40 day aged ribeye

[halfcocked]

So, 40 days ago I put this two bone ribeye in the fridge for dry aging. (first pic.) It started to take on color after 6 days. (Second pic.) The next shot is 20 and then 30 days. After 40 days it came out looking like the next (naked) shot. It started at 5.96 lb. and it wound up at 4.8 lb. before trimming. The net result, after trim is 2 lb. of steak. Two 2 inchers and one 1+ inch.
Decided to do the 1+" for a starter. 90 min. sous vide at 130 and seared on high heat. The meat was over done and probably should have been sous vide at 127.
Take away on taste: I can't tell a meaningful difference between the fresh vs the aged. (though we do not have steak often.) There is something there but not anything I can define. Next cook I will do both fresh and aged at the same time to see if there is a meaningful difference in taste.
Consistency: Soft and smooth. (Probably should have done the 2" steak first. May be there's a difference.)
Regrets: Should have instructed the butcher to keep the fat cap on to maybe a quarter inch. And maybe I should not have bagged it to age and left it open in the fridge.
Otherwise: There was no odor whatsoever to either the crust or the interior and the meat looked and felt great.
Would like to have some input and critique.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Do not remember having aged beef like that Looks really good to me

 

[jham0077]

I'm afraid I would be like you, not able to tell a difference. It looks really good though.

 

[Dweverett]

I’ve really wanted to do this but the couple people I know that have tried it both had the same reaction. Decent amount of planning and work and they couldn’t tell any real difference.

 

[Titch]

I wonder if its because we, as a group, tend to eat better meats anyhow.
I am in the same boat, tried it quiet a few times and decided it was not a wow enough difference for the outlay

 

[smokin'hoogie]

I currently have a 20 lb.+ bone in rib eye and a 15 lb. strip loin (choice/superior) ageing in the fridge for 11 days now. I am going for at least 45 - 60 on both as I had read that although the tenderness is pronounced at 30, that dry age flavor doesn't really come out until around 45+. We'll see!!

Either way, I'm excited as this is my first time trying out the UMAI bag method.

 

[kdub5]

45 days is the sweet spot. I dry age in Umai bag twice a year. I started out at 24 days but could not taste a difference. 45 gives that nutty flavor and the tenderness is noticeable.

 

[halfcocked]

The tenderness is fine on this one too but no noticeable change in flavor. It appears to me that the meat is more condensed, or dense (having dried out some) but tender none the less. Everything I read told me that by 40 days you can taste the difference so I pulled it at 40. Will look for the report from hoogie on the longer cure. Don't know that I'll try again though.

 

[Ylouder]

I've had it before, but if im being honest, its not worth the money or time IMHO and is just alot of wasted meat to trimming.

I would rather buy a well marbled ribeye and just cook it as is. By the time it reaches me its already been dead for quite a while.

 

[frayedend]

I can't offer anything on the aging. But I've found on souse vide I need to go lower than expected for temp on a 1-2" steak. I only go 118 and after a good sear in butter on cast iron I get a nice medium/medium rare.

This was a strip steak done at 118 then seared.