umai bag is loose and apparently air is in the bag

[Robert Adney]

I am brand new to this dry aging. Recently bought a 12 lb prime rib and dry bagged it with parchment paper over bones. That was 2 weeks ago. Checked today and bag seems to have air etc in it. Do I enjoy now or rebag it or what?
Thanks everybody,
Bob

[Ron Pratt]

Robert, Welcome aboard, my man! To help you decide I really need to either see a picture or at least read a better description of how much air that is in the bag. BTW some air isn’t a problem, but if the bag has been punctured either by the bones or stuck to the shelf for instance you may be better off re-bagging, BUT let’s have more information first. OK? Ron

[Robert Adney]

Bag is still sticking to most of meat but end of bag has become loose. About 25% of bag is loose and rest looks good. Do not have how to post pix.
Bob

[Robert Adney]

Figured pix- here is link

Edited for you:

[Robert Adney]

2nd pix

Edited for you:

[Ron Pratt]

quote rochar3″ post=6418:

Bag is still sticking to most of meat but end of bag has become loose. About 25% of bag is loose and rest looks good. Do not have how to post pix.
Bob

Bob, I edited your posts and all I did – which you can do yourself is copy and paste the bottom link that is labeled as IMG at Photobucket. You just selected the wrong link option. Ron

[Ron Pratt]

Bob, I can see just the corner of a wire rack under the meat and I’m suspect that the bag may have become stuck to it and then when you may have moved it to inspect that was enough to tear a tiny hole to release the vacuum. Like I said a small amount of air can happen during drying due to shrinkage, but in your case you have too much. Now you can carefully inspect the bag for a leaking point or two, but still this early on into the aging process if it were me I’d start with a new bag. OTOH you never mentioned your intended again period so if you are already just a week away then leave it alone, but otherwise if you were going say 45 days I’d re-bag. Let the readers here know what you decide. Ron

[Robert Adney]

I rebagged the meat. I think because I am using a old automatic foodsaver that I am not getting a good vacuum. I think that I will have to break down and call off this failed experiment. Maybe good eating this weekend. By the way, how much air is permissable in the bag? What are the results if air is in the bag? I think I need some help. Contacted UMAI several days ago and haven’t heard back.
Love to hear from you guys.
Bob

[Ron Pratt]

Not sure why you are calling this a failure. Commercial dry aging is done with the meat raw resting on a shelf! The difference is they have expensive temperature and humidity control rooms. The UMAi bag permits the dry aging to be controlled within the bag and then within a typical kitchen refrigerator environment. Unless you found the meat smelling rotten and having green fuzzy fingers waving “hi” to you then your meat in this new bag is fine! AGE ON!!!

BTW – if you don’t want to spend the money for a new vacuum then the simplest solution which will give you satisfactory results is this…after placing the meat in the UMAi bag then carefully squeeze out as much air as you can and then grasp the end of the bag and insert a straw or a length of tubing. Then suck the remaining air out of the bag and quickly remove the straw/tubing clamping it tightly. Then merely take a bread twisty and secure the bag!

Even if a small amount of air remains in a bag there really isn’t a concern. Ron

[Robert Adney]

Thanks for your advice. Don’t want to take the chance of ruining a nice piece of meat. I guess I am too cautious. I will let you know the outcome. I too have a BGE, any advice on “Eggin” the prime rib when it is properly aged? Thanks again
Bob

[Ron Pratt]

quote rochar3″ post=6426:

Thanks for your advice. Don’t want to take the chance of ruining a nice piece of meat. I guess I am too cautious. I will let you know the outcome. I too have a BGE, any advice on “Eggin” the prime rib when it is properly aged? Thanks again
Bob

Suit yourself, but you would have been fine…

Do I have a recipe for prime rib, you asked…SURE DO! And here’s a great home made rub for it as well!

RRP Prime rib

 
First the rub:
RRP’s Prime Rib Rub – Though it’s not really mine!

As for a rub I love this one. I just wish I knew where I got it so as to give proper credit as it is not my formulation! It’s terrific on prime rib…with this rub seared on the outside and then the rare tasty meat on the inside!
This quantity will make enough rub for a 2.5 pound boneless prime rib.


1 T ground (dry) mustard

1.5 tea table salt

0.5 tea paprika

.25 tea ground allspice

.25 tea fresh ground pepper

1 tea granulated onion powder

0.5 tea garlic powder

Wet prime rib with Worcestershire and apply rub. Because I like more salt I also sprinkle it with coarse Kosher salt as well.
 
Then as for your other questions:
 
One prime rib piece for 6 adults will be a pretty big piece of meat and what I prefer to do is have 1 piece per 2 people. That way every portion will have the tasty benefit of the sear and the rub to blend with the medium rare inside. Also this works in case some people want theirs more well done or more rare. The 3 pieces will be easier to hot tub also. I just use food grade plastic bags and seal with a twisty. Then I submerge them in a large plastic mixing bowl we have. Just squeeze out the air so they don’t float.
 
I place mine on a grate sitting on a drip pan. That indirect method seems to roast better. Dome at 325° and count on about 25 minutes per pound. BTW a 2# boneless prime rib will be about 3″ thick so in other words for 6 adults you want 6 pounds or 9″ of meat. Granted if a pound per person sounds too much just change.
 
I use an internal probe and when the meat gets to 125 internal I remove from the grate, remove the pan and just leave the meat on the main grate, but off to the side while I remove the daisy and open the bottom vent. Typically I can get to searing temps of 600 within 5 minutes and then move the meat back to the center and sear. It will not take long to get to 135 internal which will be a nice medium rare. Remove the meat, tent with foil and let it rest 5 or 10 minutes and then cut each portion in half.
 
Hope this helps and good luck! 

[Paul Carder]

I too am brand new at this. I have a strip loin bagged up for a week now and was concerned about the small amount of air that was in the bag. But it’s sticking to the meat well and darkening nicely. Just a little apprehensive starting out I guess.
Paul

[Ron Pratt]

quote pacman” post=6558:

I too am brand new at this. I have a strip loin bagged up for a week now and was concerned about the small amount of air that was in the bag. But it’s sticking to the meat well and darkening nicely. Just a little apprehensive starting out I guess.
Paul

Paul, Welcome aboard! A small amount of air is no problem! As you said the UMAi Dry® bag is sticking to the meat well. I understand your newbie gitters but you will be fine! What I do recommend though is not handling the bagged meat for risk of puncturing the bag or disturbing the bond the bag has with the meat!
Ron

[Paul Carder]

Thanks Ron. The fat side is up. Do I want 5o flip it overy at some point?

[Ron Pratt]

As long as you have good air circulation it really doesn’t matter, but I personally place mine so the fat cap is on top and stays there.For instance last weekend I started a 18+ pound rib eye and placed it with the fat cap on top. It will stay that way for 45 days. My rationale is the fat cap slows the drying, but by having the meat side down then any excess moisture which may have been present will have gravity pulling it down to more readily be released in the drying process. Ron

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