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Wet ageing question


 
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Brandon A

TVWBB All-Star
I picked up a choice flat this weekend, and due to me being ill, didnt get around to cooking it.

I have a dorm fridge on the porch that I thought would work well for wet aging since I can use it exclusively for meat. I put my flat in on the top rack (nearest the freezer shelf) and put my maverick probe inside. I've been monitering it and the temp ranges from 37* and 39* on the coldest setting. I just want to make sure, but I think it will be fine. What do you guys think? I know lower is probably better....It probably will only make it 7 days, but potentially longer. Thanks.

Brandon
 
You will probably not find any improvement or "aging" of your brisket after only a week or ten days. If your brisket flat isn't cryovaced, then you shouldn't hold it much more than 4-5 days all together, or it will fall susceptible to spoilage organisms.

I haven't done a lot of scientific tests to show whether wet aging does anything for a brisket. I have done it several times, but I've not done two at the same time, with one wet aged and one not.

I know many butchers laugh at the idea of wet aging, and say there is nothing to it. But then again, they are in the business of selling dry aged beef, which is hard to do at home.
 
Yes the brisket is still in cryo, however I dont know the pack date. I'm just assuming it was frozen before being shipped to the meat market. I picked it up on Saturday (already thawed). When I didnt get it cooked Sunday, I thought instead of refreezing, I'd try the wet age. I'm not looking for a huge improvement in tenderness or anything, but it has to be better then refreezing.

Brandon
 
Beef is not usually shipped frozen. can be, but this isn't the norm. The usual for fresh beef packinghouse storage and truck shipping is 26-28?.

Many comp people wet age briskets for improved tenderness, for several weeks. I do when I happen to be able to buy more than one decent packer and when I think I'll return home in enough time. (It is good to get in the habit of asking for the pack date when you purchase. It is on the case the meat shipped in. Sell-by and use-by dates are useless.)

I'd think (without knowing the pack date) that you could age at least a couple or three weeks, quite possibly longer.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Brandon A:
Yes the brisket is still in cryo, however I dont know the pack date. I'm just assuming it was frozen before being shipped to the meat market. I picked it up on Saturday (already thawed). When I didnt get it cooked Sunday, I thought instead of refreezing, I'd try the wet age. I'm not looking for a huge improvement in tenderness or anything, but it has to be better then refreezing.

Brandon </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Brandon, I bought two packers the week before Labor Day, cooked one labor day weekend, and then just cooked the other one this past weekend in a competition(wet aged for 3 weeks), I placed fifth in brisket out of 35 teams. I have only done about 10 briskets, this was only the second brisket I have cooked in a comp. I definietly feel that the wet aging helped.
 
I guess you learn something everyday Kevin, I figured that all meat was shipped frozen. And I agree, I should be asking for packing dates more often....doubt walmart would be much help, but lockers/meat markets should be.

I just found out that I have to work saturday and sunday this weekend, so I might as well let the flat sit for another week or two. If I'm as impressed as Bill was with his wet aged brisket, maybe I'll have to get a rotation started
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Thanks for the insight guys...

Brandon
 
I found a place in San Francisco called Del Monte Foods, that I think I will go check out in the next few days. They have beef from at least 5 or more different high end providers. I'm hoping to find some CAB packers that can fit nicely on my WSM. I hate having the tail ends touching the sides of the lid, or trying to fold it under and hope it stays. I was originally tempted to just cut the tip of the flat off, to square it up, and make it easier to sit on the grate. I guess it could be done either way.

I will probably buy two or three depending on the size. I don't want to drop more than $100. One of the guys quoted me about $3.80 a pound for Choice. Two will be allowed to hang out in the fridge for about 3.5 weeks or so, the other will be cooked up asap. I haven't done a brisket in about a month now.

Hopefully all my other little toys will show up in time. My Forschner 14" is waiting at the post office, and I broke down and bought some FAB to play with as well.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">doubt walmart would be much help, </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't shop there but I don't see why they'd be different. Meat is shipped in cases. By law, the pack date must be on the case. Unless they unpack all the cases when they come in and then pitch them, they'd have the case and that info.
 
I get all of my comp briskets directly from the meat plant and they age all of my briskets for 35-40 days. Using the pack date isn't right either, as meat can be held for days at a time. Kill date is what you really need to be completely accurate. But they also do not include that on the box. But it can be anywhere from 2-5 days.

I would only trust a date, if I was picking them out of that box. The difference of a week can mean good aged meat or rotten meat. And if you have ever opened a rotten aged brisket, you will know immediately. A well aged one will have a slight musky smell to it.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I broke down and bought some FAB to play with as well. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey Tom, Let me know how that FAB works out for you. I bought some with the intent of using it in the last comp did, but I left it at home. I still got a 5th in brisket, without it though. just curious.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">doubt walmart would be much help, </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't shop there but I don't see why they'd be different. Meat is shipped in cases. By law, the pack date must be on the case. Unless they unpack all the cases when they come in and then pitch them, they'd have the case and that info. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I was refering to hunting down an employee who has some idea what goes on in the meat dept. Since they have no meat counter, they would probably have to page a meat manager or something, turning into a 20 minute ordeal
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Just saying it would just be a hastle.

