What kind of fridge is 'necessary' for a dry-aging fridge?

[realdocBBQ]

I mean... I've thought about using the Umai bags - just never got around to it. I'm wondering about doing it the real-deal way, though.

I'm losing my office at work, so I'll be pulling out my mini-fridge, my dual-screen computer, my 58" TV on the wall - that never gets turned on. Etc.

But I thought about bringing my little fridge home and using it in the garage just for dry-aging meat. What do you think? I mean... I don't THINK you need anything special for this, just something with controlled environment - temp and humidity. And a small fridge would work fine wouldn't it? I already have a 'garage fridge', but we are into and out of that constantly for drinks, meat, etc. I've got a couple briskets wet-aging in there now. Really need to cook or freeze one of them, but I haven't been 'in the mood' to run a smoker for the last few weeks, too much going on, too much stress, too many things to do, too many excuses to be off doing something else - like out at the shop, PLANNING a build, but really more sitting around twiddling my thumbs recently. I guess I've lost some direction or focus or something. I don't know. I don't seem to be getting anything really 'done' lately.

But since I have to evacuate my office, and I don't have any specific 'use' for this fridge - I already have an identical one in the house and at the shop I use just for drinks alone - I thought a dry-aging fridge might be an option. Or just use it for meat alone, and let my wife have the big garage fridge.

OR USE BOTH for myself. lol But then, like I said, I haven't been actually DOING anything with the meat I've got sitting there now. Maybe I'm fooling myself. Maybe I'm just bored. Or maybe it's Monday morning and I'm procrastinating the beginning of another disappointing week. lol Work has been... well, pretty much a bummer lately.

Anyways, not the point of this diatribe.

Who has a dry-aging cabinet or fridge, anything special it would need other than constant temp, controlled humidity and very reduced access, i.e., opening and closing the door?

[STEbbq]

The fridge sounds like it would work great as a dry
aging fridge but you really do need the Umai bags as Meathead explains.

https://amazingribs.com/technique-and-science/cooking-science/aging-beef-at-home/

https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/umai-dry-bags/

[HawkerXP]

A cold one.

One you don't open often.

[Smoker_Boy]

We are glad that you're putting your technical training to good use.

[HawkerXP]

Thats my moto....KISS Smoker_Boy

[FireMan]

Yeah, no beer!

[jfmorris]

As the others said, the mini fridge will work great, and you could put a temp controller on it if you really want to know the temp in there, like I do with my two mini-fridge based kegerators. But without true humidity control, you will want to use the dry aging bags.

I use these on both my kegerators, with the probe fished in through the condensation drain hole, but you could just let the probe wire go under the door seal too:

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Max-1200W-Temperature-Controller-Greenhouse/dp/B01HXM5UAC/

What I do to know the temp is I have a water bottle in a foam cup coozie, with the temp probe stuck in that, and it sits in the fridge. That way I am monitoring the temp of a bottle of cold water, and not the temp of the air. I do something similar with my beer fermentation fridge (18 cubic food upright), but on that one, I strap the probe to the fermenter with a bungie strap, under a big wad of bubble wrap.

[Troutman]

I've done a ton of dry aging in Umai bags. It's easy and doesn't take any special fridge setup. That said for guys who have done it, actual dry aging in a controlled environment produces a better result. Here is one from long ago that I tagged thinking I might come up with a dry age solution some day. You do need to be aware of humidity, temperature and some air movement. It's not like just sticking meat in a fridge and checking on it in 60 days.

Also, I think texastweeter has a dry age setup, maybe he can weigh in.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/beef-steak-brisket-roasts-prime-rib-etc/347934-dry-age-setup

[texastweeter]

Spot on. Control those 3 and you have the basics. Wire racks (not glass shelves) are needed to make sure you get air exposure as well. You can get fancy with activated charcoal (I use baking soda), inocculating the fridge with the yeast/bacteria of someone else's aging room, digital readouts, alarms, and UV lights, but they are by no means necessary.

[Troutman]

Here's what you really need. My MCS budget, no matter how hard I stretch it, can't cover the $1800 .....

https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/steak-locker-dry-age-fridge-sl150/

[johnec00]

Troutman Here's a small dry aging chamber from Pro Smokers that's a bit easier on the MCS budget (although still not cheap). I've been showering off the MCS itch for this thing for a while, and am getting close to scratching. I would mainly use for charcuterie, but it has all the bells and whistles for dry aging too.

https://pro-smoker.com/products/reserve-50


Here's a you tube from a dude talking about using it for dry aging beef.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xcnsxoaJjs

[Troutman]

I’m good with Umai bags. Just giving the OP some ideas.

[barelfly]

Umai is so easy to use. I’ve used Umai for a number of projects that have turned out excellent! Ribeyes, strip, and then the really fun stuff - pancetta and charcuterie.

I highly recommend this process. And if you do, the sample pack is the way to go in my opinion based on the various sizes of bags you get for larger cuts.

[johnec00]

Several folks have recommended umai bags which will probably work in a mini fridge. I suggest The Sausage Maker's Dry Steak Wraps as a alternative to umai. They do pretty much the same thing, but start out as flat sheets so no need to purchase a bag of the size that fits. In addition, no finicky vacuum sealer needed. Here's a picture of a rib roast we did a while back. Before aging and after . . . . unfortunately can't find any pictures of the finished product. The Sausage Maker's site has several marketing videos.

[Oak Smoke]

I’ve looked twice now for a post by Henrik where he showed dry aging in a fridge over a pan of salt. It was very interesting and I had hoped to try it .

[Henrik]

I can’t remember if I used salt or not. Either way, dry aging with bags is very easy and turns out amazing, highly recommended 👌

[58limited]

I have only dry aged beef using the Umai bags. I use a 1982 Frigidaire that is also a keggerator when I'm not dry aging.

[radshop]

Since all the cool kids are saying it... Umai all the way. I've had 100% success rate. Best steaks in my life were dry aged in my fridge with Umai bags.