New Dry Ager

[Jeff]

I have read a number of these forums and see Ron Pratt is the man. Thanks for all your input. Couple questions.

I have my meat in an UMAi bag sitting on a rack in a walk in cooler at the school I work for. Reading many comments, I am wondering if that is the best place for it. Should I move it to my home refrigerator?

Is there anything I should be looking for to tell me if the meat is not aging but rotting in the bag? I can’t smell anything through the bag which I believe is normal. The meat looks good so far but there is some worrisome coloration in the fat.

Please let me know if there is any other info you need to assist.

Thanks Ron, and any others.

[Ron Pratt]

First of all – not knowing anything about that walk in cooler BUT I would seriously doubt that it does anything but keep things cold! You need to move your meat PRONTO to a modern frost free refrigerator and place it on a bottom shelf on a wire rack. As meat dry ages it is releasing the water content and unless that water is removed from the air then the risk of rotting meat is quite probable! As for telling your nose is the best indication if something is wrong. As for the fat dis-colorization that is normal!
Ron

[Jeff]

Thanks Ron for your prompt feedback.
Is it ok to open the bag to smell it then close it right back up if its good? It has been there 14 days. If it is starting to spoil I believe I can salvage most of it but if it is good I’d like to keep going.

[Ron Pratt]

You could open the bag, but most likely you’ll never be able to seal it properly again and transferring to yet a new UMAi Dry bag would not be a good idea. As for smell you really should be able to smell it even sealed in the “breathing” UMAi bag. If the meat has gone bad you would probably have already noticed it when you open the refrigerator door!
Ron

[Jeff]

Excellent! Thank you for your input. Please let me know if you have ever done a “all you need to know about dry aging” Video or book. I’d snap it up in a second. You’re the man!

[Ron Pratt]

LOL – no video or book, but I do believe there is a project under development to compile more Q & A of the most frequently asked questions.
Ron

[Jeff]

Very cool.

On the meat. I have moved it to my home refrigerator. When I put my nose right to the package I can smell a faint spoiled meat smell. Like if I had just bought it from the store I would be taking it back. I am thinking I need to not risk the waste and open it up. If it is spoiled, would I be able to trim it back to good meat or is the whole thing an expensive lesson learned?

Just for the sake of saying it, in many posts you comment on how important it is to be placing the meat in the proper refrigerator and I don’t see that instruction anywhere on the UMAi instructions. It just says pop it in the fridge. Just a little frustrating.

Thanks for all your help though Ron.

[Ron Pratt]

??? Perhaps you didn’t take the time to read the brochure that came with your order! Under KEY POINTS it was clearly stated what type of refrigerator should be used.
Ron

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