Brandon
 
That, and China already has enough of our money. But I don't was to get off on a rant. Bill, great job on the brisket! I'd say it sounds like you don't need it, but I remember Kevin once writing that if one guy is using it in a comp, it throws a wrench into the rest of the guys attempts, once the judge has had his taste buds blasted by it, it's kinda ruined for the subsequent ones. (rough paraphrase).

I'm actually thinking of an elaborate ordeal with my first attempt with FAB. I'm sure some of these ideas are odd. But what I'm planing on doing is: do the slightest of trimming, docking it well with my jacard(sp?) seasoning/marinating it in my large food safe serving tub that is a perfect size for a brisket. I will use the FAB, and probably a homemade rub. Let it sit for 10-12 hours in the fridge, turn it, cause I don't want to waste a large liquid volume of marinade. Then the last thing I'm going to try is throwing it right on the preheated WSM, straight from the fridge. I want to see if I can get a better smoke ring going, while doing a high temp like I normally do.

I'd like to buy three CAB's from the place I mentioned, so I could do one this way, one without the docking,keeping everything else the same, and one with out the FAB. I think it will be an interesting experiment. I can eat the results.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I'm actually thinking of an elaborate ordeal with my first attempt with FAB.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tom, sounds like a good plan. Are you going to inject the brisket with Fab or just marinade it. I think the next time I do brisket I am going to inject, then let it sit in the frigde overnite, and then cook it high temp ( I am hooked with high heat brisket ). good luck with the cook. keep me posted with the results. let me know if you can tell the difference with or without FAB.
 
That's essentially what I'm doing. I was originally going to go pick up some good quality choice or CAB's, but all I could get was prime. So I started a new thread dealing with those.

Then I ran over to smart and final and picked up a no roll, that I have ready to go on here soon. Rather than double posting, I will just include my results on the other thread.

I gotta add, the FAB smells wonderful!
 
That's not quite my reaction.
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It will be interesting to see what you think post cook. There are certainly many that like it, many that don't but use it anyway, many that don't and don't.

Ain't experimenting fun?
 
How'd I know you'd say that?
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I'm certainly having fun. I even foiled my wood chunks so they don't all burn as quickly. This will be the first one that goes from fridge to fire without allowing it to come to room temp first.
 
As a person in the Food Distribution business I concur with the opinion that a week will have little effect.

Wet-ageing is an enzymatic process that breaks down some of the fiberous materials in the meat. The process peaks at 21 days. This is why your best steakhouses and brands (CAB for example) frequently advertise "21 day aged." After that time the "bell curve" for tenderness and flavor begins to drop off though many (CAB included) offer 28 and 35 day aged product.

I personally believe that ageing is the number one factor in the palatability of meat. Ie, I'll take a Select or "No-Roll" product with 21-28 days on it over a "Green" Prime steak.

Wet-aging (at least at home) should only be done in an uncompromised cryo-vac--Not in shrink wrap or film wrap.

My company is an approved CAB vendor and when I sell this product I let my customers know that it can be held in the refigerator, in the cryo-vac, for at least another 21+ days. I, personally, have held a cryo-vac PSMO tenderloin for 6 months with great results.

The cryo-vac will frequently have the pack date stamped on it depending on who you buy from.

Kruger is correct that most meat is not shipped frozen. However, packers do get long on products sometimes and they will freeze. There are 2 main ways to detect if you are buying a previously frozen product: first there will be an inordinate amount of purge in the cryovac, and second is the most obvious, the price is too good to be true. Purge is the protein-rich red liquid that always occurs in cryo-vac meat. It is not blood.

I will disagree somewhat on the kill date v. pack date issue. Carcasses need to be held before being fabricated for sometime to allow the meat to relax. Rigor Mortus occurs in cows too. This is where the common image of carcasses hanging from hooks in a huge meat-packing facility comes from. A la Rocky. Once fabricated into sub-primal cuts and cryo-vac they are ready for wet-ageing.

Dry-Ageing has some of the same effects but the the desired end result is almost completely different...

Hope this is a helpful ramble.
 
Thanks for all of the great information, I've definately gained some good knowledge about wet aging, and beef in general.

I want to ask another question. My little fridge proved to be unpredictable. I was checking on it daily, and on the third day, it was a bit warmer outside, and the temp rose to 43*. I removed the flat and made a nice place for it on the top shelf in the very back of our normal fridge. I've been monitering with the Maverick again and the temp ranges between 37-40*. We are in and out of the fridge quite frequently but I think it will generally stay below 40*.

The real question, are my temps stable and low enough to go the long haul with the wet age. I'm worried that fluctuating temps bordering 40* for a long period of time will be enough for spoilage to set in. If this is true I may want to get this flat cooked this weekend instead of chancing it. What do you guys think?

Brandon
 
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