Poll

Will Walt ACTUALLY make it 35 days??

Yes, he has the patience of Jobe!
4 (66.7%)
Maybe, but it will be incredibly difficult!
1 (16.7%)
No Way!  He'll look at that big ol' ribeye in the fridge, look at my finished steak pics, and CAVE! ;)
1 (16.7%)

Total Members Voted: 6

Voting closed: April 15, 2014, 07:13:28 PM

Author Topic: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye  (Read 20631 times)

Walt

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35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« on: March 11, 2014, 03:11:41 PM »
Ok Tony, I'll raise you 2 weeks!  Just returned from SAMS with a 16.7 lb whole rib eye.  I received my UMAI sampler kit last week as well as a Weston Pro 2300 vacuum sealer.  Upon my return from SAMS I was ready to get started.  This is very simple.  Put the whole rib eye in the 12" x 24" UMAI Drybag, position the clean mouth of the bag on the sealer & insert the VacMouse, close the lid & seal.  Make sure to massage the bag while sealing to assist in air evacuation.  Place on a wire rack in a reliable fridge with good ventilation & wait.

The VacMouse looks like a folded piece of Bounce dryer sheets.  It is used to act as an air chamber for removing the air.  The 1st picture is the VacMouse.

I have chosen 35 days to age since it will end on my Father-in-law's birthday.  I will update with pictures as it progresses.

3.5 days into it.  1/10 of the way done.  The 4th picture below is the respective photo.  The change from the pure white fatcap to the tinged red is apparent & the bond with the drybag seems to be very good.  Only 31.5 days to go.....o

7 days in, 4 weeks to go.  See the 5th picture below.

15 days in.  3 weeks to go.  See the 6th picture below.  That brownish / purpleish color is becoming more dominant. The meat is becoming much firmer.  In some places, it looks like due to moisture / weight loss the bag is pulling away.  However, the bond is still strong throughout.  There has been an 8% reduction in weight due to moisture loss, 1.3 lbs.  It is now 15.4lbs.

22 days in 13 days to go.   See 7th picture below.

28 days in 7 days to go.  See the 8th & 9th pictures below.  The pressure is on to celebrate father in law birthday this weekend.  I may not make it the full 35.  The entire piece is a rich brownish / purpleish color & is firm as a piece of wood.  The center is still a little squishy.  It now weighs 14.8lbs. A 1.9lb or 12% loss in weight from start.  Its a beautiful thing!

Its D Day!  Day 37!  See final picture.  I made a concerted effort to minimize waste while trimming.  With a sharp knife in hand and a bit of patience, the trimming was not too difficult. The meat is dark, rich and earthy smelling.  Its very stiff and almost feels like wood.  As stated earlier the original piece was 16.7lbs.  It lost 2.3lbs through evaporation, down to 14.4lbs.  After trimming, 13.6lbs turned into 12 very nice steaks.  UMAI is everything they advertise.  Very simple process that requires very little effort and produces a fantastic result.  I highly recommend giving it a try.

Thanks for the inspiration, Tony.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2014, 11:22:35 PM by Walt »
Walt from South East Louisiana
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Weber EP-330 LP grill

DivotMaker

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2014, 03:19:54 PM »
Good luck, Walt!  21 days was perfect, so I can't imagine it being better to go another 2 weeks! :o   I'd probably die if I 1) had to wait that long, and 2) taste that it's actually better! ;D   There are people who go 50+ days!  3 weeks is all I can stand!

Make sure you have a really sharp knife when you trim it at the end, and eat your Wheaties!  It's some tough work trimming the rind off!  ...but SURE worth it!!
Tony from NW Arkansas
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DivotMaker

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2014, 07:10:42 PM »
You probably already know, but make sure you put it on a wire rack in the fridge for airflow around it. ;)   Hope you don't mind I started a poll for you!! ;D   I can pull it down, if you want.  lol!  For the record, I think you can do it!!
« Last Edit: March 11, 2014, 07:15:06 PM by DivotMaker »
Tony from NW Arkansas
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Walt

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2014, 07:32:23 PM »
Put me down for a definate maybe.  I'll give it good try to go all 35.  It is on a wire rack with plenty of airspace around it.  Tic-toc!
Walt from South East Louisiana
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DivotMaker

