Tried dry aging in a regular fridge, the smell test caught me off guard

Last month I got a cheap mini fridge off Craigslist in Portland to try dry aging some ribeyes at home. I set it up with a fan and a salt block, watched the temp like a hawk, and after 21 days I opened it expecting that deep beefy aroma. Instead it hit me with this funky, almost sour scent that made me second guess the whole batch. Turns out my humidity was way too high, the outside crust was developing a slimy patch near the bone. I trimmed it, cooked one steak, and honestly it tasted fine but the texture was off, not the buttery melt I read about. Learned I need a proper humidity controller or just stick with my local shop's dry aged program. Has anyone else had a home dry aging fail and salvaged it, or did you toss the whole thing? I'm debating trying again with a different setup or just buying from a pro.

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jennifer83329d ago

wait, a salt block? like a block of salt just sitting in there with the meat? ive seen people do that for curing but never for dry aging. that mightve messed with your moisture levels way more than just the humidity. the slimy patch near the bone sounds rough, i wouldve been gagging when i saw that. good on you for actually cooking one though, i probably wouldve tossed the whole thing out of fear and then ordered pizza. the fact it tasted okay but felt weird is exactly why i pay $40 a pound at the butcher, you cant cheat science with a craigslist fridge. try again with a cheap inkbird humidity controller if you do, but honestly your local shop is probably the smarter move.