How many days for 13 lbs (NY sirloin)

[Crown E Ranch]

How long would you suggest to age a 13 lb NY sirloin boneless? I’m 20 days in and everything looks great so far. Temperature in the fridge has been averaging 36 degrees. Also, the fat side has been up from day one, is this correct? Thanks, -Mike

[Ron Pratt]

Since you are asking for opinions I will gladly give you mine and I suggest no less than 35 days and 45 would be better for sake of tenderness. The water give up slows down drastically after 35 days so you wouldn’t see that much difference in weight between 35 and 45. Be sure to report back! Ron

[Crown E Ranch]

Hi Ron, I’m finished with my first dry age using UMAI. I removed the sirloin day 45 and although the taste was what I expected (rich and bold), the steak wasn’t as juicy as I thought it would be. The steak was too dry. Is this normal? If not, any recommendations for round 2? Perhaps I didn’t seal the steak correctly or the fridge was too cold? The temp. fluctuated between 33-38. Thanks, -Mike

[Ron Pratt]

Yes it is quite normal. All that dry aging is is removing that tasteless water out of the meat to concentrate the beefy taste meaning yes the meat will be less juicy. Besides that sirloin has less fat than other pieces of beef and to me tends to be drier anyway! Also since dry aged beef cooks faster it is important to cook to temperature – not to time like you probably have done in the past. Ron

[Cambiz]

Hi,

Just started my first dry age two days ago and so far, seeing similar results — so I thought it would be better to piggyback on this thread rather than create a new one.

Details:
– 13 lb NY strip
– Stored at the bottom of the fridge on top of a rack for circulation

Observations:
– noticing small white patches on the fat cap (which is facing up)
– pretty good, but not perfect seal

Questions:
– After the first day, I noticed the temperature was hovering a little over 40, so I adjusted the dial of the Frigidaire refrigerator to lower the temp. Now it’s hovering a little below the recommended low of 34 degrees. It’s a cheap dial and no way to set the temperature to a precise setting. Any cause for concern with keeping it at the present setting (just around 33 degrees)?
– Is there a need to flip it over at any point, or is it fine to keep the fat cap facing up for the planned 45 day aging?

Thanks in advance! Great forum!

– Cambiz

[Ron Pratt]

Personally I prefer the results of at least 45 days for a strip and that will typically mean a weight loss of 21% though I have gone 60 days with nearly a 33% loss. As for flipping I’m in the never do camp! Ron

[Cambiz]

Awesome! Thank you, Ron, for the quick reply. 45 days is my target.

Temperature wise, I know the recommended low is 34, but it’s difficult to get the setting just right, and I don’t want to risk going over 40 degrees. Should it be fine if it’s a little lower than 34 degrees?

[Ron Pratt]

Depends on just how “little lower than 34 degrees” you mean – after all, freezing will prevent the release of the moisture trapped in the meat. Ron

[Cambiz]

Thanks again, Ron. Good news, I’ve gotten it to stabilize at around 35 degrees. Hopefully no more need for adjustments. Now I just need to wait out the 45 days — looking forward to the results with much anticipation!

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