How I Built My Dry Ager From A Used Soda Fridge

[@isamal-barghouthy3838]

It's always appreciated when a DIY post is clear, professional & thorough. What's your education background? LOL, I've seen your other videos cooking. What else can you share?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you kindly! I'm actually in technology, mainly IT. But I love tinkering with different electronics too. However, cooking is my passion. It makes me happy. So, I'm trying to combine the skills all for having better food 😊

[@stevevet3652]

Man, great video. I love how you went in depth and, spoke of your mistakes so we can learn from them. I too have a soda chiller that has a fixed temp setting and plan to rewire to an adjustable thermostat.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you! I tried to share as much as I know. Good luck with your project! If you have any questions, I'm here.

[@dobroresolover8900]

What a great video, My son an I are building an aging cabinet. We purchased a cooler and have added power to the inside of the cabinet. I had seen where the air needs to be circulate 14 times per minute and another article that said i needed and air supply of 1200 CFM. I found the honeywell fan that on high speed does exactly that. I will be buying a spare. We have our cabinet hooked up to Govee where we both can monitor our cabinet from anywhere with warning if the the temp or the humidity get out of range. I have been in talks with the folks that make Sanilight and will be installing a 19 inch high output light that will kill airborn and surface bacteria. It will run for 30 minutes each day in the middle of the night so no one will be around. I will also cover the walls of my cooler with the aluminum foil tape to help scatter the UVC to all areas of the cabinet to get to those hard to get to surfaces. We have been burning in our cooler for about 5 days and I have noticed that we have condensation droplets on the back of the cooler. Do you have those and are they of any concern to you. I am thinking with the UVC lights, they will kill any bacteria that may form. Thank you for the great video. I think we will both have professional type machines for a fraction of the cost. I think we will have about $1500 in ours and I saw where the dry ager is about $14,000.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you so much! Hey, it's great to see people creating their own machines, so to say from "scratch". AFAIK, the bacteria travels throughout the air anyways, so your uv light will eventually kill them. I only turn it on if I open the door, really. UVC light is super strong!!! I started getting condensation on the glass once the weather got hot. And it is a lot of water droplets, by the way. But since it is happening on the outside, I'm not concerned about it. I think I built my cabinet for $800 or so. The dehumidifier was the most expensive component at $185. Ugh! lol

[@MarioTommasi-ge6ry]

Great video. You are very clever. Great work and very good. Video. Your caution about the UV lights is great too. I had mistakenly worked on my locker with the UV light on. My eyes were affected and my skin was affected too. I really like all the safety features. Can you post a video about how it is working?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you, Mario. That was a sour/painful experience for me too. The dry aged ribeye videos are the result of this set up, actually. There's also an update video for this dry ager.

[@JiSat]

i wish i could like this video a million times! perfect video

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you so much! It means a lot to me!

[@lookyhereinNJ]

Great video - very detailed, and includes potential errors or missteps that others may make. I especially appreciated the cautions about uv bulbs being dangerous if one is exposed. quite a project but gives one all sorts of directions, choices, ideas to tackle a similar project. thank you very much!

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you for the very kind comment! It certainly encourages me more for my future videos.

[@2guysandacooler]

Very well explained!! Keep up the good work.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Much appreciated! More to come soon after I finish building my outdoor kitchen.

[@stevenlauzon7031]

A poor cousin to your system! Any comment on the dehumidifier issue at low temperature.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Only dessicant dehumidifiers will work in a fridge-cold temperature with a caveat of blowing slightly warm air when operating.

[@kiweekeith]

A Brilliant vidclip, so well explained .... Very Best to You and yours from NZ

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you kindly 🙏 same wishes to you and yours 🙏

[@jamesfrancis303]

That was a fantastic video… you need to mod more equipment… that was one of the best walk throughs on diy I’ve seen on KZbin

[@TheMangalGrill]

Means a lot to me, James! Much appreciated! I do that in my daily life but I don't know if that would appeal to this channel.

[@andreasbeier2431]

Good Job bro! Love the fact it‘s overengineered, it‘s like choosing options buying a new car. Make an upgrade video, with its own thermonuclear powerplant and auto butchering next vid pls!

[@TheMangalGrill]

Hahaha! Great comment! You set the bar high for my next mod. I might as well try my best to get close to that lol

[@markreischer4470]

Thank you, most precise presentation i have seen. You definitely know how to approach a project

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you so much 🙏🙏😊

[@corypulliam3124]

I am curious about the wiring. The compressor in my fridge can be unplugged and plugged directly into the temperature controller so I understand that. Did you wire anything else into the fridge besides the lights? The fridge I have has an LED light already so I just need to disconnect the switch and move it outside of the fridge. I guess I’m just wondering how much I need to mess with the wiring? It would definitely make it easier if all I have to do is plug in the compressor and then all the other accessories run on their own power. I just want to think this through before I go drilling holes as I only want to do the actually drilling once so that I don’t have several spots that I have to reinstate. I was also wondering if you wind up with meats losing any moisture (or juices) that gets onto the equipment you have on the bottom? Thank you for taking the time to make that video. It has been incredibly helpful in what I am trying to do.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Great question Cory! My fridge has the power connections inside the box where the compressor is connecting to. That's the box where the main power goes in. The lighting system is controlled through the switch which (probably is inside the fridge) is ultimately connected to this box, as well. My fridge's power box has a cover that has a few screws. On the door, there is a diagram that shows all of the connections. Now, the evaporator fan should still get its power from this box, as the lights. You just need to extend the lighting switch to where ever you want. I only ran the additional power inside the cabinet for the UV light bulbs and for a 3-outlet power plug for my fan and dehumidifier etc. The compressor needs to be controlled by your external temperature controller for a more accurate control. The probe for this temperature controller, as you know, needs to be inside the fridge. It looks like you already got this part. As for meat juices, I never had a problem until the temperature controller failed and the temperature inside the cabinet went up to room temperature and messed up my perfectly 60-day dry aged prime rib :( If the fridge is cool and you have enough air circulating through, I would say you should not worry about meat juices dripping. I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask questions if you have any.

