Alert for Vacuum Chamber Users

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Probably most of you know this but liquid needs to be cooled before sealing. Liquid boils under vacuum. I had just deboned a Sam's chicken to make some Green Enchilada Chicken Soup. I always save the bones and juices to make stock. There was really not much liquid but it was warm and I thought I would be good but not! Liquid came out of bag and made a nice mess to clean up. I was looking right at it as it was sucking down. Could not hit the stop button fast enough.

 

[voyager 663rd]

Guess that the same would happen with a non-chamber sealer (like foodsaver bags).

 

[PolishDeli]

I've had this happen more times than I care to admit with my food saver bags. I always think I'll hit the button on time.

But it's not because the liquid boils.
The liquid just gets squeeze out.

Decreasing pressure does reduce the boiling point. But vacuum sealed foods in a bag are not in a low pressure environment. They are actually under high pressure.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

I've had this happen more times than I care to admit with my food saver bags. I always think I'll hit the button on time.

But it's not because the liquid boils.
The liquid just gets squeeze out.

Decreasing pressure does reduce the boiling point. But vacuum sealed foods in a bag are not in a low pressure environment. They are actually under high pressure.

This what they say. This only applies to chamber sealers:

 

[JckDanls 07]

But I thought chambers were designed for liquid ? NO ??

 

[gmc2003]

For those that own food saver sealers. One is aware that they aren't made for sealing liquids.

Chris

 

[BigW.]

But I thought chambers were designed for liquid ? NO ??

Not hot liquid.

 

[Florida Chris]

But I thought chambers were designed for liquid ? NO ??

They'll do cool/cold liquids very well. Warm to hot liquids, not so much.

 

[DougE]

But it's not because the liquid boils.
The liquid just gets squeeze out.

It doesn't get squeezed out in a chamber vac. You could seal a bag filled completely with water in one. What you're sealing in a chamber vac does need to be at room temp or below, though.

 

[PolishDeli]

It doesn't get squeezed out in a chamber vac.

Correct.

I specified food saver bags because it is often wrongly assumed that they create a low pressure storage environment

 

[Florida Chris]

When I use my Vevor chamber I'll stop the cycle if I see mist in the chamber or condensation on the lid. That's a sign your liquid is still a bit too warm.

It doesn't only cause a mess in the chamber if the liquid is too warm but the moisture will also go in to the pump and contaminate the oil quicker.

Best to refrigerate liquids prior. I also recently experienced my first bag blow out with some bean soup.

Gotta remember that liquid expands when it freezes, too. I had 2 bags bust a seal and had some soup ooze out. Luckily the freezer was cold enough that it didn't make a mess. Just some frozen liquid broke out. Once I found them I just put them in to bigger bags and re-sealed. I didn't even bother to remove the original, busted bag. Just vac sealed them both again, smaller bag inside the larger one.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

When I use my Vevor chamber I'll stop the cycle if I see mist in the chamber or condensation on the lid. That's a sign your liquid is still a bit too warm.

It doesn't only cause a mess in the chamber if the liquid is too warm but the moisture will also go in to the pump and contaminate the oil quicker.

Best to refrigerate liquids prior. I also recently experienced my first bag blow out with some bean soup.

Gotta remember that liquid expands when it freezes, too. I had 2 bags bust a seal and had some soup ooze out. Luckily the freezer was cold enough that it didn't make a mess. Just some frozen liquid broke out. Once I found them I just put them in to bigger bags and re-sealed. I didn't even bother to remove the original, busted bag. Just vac sealed them both again, smaller bag inside the larger one.

I never thought about them expending when freezing or the pump. Thanks for sharing that Chris.

 

[DougE]

But I thought chambers were designed for liquid ? NO ??

They are, with the caveat that the liquid in the bag has to be cool.

 

[bmudd14474]

I have done hot but I lift the front of the machine and reduce the vac time from 25 to 15 seconds. Works well

 

[chopsaw]

Older thread on the subject posted by Dave .

WARNING.. for those with a vacuum chamber sealer...

I was sous-viding some chicken thighs in some great seasonings at 138F... They had been in long enough to pasteurize and there was a bunch of liquid in the bag, per normal... I thought, "Humpf, I should let those thighs marinate in that fine liquid until tomorrow... I was trying to think of...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Older thread on the subject posted by Dave .

WARNING.. for those with a vacuum chamber sealer...

I was sous-viding some chicken thighs in some great seasonings at 138F... They had been in long enough to pasteurize and there was a bunch of liquid in the bag, per normal... I thought, "Humpf, I should let those thighs marinate in that fine liquid until tomorrow... I was trying to think of...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

I remember that now. It kind of hard cleaning around that sealing bar. I think I going to give it a good spray of sanitizer for good measure.

 

[sandyut]

For those that own food saver sealers. One is aware that they aren't made for sealing liquids.

Chris

bahah exactly! manually squeeze as much air out as possible and use the seal function with no vacuum. ive come close to forgetting when in a hurry, but panic strike rather fast.

 

[chopsaw]

I remember that now.

Good to post your experience . I figured just back that up with the other thread . Seems like a few have bought these in the last couple months or so .