Found some spots on dry aged beef, getting slithe. Need advice

dry-aging

I just found that there are some part of the dry aged beef under a rack that became slimy. It has been 20 days at 2°C and humidity around 75%. Is it ok to still consume since I have to trim the outer part anyway or Can I wipe out the slimy part for now to slow down the spoilage process as I aim to age at 28 days. Thanks you all in advance

Best Answer

Your conditions were both too warm and too low of a humidity. Ideal for 'dry aging' is 32.5°F to 33.8°F (0.5°C to 1.0°C) at 80%-85% humidity.

Firstly, temperature control is critical to slow and almost stop the rotting process. Beef is received right after slaughter and it must be held at a core temperature of around zero degrees (this is done by our cool room running between −0.5 and 1 °C). Secondly, airflow is critical. Increasing the airflow around the aging room is needed to make sure that the fresh beef dries as quickly as possible on the surface to stop bacteria and potential mould growth. To achieve this, we have a number of ceiling mounted fans to push air in different directions around the room (Fig. 2). Thirdly, the use of UV lights is crucial to kill any air borne bacteria (Fig. 3). Lastly, the humidity is important and it must be between 80% and 85%.

Toss it and start over. (Bonus points for the effort though...not many have the patience to try to dry age their own beef)

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