[@ActBreaker]

I'm glad I saw your video before attempting to create a dry ager. So many variables to consider. . . Some ideas: A UV filter would mitigate the danger somewhat, but so would a stick-on metal foil (and ruin the view); I like your fix of simply having the ability to easily turn it off and just being aware of the danger, but if you wanted to display this in a shop, operating a UV light would be at tricky concept to execute safely. A HEPA filter would help control the contam load of local air, but maintaining the proper temps/humidity/pressure would suppress conditions that contams favor. Perhaps, a sealed chamber with a webcam, livestreaming the aging meats, would be the only "window" needed.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thanks Michael! You intrigued me about how UV is being filtered through the UV film I installed. Now I'm gonna have to search the market for a UV meter lol The tin foil? 🤔🤔🤔 No 😂 The UV light stays on for a few minutes only because it's only to kill the surface bacteria. So, it shouldn't be an issue (unless I forget to turn it off). And now the geek inside me is telling me to put a timer switch... And I have been entertaining the idea of putting a camera in the fridge.

[@ActBreaker]

@@TheMangalGrill Timer is cheapest and easiest. Best of luck.

[@janpijanica3980]

This is starting example how should a "how to" video look like. Unlike with others having to listen to tun of personal stuff to get through

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you kindly! Means a lot for an amateur KZbinr 🙏

[@phil6610]

Nice work, thanks for sharing this!

[@shakeimcarter9476]

bro, Amazing video... very detailed and even scientific.... my preferred method for dry aging is using the dry aging steak "wraps" by The Sausage Maker... its super simple and it produces a great product without having to buy anything more than the wraps and the meat itself...

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you, brother! I've used them as well and did have a positive experience. I still suggest that method to people or starters. For those who can't build this, those bags/wraps/membranes are perfect. The advantage of this cabinet is that you can dry age even bigger cuts. The flavor profile is different in my cabinet, but as well. Also, I've cut meat and left the rest in the cabinet to enjoy that beef over a long period, something I can't do with the bags. One last thing is that I have 5 slabs in my cabinet right now. That would be a big family problem if those slabs were in the kitchen fridge for that long :)

[@circle4922]

Nice build. Thanks for the details.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you very much!

[@frychef4702]

You, sir, are my hero.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Glad if I could help at all :)

[@bugrahanyldrm6727]

Helal olsun adam ingilizce tanıtımınıda yapmış

[@janpijanica3980]

Startling example of DIY video. Thx! What's the cooler size and how much meat fits in? Jacob

[@TheMangalGrill]

Much appreciated, Jacob. I can comfortably fit 8 very large ribeyes in it. It's a full sized single door soda fridge that you see in stores.

[@gagamba9198]

Thanks goodness for OCD. Your video was very detailed, informative, and indicates a great deal of thought and planning went into both the fridge and video projects. I have one question for you. I too intend to buy a glass-door commercial beverage refrigerator. Do you know whether there are any coolant lines/coils installed in the side panels? If it's only insulating foam that's great, but if there are other parts that can be damaged by drilling hole(s) I reckon that needs to be addressed. What consideration, if any, went into deciding which refrigerator you purchased?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you! The price point was the first priority for me, since they would be very expensive. The one that I found was the perfect match for my project. Glassdoor is great for dry aging where you don't have to open the door to see your beef. True, that it may lose more heat with glass door, but it's definitely worth seeing the beef in progress while you're passing by. In my build, all the lines are going through the middle area where I showed in the video. Some of the electrical lines are going right through the door channel. So, working with this refrigerator was extremely easy. If anything, you can go through convenience stores and see what kind of fridges they have. This would give you a good idea as to what they look like, and how they are built. In my case, the side panels nothing but insulation foam.

[@ironwolf1799]

Exactly the video I was looking for, extremely well made too. Thanks definitely subscribing

[@TheMangalGrill]

Much appreciated! Been inactive for a while but planning to come back with MORE videos.

[@mikhailtian5838]

Awesome description of an DIY process. Great job!

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you, Mikhail. I'm also open for additional ideas, or suggestions. I am hoping that anybody who wishes to build something like this can do it and that I can contribute to their project with this video.

[@davidhumbert6791]

Great video. As I watched I wondered what a variable speed condenser fan would do to the humidity.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you, David. There's only one way to find out, I guess. But I think the condenser area should always be super dry to prevent frosting.

