First Aged Beef

[SmokyMose]

Looks great, Dan! This is in my list, but I have to get a couple of other uMAI projects out of the way before I'll have the room in the fridge.

I hear that, Idaho!
If it wasn't for the mostly unused frost-free at work, I wouldn't be doing many projects.
I get the bottom right of the home fridge, enough for a 2 gallon bucket or an 8x15 drying rack or a brown bag of sausage....

 

[dls1]

Lots of good questions, dis!
I'm brand new to dry aging. I don't have a conventional drying setup, so the bags are a way to make things like Soppressata, Pancetta, Cappicola, etc. I guess I just assumed I'd need a UMAi bag to dry age steak....
When you dry age, do you just let it sit openly in the fridge? I'm curious because those bags ain't cheap.
I'm sorry, but I didn't keep track of weight loss because it didn't seem to be a factor. Judging by the way the bag stuck to the meat, there was very little, if any, weight loss in the 3 weeks.

First, I want to emphasize that my comments are directed solely to the use of the UMAi bags Another for dry aging beef, not for the production of charcuterie or salumi. That's a different subject altogether.

My "conventional drying setup" is pretty basic. I use an old second utility refrigerator located in our basement that is primarily used for backup storage of beverages, and it does have a lot of ongoing activity. I place the open and uncovered roast on a cooling rack that's sits in a 13"X9" baking dish. I have an AcuRite device that monitors the refrigerators internal temperature and humidity as well as a small micro fan for air circulation. Together, those two items cost me less than $20 on Amazon. That's it, and my setup pretty much mirrors the same as many others I know that dry age beef at home.

FYI, my questioning the benefit for using the UMAi bags to dry age beef was inspired by two comments from academic research studies taken directly from UMAi's website,

"In 2009, Kansas State University conducted a study on the effectiveness of the UMAI Dry material comparing different aging times effect on taste and texture. A similar earlier study by Kansas State University, conducted in 2005, compared moisture permeable polymer material to traditional open-air dry aging. The basic results of the studies demonstrated that dry aging beef in UMAI bags resulted in taste and texture similar to traditional open air process."

"Conclusions: Dry aging in a bag will produce dry aged flavor equal to traditional dry aging."

Another study I found stated that the only discernible benefit they found with using the bags versus open air dry aging was a slightly improved post-trim yield of around 2%, and that would probably only be somewhat meaningful to to large commercial producers of dry aged beef.

I think I'll stick with the method I've been using.

 

[disco]

Thanks, SM. I have been thinking about trying this and your thread has lots of good info.

Point

Disco

 

[SmokyMose]

Thanks, SM. I have been thinking about trying this and your thread has lots of good info.

Point

Disco

Thanks, Disco. Just another idea gained here.
:-)