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Dry Age Experts - Humidity Question

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LFGEnergy
LFGEnergy Posts: 618
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Dry aging a prime subprimal, but see a lot of drying (not aging) appearing on bark. Checked humidity, and my fridge is somewhere between 20 and 30 percent. Garage fridge that does not get opened often, likely part of issue.

Research (and a few good youtube vids) indicate something north of 50 to 60 percent for ideal. Am I drying beef to much at this humidity? Was shooting for 45 days on this effort, but considering stopping at 28 days to minimize over shrinking meat.

Thoughts appreciated!!!!
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    that's pretty consistent with what we have been experiencing. a home fridge will dry more quickly because it is generally drier. if you have a meat drawer, try that, as its purpose is to be a little more humid (fewer air changes in the meat drawer).

    not sure what you mean by "aging" on the surface.

    the browning is oxidation. otherwise there are no real visible signs, other than a nice dry surface. don't use any towels or linen, it's a recipe for a damp surface, and has nothing to do with the original reason for their use in hanging sides of beef.

    if i makes you feel any better, from the most recent posts of both commando and dry-age bag users, it looks like once the meat hits a 20% loss of weight (all of it flavorless water), the drying seems to slow.

    was it hoss that went 45 days commando? not sure. but the report was a 20% loss after the 45 days. i think the drying flat-lines after maybe 28 days.
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    humidity is NOT a safety issue. commercial dry-aging suppliers debate whether to go drier or more humid. some as high as 85%.

    the more humid the environment, the longer it can age before turning entirely to jerky. the longer it ages, the longer the enzymes can do their work. "humid" advocates would strive for this environment

    a drier environment means that the meat loses flavorless water more quickly. you are condensing the fat (which is where most of the beef flavor resides) and creating a more flavorful piece of beef than the same chunk when not dried. those who want to age without going heroic distances, but who still want payoff, might prefer a drier environment. you still get all the benefit of the enzyme action, but just not as long (28 days seems a good average , though for some here, 35-45 is still do-able ).

    temp is the "safety" concern. humidity simply affects quality (which is subjective).
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  • kricks
    kricks Posts: 244
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    I just leave mine in garage fridge and manage the only variable I can and that's temp. I'm not sure what I could do about humidity anyway.

    Put in a 15 pound rib-eye primal Sept 23. another 39 days...
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    I don't recall anyone going 45 days commando but I had reported my 45 days with a DrybagSteak product had lost 20.8% of its weight.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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