Vacuum Sealer & Bags?

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Stevorino

Stevorino

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I'm thinking about stopping by the store or ordering a Vacuum Sealer online so I can store my hops well. Any suggestions on where/what to purchase?

I'd like to get the fancy looking foil bags that I have seen from a couple HB Stores -- where can I get those?
 
Stevorino said:
I'm thinking about stopping by the store or ordering a Vacuum Sealer online so I can store my hops well. Any suggestions on where/what to purchase?

I'd like to get the fancy looking foil bags that I have seen from a couple HB Stores -- where can I get those?
Click to expand...

Why not use Mason jars... you buy them once, never have to buy them again. No waste.

I recommend the FoodSaver

The problem with the foil type bags is that they have no vaccuum channels in them. The side walls are smooth... in a home vaccuum sealer, they wont get a vaccuum.

This is why vaccuum seal bags have that cross hatch pattern in the plastic, it gives the air a channel to get sucked out.
 
The Pol said:
Why not use Mason jars... you buy them once, never have to buy them again. No waste.

I recommend the FoodSaver

The problem with the foil type bags is that they have no vaccuum channels in them. The side walls are smooth... in a home vaccuum sealer, they wont get a vaccuum.

This is why vaccuum seal bags have that cross hatch pattern in the plastic, it gives the air a channel to get sucked out.
Click to expand...

I love the pic you posted of your hops in the mason jars.

Is there anything specific to look out for? As long as the FoodSaver (or competitor) has the option for canning? I assume there is some special mason jar attachment?

You just weigh out your hops and re-seal the mason jar, right? Do you put the jars in the fridge/freezer? Or do you not have to since they are vacuum sealed?

Is there a specific model you recommend?
 
janzik said:
I love the pic you posted of your hops in the mason jars.

Is there anything specific to look out for? As long as the FoodSaver (or competitor) has the option for canning? I assume there is some special mason jar attachment?

You just weigh out your hops and re-seal the mason jar, right? Do you put the jars in the fridge/freezer? Or do you not have to since they are vacuum sealed?

Is there a specific model you recommend?
Click to expand...

There is an attachment that allows you to seal mason jars. Mine came with it.

Yeah, just pop open the jar, measure out the hops, then reseal. I store mine in a freezer, even though they are sealed.

I dont recommend any model, I think all the FoodSavers are awesome.
 
The Pol said:
I dont recommend any model, I think all the FoodSavers are awesome.
Click to expand...

IIRC, Pol and I got the same model - I think the 4760 (?) - with a really big discount when someone posted a coupon link on here.

keep an eye out.

I haven't used the mason jar attachment yet, but I have used the jar(s) that it comes with (a special foodsaver jar and lid)
 
The Pol said:
The problem with the foil type bags is that they have no vaccuum channels in them. The side walls are smooth... in a home vaccuum sealer, they wont get a vaccuum.

This is why vaccuum seal bags have that cross hatch pattern in the plastic, it gives the air a channel to get sucked out.
Click to expand...

Somebody watched the included DVD.

:D
 
So you buy a foodsaver and then put your hops in it and it sucks the air out while you put on the lid?

Can I get any size mason jar at the store? Will there be any problems putting the jars in the freezer w/ a vacuum seal?
 
When we had the Indy Hop Buy '09, I just used the food saver bags and broke my order into 1 oz bags.

If you play with the bags a bit, you can make 6 1oz bags (pellets) from a 8" piece of the 8" bags, and that was with a doubled up seal so I had room to cut the bags into individual 1 oz bags. The mason jar idea is pretty good also, I just wouldn't have enough space in my freezer.
 
Stevorino said:
Damn, those foodsavers are super expensive. $89.99?
Click to expand...

Nah, the real expensive one is $170.

But seriously the amount of handy uses these things have besides their intended use of vacu-storing food, like vacu-storing hops, makes them an extremely good buy. You will not regret it.

On a side note, these definitely fall into the "get what you pay for category".
 
Stevorino said:
Damn, those foodsavers are super expensive. $89.99?
Click to expand...

Well, you have to look at what it is going to save you.

Go to your LHBS or online store and buy hops for $3-$4 an ounce.

OR, go to Hops Direct and get them for about $1 an ounce.

So you are buying in bulk and saving 2-3 bucks an ounce.

30-45 ounces of hops will PAY for your FoodSaver alone.

Penny smart, dollar stupid with those sorts of figures.

I bought 8 pounds of hops at $1 an ounce this year, my $80 investment just returned me $238 - $348 in hops alone.
 
Stevorino said:
So you buy a foodsaver and then put your hops in it and it sucks the air out while you put on the lid?

Can I get any size mason jar at the store? Will there be any problems putting the jars in the freezer w/ a vacuum seal?
Click to expand...

You put the lid on the jar and then the sealing cap. Then connect the tube from the sealer to the cap and press the button. Voila!

Mason jars come in standard or wide mouth. My foodsaver only came with the wide-mouth sealing cap. The standard size is available online for about $15.

I've had no problems with putting the jars in the freezer, even though they say not to freeze them. I believe that only applies if they are filled with a liquid (like preserves or jelly). With something that doesn't expand when frozen, like hops pellets, you're good to go.
 
