Wet aging brisket?

caliking · August 2017

Not sure how I got this bug in my head this week, but I figured I want to try it out.

Searched the interwebz a bit. Seems that wet aging in the cryopac up to 60 days from the pack date is doable. The pack date is not readily known unless you know the source of the beef, or the meat counter folks tell you the pack date stamped on the case. The date on the cryopac itself is usually the sell by date.

Since I was at Costco last night to pick up some storm supplies (milk for caliprince, bourbon for me), I picked up a prime brisket too. The cryopac says pack date= 8/22, sell by date= 8/29. Couldn't find a meat counter person to get the pack date from the case. As I was leaving, there were a bunch of boxes outside, some of which were IBP boxes (same packer as the brisket) for prime beef loin, NY strip, etc. Pack dates= 8/3 or 8/4, so I'm assuming the brisket too was packed some time in the first week of August.

So how long should I wet age this brisket? Assuming it was packed 3-4 weeks ago, I'm thinking I'll try wet aging for 2 weeks. A colleague at work says he wet ages for 3-7 days from purchase, and notices a difference. My question is that if its already been in the cryopac for 3-4 weeks, hasn't it already wet aged a fair bit? Of course, its a different scenario if the beef is sourced from a butcher who breaks down their own primals or sub-primals.

And the disclaimer - I'm not a brisket god by any stretch, so who knows if I can even tell the difference between one that's been wet aged or not. I cook a couple of briskets a years (if even that) and usually do it 2-3 days from date of purchase.

Discuss.

Eggcelsior · August 2017

I've wet-aged for 123 days, mostly because I forgot. The meat was a bit more "iron-y" but otherwise, not much different than fresh. I've done up to 60 normally, again, not for any reason other than plans changed. Anything beyond "oh, I forgot about that - wonder how it smells" is too much of a reason for me to plan on it based on past results.

DoubleEgger · August 2017

I'm normally a few weeks on mine

Legume · August 2017

I went north of 90 days once with a Costco packer. I'm not sure how much longer, maybe 120 but not more. I wouldn't say it was noticeably better. It stunk coming out of the bag, but a quick rinse too care of that. If there is improvement, it must peak then start to fall off before 90 days...n=1

caliking · August 2017

So is there any consensus as to whether wet aging made a worthwhile difference?

I dry aged some prime rib a while back, and though it was pretty good, I doubt I'll put too much effort etc. in to make it happen again.

lousubcap · August 2017

I have wet aged SRF Black for a couple of weeks and I didn't notice any "wow" factor difference. Of course I didn't do a side-by-side taste test. The cow is such a variable. I know it won't hurt (up to a point).
SRF advertises that they wet-age the Gold grade briskets for 21+ days if that's any help.

Legume · August 2017

I think it just gave me confidence that I'm safe to let it sit for a while if needed.

Perhaps there is more of a benefit for lower grades than there is for prime.

FearlessTheEggNoob · August 2017

I had an old timer recommend as part of the wet aging process, taking the cryovac brisket out of the fridge and bend it around, once a day, to keep it flexible.

???

henapple · August 2017

Ashish... Stfu. Nobody cares

caliking · August 2017

henapple said:

Ashish... Stfu. Nobody cares

Don't make me come over there and put a wet aged brisket up in yo middle TN a$$. 'coz I will...

...as soon soon as this hurricane is done.

Mattman3969 · August 2017

caliking said:

henapple said:

Ashish... Stfu. Nobody cares

Don't make me come over there and put a wet aged brisket up in yo middle TN a$$. 'coz I will...

...as soon soon as this hurricane is done.

@henapple might like wet aged meat in his... just sayin

henapple · August 2017

@caliking... Bish please. Hunker down dude. Be safe.

nolaegghead · August 2017

If you cook the livin' sh!t out of a cut of meat to make it tender, like brisket, short ribs, chuck roast, butt, or whatever, I don't believe that aging process will make any difference since you've denatured the livin' bejesus out of all the protein.

nolaegghead · August 2017

...that said, it definitely won't hurt.

bgebrent · August 2017

nolaegghead said:

...that said, it definitely won't hurt.

So yer sayin, old aged proteins are the same as young proteins after they've been denatured? Might be onto some here.

caliking · August 2017

nolaegghead said:

...that said, it definitely won't hurt.

I'm not sure I'm sold on the idea either. But I'll try it and see what happens.

