Wet-aging briskets...does position matter?

I don't think it matters... If your worried, shift them around every couple of days...

As long as their not contorted so as to strain the seals on the cry-o-vac, it probably shouldn't matter. Having said that, I only age them laying flat in the bottom of my fridge. Don't move them around - for two reasons: 1) that means you're opening the door on your fridge, and 2) you're handling them which could cause the seals to give out.

I had 3 from my last case spoil at 50 days. I had them laying on their side rather than laying flat. It's the only time I've done that and the only time I've had multiple pieces from the same case spoil. The spoiling and resting on the sides may be completely unrelated but it's potentially an expensive test to run again so I'm back to laying them flat.

"Serious" reply--I really do not think the position matters and I do a lot of wet-aging of brisket.

"Not so serious" reply--It is kinda like "whoopie". The position don't matter--It is all good. :-D
At least to the best of my memory

Sorry, just couldn't resist.
Going to my room now.

TIM

Position very much matters.

When you are removing the brisket you will want to cut the package and position the open slit at the bottom so gravity pulls the brisket out while you hold the plastic.

I used to cut the top, reach in and grab the brisket and wait for gravity to make the plastic bag slide off the brisket but either my hands inserted in the bag increased the tension of the bag around the brisket or gravity simply had no affect on the bag as far as its downward movement due to surface tension and friction or suction from the meat. This will work but you have to wait until the brisket loses enough of its moisture, about 10 days, and the bag may fall off. But I had difficulty with the blood remains also becoming a glue and causing the plastic to more permanently stick.

When this happens it is a pain the product has to be shipped to Bigabyte for individual arbitration and discovery as to how to re-constitute the brisket in the bag and start the process all over again holding the brisket and letting gravity pull the light plastic down. Chris devised and unique but elaborate ploy whereby large coils of copper were filled with a liquid and passed through his smoker creating steam that drove a small 2 cycle engine that was tweaked to serve as a steam engine which was coupled to a generator that powered a small waterpik filled with fluid that would slowly fill the plastic bag thereby increasing its weight, or rather increasing the weight that the bag held in and the bag fell off the brisket. This takes hours so the much wiser position of the bag with the slit down to aid the already heavier brisket into a downward path is very important indeed.

I am open to other ideas though. I have none,,, these ideas I got from an old Howard Hughes document.

one problem was that the waterpik would run out of fluid yet not be enough to drag the bag down. Chris would have to fill this up... But unwrapping a brisket should not be a two man operation.

If there were some way to use the energy from the hydraulic pressure drive by the waterpik (powered by the generator, which is steam driven from steam generated from heat from Chris's Smoker that has its oxygen fed by a fan assist which is connected to AC power by cord to and outlet... hold it couldn't we just... no) anyway if we could devise a hydraulic to clamp down on the trigger of a johnson insecticide sprayer that we could guarantee be filled with enough liquid matter (maybe a gallon) to fill the bag that held the brisket enough so that its weight made the plastic slide off, then I would not need Chris.

Am I the only one who can't get over the fact that he has a beer fridge with "some kegs" in it?

I know it has been asked before... but how long can I keep a brisket. I bought it then couldn't cook it. This weekend will be 21 days. It is in the basement fridge that seldom gets opened. The polder is reading 33 degrees.

Oh, to keep on topic - it is laying flat.

Thanks
Scott

Open the Vac-Sak.
If the smell knocks you off your feet, dump it.

It should be fine in my opinion. I have kept
a Brisket for 30 days without a problem under similar conditions. I call it aging.

Peter Lugar's keep their Steaks in the fridge for 75 days.
They don't sell what I'd call, bad meat.

Weiser

BlueHwyBBQ said:

I know it has been asked before... but how long can I keep a brisket. I bought it then couldn't cook it. This weekend will be 21 days. It is in the basement fridge that seldom gets opened. The polder is reading 33 degrees.

Oh, to keep on topic - it is laying flat.

Thanks
Scott

Click to expand...

Position matters more than size...or so I've been told.