[@cmsense8193]

Great job with the explanation! Dry curing in the 30s F with such high humidity levels will frost the coils. Perhaps raise the temperature. Also, the UV lights are a bit overkill since sterility is not what your looking for when aging meat. You want some bacterial activity and mold enzymes to break down the meat proteins as this is what gives aged meats that superior flavor and texture. Clean your fridge with a vinegar and water solution and you will retain some bacteria and molds for your next batch. Also you have a lot of air movement in there. Your meat will over dry and wastage will be an issue. Your coil fridge fans should be enough.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thanks for the nice feedback. Always appreciated as other viewers will also benefit from it. For dry aging (not curing) the recommended temperature range is between 32F and 38F. I try to stay in the middle and up. I rarely use the UV light and only when putting in new meat to make sure that there's no harmful bacteria that may have made its way into the beef slab. So, I only turn it on for like 10 minutes. I agree that there should be bacterial and enzymatic activity. I try not to overclean in order to retain the existing bacterium. As for the air movement, I used to have two fans on the bottom floor. Now I have only one and it's not even pointed toward the beef. One friend told me that by using only the condenser fan he had a foul smell. That's why I didn't even bother with the no fan solution. Again, thank you!

[@cmsense8193]

@@TheMangalGrill Great! I apologize, I meant dry aging, not dry curing. I know you said you increased the temp, but I’m wondering if you can raise it just a bit more - not to fermentation temps of course. Excellent about removing the extra fan and not overdoing it with UV light. I stick to my coil fans. I do a yearly coil clean using coil spray and steam. Great work!!

[@TheMangalGrill]

No problem, I just wanted to make sure that's all :) what size fridge do you have? Maybe parameters may change a little depending on the size?

[@cmsense8193]

@@TheMangalGrill True, I didn’t think of that. I have a three glass door cooler. Maybe that’s the reason.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Honestly I thought with the larger fridges you'd need more airflow. But I'm just not sure how no fans would do. Maybe I can try a cheap ribeye when the fridge is empty :)

[@kevinrutter652]

Great job looks amazing but after buying the fridge, humidifiers, dehumidifier, temperature controllers, wires, gadgets and all the hours you spent on it wouldn't it have been cheaper and safer to just have purchased one already designed for this purpose? (saw your list of items on the description and calculated the costs)

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you. Excellent question. A dry ager at this size is around $10K. You can get smaller ones for $1.8K. I needed the size and for my purpose it is definitely cheaper to go this way.

[@bkwilcox23]

This is absolutely amazing but I think it's important to point out that a lot of this isn't necessary for someone just wanting to dip their toe into dry aging. As long as you can keep the humidity between 60-85% and temperature between 30-39F, you'll be okay. A device to monitor these levels is absolutely necessary though. Don't trust the fridge's temp controller for this.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Yes, you're definitely right about what you said. That's why I explicitly stated that it is overengineered.

[@joefugate9338]

Thanks.

[@maximeleray3160]

You're video is really clear, i just buy an used professional fridge and buy your shopping list to do the same! Have you already used it since the building? Thanks a lot for your charing anyway !!

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you! The slabs of rib eyes are in already. So, it's still in the beta testing I'd say. The crust has formed rather quicker than expected. The humidifier hasn't really worked that much. But the dehumidifier filled its bucket twice. We'll only know if it's %100 good after at least one successful 30 day aging. I have four slabs hanging to be dry aged for 30, 45, 60, and 75 days respectively.

[@daveg4963]

@@TheMangalGrill How did it go?

[@erichpizer1]

thank you and on UV bulb safety. NB incl. thumbs up

[@DavidPearson-v8g]

Can we get an update on this. I built a small one years ago. I am ready to upgrade, I would like to know what you would change and or anything else

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thanks for the follow up! I've made some changes and will make an update video this fridge.

[@federicoguinart4870]

Thanknyou for all your help and comment. How good is the dehumidifier that you use ?

[@TheMangalGrill]

My pleasure :) it does dehumidify very quickly. My only gripe is that it blows slightly warm air when it's on. Also, when the bucket is full it stops dehumidifying and continues to blow warm air until you empty the bucket.

[@mehmetdeliormanli2043]

Great video (TEBRIK EDERIM!) Some details about UV (radiation) lights. All types of UV light can cause a photochemical effect within the polymer structure, which can be either a benefit or lead to degradation of some sort to the material. Note that compared to our skin, the higher energy UVC is more likely to affect plastics, putting your project and its components at severe risk. UV light will also kill "good" mold forming outside cured meat. Mold, simply put, is often a necessary and integral part of the aging process of many cheeses and deli meats.

[@TheMangalGrill]

I truly appreciate your valuable input that may benefit almost everyone here. You're correct about the UVC being harmful to beneficial organisms, as well. And that's why I turn it on only when I introduce new slab of beef into the chamber, and keep it on for a few hours only since UVC is very strong. The user manual also states that it'll be discoloring clothes as if they were left under the sun for several days. However, since the meat is not cured like cured beefs, a little UVC should not kill the microorganisms inside beef slab. So, only the surface bacteria would be killed. Regardless, as you stated, one should be careful with the use of UV light in any environment. Thanks again!

[@jeffreyschmidt3997]

@@TheMangalGrill great video. Very educational! However, please note that muscle tissue should be sterile (no microorganisms) internally. These only live in the surface. So you'll kill both the good and the bad. You will get the concentration of beef flavors and softening of meet through enzymatic breakdown of connective tissue, but you may reduce some growth of good microorganisms. I'm sure the UV light doesn't completely sterilize the best, though, and each time you open the door, the meat probably gets inoculated with any germs floating in the air or on dust. Some advocate skipping the UV light and instead inoculating the cooler with a piece of meat from a professional dry aging facility. Thanks again for sharing!

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you, Jeffrey! Having sterile meat is a must for whatever you're doing with meat. I use the UV light only for the surface bacteria or bacteria that was introduced externally. I've dry aged so many and never had any issue about that. I've had great results with the flavor as long as the beef cut was good enough to be dry aged. Any input here will help dry aging enthusiasts. So, thanks again!

[@troysayer605]

Fantastic video. The sensors for the ink bird are fairly large. I’ve considered taking the back off, undoing the wiring to the sensor and then run it through a smaller hole. Did you just drill a 1” ish hole through the cooler? Where did you end up putting all these holes? Hard to tell from the video and I’d hate to drill into a wiring harness.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you! I first had small holes, cut the wire for the temp sensor, run the wire through the small hole and redo the wiring. But in a year or so the humidity controller failed and I really didn't want to do the wiring this time. I made the hole bigger and ran the sensor directly through the hole. As far as drilling into the harness, my fridge is very simple. There is nothing in the back of it and on the side walls. If you trace the evap line, you should be able tell what's going through where and avoid drilling mistakes. I have an update video for this change in the channel.

[@troysayer605]

@@TheMangalGrill Thank you for your quick response. I’m working on mine today. Another question, the 2 red wires that go into the existing dial temp control get required to the ink bird, bypassing the existing temp probe. That is “switch wiring” I presume. To re-wire that to a male plug did you just wire one end of the red wire to the hot end of the plug and the other side into the neutral side, then plug it into the ink bird?

[@troysayer605]

Even as I hit send I realize that can’t work. I guess I need to find which one of those red wires comes in and which one runs down to the compressor. That wire will need to go into the hot leg of the plug. Does anything at all need to go into the neutral side of the plug that goes into the ink bird?

[@troysayer605]

@@TheMangalGrill so after tracing power through the unit the answer appears to be: Wire around the switch up top by splicing the to red wires together. Then as simple as an extension cord with 2 male ends between the compressed outlet of the unit and the ink bird? Correct?

[@TheMangalGrill]

So, in my application I by passed that setup altogether. My compressor has a regular plug that goes into an a outlet which is controlled by the internal thermostat. I simply took the compressor plug out and extended it to the inkbird's controlled outlet. This was it was only controlled by the inkbird and nothing else. Hopefully this helps. Let me know how you make it.

[@lourensmeyer7729]

Nice informative video. Thanks.

[@TheMangalGrill]

You're welcome and thank you, as well!

[@federicoguinart4870]

Thank you!! I will let you know how this goes

[@TheMangalGrill]

You're welcome! I hope you succeed with your project. Let us know how it went so everyone can benefit from your experience.

[@zeebass2690]

Holy shit. You ended up in hospital from the UV.. Thats dedication

[@TheMangalGrill]

lol I wanted to share that experience with the viewers so they don't have to go through what I did. It was pretty painful 😁

[@zeebass2690]

@@TheMangalGrill Well on behalf of everyone here.. thanks 😎👌that must have sucked big time.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you :) it felt like a cat was scratching my eyeballs non stop. Open or close, it was painful. I thought it was because of an allergy to a new shampoo I used. That's what I was telling the emergency doctor. And he said it just looks like you're experiencing what a welder with no glass would experience, or someone was exposed to UV lights. When he said that, my facial expression changed and I started smiling. I then told them that I was working with UV bulbs earlier. The room, full with doctors, had a good laugh lol But kudos to the emergency doctor for pointing that out when I was telling them that it's gotta be the shampoo allergy all that time. Thanks again 🙏😊

[@saadtoronto8416]

Hello, how does the ventilation works in a fridge, does air get in and out the fridge or is it the same up until the door is open

[@TheMangalGrill]

Hi, The cabinet is normally air tight. The air is sucked upward, goes through the cooling coils and is pushed from the back of the evap area. Unless the door is opened, it's gonna be the same air that travels throughout the fridge.

[@saadtoronto8416]

@@TheMangalGrill understood, is it important to open the door from time to time to let some fresh air in, or can we dry age for months with the same air inside

[@TheMangalGrill]

I don't see why it wouldn't get aged properly without the door being opened but that's hardly the case. Most people do open the door either to put new meat or take the one out that's ready. Bad bacteria doesn't populate so much in the correct kind of dryg aging environment. So, you can still feel safe even if you didn't open the door.

[@saadamiens]

Great video, Would the UV light health issue be prevented if the door was stainless steel and not glass ?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Yes, the UV light will not pass through metal. But then you might have to open the door if you wanted to look at it or show it to your guests. It's a pleasure to see the process of dry aging right from the outside whenever you want to. So, that's why I preffered glass door. I made some modifications and made video. Hopefully I'll compile everything soon and upload it.

[@saadamiens]

​@@TheMangalGrill Thanks for your quick response, sounds good - looking forward to it

[@TheMangalGrill]

You're most welcome

[@yangtang8053]

Any idea how much electricity are you consuming? I have a feeling that my 1/3hp commercial fridge is gonna create a monster bill.

[@christopherwong2928]

Great video. Just a question, so the evaporator fan has to run 24/7 so the evaporator doesn't ice up? I just got a machine as well and trying to convert it to a dry age machine but just testing if it holds temperature and just notice the fan constantly runs. Thanks in advance

[@TheMangalGrill]

Yes, Christopher. In my case it has to. Otherwise the coldness in the evaporator area freezes the moisture. So, I'd say definitely keep it 24/7, unless you want to test it for yourself. In addition, it helps with air circulation. I'd appreciate it if you can share your progress. Don't hesitate to ask further questions and good luck!

[@natertater4024]

a glass uv resistant tint would be ideal

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thanks for the recommendation. In my update video I already applied it 😊

[@yangtang8053]

Also, when you drilled the side wall, how did you know if there isn't any piping inside of the wall? Right now I have my power outlet and micro-controller inside of the fridge but I think I will move it out eventually.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Good question, Yang. In my case the compressor was at the bottom, the evaporator on top, and the copper line was going right behind that middle cover in the back of the inside. This left everywhere else in the cabinet available to be drilled through. If I were you, I would locate the compressor and the evaporator, then try to follow/guess the line in between. Some fridges may also have technical documents too.

[@yangtang8053]

@@TheMangalGrill mine also has compressor bottom/evaporator top setup. I'm just not sure how they are connected. The fridge is an old True MG-10PT

[@TheMangalGrill]

I just tried to give more information about your fridge but I couldn't see it. The easiest way would be looking for those lines physically. They are usually easily located for ease of servicing them. Don't hesitate to ask if you have further questions.

[@JerryMabrey]

Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to buy a dry ager fridge, because when you count all of the controller's and humidifiers and dehumidifiers and the headaches of keeping track and then all of the time spent cleaning it and setting it all up and trying to maintain it, it just seems like it would have been cheaper and easier to buy one. But great video.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Yes, certainly the dry aging bags are a cheaper way to go with and there is less hassle. However, the cons with that is that each time you dry age, it will cost you a little more then $10 per cut. Also, the meat will take upthat space for the whole duration of the dry aging period. And if you have more then one cut, it will be even worse. So, if you have a wife it will eventually blow back lol In addition, if you ever decide to dry age a larger cut, it won't be possible to fit it in the bag. With this setup you can also tweak the dry aging environment to achieve different results.

[@zeebass2690]

Hi mate. You still using this? Any tweaks or changes?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Hi! Actually the temperature sensor went bad and the temperature went up to 80F degrees. I had a single prime rib loin aged to perfection but because of the temperature being that high it was spoiled. I have the part and will make a video about it too, and including the tweaks. Let me know if you have any questions in the meantime.

[@teddyirdanny7017]

very nice video, has your humidifier worked so far? mine is stable around 60-70% but wont go much higher than that for some reason.. do u have any suggestion to fix this issue i have? i would like the humidity to be around 80%.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you, Teddy! The humidifier used to work when the fridge did not have any meat in it. But after putting the rib eyes, it did not need to kick in because the moisture coming from the ribeye was already keeping it up. To the point, the dehumidifier worked more compared to when the fridge did not have any meat. If you do get a humidifier, I would suggest you use a cold mist kind of a humidifier. The one that I have humidifies the fridge very quickly if it ever needs to. Do you use any kind of a humidifier, at all? Also, the humidity levels in my fridge drop very quickly if the compressor kicks in. Were you able to see the live values of your humidity levels when the compressor kicks in?

[@teddyirdanny7017]

The Mangal Grill i currently dont use any humidifiers. But yes, i noticed when the compressors kicked in, humidity levels tend to drop. Anyways, thanks for the reply. Hope to see that end result with your ribeyes soon!

[@TheMangalGrill]

You're very welcome. And yeah, hopefully I will make a review of my own build after the first finished dry-aged ribeye. Let me know if you any other questions and good luck to you!

[@osirisbladeworks6219]

Where did u find the diagrams for the electrical to bypass the Internal temp control so that the fridge will use the inkbird? I heard u can just hook up the main power from the fridge to the inkbird but that never made sense to me... ur way makes more sense but have no idea where to start figured I would ask if u had some diagram or something on how to do this

[@TheMangalGrill]

Mine was on the inside of the electrical box cover. When you use the ink bird it also controls the light circuit. I wanted to bypass that.

[@federicoguinart4870]

Hello to everybody, I get a little confused regarding the coil getting frozen, what you recommend is to keep the fan working with the compressor only or working 24/7 and having the dehumidifier take care of the humidity levels? I have my new refrigerator but it keeps getting frozen so I just ordered a dehumidifier will this take care of the problem?

[@TheMangalGrill]

I'd say use the fan 24/7 and add a dehumidifier. The meat slabs will release moisture as they age.

[@yangtang8053]

Great video! I watched it at least 5 times already. I have a similar setup with a Raspberry Pi controlling the compressor and humidifier. I'm still messing around with the parameters and I'm running into the same issue you had with high humidity once the compressor is off (evaporator fan running 24/7). Do you think, if I can control the evaporator fan through a program, that when the compressor is off, the program turns on/off the fan every other minute or something, would that do the trick so the humidity wouldn't be so high while the evaporator gets enough airflow so it doesnt freeze up?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you, Yang! For the evaporator fan I can't really tell how it behaves in other cabinets. What kind of a fridge do you have? In my cabinet I almost never run into a low humidity problem unless the compressor stays on for too long, or if the dehumidifier almost completes the work and then the compressor kicks in. The best way for you at this point is to test your setup. I really hope you succeed 💪and share your experience with us.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Also, what do you have for dehumidification?

[@yangtang8053]

I have a True commerical fridge, much like yours but smaller. I think humidity is particularly high for these soda refrigerators for some reason. I don't really have anything other than salt blocks for dehumidification, I had thought that extra fans will help but not really.

[@TheMangalGrill]

In that case look for the compressor underneath the fridge cabin. You'll see the copper lines going up if the compressor is on the bottom. I've seen a few tall fridges that had the compressor on top. Also, look inside the cabinet and see if there is like a metal raceway where cables/hoses/pipes may go through. They're usually held by screws. Just unscrew them and ensure that the copper compressor line is there. That should do it for you.

[@ramzeneger]

Thank you very much for this video, hreat!

[@TheMangalGrill]

I'm glad if it helped :)

[@zeebass2690]

May I ask what would happen if you just used the one humidity controller? You said the fridge on its own sits at 40 RH? So wouldnt it go up when humidifer comes on then return back down when off? But you use a second controller for a dehumidifer?

[@TheMangalGrill]

When using just one humidity controller, you set one humidity level number and then the humidifier and the dehumidifier would constantly kick in respectively to keep it at that level. I tried to explain this at 5:43 but I should've included why I didn't use one humidity controller. By using two humidity controllers, I'm able to create a wide threshold between two values since dry aging environment is good enough between 65 and 80 percent. The fridge would come down to 40 percent but that number quickly changes when the compressor stops. Then it would climb up. With meat loins in the cooler the humidity levels increase much more compared to when it's empty.

[@chrisfendersonii9687]

Hey I loved the video and I can't wait to do mine. I only have one question. How do I get the evaporator fan to stay on 24/7 when the temperature controller stops the compressor?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you, Chris! I hope you can do yours soon. If you need to use a separate/external temperature controller you can plug the compressor, which has its own plug in my fridge (True GDM-26) into your controller. I think most commercial fridges have a dedicated compressor plug. So, this way, when you have the fridge plugged in, everything will be running, but the compressor will run only when the temperature controller turns it on. If yours doesn't have the dedicated compressor plug, you would have to find the compressor leads in the harness and then extend them to your controller. Let me know if this helps.

[@patricksmalley5395]

The Mangal Grill my True T-15G has a dedicated plug for its compressor, and I just purchased an ink bird temperature controller. However, how does that change the evaporator fan running 24/7? Once my compressor turns off, the humidity climbs like crazy. Hoping I’m able to duplicate your work and save me some time!

[@TheMangalGrill]

Hi Patrick, I would like to know that we're on the same page first. So, the fridge has its main power connector that everyone uses to plug in the outlet and that makes everything work. I'm assuming that you're not talking about this main plug. Most probably on the bottom, behind the grills, there's an electrical box that has an outlet for the compressor. Did you take that plug and extend it into your inkbird? Also, the main electrical cable should be plugged to the wall outlet. Let me know if this is how you have it wired up so I can help you further.

[@patricksmalley5395]

The Mangal Grill yes, this is exactly how I have it set up

[@patricksmalley5395]

The Mangal Grill thank you so much for replying. I never know when a KZbinr will reply. It’s nice when they do. I’ll like and subscribe!

[@rickyfu]

Thanks for the information. I have a bar fridge that is working great and I am planning on transitioning to a commercial fridge like yours because I needed more space. Quick question, when you are drilling the holes on the side of the fridge, what technique did you use to ensure that you won’t drill into the evaporation coils? I broke my first fridge because of that so I learned to drill holes at the top of the fridge where there are much less coils. Your response is greatly appreciated.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Hello Ricky! Thanks for stopping by! This really depends on the manufacturer of your fridge. But, my method would be looking at the compressor, which is usually in an accessible area, and then trace the evaporator line. See if you can get the model number of your fridge, and find out the schematics for it. Mine was very straightforward, as everything was inside the fridge, running right through the middle. Maybe if you share the model number with me, I can look it up for you, as well.

[@wikusmyburg7335]

Great video. Have watched it multiple time now and made notes. My humidity decrease as soon as the compressor kicks in and then humidity spike when it is off, does this mean i need to get a humidifier an dehumidifier as well. My temp is stable and hygrometer install but just cant seem to get a stable humidity. Thanks

[@TheMangalGrill]

I appreciate your nice comments. I hope you succeed with finalizing your cabinet. Same humidity behavior is in my cabinet, too. I had to remove a fan to prevent the meat from drying too much. Adding and demudifier I think is a must. Humidity goes up quickly anyways. So, for now I am not using my humidifier and this is only for observing the behavior. In my fridge the meat is great 30 or 45 days. At 60 days the yield gets lower but it is still alright. However beyond that, the loss is way too much and that's when I removed one of the fans. The funky flavor also is strongly present at 60 and beyond. I have one more ribeye loin to test and hopefully that one will be better. I'm in the process of building my fully equipped outdoor kitchen for my next videos. So stay tuned and let me know if you think I can help you in any way.

[@djforbes7]

Do the uv lights prevent mold growth, or just bacteria?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thanks for the question. They prevent bacteria from reproducing. But I only use it if I introduce new meat from outside.

