2nd try: Dry Aging with the SteakAger

[CopyNPaste]

Originally Posted by sudsandswine

I had the v1.0 Steak Ager from the original Kickstarter way back when. The one you had to keep inside a refrigerator. I had good results from it, aside from A) it not having the capacity to keep up with my dry aged steak hunger and B) the real estate it consumed in my beer fridge.

That being said, I am currently in the market for a glass door beverage cooler to turn into a big dedicated beef dry ager. Because dry aged beef is delicious.

All you really need is a nice wine fridge with temp control or a mini fridge with temp control. You can buy a 30 dollar humity and temp monitor on amazon. At least that's my plan next year.

[NCGrimbo]

Originally Posted by CopyNPaste

All you really need is a nice wine fridge with temp control or a mini fridge with temp control. You can buy a 30 dollar humity and temp monitor on amazon. At least that's my plan next year.

Yep. There are several Facebook groups that do the fridge or wine fridge method with mods for better air flow and installation of UV lights to control the bad bugs.

But I'm to lazy to do more than plug it in and go. Had I know the issues I was going to have when I first got the SteakAger, I would have waited until all the kinks were ironed out. But now that I've got it and it's working, I will say I'm loving it.

[NCGrimbo]

Day 35 of 45:


10 days until ribeye 1 of 3 is done.

[NCGrimbo]

Almost done. Day 42 of 45.

[NCGrimbo]

I pulled the ribeye from the SteakAger today after 43 days of dry aging. I was disappointed that there was ice stuck to the back side of the roast. Since that was the tip where there's a large chunk of fat, it ends up not mattering. I had to break the ice with a hammer to get it out since the ice was hitting the fan unit at the top of the SteakAger and was to thick for me to break with my hands.

Let's get to the pictures, eh?

Here it is after I got it out of the SteakAger. Notice some of the ice is still stuck on the back side of the roast.


I checked the temp near the ice and the roast was at 38 degrees, so the ice didn't seem to effect anything.

A quick cut of the iced over fat and the two ends and then I attempted to cut the remaining roast into 1.5" pieces.


I definately need to practice my cutting as I think only two of the 6 steaks are actually 1.5". LOL!!!

Next I had to trim the bad stuff off the steaks and get them to their final sizes. A quick vacuum seal and then into the freezer.


I was shocked at how much I needed to trim to get down to the good meat and fat. I hope I didn't cut off to much.

So, here are some numbers for those of you that like that kind of stuff:

Whole roast weight: 19.16 lbs
Roast weight after trimming to fit in SteakAger: 14.81 lbs
Weight after 43 days in the SteakAger: 12.34 lbs
Total weight loss from dry aging: 2.47 lbs
Weight of final 6 steaks: 6 lbs

And the numbers that really matters:
Roast price: $172.25
Dry aged steaks cost per pound: $28.71

Anyone know how much butchers sell 43 day dry aged ribeyes for? My local butcher only sells 21 day dry aged beef, so I can't compare the costs.

Saturday I'm going to go pick up a new ribeye roast and start the 30 day dry age part of the experiment.

[NCGrimbo]

I got a new ribeye roast to start part 2 of the experiment, the 30 day dry age. Trimmed 3.5 pounds of steaks off it to get it to fit.

All I can do now is wait. And have steak for dinner tonight.

[NCGrimbo]

Here's the 14 day picture of the future 30 day dry aged rib eye:

This one seems to have less fat on the outside. I wonder if that will effect the taste.

[IamMadMan]

Wow, look at the color of that steak, awesome.


Currently, I have to travel about 75 miles to enjoy a great dry aged steak. You just can't beat the flavor. Well worth every penny as well as the time/distance to get there. Some restaurants in Philadelphia sell "aged" steaks, but they are wet aged, not the same flavors. I have to travel North to Newark/NYC find Dry Aged at restaurants.

[NCGrimbo]

I pulled the ribeye roast out of the SteakAger tonight after it's 30 day dry age and then cut it up. I forgot to take pictures until I had finished trimming.


Here are numbers for those of you that like that kind of stuff:

Whole roast weight: 16.66 lbs
Roast weight after trimming to fit in SteakAger: 13.16 lbs
Weight after 43 days in the SteakAger: 10.14 lbs
Total weight loss from dry aging: 3.02 lbs
Weight of final 7 steaks: 5.52 lbs

And the numbers that really matters:
Roast price: $144.61
Dry aged steaks cost per pound: $26.20

[Happy Hapgood]

Do you think rotating the cut in the ager would cut down/eliminate the ice build up? That ice looks like a moisture moved by a circulating fan.


Great job Grimbo!

[Big George's BBQ]

They do look really good

[NCGrimbo]

Originally Posted by Happy Hapgood

Do you think rotating the cut in the ager would cut down/eliminate the ice build up? That ice looks like a moisture moved by a circulating fan.

I rotated the 30 day roast so that the larger part of the roast was towards the back of the SteakAger and it had a chunk of ice on it just like the 45 day roast. The 45 day roast had the larger part towards the front of the Steakager. I think I'm going to rotate the next roast every 7 days and see if that helps with reducing the ice build up.

If my plans work out this weekend, I should have the 21 day test starting on Saturday.

[NCGrimbo]

In goes the next rib eye roast for 21 days:

This one started at 20 lbs, but after cutting it down to fit, it was at 13 lbs. The trimmings produced 4 steaks at 1.5" thick.

[NCGrimbo]

1 week in:

[KClandcruiser]

You are starting to get very close to one delicious evening of eating a bunch of steak. Can't wait to see what your thoughts are when all is said and done