Does vinegar choice change the result?
Five pieces of beef and three vinegars, with an honest record of preparation, drying and what I can still confirm. The final tasting will follow.
Ingredients & preparation
The method shared by the batch, followed by the records for each labelled piece.
Preparation photographs
Samples A to E
Open a sample to see its vinegar choice, starting weight and original scale photograph. More than one sample can remain open.
Sample ARed wine vinegar
Ingredients and measurements
- Cut
- Silverside
- Starting weight
- 322 g
- Wet ingredient
- Red wine vinegar
- Dry seasoning
- Shared coriander and pepper mixture
The per-sample quantities applied were not retained.
Sample BRed wine vinegar
Ingredients and measurements
- Cut
- Silverside
- Starting weight
- 335 g
- Wet ingredient
- Red wine vinegar
- Dry seasoning
- Shared coriander and pepper mixture
The per-sample quantities applied were not retained.
Sample CMalt vinegar
Ingredients and measurements
- Cut
- Silverside
- Starting weight
- 463 g
- Wet ingredient
- Malt vinegar
- Dry seasoning
- Shared coriander and pepper mixture
The per-sample quantities applied were not retained.
Sample DMalt vinegar
Ingredients and measurements
- Cut
- Silverside
- Starting weight
- 346 g
- Wet ingredient
- Malt vinegar
- Dry seasoning
- Shared coriander and pepper mixture
The per-sample quantities applied were not retained.
Sample EWhite wine vinegar
Ingredients and measurements
- Cut
- Silverside
- Starting weight
- 407 g
- Wet ingredient
- White wine vinegar
- Dry seasoning
- Shared coriander and pepper mixture
The per-sample quantities applied were not retained.
Drying & weights
Sample A was dried for 96 hours. Samples B to E were dried for 120 hours. Where a final weight has been confirmed, the weight loss is calculated from the original weighing.
| Sample | Vinegar | Drying time | Raw weight | Later or final weight | Weight loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Red wine vinegar | 96 h | 322 g | Not recorded | Not calculated |
| B | Red wine vinegar | 120 h | 335 g | 177 g (final) | 47.2% |
| C | Malt vinegar | 120 h | 463 g | Reading unclear | Not calculated |
| D | Malt vinegar | 120 h | 346 g | 200 g (later photo) | Not calculated |
| E | White wine vinegar | 120 h | 407 g | 248 g (later photo) | Not calculated |
- Drying time
- 96 h
- Raw weight
- 322 g
- Later or final weight
- Not recorded
- Weight loss
- Not calculated
- Drying time
- 120 h
- Raw weight
- 335 g
- Later or final weight
- 177 g (final)
- Weight loss
- 47.2%
- Drying time
- 120 h
- Raw weight
- 463 g
- Later or final weight
- Reading unclear
- Weight loss
- Not calculated
- Drying time
- 120 h
- Raw weight
- 346 g
- Later or final weight
- 200 g (later photo)
- Weight loss
- Not calculated
- Drying time
- 120 h
- Raw weight
- 407 g
- Later or final weight
- 248 g (later photo)
- Weight loss
- Not calculated
Sample B's 177 g final weight was confirmed at 120 hours and its weight loss is 47.2%. Other later scale photographs are retained as observations; their final weighing status is not confirmed, so percentages are not calculated for those samples.
Drying conditions
The dehydrator was observed at roughly 22 to 24°C and approximately 50% relative humidity. These are spot observations, not a continuous log or a validated preservation process. Sample A was removed after 96 hours. Samples B, C, D and E were removed after 120 hours.
Scale photographs and notes
Sample ARed wine vinegar
Recorded weights
- Drying time
- 96 h
- Raw weight
- 322 g
- Later scale photograph
- Not recorded
- Weight loss
- Not calculated
The later photograph has not been confirmed as a final weighing. The duration of drying is recorded, but a final weight-loss percentage is not assigned.
Sample BRed wine vinegar
Recorded weights
- Drying time
- 120 h
- Raw weight
- 335 g
- Final weight
- 177 g
- Weight loss
- 47.2%
Final weighing at 120 hours confirmed. Percentage lost is calculated as (starting weight − final weight) ÷ starting weight × 100.
Sample CMalt vinegar
Recorded weights
- Drying time
- 120 h
- Raw weight
- 463 g
- Later scale photograph
- Reading unclear
- Weight loss
- Not calculated
The later photograph has not been confirmed as a final weighing. The duration of drying is recorded, but a final weight-loss percentage is not assigned.
Sample DMalt vinegar
Recorded weights
- Drying time
- 120 h
- Raw weight
- 346 g
- Later scale photograph
- 200 g
- Weight loss
- Not calculated
The later photograph has not been confirmed as a final weighing. The duration of drying is recorded, but a final weight-loss percentage is not assigned.
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Sample EWhite wine vinegar
Recorded weights
- Drying time
- 120 h
- Raw weight
- 407 g
- Later scale photograph
- 248 g
- Weight loss
- Not calculated
The later photograph has not been confirmed as a final weighing. The duration of drying is recorded, but a final weight-loss percentage is not assigned.
Results & verdict
The observations recorded so far, separated from the tasting that remains to be done.
Final tasting pending
After drying, the remaining pieces were vacuum packed and frozen while I was away. A full comparative taste and chewability assessment was not completed before freezing. Freezing and thawing may affect the later texture observations.
Results by sample
Sample ARed wine vinegar
What was observed
Tasted at approximately 96 hours, before freezing. The flavour was pleasant. The outside felt firmer than the centre, but was not described as leathery.
Post-freezing sensory observations, if completed, will be identified separately from the original drying assessment.
Sample BRed wine vinegar
What was observed
A reliable, individual tasting and chewability assessment was not recorded before the remaining samples were frozen.
Post-freezing sensory observations, if completed, will be identified separately from the original drying assessment.
Sample CMalt vinegar
What was observed
A reliable, individual tasting and chewability assessment was not recorded before the remaining samples were frozen.
Post-freezing sensory observations, if completed, will be identified separately from the original drying assessment.
Sample DMalt vinegar
What was observed
A reliable, individual tasting and chewability assessment was not recorded before the remaining samples were frozen.
Post-freezing sensory observations, if completed, will be identified separately from the original drying assessment.
Sample EWhite wine vinegar
What was observed
A reliable, individual tasting and chewability assessment was not recorded before the remaining samples were frozen.
Post-freezing sensory observations, if completed, will be identified separately from the original drying assessment.
Cross-section evidence
These are genuine photographs from the experiment. Their individual sample identities were lost, so they cannot support a comparison of one vinegar against another.
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After drying: storage photographs
Overall verdict
There is no defensible winning vinegar from the surviving records. The pieces had different starting weights and the final tasting was not completed before the remaining pieces were frozen. Once the batches have been independently assessed as safe to consume, any later taste and chewability observations will be recorded separately as post-freezing results. Freezing and thawing may alter texture, so they cannot be treated as equivalent to a fresh, before-freezing tasting.
The low-temperature drying process was not validated by water-activity or microbiological testing. Neither appearance nor freezing establishes that meat is safe to eat.