[@OFFLINENZ]

@@TheMangalGrill just building my own and I've read the UV light glow shouldn't be able to hit the meat, instead be in a darkened box, with a fan circulating air through the box as it can inhibit/kill good bacteria growth on the meat

[@SwaggerjackProductions]

I'm guessing that this dude is an engineer. ^^

[@TheMangalGrill]

An engineer without an engineering degree lol

[@blindinstrument8588]

Thats insane, replace the uvc light with uvb, it will still disinfectant and will be safer(yet still dangerous with certain exposure)

[@TheMangalGrill]

I think you're right. I probably used UVC again because of my annoying OCD feature lol. But I've done an update, so I'm fine now :) thanks though!

[@toorgeman]

Nice video ! i got to put a comment out there for everyone's safety. don't use any UV light , try to buy Philips or any other European brand not made in china, the UV light when shine directly on meat can damage it , it needs to be installed induct, in your case i would use a 4 inch duct and change the fan to inline duct fan to circulate the air inside. rest it awesome . good work/

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you for your input! meatupdate.csiro.au/UV-light.pdf document explains that uv light is supposed to hit the meat surface to kill the surface bacteria where most bacterial activity is present. Air Channel with uv tubing is very inefficient based on this study conducted by Australian scientists. Thanks again!

[@zhelev81vn]

What about the uvc light? Is it safe to consume such meat after it was exposed directly to the uvc?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Of course! It's just like sunlight.

[@dylangaffney181]

Hi. I am running a true gdm 10 and am having the same issue you had with your coils freezing up. Could you give me some info on how you wired the evaporator fan to run 24/7. I haven’t been able to find a diagram that tells me what color cables are the fan. Thanks

[@TheMangalGrill]

Hi. The wiring diagram should be affixed to the inside of the electric box cover. I brought a direct power line into the box for the fan. If you still cannot find it, open the evaporator fan and look for what color power wire it gets.

[@aturkinthesky]

Emeğinize sağlık.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Çok teşekkür ederim!

[@juliannicolitsis5151]

Is there any reason you haven't used a salt block?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thanks for the question. Salt blocks are for drying the air a little and killing the bacteria. I have the UV lights for bacterial control and the humidifier/dehumidifier to control the humidity with better precision. I wanted to rely on an active control system rather than a passive one.

[@juliannicolitsis5151]

@@TheMangalGrill so the salt has no impact on flavour?

[@TheMangalGrill]

As far as I know it doesn't directly impact it. However there are a lot of variables that contribute to the dry aging flavor profile. This is very similar to yogurt-making, if you're familiar with it. Basically, it may change the bacterial activity. But most people use it purely to control the humidity.

[@federicoguinart4870]

Another question I should still have the humidifier just to keep it in case I need moisture right?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Yeah, I would recommend putting one just in case. If the cooler happens to work a longer time it dries the air rather quickly.

[@federicoguinart4870]

Thank you do they require a minimum amount of pound ?

[@TheMangalGrill]

You're welcome. No, but they sell whole subprimal cuts. So you have to buy a whole ribeye, strip loin or whatever.

[@charlesstiles8904]

Tint the front glass

[@TheMangalGrill]

What for?

[@charlesstiles8904]

@@TheMangalGrill minimize uv exposure

[@TheMangalGrill]

In my update video I have installed the UV protection film.

[@Iegend17]

👌🏻

[@federicoguinart4870]

How are you I am trying my own dry age, I found some white powder in the fan's blade of the coil do you have any idea why?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thanks. It might be because of your humidifier, if you have any. Most likely they're calcium deposits, from the hard water, that landed on the blades.

[@jasminmas3139]

Hej mate, i found one fridge with 2+ to 10+c do u think that is bad? Regards!

[@TheMangalGrill]

Hi Jasmin, As long as you don't exceed +4c you should be good as far as temperature goes. But be mindful of the airflow and the humidity, as well. Good luck!

[@michaelburesh5823]

Hey I don't know if you're still active but what model fridge was this?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thanks for stopping by and checking on the channel :) I am able to respond to messages only due to a very busy schedule. It's a True GDM26 fridge.

[@federicoguinart4870]

Where do you get your prime meat?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Special order from restaurant depot :)

[@jasminmas3139]

Sry bcs i ask u to much but i have one more question, what do u think about this fridge i found this cheap. REFRIGATOR ,,ACCONA,,

[@TheMangalGrill]

No problem with any number of questions. Do you happen to have a model number?

[@xthe_moonx]

can u not just put a shade infront of them UV lights? if it is only used to purify the air, surely it doesnt matter if there is a shade? unless having a shade wont make a difference and u can still mess up ur eyes and skin?

[@TheMangalGrill]

You probably could. I didn't know about this in the beginning. So, I have a UV filter film on the glass door. Haven't been hospitalized ever since lol

[@Rjtaylor12]

Why do you keep the temperature so low?

[@TheMangalGrill]

You mean, between 34F and 37F is low?

[@Rjtaylor12]

@@TheMangalGrill I realized my mistake. I thought this was a sausage /Salami drying chamber. I realize now that it's for dry aging beef. My mistake.

[@Rjtaylor12]

@@TheMangalGrill Cool build btw.

[@TheMangalGrill]

All good, sir. Thank you!

