Aging A Brisket?

I don't know what a three week age will do. I do know that four years in the freezer isn't good though...

I would be very interested in your impressions if you follow Paul's instructions.

I have not tried it personally...but a lot of folks "wet age" the brisket in the original cryovac pack... This will help...
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9719&highlight=brisket

dry aging

We dry age beef strip loins and rib eyes whole primal pieces for up to 5 weeks. We do it in a commercial walkin cooler. 32 degrees on a wire rack so air circulation will get on all sides. the bad bacteria thrive on moist so we place the beef on cooling racks like a cookie sheet. might loose 10 to 20 percent of the weight due to the outer dehydration of the cut. the inner areas of the primal cut are still very moist and the flavor and tenderness is enhanced greatly.

I wonder how long it was aged when you bought it?

aged beef

I wonder how long it was aged when you bought it?
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Thanks for noticing

usually packed between 15 and 45 days before we start the aging process. once we start the dry process we only handle the beef with gloved hands and change out the pan below the grate the beef sits on. The air circulation and humidity is very important. I don't think a home refer would provide enough are circulation and fanning the door is raising the humidity so not a good idea.......

To know the age of the brisket when you buy it, you need to see the case they were packed in. I've never seen a packed date on the brisket cryo pack itself. Aging is supposed to allow the meat to relax and reverse the effects of rigormortise(sp?). I hear 5 to 6 weeks is the prime age.. but again that's from the packing date, not from when you buy it.

I found this on a google search. Doesn't mention brisket in particular but I would think the process would be the same.

http://www.askthemeatman.com/is_it_possible_to_dry_age_beef_at_home.htm

I do it. Somewhere between 30-40 days. When you first open the cryovac you will notice a really funky smell and that the color of the brisket has changed (to a grayish color). No big deal. They also tend to be a bit slimy. Just wash it with water before you start trimming and adding rub, etc.

There's lots of info on this site about aging. Dry aging is really for professionals with walk in coolers and temp/moisture control. I ask my butcher to age prime rib for 21-24 days for me and it makes an awsome roast.

Brisket wet aging - as said you need the kill date or packing date on the box. About 7 weeks from that date but that's in original cryovac. Now it needs a fridge that is dedicated to aging beef and storing meat. Temp controlled 34-35F and only opened once a week or so. The meat needs to be turned and you also need to look for bubbles. That's the start of gasses as the meat breaks down. Bigger bubbles = more break down. Quarter sized and you better cook right away and when you wash it after opening if it still smells then throw it away. I've had more than one brisket go in the trash when aging them.

Hey Ford - I've heard about looking for the bubbles. But sometimes the cryovac is not totally tight around the brisket - though there are no leaks and no air getting in. How can you monitor he progress if that's the case? Always wondered about that...

I assume if the cryovac is not tight then it's been ruptured in some fashion and there is air in there so it can't be wet aged. Or it was not properly packed and got out anyway so can't wet age. If it suddenly looks different when aging assume the same.

Cryovac does not eliminate air but if done right (commercially) it limits the amount of air. Air is needed for the aging process but only in miniscule amounts.

When you get a brisket with loose packaging you may also find it's more pliable and you already get a nice bend. that's because of air in there and maybe 3 weeks of time since packing.

Hello all. Been a member for a while but until now have only been an observer. Have learned sooo much here, but always felt I'd leave it to the pros to respond. When this topic came up I said OH OH I KNOW THIS ONE!!! I have been dry aging beef for years. Dry aging does 2 thing in my opinion. Concentrates flavors and increases tenderness. One needs to be careful in the ageing process as consistent temperature is very important. Here are a few basic steps that I go through.
-Only use whole cuts of meat with a good deal of outer fat. After the aging, the meat will need to be trimmed. If using low fat or small cut, you'll be trimming away edible product.
-Wrap your cut with cloth, (I use dish towels--my wife loves this) and place on a rack on a sheet pan. After 24 hours, change the cloths. You will loose 15-20 % of you weight in moisture and this mostly happen in the 1st day. Changing the cloth will keep the cut the dry.
- leave the cut undisturbed for the rest of the process
I would start with a 14 day age my 1st go at it. I have aged beef up to 5 weeks and at about 3 weeks, the concentrated flavor begins to become a change in flavor...sort of a gamey flavor that I like but many of my family and friends don't care for. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Wet aging brisket is a complete waste of time, IMO. I have done it and the results were nothing to waste your time over. I never wet age and it does just fine.

According to this paper ageing meat for long periods can help tenderize it but can produce chemicals that produce off flavors. A very interesting read on many levels.

http://www.beefresearch.org/CMDocs/BeefResearch/The Chemistry of Beef Flavor.pdf

bamaman76 said:

Sounds like it's not worth the time! That if you cook your brisket the right way your going to produce a good product anyway.

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Probably not that cut and dry. I'm sure that picking through a group of briskets and finding the one that yields the best when bent and shows the best tenderness could replace the need to age. I think the aging is good for someone who finds a brisket with the size and shape they like for comp yet still doesn't yield as nicely as they would like. It could also be good for those who are limited on what they can pick from. Its not always easy finding the perfect brisket for your comp. One with the right size flat and proper tenderness. There is also a taste issue. Finding that perfect point between blood taste and great beef taste could be the result of aging that brisket. Its all personal preference but the preference you cater to may be a judge and not your own.

OC PIG ASSASSINS said:

Wet aging brisket is a complete waste of time, IMO. I have done it and the results were nothing to waste your time over. I never wet age and it does just fine.

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I'm betting what you are comparing it to though has at least 2-3 weeks of age from the kill date. I have bought a few cases of briskets that had a very recent kill date and they were stiff as a board. Would agree that after 2-3 weeks there is diminishing returns going out to 5-6 weeks of age.

ique said:

I'm betting what you are comparing it to though has at least 2-3 weeks of age from the kill date. I have bought a few cases of briskets that had a very recent kill date and they were stiff as a board. Would agree that after 2-3 weeks there is diminishing returns going out to 5-6 weeks of age.

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I have tried both ways and there maybe a slight difference, but when cooking something for so long at low temps, I still don't see a huge advantage. Give me a dry aged porterhouse cooked under a 1700 degree salamander to Med rare and we are talking a different story!!!!:lol: