Wet age brisket, vac seal also?

[jjdbike]

Hello all,

Planning on wet aging a couple big prime briskets in the bottom of my fridge. This is my first attempt and I want to be super cautious.

I’ve read that it’s important that the cryovac bag seal is not compromised. I’ve also been told by professional - commercial fish processors that the thicker vac seal bags extend life and quality in freezer. Those two things combined, I’m wondering if it might be beneficial to pick the packers out of a newly opened case and put them in a second vacuum sealed bag for the aging process.

What do folks think? Any potential benefits? Any risks?

Thanks in advance!
JD

[tstalafuse]

Assuming the bags are not compromised, opening them up to transfer to a different vac sealed bag would simply be exposing them to whatever is in the air, on your hands, on the counter top, etc.. Given you are wet aging to cook them, I don't see any benefit if the bags the are in are okay.

[DaveD]

I don't think he means to take it out of the original, just seal up the original in a second bag...

[tstalafuse]

DaveD Okay, but there still isn't any benefit even if the original bags are compromised or not. If they are compromised, the briskets might be suitable for dry aging but it doesn't sound like he wants to try that yet or has the equipment. If they aren't, he isn't freezing them so there isn't going to be benefit from having it double bagged. Either way, double bagging for the sake of double bagging is not necessary.

[Oak Smoke]

Just be picky when you select your briskets. Make sure there are no leaks when you get them. I don’t think another layer is usually necessary. I’ve had 2 briskets leak. The first I didn’t notice until it was too late and hauled it down in the pasture for the critters to enjoy. The second I noticed a small leak the next day in the fridge. I just went ahead and smoked it. I suspect I caused both leaks in handling them. I’ve only wet aged select and choice briskets. Does a prime benefit from it?

[realdocBBQ]

Yes.

[jjdbike]

Assuming the bags are not compromised, opening them up to transfer to a different vac sealed bag would simply be exposing them to whatever is in the air, on your hands, on the counter top, etc.. Given you are wet aging to cook them, I don't see any benefit if the bags the are in are okay.

Thanks tstalafuse,

I was definitely not going to open the original packaging. Just a second layer for extra protection.

JD

[jjdbike]

Just be picky when you select your briskets. Make sure there are no leaks when you get them. I don’t think another layer is usually necessary. I’ve had 2 briskets leak. The first I didn’t notice until it was too late and hauled it down in the pasture for the critters to enjoy. The second I noticed a small leak the next day in the fridge. I just went ahead and smoked it. I suspect I caused both leaks in handling them. I’ve only wet aged select and choice briskets. Does a prime benefit from it?

Thanks Oak Smoke,

I always appreciate your input.

Yes, our fridge gets used. The idea of the second wrap was added protection. I get the heavy duty expandable bags with brisket in mind.

Also, the fish processors assertion that thicker bag material is better, why wouldn't two layers be better? The one potential down side I see is, what is thee is a small leak in the original that I don't notice. The second wrap might hide the fact that it was compromised.

Would that make it more risky to wet age, if the original wrap was compromised even if it was double wrapped? Yes I know I'm over thinking it. That's what I do.... OCD , the struggle is real.

If select cuts benefit from wet aging, why wouldn't prime benefit also?

JD

[Spinaker]

I would leave them in the bag. You already have a perfect seal. If you open that brisket up, you are running the risk of introducing contamination.

Just leave it in the fridge and let it age. I typically go 30-45 days.

[realdocBBQ]

Yes, Prime does benefit, but it's overall a pretty small improvement anyways. I've done a number of wet age attempts, up to 90-120 days. And then my last one worked out badly with only like 28 days or something (from Sam's Club, that one). That one ended up getting turned into dog food AFTER cooking. Couldn't tell until I cut it open and found green sections inside. <sigh>

Since then, I haven't tried again, but I did prolly 9 or 10 of them before that from Costco.

[jjdbike]

I would leave them in the bag. You already have a perfect seal. If you open that brisket up, you are running the risk of introducing contamination.

Just leave it in the fridge and let it age. I typically go 30-45 days.

Thanks Spinaker,
I am definitely gonna leave them in the original cryopac. I was talking about an additional sealed layer of protection. Double sealing. On top of original, vac packing I’m a HD vac when I get home.

I’m excited. Pulled two nice prime packets out of an unopened case. Nice thick flat, well marbled.

Now I need to figure out timing of aging. Pack date is 1/02. Sell by date is 2/16. To determine how long to age, do I base it on packed on date?

Thanks also #Dogfaced Ponysoldier. I’m a big fan of my local Costco Business center. They provide better customer service than local grocery stores. Plus the meat selection is awesome.

Thanks again all.
JD

[realdocBBQ]

Nothing wrong with double sealing them. It's overkill, yes, but not harmful, in any way I can imagine. For aging time, go by packing date, yes.

[Spinaker]

Ooooh got ya. You go off of the pack date. The Sell by Date is just so you know when to get a good deal. I would not double seal it. I really do not think there is any point in wasting the extra plastic. it will be fine with one layer. I have never double sealed it and I let all of my briskets age at least a month.

[Spinaker]

Also, I have gone 60+ days on a wet age with no problems. So do not fret the time too much. You have plenty of it. Cook that baby when you are good and ready to do so.

[jjdbike]

Thanks #Dogfaced Ponysoldier!
I’ll take it out to March 5th. That will be 60 days.
Sound safe?
JD

[Spinaker]

You will be more than fine. I do that all the time.

[realdocBBQ]

Long as you keep it cool, like in the bottom of your fridge. I always flip and rotate every week or so, so the juices and such don't sit in one place too long. I doubt it makes any difference, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something. lol

[realdocBBQ]

Going out to 60 days should be fine. I've done numerous up to 90 days and one up to 120 days - 127 I think.

The only exception was one I had really high hopes for - it was a Sam's Club prime packer, about 19 lbs and when I picked it up at the store, it was the floppiest brisket I'd ever handled when fresh. I was stoked, thinking this had to be a super tender cow to be this floppy already.

I aged it to like 45 days I think. It was super floppy(er) at that point and I thought, why not go ahead and cook it? So I opened it up, it had the typical wet aged smell, which is a bit 'rich', but didn't smell bad. Once I rinsed it off, it was fine, and super floppy, I was all gung ho. Spent all day smoking it, like 12 or 14 hours. Can't remember if I did a long hold on that one or not, but when I took it out and started slicing it, there were green spots in the meat, and the fat looked greenish in some spots, too. I actually tasted a bit of it that wasn't greenish, but only a bite. It tasted ok, not really 'off' per se, but it just... wasn't... right. Ended up cubing it up to use it for the dog, but I don't think I even gave it to her. Didn't want to risk my carpet, which is already bad enough with a German Shepherd and a cat that thinks food is something to gorge on just so you can decorate the carpet with it.

Really sucked, but it wasn't aged even half as long as a lot of the ones I'd done before.

Sometimes you just come up snake eyes.

[jjdbike]

Dang,
That does suck.
Thanks for sharing.
JD

[Santamarina]

I’ve successfully wet aged briskets in the original cryo with no problems - even out to 60 days. Freezing after that is no problem either, in my experience. I’ve never added a second bag. Just the original cryo.

[Hot Hows Hot House]

I love smoking full packer briskets, but never tried aging. Is the intro method to just leave in original packaging from butcher and keep in fridge for a week or two?

[realdocBBQ]

I love smoking full packer briskets, but never tried aging. Is the intro method to just leave in original packaging from butcher and keep in fridge for a week or two?

Yes, I've only done it with briskets from Costco or Sam's. They come in a good cryovac, and they're kept very cold all through the trimming, packaging and shipping process. If it's coming from your butcher, I might be a little more leery of wet aging it. Just because they're not sterile, it's one more 'potential' area of contamination and temp instability. Unless they just give you one that is in the cryo from THEIR distributor. But not if they've ever opened it up. Once the cryo is opened, I would be cooking it withing 2-3 days (I've left them in the fridge that long to dry the surface).

As for wet aging, I wouldn't do less than 30 days. I mean, nothing wrong with it, if it's safe for 45 or 60 or more, it's safe at 30, as well. But it seems from the experiences I've had personally and seen reports of here, 30 days isn't going to yield much in the way of results, probably 40-45 days minimum to get anything out of it. But if you want to try a little less first to get comfortable with it, that's fine - just I wouldn't expect to notice much in the way of difference.