I had no idea some of the models would seal mason jars. I googled it, and there seems to be a bit of info hinting about it, but most of the hits are trying to sell you the $9.99 special lid to seal the mason jar.

So am I reading correct that the attachement allows you to use the standard metal lid with rubber gasket that comes with Ball and Kerr Mason jars? How exactly does it work without puncturing the lid to remove the air?
 
The Pol said:
There is an attachment that allows you to seal mason jars. Mine came with it.

Yeah, just pop open the jar, measure out the hops, then reseal. I store mine in a freezer, even though they are sealed.

I dont recommend any model, I think all the FoodSavers are awesome.
Click to expand...

I figure I'm going to wind up spending ~$100 on a food saver. I just didn't want to spend $200-300 on one, that's why I was asking about a model.

As for the freezing them, just to be clear, it is required? I guess the mason jars will be alright in there since there is no liquid (like someone else suggested).
 
There is another trick you can perform if you have the wide mouth adapter but skinny mouth jars. It actually requires using one of the jars that come with some of the foodsavers, I have the same model as ThePol, You can take your mason jar (I have 1 qt size because they fit an entire pound) and put it in one of the foodsaver jars with the top on, draw a vacuum in the foodsaver jar, and voila, the mason jar is sealed.

I got mine for 60 bucks new off of ebay.
 
janzik said:
I figure I'm going to wind up spending ~$100 on a food saver. I just didn't want to spend $200-300 on one, that's why I was asking about a model.

As for the freezing them, just to be clear, it is required? I guess the mason jars will be alright in there since there is no liquid (like someone else suggested).
Click to expand...

I have about 9 pounds of hops, all in mason jars that are frozen. Freezing them doesnt matter, freezing them while full of liquid will, as the expansion will shatter them.

I highly recommned freezing the hops, it slows the AA degradation.
 
Foodsaver vacuum sealers are absolutely THE BOMB. I buy both whole hops and grain in bulk and use the vacuum sealed bags for both everytime I brew. I buy 50 lb bags of grain, then to keep it fresh and keep the bugs out of it, I split the bag up and seal in 5 lb bags. Its handy on brew day when you have some 5 and 1 lb bags already measured out and ready to throw in the grinder.

Not only is the mechanism pricey, but so are the bags. At Sams I get the big economy box for around 50 bucks. Doesn't take too long to go through that box. You can reuse some bags though. If I dump a 5lb bag of grain, I use that same bag (trimmed down a bit) to reseal one of the opened bags of bulk hops.

Anyway, price aside, I HIGHLY recommend picking one of these up.
 
Stevorino said:
I'm thinking about stopping by the store or ordering a Vacuum Sealer online so I can store my hops well. Any suggestions on where/what to purchase?

I'd like to get the fancy looking foil bags that I have seen from a couple HB Stores -- where can I get those?
Click to expand...

The Pol said:
The problem with the foil type bags is that they have no vaccuum channels in them. The side walls are smooth... in a home vaccuum sealer, they wont get a vaccuum.

This is why vaccuum seal bags have that cross hatch pattern in the plastic, it gives the air a channel to get sucked out.
Click to expand...

I have heard that for vacuum bags that don't have the air channels you can stick a couple stir straws (like the bartender puts in your cocktail) in the bag sticking out and the straw will melt at the seal point along with the bag. I haven't tried it myself yet.

On a side note the foodsaver I have (from before I started brewing) does not have the hose attachment necessary to do jars. I think all of the models they sell now do but be sure to check.
 
knightbeer39 said:
Foodsaver vacuum sealers are absolutely THE BOMB. I buy both whole hops and grain in bulk and use the vacuum sealed bags for both everytime I brew. I buy 50 lb bags of grain, then to keep it fresh and keep the bugs out of it, I split the bag up and seal in 5 lb bags. Its handy on brew day when you have some 5 and 1 lb bags already measured out and ready to throw in the grinder.

Not only is the mechanism pricey, but so are the bags. At Sams I get the big economy box for around 50 bucks. Doesn't take too long to go through that box. You can reuse some bags though. If I dump a 5lb bag of grain, I use that same bag (trimmed down a bit) to reseal one of the opened bags of bulk hops.

Anyway, price aside, I HIGHLY recommend picking one of these up.
Click to expand...

I don't think it is worth it to seal grain. The bags are just too expensive and I keep my grain in a 5 gal bucket in a trash bag so that keeps most air out anyway.


Just another reccomendation for the foodsaver with the mason jars. Works amazingly.
 
dataz722 said:
I don't think it is worth it to seal grain. The bags are just too expensive and I keep my grain in a 5 gal bucket in a trash bag so that keeps most air out anyway.


Just another reccomendation for the foodsaver with the mason jars. Works amazingly.
Click to expand...

I have had no success with that. Even with a bucket or rubbermaid bins, I have had bugs show up. There is nothing more painful then dumping 40+ lbs of grain out because it is bug infested. For me, I find the extra expense worth it for the piece of mind.
 
knightbeer39 said:
I have had no success with that. Even with a bucket or rubbermaid bins, I have had bugs show up. There is nothing more painful then dumping 40+ lbs of grain out because it is bug infested. For me, I find the extra expense worth it for the piece of mind.
Click to expand...

How warm are you storing your grain? It's the weevils hatching out, not getting in.
 
I store all of my grain INDOORS in a walk in closet. In this case, would 5 gallon buckets with lids probably be suitable? I mean, I dont see many bugs in my house.
 
Weevels, or their eggs anyways are already on the grain. If the grain is warm enough they will hatch.

I read on here somewhere that you can purge with CO2 to keep the grain a bit more fresh, I'd guess it would keep the weevels from hatching also. I havn't the faintest what the magic tempurate is too keep them from hatching out.

Edit: on a side note, GF doesn't store their grain in a fridge or anything and their grain bins are free of bugs. I've checked.
 
flyangler18 said:
How warm are you storing your grain? It's the weevils hatching out, not getting in.
Click to expand...


Very warm. I live in the deserts of southern New Mexico. And it is weevils hatching; I verified that.

However, when I vacuum seal the grain its never been an issue. Even in the hot garage. I seal them and them put them in a giant rubbermaid bin and its never been a problem. Not sure if its the lack of O2 in the vacuum bags or what, but never any weevils.
 
knightbeer39 said:
I have had no success with that. Even with a bucket or rubbermaid bins, I have had bugs show up. There is nothing more painful then dumping 40+ lbs of grain out because it is bug infested. For me, I find the extra expense worth it for the piece of mind.
Click to expand...

So what's wrong with a few weevils in your mash? I wouldn't let it bother me unless there was really a high concentration.

Regarding other posters' questions about the need to freeze vac-packed hops - from what I've read recently, in the book 'Designing Great Beers', I think that cold storage is absolutely valuable, regardless of how the hops are packaged.
 
You don't need the mason jar attachment if you have one of the Foodsaver canisters that usually come with the sealer. Put the jar with lid into the canister and pull a vacuum. That seals the jar as well. Release the vac in the canister and remove the sealed mason jar.
 
Whiskey said:
Weevels, or their eggs anyways are already on the grain. If the grain is warm enough they will hatch.

I read on here somewhere that you can purge with CO2 to keep the grain a bit more fresh, I'd guess it would keep the weevels from hatching also. I havn't the faintest what the magic tempurate is too keep them from hatching out.

Edit: on a side note, GF doesn't store their grain in a fridge or anything and their grain bins are free of bugs. I've checked.
Click to expand...

Here is the reality of weevils hatching in your grain.

Females lay 36-254 eggs. At 80-86F and 75-90% humidity, the eggs hatch.

So, in order to keep your grain weevil free... keep it cooler than 80F and keep the humidity down. Basically, keep it stored indoors where you have climate control.
 
carp said:
So what's wrong with a few weevils in your mash? I wouldn't let it bother me unless there was really a high concentration.

Regarding other posters' questions about the need to freeze vac-packed hops - from what I've read recently, in the book 'Designing Great Beers', I think that cold storage is absolutely valuable, regardless of how the hops are packaged.
Click to expand...

What's wrong with bugs in your mash? :confused: Well I guess some would find that to be a bit disgusting. Unfortunately, when I have had weevils (only once, I've solved that by vacuum sealing) there were thousands of the little buggers. That's a bit more than a "few" :eek:

Good info above on temps and humidity for weevils hatching. I try to keep all of my homebrewing stuff (admittedly a lot of stuff since I've brewed for 12+ years) out in my oversized garage.....grain storage in house would not go over well with SWMBO. But like I said, vacuum sealing has solved this problem and I've never seen a weevil since.
 
knightbeer39 said:
What's wrong with bugs in your mash? :confused: Well I guess some would find that to be a bit disgusting. Unfortunately, when I have had weevils (only once, I've solved that by vacuum sealing) there were thousands of the little buggers. That's a bit more than a "few" :eek:
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't think anyone knows for sure what flavor weevils would impart in the beer. Apparently however, their eggs taste just fine. :ban:
 
Put your grain in a plastic bag (vac sealed would work) or container and stick it in the deep freeze for a week or so. Should kill off eggs & bugs. I do this all the time with flour as well and seems to work without any ill effects.
 
I dont think so. If it comes with it, it will be listed with the other accessories that come with it.

I get email notifications when they are having clearance sales, I have picked up about 10 canisters and bags for $20 doing so. You can get all of the stuff reasonably priced, you just have to be patient it seems.
 
Looks like I'm a bit late to this party, but for anyone who stumbles this way in the future, the Foodsaver is worth it.

I grow my own hops and this allows me to save them for quite a while. Also, using the hose attachment allows for super quick degassing of wine without introducing oxygen like the paddles can.

Of course, I also try to use it as often as feasible for food preservation.
 
This thread was bumped by spam.


However since it's active again, I will repeat my suggestion of the much cheaper alternative Rival Seal-A-Meal which is about half the cost of the cheapest FoodSaver, does exactly the same job, and also takes all the same FoodSaver attachments.
 

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