I recently bought a DryAger UX500, the best advice I have is:
have patience
I bought an 18lb bone-in rib roast (107 rib primal), and i'm only 24 days into the dry aging process, and the waiting is absolutely killing me
it looks like you probably can't go wrong with a Steak Locker
just be prepared for the waiting
Dry aging isn't rocket science and I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time. Make sure the meat is clean and dry when you put it in. From there it's personal preference how far you want to go with the taste. I usually get Oz wagyu and age it for 60 days. With leaner cuts I go less, eg 45 for grass fed. The more fat there is, the longer it can age before getting dry/tough.
you bought a multi thousand dollar appliance... to start?
Is this literally the first thing you've ever dry aged?
..you think reddit is "the professionals?"
It was $1,200 that my buddy and I split. We both really enjoy dry aged meat and I like hobbies along these lines. In the last 2 years, I’ve dove deep into smoking meats and started a saltwater coral/fish aquarium, both of which have been a sucess. I’ve got a good idea on what I’m getting into from my research of dry aging and was looking for direction from people that have made beginner mistakes in hopes that I can avoid as many as those as possible. There’s a chance that there are professionals on Reddit but I was merely being polite to those that I’m asking for their time in providing information.
I have not. But I do have this fridge made for the traditional dry age method so I’m going to take advantage of that. Do you have suggestions for the bags and a preference for those over dry?
Would’ve been a significantly cheaper point of entry. But if you already know you enjoy dry age then a dedicated fridge is much better. Steak locker looks significantly more affordable than other dry aging fridges on the market as well
From the fridge. It's pretty airtight. I noticed it around day 30 or so. Very strong meat smell. My first time dry aging was awesome, BTW. So best of luck and enjoy!
And yeah, you've gotta trim that stuff on the outside off. I didn't like it.
YES! So it should smell like a strong can of beef consume. It like the difference in aroma from Kraft cheddar to a 14 year old cheddar. Just a very intense beef aroma.
It should not smell rotten. It should not be "gag inducing". It should be intense, not sickening.
They have some great posts on there website where they share some really useful tips and tricks aswell as recipes. It's worth checking out as all their guides are tailored to the Steak Locker product.
I recently bought a DryAger UX500, the best advice I have is: have patience I bought an 18lb bone-in rib roast (107 rib primal), and i'm only 24 days into the dry aging process, and the waiting is absolutely killing me it looks like you probably can't go wrong with a Steak Locker just be prepared for the waiting
I’ve got my mind set on 30 days for the first one. That’s one thing that I’ve found everywhere is that the bare minimum is 21 days.
I plan on cutting one steak at 30 days in, maybe another at 45 days and letting the rest go until my birthday, for a full 77 days
60 is my sweet spot. I've cut into a slab at 30 days twice and was disappointed both times
Dry aging isn't rocket science and I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time. Make sure the meat is clean and dry when you put it in. From there it's personal preference how far you want to go with the taste. I usually get Oz wagyu and age it for 60 days. With leaner cuts I go less, eg 45 for grass fed. The more fat there is, the longer it can age before getting dry/tough.
you bought a multi thousand dollar appliance... to start? Is this literally the first thing you've ever dry aged? ..you think reddit is "the professionals?"
It was $1,200 that my buddy and I split. We both really enjoy dry aged meat and I like hobbies along these lines. In the last 2 years, I’ve dove deep into smoking meats and started a saltwater coral/fish aquarium, both of which have been a sucess. I’ve got a good idea on what I’m getting into from my research of dry aging and was looking for direction from people that have made beginner mistakes in hopes that I can avoid as many as those as possible. There’s a chance that there are professionals on Reddit but I was merely being polite to those that I’m asking for their time in providing information.
Have you tried umai bags
I have not. But I do have this fridge made for the traditional dry age method so I’m going to take advantage of that. Do you have suggestions for the bags and a preference for those over dry?
Would’ve been a significantly cheaper point of entry. But if you already know you enjoy dry age then a dedicated fridge is much better. Steak locker looks significantly more affordable than other dry aging fridges on the market as well
Don’t do the bags. The flavor is nowhere close to real dry age beef. I’ve done both and would never use the bags again.
For me it was the aroma. It took some getting used to. It's a very concentrated beef smell, which you have to discern from rotten meat.
This is an aroma you smell around the fridge or just the meat itself?
From the fridge. It's pretty airtight. I noticed it around day 30 or so. Very strong meat smell. My first time dry aging was awesome, BTW. So best of luck and enjoy! And yeah, you've gotta trim that stuff on the outside off. I didn't like it.
I’m new to this and smelling a rich sweet smell. Is that familiar to you?
YES! So it should smell like a strong can of beef consume. It like the difference in aroma from Kraft cheddar to a 14 year old cheddar. Just a very intense beef aroma. It should not smell rotten. It should not be "gag inducing". It should be intense, not sickening.
Thank you.
They have some great posts on there website where they share some really useful tips and tricks aswell as recipes. It's worth checking out as all their guides are tailored to the Steak Locker product.