[@uroztas]

I think this is too much effort, would it be easier to use a umai vacum bag ?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thanks for acknowledging my efforts lol I have tried umai bags too. They do work great but you gotta understand that this fridge will allow you to dry age any cut at any size for as long as you want. There are many other benefits too. Having said that, if one cannot build something like this, then umai is the way to go. Nonetheless, this video is for those who are interested in building something like this.

[@ΚώσταςΣκαρβελάκης]

how long the UV lamp should be on

[@TheMangalGrill]

With UVC light a couple minutes is enough. For your peace of mind you can leave it on for like 10 minutes.

[@ΚώσταςΣκαρβελάκης]

10 minutes every day

[@TheMangalGrill]

I meant 10 minutes after you put a new batch of meat or whenever you think a possible contamination might have happened. Like you or someone else touching the beef slabs to check on them. I wouldn't say this is crucial, but just an added peace of mind.

[@Wpn568]

Can I buy one off of you ?

[@TheMangalGrill]

Unfortunately I only have one for myself so no. But I hope you can do this yourself. I'm here if you have any questions.

[@hase3280]

cool guy

[@yangtang8053]

Hey, do you have your evap fan pushing or pulling? mine is pulling now but the label says that it should be pushing (into the cabin )

[@TheMangalGrill]

My evap fan pulls from the front and pushes from the rear.

[@yangtang8053]

@@TheMangalGrill I just got the evap fan control working, still need some tweaks but it's running about 65% of the time, RH max is about 80, min is about 65 (I need a stronger humidifier i guess)

[@TheMangalGrill]

RH 80 sounds very good to me. Just make sure to check the evap area. I'm wondering if frost can build up over time when the fan is working less. There are different kinds of humidifiers. What kind do you have?

[@yangtang8053]

@@TheMangalGrill I'm using a small USB one, not very strong. I'm going to add 2 more to make up for it. hopefully that makes the humidity come back up quicker.

[@TheMangalGrill]

I'm really not sure if that would be enough. Do you have a humidity sensor that can give you instant readings? Can you see how fast the RH goes up when it works?

[@nedrasellayah9314]

How much electricity does this use? Same as an additional fridge/freezer? About $100 a year?

[@TheMangalGrill]

It's 500 Watts when the compressor kicks in. When nothing but the evaporator fan is running, it's just 35 watts. I don't really calculate this fridge separately but I'm thinking it's fair to say 30 bucks a month.

[@thelouiebrand]

@@TheMangalGrillwhere I live in the Midwest it costs about .10 cents a watt for something like this.

[@TheMangalGrill]

Ours is more than double here in CT 😭

[@Temporary.life4321]

Too costly

[@richardritter6025]

Well Your video is no use for me. It’s really above my level… Not your fault… It’s my fault for not being up But seems like great info for people to your level

[@calvynnobrega9951]

Yip, over engineered

[@IOalejandro]

What are the parameters for meat aging I see u use 32f which in insane low for maturing salami which I do.. and u also use 65 humidity which is also low for maturing chamber 75

[@TheMangalGrill]

I never said I use 32f, which I agree is very low. I use 34-36 and my top humidity level is 80. When the compressor kicks in, it can get below 60 but quickly climbs to 80. Dehumidifier kicks is if it goes beyond 80 and brings it down to 76. In the meantime, curing and dry aging are just not the same.

[@IOalejandro]

@@TheMangalGrill Thats why I am asking what are the parameters for meat aging I already know how to cure and mature.. but wanna get into aging beef would u mind explaining what is the ideal range of temp and Humidity and where did u get ur info from

[@TheMangalGrill]

I had researched a lot of sites and watched several videos and tried to compile everything in one video. So, this video explains it all if you want from the beginning to end. I wish you good luck and hope that you can dry age a nice slab to enjoy with your people.

[@IOalejandro]

@@TheMangalGrill so at the end what are the parameters ..

[@TheMangalGrill]

Around %75 humidity, 34F-36F temp, and about 1mph air circulation.

[@withlena6799]

What a great DIY project I also have a true soda fridge I’m going to give it a try and see what happens, I been aging with the umai bags but I want to learn the right old school whatever u want to call it way , by the way I just subscribed to ur channel if u can subscribe to mine I would appreciate it thanks and good luck !! 🍀👍🏽

[@TheMangalGrill]

Thank you so much! I've actually subscribed to you a while ago with my personal account. If you have any questions you can let me know over here

[@withlena6799]

Wow that’s awesome thanks a lot man I appreciate it and yes im going to start the project soon and my have a few questions as a matter of fact one of them is the ideal temperature 34-36 F degrees? And 75-85% humidity? And what’s the ideal airflow?

[@TheMangalGrill]

You're welcome! I hope you can successfully do it! And yes, that's the ideal temperature. For humidity some say no more than %80 but I've set mine to 80-83 and it's aging the meat perfectly fine. When air flow is high it dries up the meat so make sure that you have just one small fan on the lowest mode, and the fridge's evaporator fan working 24/7.

[@withlena6799]

@@TheMangalGrill got it bro I’ll let u know how it go ! Thanks

[@jamms2966]

Do you have an Instagram?

[@TheMangalGrill]

I had one but lost it a couple months ago, and I'm still trying to get it back. Facebook is not being very helpful at all 🙄