Sean
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What brand do you like, there is a big price difference. $40 - 140, I am tempted to go with the more expensive, but the name I know is seal a meal, and it is relatively cheap.
Thoughts? Thanks
Thoughts? Thanks
Vacuum sealers, seal-a-meal
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Sean
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You just did the big hop seal. No problems? What have you got?
The Pol
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EVERY bag perfectly sealed... no duds... I have the FoodSaver V2830 I think it is... I love it. It is fast, effective and NEVER had a bag not seal perfectly. 50 pounds of hops in ONE day and no problems.
get the unit that has a locking lever. will make sealing a whole lot simpler since you just press a button after the thing is locked. get the widest one possible as it will allow you to have the most flexibility.
khiddy
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+1 for FoodSaver. You can get refill bags at Costco, and it even resealed the bag of grains that I got from Brewmasters Warehouse. We've never had a problem, and we use the FoodSaver at least once a week to create marinated steaks/chops to throw in the freezer.
I'm repackaging 4lbs of hops from HopsDirect in 1oz portions as I open the original pound bags. FoodSaver FTW!
I'm repackaging 4lbs of hops from HopsDirect in 1oz portions as I open the original pound bags. FoodSaver FTW!
The Pol
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I use mine to reseal my GRAIN BAGS from Brewmasters Warehouse... it is awesome! I buy the bag rolls, that way I can make bags of nearly any size! I used it along with 11" wide bag material to seal up 5 POUND bricks of Cascade!
We just got the $50 seal-a-meal at WalMart. It is super easy to use.
You just press down tight until it draws a good vacuum, when the light comes on you can let go. When it shuts off you press the vacuum release button and open it up.
It does not hold a roll inside or have a roll cutter but it is easy to make custom bags with scissors or a ruler and utility knife.
You just press down tight until it draws a good vacuum, when the light comes on you can let go. When it shuts off you press the vacuum release button and open it up.
It does not hold a roll inside or have a roll cutter but it is easy to make custom bags with scissors or a ruler and utility knife.
dataz722
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I have a foodsaver and love it. I just got an attachment that will seal mason jars and am in love. No more do I have to keep wasting bags when I just want a half ounce of hops. I can buy a dozen mason jars for 10 bucks and just keep resealing them over and over. I use my foodsaver almost daily. Hell just yesterday the grocery store had a great deal on chicken and I bought 25 pounds and sealed it last night. It should last me months.
The Pol
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Oh man, I have the FoodSaver canisters AND the mason jar sealer... AWESOME! I buy ground chuck on sale and seal it up in 1 pound bags... keeps forever.
dataz722
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Damn straight it does. The only thing I even use the bags for anymore is meat. Everything else goes either in a mason jar or some sort of food saver container. The rolls are just too expensive to be wasting on everything.
The Pol
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You know what, I like tha mason jar idea... I may get some. It would be easier to organize my 20 types and 10 pounds of hops... rather than little baggies all over!
dataz722
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I just got it last week and this past weekend I cut open all of my bags 6+ pounds of hops and put them all into mason jars. The attachment is around $10 and I got a dozen pint size jars with lids for $10. I bought a dozen quart sized too but I dont remember how much they are. The pints hold about a half pound of pellets each. Slap a label on them and toss them in a milk crate in the chest freezer and you're set.
The Pol
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Dang, I am buying jars when I get home and doing this. No bags... just open the jar and scoop out what I need, then reseal! I need 24 jars, but that will fit in the freezer section of my kegerator easy!
khiddy
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That mason jar idea is BRILLIANT! I'm gonna try that instead of the baggies!
dataz722
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dataz722
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And even the lids are reusable many times.
i use the gallon jars for dried legumes and other grains. also great for chicken soup and other things like that.
for long term meat storage freeze the meat using a sheet pan and baking rack. this allows the meat to more or less flash freeze. i use the top freezer section of my fridge as it has the air circulating. this keeps the ice crystals that ruin meat to be less. when i started doing this i noticed my steaks were much better.
for long term meat storage freeze the meat using a sheet pan and baking rack. this allows the meat to more or less flash freeze. i use the top freezer section of my fridge as it has the air circulating. this keeps the ice crystals that ruin meat to be less. when i started doing this i noticed my steaks were much better.
gratus fermentatio
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I think FoodSaver rocks! Regards, GF.
dataz722
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What size jars you use?
conpewter
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Here are some of my hops, in labeled Ball jars that I used the FoodSaver attachment on.
I know it tries to pull a vacuum but does it actually pull a true vacuum or just partial? If only partial it still may be better to use a bag. I've never used one so just wondering.
The Pol
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What is a true vaccum and a partial? How would one know?
deepsouth
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The Pol
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These are 12oz jars, they will hold 9.5 ounces of pellet each. I had to do two jars for some varieties, but it is a sweet way to organize them in the freezer to my kegerator!
Duckfoot
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dataz722
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I did mind in mason jars a week ago and love it too. I didn't get the freezer safe ones though so I hope they don't crack or break.
The Pol
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I think youll be fine... temps generally dont hurt glass unless the temp change is sudden.
dataz722
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I was thinking the same thing. That or that if it was filled with soup or sauce that those would expand when they froze and put added pressure on the glass. Hops won't do that.
The Pol
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Bingo....................
conpewter
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Well a complete vacuum would pull all air out of the jar, a partial would only pull a certain amount out before the pressure differential got too much for the compressor.
The way I can think to test this is to have a 33 ft drop, if you can use the foodsaver to suck water 33 ft high you have an almost complete vacuum.
The Pol
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So I have to carry the foodsaver up to my roof? I cant test that... heh
conpewter
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I think it would be interesting 
Nothing against the foodsavers, I really want to get one at some point, just thought that it may end up being a better idea to continue to use the bags if the jars still have 50% of the air in them or something.
Edit:
The other fun thing to do if it does pull a really good vacuum... put a marshmellow or a peep in the jar and suck out the air, it will swell up!
Nothing against the foodsavers, I really want to get one at some point, just thought that it may end up being a better idea to continue to use the bags if the jars still have 50% of the air in them or something.Edit:
The other fun thing to do if it does pull a really good vacuum... put a marshmellow or a peep in the jar and suck out the air, it will swell up!
The Pol
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I think it would be interesting
Edit:
The other fun thing to do if it does pull a really good vacuum... put a marshmellow or a peep in the jar and suck out the air, it will swell up!
Dude I am doing that NOW
as long as you have headspace and you do not have liquid youll be fine.
the foodsaver from what i remember will pull 25inchs of mercury. little more then 29 is complete. one way of telling is a vacuum gauge. ill have to put mine to the test. this should be fine. if one is worried about the extra o2 one can always put in an o2 eater.
http://www2.avs.org/chapters/nccavs/pdf/lowcost.pdf
cool little thing on how to test vacuum
conpewter
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Well that would be a pretty good vacuum, I guess additionally you could shoot a little Co2 in the jar before vacuum sealing it, that way anything that is left is Co2 and won't oxidize the hops.
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