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Old 04-04-2013, 08:56 AM   #1
Marauderrt10
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Default Dry aging station

I just now perfected my setup for now till me and my wife move into our own house in the near future. It's a very nice vintage Marvel beverage fridge that I converted to a dry aging station. . It's a 6.77 pounder prime rib sitting on a 2lb layer of Himalayan sea salt, and i used a computer fan to circulate the air.

And of course the Ranco ETC temperature controller at a constant 34-35 degrees :)

The fridge



4 day old prime rib





Prime rib after a week. Starting to dry out very nicely.







If anyone wants directions on how to do this feel free to ask :)
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Old 04-04-2013, 09:48 AM   #2
etcetrah
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Is there something special about the Himalayan salt? I have heard of dry aging, but don't know anything about it, so pardon my ignorance if this is common knowledge.
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Old 04-04-2013, 09:53 AM   #3
CharredApron
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Really nice I am looking to do exactly that!
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Old 04-04-2013, 10:02 AM   #4
Mattlsmith
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Please share directions as I have always wanted to set this same thing up?
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Old 04-04-2013, 10:31 AM   #5
Marauderrt10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by etcetrah View Post
Is there something special about the Himalayan salt? I have heard of dry aging, but don't know anything about it, so pardon my ignorance if this is common knowledge.
the Himalayan sea salt helps pull moisture out of the prime rib while keeping it from getting mold or other bacteria on the surface of the beef. If you don't use the salt it would take a a lot longer to get the same results.

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Originally Posted by Hometruckin View Post
Really nice I am looking to do exactly that!
great! Beef tastes so much better when it's dry aged

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattlsmith View Post
Please share directions as I have always wanted to set this same thing up?
Sure! All I did was to on Craigslist and found a mini fridge with no auto defrost for $20! I then got a 120mm computer fan and wired it to a 12v power adapter I had laying around. I went and picked up a calphalon roasting rack and some Anchor glassware, or any 9x13 will be fine. I picked up a 5lb bag of coarse grain Himalayan sea salt for $19 shipped from saltworks.com. Since I had a place close by and picked up a Ranco ETC 111000. I bought it unwired for $50 or you can buy it online prewired. If you ned help wiring it you can PM me. The ranco needs to be set at a constant 34-35 degrees with 70%-80% humidity. Then just put whatever you want in th fridge and wait for the magic to happen
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Old 04-05-2013, 05:39 PM   #6
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Quick update after 10 days. It's drying out very nicely. Starting to smell great!







Drying out wonderfully



Hope you enjoy.
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Old 04-05-2013, 06:26 PM   #7
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This is really interestin Looking forward to watching your progress
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Old 04-05-2013, 06:33 PM   #8
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Is the salt still good for cooking after being used to age the meat?
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Old 04-05-2013, 06:49 PM   #9
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Is the salt still good for cooking after being used to age the meat?
Yes after cooking it in the oven at 400 to dry it out. Salt is antibacterial so it's still good to cook with.
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Old 04-05-2013, 10:39 PM   #10
Rockin W Smokers
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Can't wait to see the finished product looks like a good start. I have been interested in doing this for a while just have not had the time to research and convert the shop refrigerator. This week I was looking around to possibly buy a few dry aged steaks to decide if the difference is worth the time & money involved.

My question for you is how did you decide on the humidity level that you are using?

The reason I ask is while looking for dry aged steaks at Pat La Frieda's website (http://lafrieda.com) they say "The environment in our aging rooms is meticulously maintained to a temperature of 35 degrees and less than 10% humidity."
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Old 04-06-2013, 12:05 AM   #11
Marauderrt10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockin W BBQ View Post
Can't wait to see the finished product looks like a good start. I have been interested in doing this for a while just have not had the time to research and convert the shop refrigerator. This week I was looking around to possibly buy a few dry aged steaks to decide if the difference is worth the time & money involved.

My question for you is how did you decide on the humidity level that you are using?

The reason I ask is while looking for dry aged steaks at Pat La Frieda's website (http://lafrieda.com) they say "The environment in our aging rooms is meticulously maintained to a temperature of 35 degrees and less than 10% humidity."
Honestly the money you would spend on dry aged steaks would be about the same I have invested in everything. Which is about $150 including the prime rib.

I keep my humidity between 70-80% humidity, that is the ideal humidity for aging steaks without having the meat dry out too fast and halts enzymatic breakdown, which is what makes the beef more tender. After 34 days the enzymatic breakdown stops and after that all you get is moisture loss for a more intense beef flavor.

I'd take what any company says with a grain of salt, 10% is just too low and would desiccate the meat too fast.
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Old 04-06-2013, 07:21 AM   #12
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75-85% is correct.
It also keeps weight loss down.

Note: the NCBA has stated that there are "no real advantages for extended aging past 14 days."
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Old 04-06-2013, 07:22 AM   #13
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I thought the salt needed to be in contact with the meat to be of any benefit...I don't get it.
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Old 04-06-2013, 07:26 AM   #14
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Very impressed . . . and jealous. Nice job!
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Old 04-06-2013, 08:03 AM   #15
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If anyone want's to try dry aging they need to read up on it. I see many comments that are heresay and some that are irrelevant. Some are just plain false. Salt is not antibiotic. It drys out organisms so they can't grow. You can buy salt for $8.00 per fifty pounds. For this use only salt is salt. Dry aging requires positive ventilation. Humidity must be kept low that's why you monitor it and change the salt. It never contacts the meat. 14 days is Ok but 30 is better. High humidity and little ventilation is a perfect place for bacteria to grow. Don't take chances and don't listen to uncle Henry's advice. Wrapping the meat is a waste of time. The big boys just hang it on a hook. With proper temperature, humidity, and proper ventilation there is no reason to open the door except to change the salt. If you want to see what's going on in there put a micro camera in the box. KISS
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