle Brennan]

As far as I know dry aging meat for 14 days before you sell it isnt common. All beef is wet aged before the consumer, I know that much. But 21 days should be the minimum for dry aging, I mean you dont get a real good change of flavor until 35 days. It wouldnt hurt the age it more but after aging once at 14 days I’m sure there was pellicle and it already had to be trimmed. If you push it out more you will have to trim even more off. Where exactly did u get your beef from where it was hung already 14 days? All cows must hang a certain amount of time to drain the blood and let the rigor mortis process come and go. Is it a sub primal cut(rib roast/striploin not trimmed up)? Anything under 6lbs sub primal I wouldnt suggest unless you are doing cured meat. But really the great thing about the bags is you can basically put whatever you want in it and it will age. So if you feel you have a good size roast that can stand to lose even more trim off of then do it. Other big thing is quality of meat, yes you can do literally ANY cut and grade. My suggestion is a minimum 6lb, USDA PRIME. If you dont have good marbling(intramuscular fat) it will just taste like a normal steak. Yes the beef flavor gets concentrated but the fat is what’s going to give you 90% of the flavor. A good quality cut will make you want to keep aging meat. Hope all goes well, dont hesitate to reach back. Take care and enjoy

[Kyle Brennan]

Hello everyone,

New to the forum and let me start by saying what a great community of fellow meat lovers. I love seeing people come together for a purpose that truly benefits our taste buds!

The set up I put together is a idea from other forums and such and I attached the product links below so if anyone else wants to put this together there is everything you need.

So my big questions are, and keep in mind my set up and what I have to work with. Is 40 to 42 degrees to warm? is a humidity level of 30 to 40% too low? will a wet sponge be good enough to up the humidity? will the salt block inhibit humidity from increasing? Is there any preperation between wet aging than putting the steak in dry age, is that better to do? Is it better to hang or lay the steak on a tray when aging? Should I wash the meat before I hang it? Some of these questions I have a idea on but I’m trying to get some exact knowledge. I know this is a lot of questions but I’m just trying to get this right the first time. Any other equipment you think I should get or ideas?

So to start I bought a 115 can beverage cooler with a temp control down to 34 degrees, I modified the racks a little bit because the fan on the inside for the defrost and condensation is in a terrible place.

(Best Buy has a better price)

To follow I bought a salt block to fit the bottom slot almost perfect.

A humidity sensor with probe, one problem with this one is is doesn’t show the probe humidity level so I just put the whole unit in the bottom.

Bought a small refrigerator fan for a camper fridge to circulate air, 2 D batteries last 30 days.

Meat hooks, smaller ones might be a little better but the 3 loose ones that came with this pack hang perfect.

Last I got a metal tray, took dimensions and this one fits perfect.

Thanks everyone.

[Ron Pratt]

Oh boy…though I’m NOT even an employee, nor owner of the company “UMAi Dry® Bag” I do NOT want to p*ss off the COSTCO “Gods”…

UNLESS you can get a COSTCO employee in the meat dept to sell you a sub-primal still in an unopened cryovac bag then the COSTCO procedure is to run the sub-primals through a blade tenderizer.

If possible it is BEST to dry age sub-primals which have NOT been blade tenderized since even at the UTMOST sanitary conditions such that COSTCO has that doesn’t mean that the slaughter house that processed that cow and then packaged it in cryovac followed the same caution! So given that scenario then any bacteria on the surface of the meat before packaging CAN WELL be introduced inside the meat with that blade tenderizing! BTW beef, is sanitary inside the meat itself… BUT blade induced bacteria CAN be a problem for dry aging.

Again…I’m NOT even an employee, nor owner of the company “UMAi Dry® Bag”.
Ron

[Josh Simpson]

I bagged both of them up Christmas Eve. Kroger’s recently had whole beef tenderloins (choice) on sale for $12.99/lb so I decided to pick one up. The other is a striploin half (select) that I picked up for $3.98/lb. I was advised not to dry age this because it would likely be tough since it was select grade. After cooking up the other one I bought to my surprise in was more tender than I thought it’d be just had a mild beef flavor. I wet aged it 2 weeks passed it sell by date before I started the day age process. I’m really curious what the aging process will do to this meat. I know the tenderloin will be amazing. 3 days in and I’m starting to get that darker color so it appears everything is going well. I plan on letting them go until February 1st.

[Mitch]

Hillbilly,
Any time I bag up a primal/sub-primal cut that came in a sealed wet-aged bag (cryo-vac), I wash the exterior of the cryo-vac bag thoroughly with soap and water to ensure there is no bacteria than can contaminate the process. I brew beer as well and even the slightest contamination can spoil a fermentation with beer, so I only assume dry aging meat to be the same.

Baglady,
I let it go for a week and watched it carefully. By the looks of it, it was a false alarm. I’m guessing the white specs might actually be loose fat particles from processing, but as of now, everything is looking good! Must not have noticed it when I bagged it and have never seen meat speckled with fat dots like that before.

