Another First Timer -5 day pictures

[Ted Meek]

Decided to try this dry aging out. Read the forum, got the Drybag and a new Foodsaver Outdoorsman which was supposed to have a better and wider seal. I ‘think’ things are looking pretty good but thought I would attach some photos of what has transpired so far. Good or Bad? I’m using a spare refrigerator @35 degrees that I open once, maybe twice a day for a few seconds to check the temp and keep the air flowing. Should I turn this ribeye over or just keep the fatback side up?

Initial seal

Initial seal

5 Days

5 Days

[Ron Pratt]

Welcome aboard, Ted. Your pictures look fine, but may I suggest leaving the meat alone. Every time you handle it you are disturbing the important bond between the bag and the meat – let alone risking a tear. Even a minute hole can break the vacuum. I am a firm believer of placing my sealed meat on a rack with fat side down and not touching it again until the end. Ron

[Tony Erne]

Looks like you are the forum guru. I have just rec’d my first dry bags and off to Costco for a primal. I have never tasted dry aged beef or tried drying with bags or open air. I will post picture once I finish the whole process.
I have a couple of questions and the Why’s to the answers, if you don’t mine, thx

Why do you place your meat fat side down.

Do you clean off the meat before placing it in the dry bag.

thx
Tony

[Ron Pratt]

Welcome aboard, Tony! Not sure I’m a guru of anything, but I try to help people the best I can. I must admit you are a pioneer here if you haven’t knowingly ever enjoyed the taste of age beef but are willing to give it a go. OTOH if you have eaten steaks at high end steakhouses then most assuredly you have had aged beef…plus paid the higher price for it. Dry aged beef has a more concentrated taste, is more tender and makes a believer out of you! Because of the aging the meat gives up about 20% of its weight which was just tasteless water. That shrinkage plus the trimming loss is why aged beef is then more costly per pound or per steakhouse steak than the routine steaks you buy at a grocery or even a butcher shop.

Now as for your questions…to prevent contamination it is best to merely cut the cryovac bag open on one end and leaving it on just drain any blood or liquid out of the package, but do not take it out nor rinse it. The meat has been sealed in a safe environment so now you can slide the meat from the cryovac into the rolled back Drybag. When I say rolled up think of rolling down a pair of socks, slip on the foot portion and then roll up the top. That way you keep the Drybag clean and free of juices which can hinder the sealing process I hope you have watched the video on sealing!

As for fat cap up or down it is just my personal preference to place the sealed meat on a wire rack with the fat side down. Then I never touch it, move it or mess with it until the time is up to open it after my predetermined aging period. As for rationale of why the fat on the bottom vs. top?…my thinking is the Drybag is allowing water to evaporate thru the membrane and I think of evaporation as leaving on top so why have a thick fat cap hindering the process? Maybe that is silly, but it works for me! Ron

[Anonymous]

hmmmm. i put the fat side up on the wire rack because the wire rack help push the dry bag into all those indentations in the meaty side of the primal that i can never seem to get vacuumed out. the fat side being smooth seems to adhere to the dry bag rather easily. it was actually the bag lady that gave me that tip. 🙂

[Ron Pratt]

quote hydrotex” post=3888:

it was actually the bag lady that gave me that tip. 🙂

LOL – I’m not questioning The Boss! I just replied to his question and clearly said it was my personal preference. B)

[Tony Erne]

Thx from a first timer, here’s the start of my first effort using the Drybags.

[Anonymous]

Ron, I didn’t mean to say you were wrong, just that i found *my* favorite with a bit of coaching. 🙂

I’ll be pulling my NY strip this weekend after 4 weeks. 🙂

[Dr. Frederick Howard]

Tony,
The only recommendation that I can add, is read the threads, view the video instructions and continue to read the instructions. I go through this routine each time I dry age. Leave nothing to chance. BTW once you’ve acclimated yourself to the taste and texture of a dry aged hunk of cow, there’s no going back. Tried a wet aged Tri-Tip the other day, no comparison. It wasn’t bad, just lacked the taste and texture of a dry aged piece of meat.
Doc

[Tony Erne]

Doc,
thx, I’ve been read and viewing any and all related dry age info. I just started and have three days with 32+ to go before I get to try out the new beef.

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