The Original Dry Bag Steak | Make Artisan Dry Age Steak at Home › Forums › Dry Aging Steak › Dry Aging Steak with UMAi Dry® › The bag is not firmly in contact with the ends of my strip loin, is that okay?
- This topic has 13 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 2 months ago by
Ron Pratt.
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November 28, 2018 at 1:01 am #3271
Ant
MemberAs title states. I have a 15 lbs strip loin I attempted to seal and had trouble. The strip loin had a curve to it so it was hard to get a uniform surface area lining but I did manage to get great coverage on the top and bottom of the loin.
My problem however is that the ends of the strip loin aren’t attaching to the bag and are rather loose. I don’t know if that’s okay.
Another question I have is if I re-sealed it now with a new bag would that still work or once it starts drying you can’t use a new bag?
November 28, 2018 at 1:30 am #11858Ron Pratt
MemberWelcome aboard!
Trust me it is only natural for a first time user to be concerned, and sometimes over concerned! What you described happens – but no need to start all over with a new bag! Next time you start another just try to move as much air out of the bag as you with your hands by pressing the bag into the meat while your sealer is working.
BTW how long are you planning to age that strip loin? It is one of my favorites to age!
RonNovember 28, 2018 at 1:32 am #11859Ant
MemberThanks for the reply Ron.
I have 2 15 lbs Loins in the fridge right now.
I plan to do a 28-30 day and the other as 45-60 day.
While I realize 30ish days are the optimal I figured I would have fun with it:)
November 28, 2018 at 1:36 am #11860Ron Pratt
MemberYou are welcome! Personally I’m glad you have a 45-60 day in your future already as I find 28-30 as being an all too short period, but to each his own!
RonDecember 4, 2018 at 4:47 am #11875Ant
MemberHey Ron, quick question.
I have two strip loins in the fridge with the umai bag.
One of them seems to have cling onto the meat and the other seems to be detached from the meat since about day 4-5(we’re at day 10 now)
Is it bad that one of them seems to have not formed a bond and attached to the meat? One of the cuts looks like its legitimately a membrane and the other looks like a plastic bag just holding meat in it.
December 4, 2018 at 3:33 pm #11876Ron Pratt
MemberNormally a vacuum makes the UMAi Dry bag attach to the ends, but it is not a problem if it doesn’t. Is that second bag puffy though like you have leak or a failed seal? Can you post a picture?
RonDecember 4, 2018 at 4:37 pm #11877Ant
MemberMy strip loin was too big for the standard bag for its size so I had to use a larger one so its wider on the edges but that isn’t a big deal.
In the first picture you can see the ends are okay but the middle is loose and not attached.
In the second you can see one edge is completely loose. I’ve tried forcing the bag against it and keeping it tight but it never really bonds.
December 4, 2018 at 4:51 pm #11878Ron Pratt
MemberYou could try to force more of the air out by cutting a tiny hole in the center there, insert a drinking straw and suck the air out. Then quickly patch the hole with a piece of strong packing tape.
RonDecember 6, 2018 at 1:15 am #11881Ant
MemberI tried this and it did not work out as expected.
Can I always reseal it with a new bag?
My biggest issue is the meat is too small for the largest bags and too big for the strip loin bag.
If I cut a slide off or cut it in half and rebag it will that be an issue?
December 6, 2018 at 2:01 am #11883Ron Pratt
MemberJust as long as you are working on a clean surface with a clean knife then if I were you I would not waste a new bag. Then if you DO find the area of the hole, just cut off the end of the bag AFTER cutting off the meat enough to give you room to reseal the bag. That make sense?
RonDecember 10, 2018 at 4:29 am #11885Ant
MemberRealizing the bag would not bond I decided to take the strip loin out and transfer it to another bag.
I trimmed the cut a little because I was putting a strip loin into the largest bag available as it wouldn’t fit in the other as it was.
As I resealed it the seal was perfect and I was happy with the results but I did notice that afterwards(6 hours later) the reduced strip loin shows white mold on the surface.
I’m starting to get a little concerned. You see I put two different strip loins in the fridge a day apart and one seems to have bonded and shrunk significantly and the other(this one) seems to have been a disaster to work with and it does not appear to have shrunk nearly as much and now white mold is appearing.
What should I do?
December 11, 2018 at 12:07 am #11888Ron Pratt
MemberIf by chance you bought that meat say from a butcher shop or even a grocery store then most likely it was too dry for the bond to form to start with which caused the problem.
You need to follow the Clean Transfer instructions plus these three keys for successful bonding:
1) gooey moist meat surface
2) resting meat side down, fat cap up for the first week (which will GUARANTEE the necessary 75-80% surface contact between meat and UMAi Dry®)
3) modern frost free fridgeRon
December 11, 2018 at 1:50 am #11889Ant
MemberIf you’re not buying it from a butcher or grocery store then where can you but your meat?
I got it from Costco and it seemed very bloody and moist when I got it and I followed all the instructions.
From sounds of it I think this meat has likely spoiled which is disappointing.
I’ll hold back on using the umai bags until I could figure out exactly what went wrong but right now I have no idea.
December 11, 2018 at 2:21 am #11890Ron Pratt
MemberI also buy my subprimals from CostCo as well as Sams and have never experienced the problem you have and I have been using the UMAi Dry bags for years.
Ron -
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