Foghorn · August 2017

Best brisket I've ever cooked sat in my fridge 2 weeks. It was a Creekstone prime. I've cooked one other Creekstone prime - the day after I bought it. It wasn't as good. Probably just coincidence.

GrateEggspectations · August 2017

Just did a two month wet-aged AAA brisket that turned out fantastically. Brisket was noticeably more moist (i.e., jiggly!) than the same variety that I had not aged. Will definitely do again.

caliking · August 2017

Foghorn said:

Best brisket I've ever cooked sat in my fridge 2 weeks. It was a Creekstone prime. I've cooked one other Creekstone prime - the day after I bought it. It wasn't as good. Probably just coincidence.

,GrateEggspectations said:

Just did a two month wet-aged AAA brisket that turned out fantastically. Brisket was noticeably more moist (i.e., jiggly!) than the same variety that I had not aged. Will definitely do again.

Any noticeable difference in flavor? Or just texture?

Foghorn · August 2017

caliking said:

Foghorn said:

Best brisket I've ever cooked sat in my fridge 2 weeks. It was a Creekstone prime. I've cooked one other Creekstone prime - the day after I bought it. It wasn't as good. Probably just coincidence.

,GrateEggspectations said:

Just did a two month wet-aged AAA brisket that turned out fantastically. Brisket was noticeably more moist (i.e., jiggly!) than the same variety that I had not aged. Will definitely do again.

Any noticeable difference in flavor? Or just texture?

Both I think.

nolaegghead · August 2017

Foghorn said:

Best brisket I've ever cooked sat in my fridge 2 weeks. It was a Creekstone prime. I've cooked one other Creekstone prime - the day after I bought it. It wasn't as good. Probably just coincidence.

By the time most meat hits the market, it's been aged, dry and wet, for a week or two. This step makes a noticeable improvement in quality and is an widespread industry practice. No need to air freight beef to market like fish.

The next big step in improvement, based on incremental testing I've read is over another 4 weeks. I'm not sure (given the level of cooking brisket typically gets) there is more of a noticeable difference than there is in the natural variation in brisket which can make a wide difference in perceived taste and quality.

I'd love to see someone cut a brisket long-wise in two and freeze one side and wet age the other for 4 weeks (then freeze to help take that out of the equation), and do a side-by-side comparison.

I wouldn't be surprised if the wet aged were better or the same.

FearlessTheEggNoob · August 2017

Mine's now starting to show the small bubbles inside the Cryo. Hopefully it will make it till next Saturday.

JohnInCarolina · August 2017

I've had both wet aged and dry aged beef. The latter has a noticeable difference in flavor and texture. By comparison wet aged is just kind of... meh. Am I wrong?

FearlessTheEggNoob · August 2017

For brisket, I think wet ageing vs nothing is all we got.

bgebrent · August 2017

JohnInCarolina said:

I've had both wet aged and dry aged beef. The latter has a noticeable difference in flavor and texture. By comparison wet aged is just kind of... meh. Am I wrong?

For once you're right

. Dry aged beef rocks. Not so much for brisket.

JohnInCarolina · August 2017

bgebrent said:

JohnInCarolina said:

I've had both wet aged and dry aged beef. The latter has a noticeable difference in flavor and texture. By comparison wet aged is just kind of... meh. Am I wrong?

For once you're right .

Thanks Nicole!

bgebrent · August 2017

FearlessTheEggNoob said:

Mine's now starting to show the small bubbles inside the Cryo. Hopefully it will make it till next Saturday.

Bubbles would worry me a bit of bacterial contamination. @nolaegghead?

FearlessTheEggNoob · August 2017

I've read that's normal unless it starts to balloon.

nolaegghead · August 2017

bgebrent said:

FearlessTheEggNoob said:

Mine's now starting to show the small bubbles inside the Cryo. Hopefully it will make it till next Saturday.

Bubbles would worry me a bit of bacterial contamination. @nolaegghead?

I dunno. Maybe that cow had a yeast infection...

FearlessTheEggNoob · August 2017

I'll make sure it passes the sniff test before I chow down on it.

YukonRon · August 2017

JohnInCarolina said:

I've had both wet aged and dry aged beef. The latter has a noticeable difference in flavor and texture. By comparison wet aged is just kind of... meh. Am I wrong?

Bingo on that one. Brisket only has one avenue which is wet aging, and in my experience, letting it ride for a week in the fridge, provides no discernable difference.

Wet aging brisket?

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