Overheard an old timer talking about beef aging temps at the supply house

I was picking up some grinder plates this morning and two retired butchers were shooting the breeze by the counter. One of them said he used to hang beef at 38 degrees for 21 days and swore it gave better marbling retention than the colder 34 degree rooms people use now. That got me thinking because I've been fighting with dry aging in my small walk-in and losing too much trim weight. He said the warmer temp lets the enzymes work slower but more evenly so you get deeper flavor without as much pellicle loss. I might try bumping my cooler up a few degrees on my next quarter beef to see if it makes a difference. Has anyone else experimented with aging temps above the standard 34 to 36 range?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilychen13d ago

Last year I tried bumping my walk in to 37 on a set of primes and it made a real difference. The fat cap stayed softer and I didn't lose nearly as much to trimming, maybe 15 percent less waste. The flavor was more beefy and less funky than the usual 34 degree stuff I get. I'd say give it a shot on a smaller piece first to see how your cooler handles the humidity at that temp.

jade313d agoOG Member

@lilychen nailed it with that 37 degree trick, I did the same last spring on a couple of wagyu strips and the fat rendered way nicer on the grill. The texture was so much better, less greasy and more like butter when it hit the heat. Honestly made me rethink my whole aging setup after seeing how much smoother the trim was.