Tried wet aging a whole strip loin in my walk-in for 21 days and the trim loss ate my profit

Jamie Kim · 2026-10-12T08:15:04.461275+00:00

I got a deal on a whole strip loin at $7.20 a pound from my purveyor down in San Jose and figured I would wet age it in the walk-in for 21 days to get that tender texture the steakhouse guys brag about. Pulled it out Friday and the outer layer was slimy and gray, so I lost almost 2 pounds just trimming it back to red meat, which killed the margin I was counting on. Turns out my walk-in runs closer to 41 degrees than the 34 to 36 those guys keep for aging, and that warm air plus the cryo bag sitting in its own juices did me no favors. Anyone here wet age on a regular basis, and what temp are you actually holding your cooler at to keep the trim loss from wrecking your numbers?

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Tried wet aging a whole strip loin in my walk-in for 21 days and the trim loss ate my profit | Butchers - The Community Guide