Why cant I get a vacuum like a regular vacuum bag?

[Thea]

Thank you for the great suggestion. So long as you can get the DrybagSteak material into excellent contact with the surface of the meat, and the surface proteins bond with the material without significant areas that have pockets of air, you’ve got a great start to creating the ultimate dry aged steak.

Practice and mastery of this process with a vacuum sealer of one type or another is one way, this “twist ‘n tie” is another.

There are also some customers who use meat netting, often after pulling the air out with a vacuum sealer, but who ultimately let the netting hold the DrybagSteak material against the surface. It is important to find very open, tight netting and ensure that little to no air pockets are left between the surface of the meat and the DrybagSteak material.

We’re really glad you shared your twist ‘n tie technique, too! We’ve also been testing a protocol for using bag clips (like the chip clips that clamp the opening of a bag. We’ve yet to find a reliable process to share, but offer you that idea to play with, too.

Keep the ideas flowing! As Agedtoperfection says: “The Dry Steak Bags that they sell here are the best thing since sliced bread if you are serious about a good steak. “

[Anonymous]

I’m glad to hear about the twist tie method. I messed up my first bag and am hoping that my second attempt worked. It seems to have worked, but I’ll check it in a few minutes to make sure it’s not a New York Strip Balloon (best Macy’s Day balloon ever). If it has pockets I may just try and massage out the air and twist tie it or duct tape the seal (worst MacGyver episode ever). I say duct tape half-jokingly. If you can make a boat out of it, lift a car with it, why can’t I cut a small slit in the bag, massage out air, then fold over the material and hold it tight with duct tape? Just don’t hang it on a hook and go Rocky on the dead slab of cow and you should be fine.

[Anonymous]

Hey, go with the twist tie method. It has never failed me yet after numerous successful runs. Since you have already sealed the bag, you could try the the tape method. I would not use duct tape though, I would be more inclined to use regular scotch tape. It only takes a few days for the bag to adhere to the meat. At this point I really don’t think a small hole really matters. After adhesion is achieved, it’s game on. Is this your first time using the bags? Please let me know how it turns out.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, first time. The seal seems to be ok. After roughly 12 hours in the fridge I didn’t see any significant air pockets and the bag is starting to stiffen up around the meat. I think I should be good to go.

I may try and make room in the beer fridge, ok not make room I threw out all the wire racks, and grab a 14-15 lb ribeye and try the twist tie method. I was worried that my steak would be too big for the bag (standard size), but I had a good amount of room left. I think I may be able to stuff a 14 pounder in there. And if not I’ll cut it up for steaks, chili, and grind the rest for hamburger. Now that I think about it, this seems like a no lose proposition.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Are you worried the the meat won’t fit the fridge or the bag? I have already easily stuffed a 15 + pounder in the standard bag with no problem. If it is the fridge you are worried about, can you maybe stand the meat up, or possibly cut the meat and bag in half, reseal the bag on one end and twist tie the other to make it fit the fridge. Also have you read my other post about not wasting your money on choice or prime meat for aging? I’m going to the market in a little while, they have select whole ribeyes on sale for $ 4.99 lb. Select is all I buy. I have bought many select that could easily pass for choice and prime. The last one I did was easily prime, but graded select. The USDA or whoever is grading the meat at these processing plants can’t possibly look at and grade every single piece of meat. All you have to do is look at both ends very carefully for the best marbling that you can see. You can’t go wrong. It will all come out tender, believe me, they grade meat on marbling , not tenderness. They look at the meat to grade it, not by eating it. No matter what you may have heard or read about you can only successfully age choice or prime. Simply not true . Let me know how you make out.

[Anonymous]

Are you worried the the meat won’t fit the fridge or the bag? I have already easily stuffed a 15 + pounder in the standard bag with no problem. If it is the fridge you are worried about, can you maybe stand the meat up, or possibly cut the meat and bag in half, reseal the bag on one end and twist tie the other to make it fit the fridge. Also have you read my other post about not wasting your money on choice or prime meat for aging? I’m going to the market in a little while, they have select whole ribeyes on sale for $ 4.99 lb. Select is all I buy. I have bought many select that could easily pass for choice and prime. The last one I did was easily prime, but graded select. The USDA or whoever is grading the meat at these processing plants can’t possibly look at and grade every single piece of meat. All you have to do is look at both ends very carefully for the best marbling that you can see. You can’t go wrong. It will all come out tender, believe me, they grade meat on marbling , not tenderness. They look at the meat to grade it, not by eating it. No matter what you may have heard or read about you can only successfully age choice or prime. Simply not true . Let me know how you make out.

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone, This is an updated news flash to my twist tie method. After placing the meat into the bag , place a long drinking straw into the bag, don’t let it touch the meat or you will be sucking in blood, wrap the bag around the straw , hold tightly , place the straw into your mouth, suck all the air out, place the tip of your tongue on the straw to stop any air from reentering the bag, hold neck of bag very tight, pull straw out , twist tie shut. I know this method might sound crazy , but it works better than ANY machine can suck down the Dry Bag, plus you don’t have to buy the $ 100 “special machine” that everyone has so much darn trouble using . Try it !

[Anonymous]

New poster here…I have a Foodsaver vacuum…can that be used with these bags?

[Anonymous]

Doesn’t work. The Foodsaver machine is mfg, to be used with channel type bags. Since the dry bags are mfg. flat with no channels, when you close the Foodsaver machine , it closes the bag shut tight,and can’t pull a suction .Try my method with the straw. It works the best for me. Don’t waste your money on any other machines.

[Thea]

Hello–BagLady here from DrybagSteak.

If you are planning to use a FoodSaver or other channel bag type sealer, please be aware that DrybagSteak material is significantly different from the rigid laminated embossed vacuum bags that are necessary to activate the automatic functionality of most models of these types of vacuum sealers.

We explain our findings here:
http://www.drybagsteak.com/foodsaver-channel-sealers-not-recommended.php

We have many determined and intrepid customers who have experimented and found some success with these adaptations. Please understand, we share this merely to help you. We cannot endorse the use of channel vacuum sealers as we have not been able to prove their successful application.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&Itemid=112&func=view&catid=1&id=758505#758505

[Anonymous]

I agree 100%, the channel sealer may work with plastic bottles, but it does not work with Dry Bags. I tried it, never could get it to work. Same goes for the nozzle sealer, never could get a good seal no matter how many times I have tried. Hate to seem like I’m bashing it, it is just that I could never get it to work either. That is why I like the straw method that I came up with. It works great. Never fails. You can get a much better vacuum.

[Ron Pratt]

I refuse to get in an argument, but if you use a sleeve of Food Saver bag as I demonstrated in my You Tube video shown above it does too work as does a Sinbo. Too bad you have not had any success, but many others of us have. Main thing is though is you have found a method that works for you and that’s what is important.

[Anonymous]

No argument intended. All I’m saying is I tried your method without success.If it works for you and others, great. The problem I had with the Foodsaver is I could not get all the layers to seal , they would come apart.

[Author]

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