As for the fridge.
I’m aware salt is a passive measure, and the fans only serve to move moist air around, but together they balance the temperature and humidity across the interior of the fridge. This means the condenser doesn’t have to work as hard and you get a more uniform environment without temperature gradients inside the fridge. I have thought to try a better desiccant than salt, but I haven’t had a need to yet. That said, I have been noticing a large amount of condensate under the fridge the last few days as the temp has started to rise. I may have to switch to a more active desiccant to drive the moisture more efficiently than the salt.

The lighting is specifically for the web cam, which has both standard and Night vision modes. The green-scale night vision is useless on a slab of meat and fridges actually ***ARE*** dark on the I side with the door closed! 😉 so the lighting helps both with the door closed and open to make for quick inspections.

[Thea]

Usually dry aged steak is described as earthy, forest-y, blue cheese-y, funky, but never before “wet dog.”
There should be no mold if you use a modern frost free refrigerator in regular use located within a consistently room temperature environment. With charcuterie, some white mold may form and should be wiped off with wine vinegar. But fresh meat should not develop mold in a fridge that is managing humidity effectively. Also, the contact between UMAi Dry® and meat surface is optimized if you start out meat side down on the open wire rack, fat cap up. Gravity will ensure the best contact if you leave it that ways for at least week, before flipping over for the rest of the aging period.
Also, with UMAi Dry® we generally recommend trimming back to “grocery store red,” as you describe it. The “bark” is not recommended for consumption.

[Ron Pratt]

Even though that newer fridge is not frost free then if it did keep a constant temperature of 34 to 38º the meat should still be good, but more of a wet aging than a dry aging. Your best bet is to give the meat a good up close smell check before proceeding.
Ron

[Peter Seymour]

This my 1st post but not me 1st dry age. About a year ago I dried a boneless rib eye for 24 days. I know that is too short now but then I was anxious and needed to get it out, broken down, and tested. It was good but the was not a choice or prime (a weak moment when buying it) so I’m sure could have been better. I broke it down the same way I had a wet aged rib eye before, pealing the cap off and then steaking out the eye. Cap steaks are about the best thing I remember eating, what a cut (seen about 2:20 into this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJH3qwIHeDc). More recently I had a 12lb prime strip loin that I wet aged for a bit. That was some very good steak but for an upcoming weekends at a friend’s camp I wanted more.
 
I started with a 15lb prime strip loin. I would post a picture but don’t see how to without a link to a 3rd party site. Drained the thing, then into a dry bag, sealed up well, and into the basement refrigerator on a homemade rack that is about 1.5” above the bottom glass shelf. That was 15 days ago. My plan going in was for a 35 day age so I could steak it out on 11/9 for the 11/10-11/13 weekend. Well after spending the last two weeks reading about everything on the forum (I’m 44 pages into the main section, back 5+ years) I’ve rethought a few things and wanted to present my updated plan for consideration and comments. Things I know from a lot of reading are:

• It is my meat, do whatever (not meant to offend, just what I read)
• Don’t play with the meat after it goes in the fridge (I’ve tried but fail at this a little)
• Strip loins might be best aged to 28-35 days because they are thinner/smaller than rib eyes
• The longer it ages the less water it gives up but it still tenderizes and flavors.

My prime strip loin was 15.25lb minus the fluid that went down the sink (I didn’t measure it). It was a thick piece of meat with a thin fat cap. Much thinner than I see on a brisket, the last strip loin, or rib eye. Almost like it had been trimmed up then cryovac’d. So based on the thickness of the meat, thin fat cap, and 15lb weight it might be good at 35-45 days but the calendar and planned weekend away won’t support more than 35 days.
 
I plan to steak out 1st and trim 2nd. I’ve got the time so why not get the best from each steak?
I also read about not over trimming things as there is some really good flavor to be had. It maybe a little dried out but it can be cut away after cooking if wanted.
 
Then I came across info from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Link on this site https://www.drybagsteak.com/forum/17-dry-aging-with-drybags/3027-wetage-dryage?start=6 It mentioned improvements by Food Saver bagging after dry aging then continuing to age in the fridge for a period before use/freezing. Sounds similar to what I do with cheese I cold smoke and steaks, roasts, birds I cook. Why not dry aged meat? The moistness in the middle might work toward the dryer outside and soften the bark some making a better eat later. If this is true there could be less trimming waste. The steaks might have a more consistent moisture level from edge to center to edge. Not sure if that is the case or would make a difference but in theory it might. The stronger edge flavor might work in some. While it is in the food saver bag in the fridge it will still be aging, enzymes will still be doing their thing, and in theory tenderization will continue. Continued moisture loss at this point in a dry aging does not seem significant so stopping it at this point might not be a big factor.
 
