New to Dry agingand had a couple of questions

[Nick Etie]

hello,

I posted this just a minute ago but it disappeared from the recent topics, so I’m sorry if this is a double post.

I started my first dry aging project with a large black angus boneless rib roll and had a question about the vacuum seal. I wanted to make sure I did things correct. Last night it had a good 80% of the bag in contact with the meat but i just checked it and the bag has separated from the meat. The fat cap still has a good amount of contact and the other side has a good amount too (besides the spots where the bones used to be), but the side of the meat has completely separated and there Is noticble space there. Should I go ahead and just use another bag and reseal? Also, should I pay the meat dry before sealing as well. Didn’t see that in the instructions so I wasn’t sure. I’ve included a couple of photbucket links for pictures. Thanks for the help! I don’t want this beautiful hunk of meat to go to waste!

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u494/Nick_Etie/IMG_4398_zpsrgfhcvho.jpg

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u494/Nick_Etie/IMG_4397_zpsf3kq6gmx.jpg

[Ron Pratt]

Sorry I accidentally deleted your post when I was trying to fix the pictures you posted. When you want your pictures to show using PbhotoBucket copy the one labeled IMG.

Anyway as for your concern – it sounds to me like you are fine! You do not need a perfect vacuum and your 80% sounds good! BTW in the future do not rinse nor dry your meat before sealing – you want the meat to be moist so that speeds the adherence of the bag.

Ron

[Ron Pratt]

Heres’s your pictures using the IMG tag :

[Nick Etie]

Thank you for the quick reply!! I did not pat dry since the directions did not say to, just wiped the blood from the mouth of the bag for better sealing. And sorry about the image posting error, I misunderstood the directions on that.

And as far as the 80% bond, it was definitely 80% last night but it seems a little bit looser (ie wrinkles on the fat cap) and was just seeing if this looked ok now. Sorry if I am asking a redundant question but I am just nervous and want to make sure I do this right. Lol, I have two more bags and plenty of the vacmouse adapters, so re doing it is not a problem if it could yield better results. Thanks again for your help and your patience! Look forward to learning more and to making some amazing dry aged steaks!

[Nick Etie]

Here is another pic that shows the bit of separation on the fat cap. And I hope I posted the image correctly this time!

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[Ron Pratt]

Trust me – you should be fine! I would not even recommend starting all over again with a new bag. In the days ahead your meat will continue to give up moisture (tasteless water) as it dries and it will continue to shrink. You won’t notice that shrinkage on the fat cap, but you will between the peaks and valleys where the bones were removed. And THAT is normal and nothing to worry about! BTW how long do you plan to age it?
Ron

[Nick Etie]

Thanks again for the quick reply! I guess I’m just worrying too much. Lol, and I was planning on aging for 30-45 days. Tho I might not be able to resist the temptation to open, trim, and cook at the 30 day mark. Haha

[Ron Pratt]

45 days for a thick sub-primal like yours works far better than just 30 in my experience.Feel free to ask more questions as you go along. One bit of unsolicited advice I will give you though is don’t keep inspecting your meat by removing it from the shelf. As it ages you risk tearing the material. My motto is “bag it, seal it, place on the rack and leave it alone!” Ron

[Nick Etie]

Well, then I guess I will push it to 45 days then. Is there a certain sweet spot you want to hit as far as the amount of days go? Like what would be to far?

And thanks for the advice! I’ll take any I can get! And yea, I’m not planning on touching it at all. Don’t want to risk tearing.

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