UPDATE: Dry aging/vine cold cellar automation....

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dernektambura

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Oct 12, 2017
920
644
Kitchener, Ontario...
I have concrete build cold cellar underneath my front porch... it is perfect for dry aging smoked meat as well as vine cellar....I gotta admit, when it comes to charcuterie and vine making I can easily turn in to megalomaniac.....I know it is bad but I can't helped.....sp to store all "goodies" I had to come up with solution how to maintain cellar temp between 50 and 60 F throughout the year.....to achieve this goal (being electrician) I have come up with very simple solution....here is simple HVAC electrical schematic, any DIY guy can make it with minimal investment..
20190316_120157.jpg


Note:
My cold cellar has two inlets, 4" diameter holes near cellar ceiling and this is where fresh air/colling fans are installed...
 
Even easier is hang a Inkbirg IHC and ITC controller on the wall. Plug in a heater, air conditioner, humidifier and dehumidifier set the parameters and in about 30 minutes your done.
One day Holly.....I am doing this... want to do a few umia bags first, then I'll take the training wheels off....LOL!
 
Even easier is hang a Inkbirg IHC and ITC controller on the wall. Plug in a heater, air conditioner, humidifier and dehumidifier set the parameters and in about 30 minutes your done.
Already have available parts so money I would spent for plug and play unit will go toward big, fat, bone in pork leg to make italian prosciutto... lol...
 
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You'll find the Umai bags are not "training wheels" just a different way of doing things. The upside to Umai bags are they work with under normal refrigeration and are easy. The down side there are sacrifices. Texture and possibly quality in the final product + expense.

With Umai bags you cannot inoculate meats with molds which aid in development of flavor and texture. When making Bresaola or Lonzino after curing the cost per meat to inoculate with mold and truss with butchers twine is less than $1.00.

If I were t cure 1 or 2 meats a year Umai would be my go to. Once you start curing 5, 10, 30......piece of meat per year not using Uami bags quickly pay off the chamber build.
I didn't understand before why would someone use UMAi bags but now I do because not everyone lives in perfect climate to cure and age meat naturally...anyhow, if I was in southern part of US with temp higher than enough to do dry aged meat I would definitely try old Apache way...salt it and cure it on sun beaten peace of stone....it would be something I would definitely try to do...
 
Good info Holly....
I didn't understand before why would someone use UMAi bags but now I do because not everyone lives in perfect climate to cure and age meat naturally...anyhow, if I was in southern part of US with temp higher than enough to do dry aged meat I would definitely try old Apache way...salt it and cure it on sun beaten peace of stone....it would be something I would definitely try to do...
That's how the coonasses here make 'sun dried shrimp'....

http://purecajun.com/product-category/dried-shrimp/
 
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Seems like one more "old fashion way made" product will be forgotten cuz young generation has no interest...I can see 30 years from now people doing hologram 3D printer prosciutto charcuterie...
 
You'll find the Umai bags are not "training wheels" just a different way of doing things. The upside to Umai bags are they work with under normal refrigeration and are easy. The down side there are sacrifices. Texture and possibly quality in the final product + expense.

With Umai bags you cannot inoculate meats with molds which aid in development of flavor and texture. When making Bresaola or Lonzino after curing the cost per meat to inoculate with mold and truss with butchers twine is less than $1.00.

If I were t cure 1 or 2 meats a year Umai would be my go to. Once you start curing 5, 10, 30......piece of meat per year not using Uami bags quickly pay off the chamber build.


I did a pepperoni test with umai and my chamber. Same recipe, and the both turned out pretty much the same. The chamber one had a bit more flavor but not enough to say " you need a chamber". But I will keep mine going. LOL
 
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