So I’m thinking of doing the following:

• At 28 days open the dry bag and cut off about ~45% of the strip loin.
• Food Saver bag this piece, weigh it, and put back in the fridge.
• Cut off one steak to be Food Saver bagged, weighed, and frozen as a 28 day dry age sample.
• Roll up the dry bag end, chip clip it closed, weigh it, and put the remaining ~45% back in the fridge to continue dry aging.
• At 35 days weigh all. Only the dry age piece should change. Steak out both pieces and make sure to label them properly. Make some notes about the bark difference if it exists.
• Take some really nice steaks with me for the weekend and ask the guys to compare them.

 
Thoughts?
 
Thanks for all of the past posts and education!

Peter

[Alex]

My pack date is 6-26-17 so that was yesterday. I believe that is when it goes in the cryovac? So didn’t know if a 30 wet age would help or hurt me before I do a 45-60 dry age.

[Alex]

Is there any advantage or disadvantage to wet aging a rib eye block before you dry age it?

[Tim Wegner]

I have been wanting to try dry aging for a long time and finally just started my first attempt. I have hung game, deer, elk, bison etc… for up to 21 days with great results but have never dry aged beef. I started out with a 20 lb grass fed ribeye. When I got it I intended on getting it in the UMAI bag asap but ran out of time due to an upcoming trade show. The ribeye sat in the wet cryo bag at 35 degrees for about 10 days past sell date.When I opened the cryo bag it smelled a tad bit high so I patted it dry to get the blood and majority of the juices off and the meat itself smelled fine.
I have encountered this before and the meat prime rib or steaks were great and never sour or having a bad flavor
so I went through the process and sealed it in the UMAI bag. Its now been in the temperature controlled frig drawer (meat button pushed) sitting at 33-34 degrees for about 4 days. Looks fine, smells fine.

First question, I just read that grass feed beef was a little trickier and had a narrower dry aging window than grain fed beef…I don’t want to screw this up so do any of you have suggestions or tips i should be aware of for dry aging grass fed beef? as I said this is my first attempt.

Second question, is can I dry age a choice prime rib that had been frozen in its original cryo packaging?

Thanks in advance! Tim

[Doug McCabe]

I am aging a couple of standing rib roasts that I plan to freeze and then smoke at a later date (they were on sale for $5.99/lb before Easter). Should I trim off the bark before or after I vacuum seal and freeze them?

Also, I got my feet wet using the dry age bags to produce a 35 day NY strip roast. The sous vide steaks followed by a quick char on my gas grill were fantastic. I left a bit of the bark on in places and discovered I didn’t really care for it.

I also have a capicola and a couple prosciutto going as well. Those should be done in a couple weeks. Fun stuff.

[Ron Pratt]

Dale – did you see this recent post in Maureen’s blog? Ron

Sous Vide Cooking Guarantees a Perfect Steak Every Time
Posted on November 14, 2015
Congratulations! Dry aging done! Your ribeye, striploin or sirloin is ready. Now it’s time to trim the “bark” off, cut it into steaks, and get ready to enjoy, share or preserve to savor over time.

Steak lover beware: Dry aged steak cooks faster than “wet-aged” steak. With the lower water content, there is none of the weep and shrivel to indicate doneness. Time has provided tenderness that you don’t want to unintentionally turn to shoe leather.

Screen Shot 2015-11-14 at 1.40.17 AM

The ultimate way to cook a steak is sous vide, under vacuum in a controlled temperature water bath. Once the meat has reached the desired temperature of the bath, the meat is cooked perfectly edge to edge. Polish the steak off with a quick sear on a grill or frying pan. This is the secret to a perfect steak.

Freezing dry aged steaks:
Dry aged steaks freeze very well with minimal impact on taste or texture. Because of the reduced moisture content, dry aged steaks are less susceptible than wet aged steaks to freeze damage that is a result of water crystal formation. Simply vacuum seal your dry aged steaks into vacuum/sous vide bags and place them in the freezer. For best results, thaw the steaks very slowly in the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature before grilling or cooking sous vide. You might want “hot tub” the steaks in lukewarm water for an hour or so before cooking so you know they are just right when you toss them on the grill.

Cooking dry aged steaks:
Dry aged steaks tend to cook faster than wet aged steaks because there is just less water in them to “bring to a boil.” The steak will reach doneness in much less time. So, keep an eye on those steaks, use a quick read thermometer, and pull them off before they reach temp to let the carry over do the trick.

Many chefs will quick sear the steak before vacuum packing with a pat of butter and some seasoning. When you sous vide this way, the flavors expand and penetrate the meat delectably. Sous vide cooking is your best guarantee of steak perfection—exact temperature, ideal texture, complete nutritional value and maximum flavor.

UMAi Dry® currently offers these temperature-resistant sous vide bags:

SousVide Supreme Vacuum Cooking Bags $11
One great resource on the web, ChefSteps.com, offers a great visual guide to temperature and doneness. They also offer online video classes on how to cook perfect proteins and more sous vide.

Posted in Dry aging tips, Recipes, Uncategorized | Tagged beef, charcuterie, ChefSteps, Dry aged beef, dry aging, dry aging bags, foodies, sous vide, UMAi Dry, UMAi Dry Bags