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2014, 07:45:13 PM »
Hang in there, buddy!  I must know the results difference with another 14 days!! ;)   Just don't look at the pics of my finished steaks before then!!  Hahaha!

p.s....Uh oh, how'd THAT picture get there???  LoL!!  I'll be testing your willpower along the way, Grasshopper! ;D
Tony from NW Arkansas
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DivotMaker

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2014, 08:53:01 PM »
Day 2, Walt...how you holding up, looking at that incredible hunk of meat in the fridge?  33 to go! :D
Tony from NW Arkansas
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Walt

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2014, 09:33:52 PM »
Its already apparent a change is occuring.  Did you flip the meat at any point, Tony?  The brisket in the fridge getting happy is keeping my eyes off the big shiney object....for now!
Walt from South East Louisiana
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DivotMaker

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2014, 09:38:56 PM »
I left mine fat-side up the whole time.  Not sure if it makes any difference, and I don't think I saw anything on the UMAi website that said to flip it.  I think it will be fine, as long as air can get to all sides.  I see we have one doubter on the poll!  I'm pulling for you, though!
Tony from NW Arkansas
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DivotMaker

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2014, 12:34:10 PM »
Looking like it should.  The bag is getting sealed to the surface.  Yummie!
Tony from NW Arkansas
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NDKoze

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2014, 11:26:24 PM »
It is looking awesome!

How are ya holding up Walt?

Are ya going to be able to wait the full 35 days? ;)

I voted in the poll that you were going to be able to wait the full 35 days. I have faith in ya.
Gregg - Fargo, ND
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Walt

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2014, 11:48:29 PM »
I'm good.  I enjoy the anticipation & watching it develop.  I fully expect total satisfaction when done.  Such a perfect product to fold right in to this passion of ours. 
Walt from South East Louisiana
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GeeBee

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2014, 11:12:12 AM »
Just as a little side note, when I was at the Columbus Deer and Turkey expo last week, UMAI had a booth set up with their products available for purchase. I talked briefly with a very nice young lady and gentleman (I didn't get their names). The one comment she made to me that stuck out, was that the more manual and less automated the vacuum sealer, the better. Looking forward to the final result Walt.
Gary in Hebron, Ohio
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Walt

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2014, 11:47:08 AM »
The Weston Pro 2300 I have was very easy & made a great airtight seal.  I could see problems if the machine couldnt pull enough vacuum to get all the air out before an automatic seal initiated.  It is a big piece of meat in a large bag & as the machine is working you should help massage the air out.  So far, it really has been an easy process to start & completely hands off since.  Makes me smile just thinking about it!
Walt from South East Louisiana
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Weber EP-330 LP grill

DivotMaker

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2014, 12:39:59 PM »
Glad to see you're holding up well after a week, Walt.  We'll see how your willpower is 2 weeks from now.  LoL!  ;D
Tony from NW Arkansas
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DivotMaker

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Re: 35 day dry age of whole rib eye
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2014, 08:53:33 PM »
Looking good, Walt!  Another 7 days, and you'd be in heaven!  Can't imagine where you'll be in another 21 days!  Not even halfway there!  Arghh!  I couldn't do it.  Hats off to you!  The rind is looking great!

On a technical note:  Only judging from the picture, it looks like you might not have gotten as much air out as you could have.  I know it's tough with the slick bags (no air channels), and it's certainly not like "normal" vacuum sealing with regular bags.  I kept massaging mine until I got about as much air out as I could.  They say you get better as you go with these bags, so I know my next one will hopefully be better than the first.  Good thing is, UMAi says you only need about 70 - 80% surface bonding for great results.  It might just be your picture, too.  Looks to me like you should be fine.  Some of what we're seeing may be shrinkage, too.  You're definitely putting that baby on a diet!  Hang in there! ;)
Tony from NW Arkansas
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Smokin-It Model 1, 2D conversion, and 3D
Auber PID, NexGrill 896 6-burner, CharBroil Big Easy, Anova Precision Cooker w/WiFi
Wife, Son and One REALLY Big Dog!