Lately I have been dreaming of building an electric brewery and it just dawned on me; with such precise control over water temperatures, I cannot see why you couldn't use your MLT to cook sous vide style. I just had a day dream of vacuum sealing huge prime rib roasts and dropping them in 138 degree water and pulling them out a few hours later - perfectly cooked. Somebody must have tried this; right?
sous vide
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jamesmp
Member
I don't have that kind of setup, but easy sous vide is one of the reasons I'm interested. This is Easter weekend, if you planned on hard boiling eggs it'd make an easy test run
I haven't tried this yet, but when my family (a bunch of chef's) wasn't impressed with my new RIMS build I paused then said, "You can sous vide with it."
Eyes lit up and the chef's became interested in what the brewer was saying.
Having said that, I haven't done it- yet.
Eyes lit up and the chef's became interested in what the brewer was saying.
Having said that, I haven't done it- yet.
Brewing Clamper
Well-Known Member
Are you using a RIMS tube?
Ok, so sous vide is a cooking technique.
Essentially what you do is you take a peice of meat- you vaccum seal it, then you submerge it in hot running water and the heat of the water will cook the meat in it's own juices without flame. It's a French technique? Wow, to many episodes of Top Chef and hanging out with my brother in law.
A rims tube, a container, and a pump seems like it's all you would need. Auber sells a control as well.
Essentially what you do is you take a peice of meat- you vaccum seal it, then you submerge it in hot running water and the heat of the water will cook the meat in it's own juices without flame. It's a French technique? Wow, to many episodes of Top Chef and hanging out with my brother in law.
A rims tube, a container, and a pump seems like it's all you would need. Auber sells a control as well.
I use my e-kettle to sous vide. I used my pump to recirculate water for my first couple of attempts, but I've found that it works just as well without recirculating.
Done it. Beef brisket comes out great!
Below is a pic of a large bottom round and a pork roast, probably about 135F. I think I let them go overnight, but I can't remember.
There are some posts in the meat forum regarding this. For a good online resource, try this: http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html
Below is a pic of a large bottom round and a pork roast, probably about 135F. I think I let them go overnight, but I can't remember.
There are some posts in the meat forum regarding this. For a good online resource, try this: http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html
chuckjaxfl
Well-Known Member
Yup, I've done it a bunch and will continue to do so. It works like just like you think it would. It just... works.
I bought an entire slab of prime rib and had him cut it into steaks. I vacuum packed the steaks individually with a LITTLE montreal seasoning (use less than you normally would, a lot less), and then freeze them. If I want steaks tonight, just throw take them from the freezer, throw them in the mash tun, and mash them at 134 for... all day long. It doesn't matter. You can undercook them, but you can't overcook them, so just throw them in early.
When you're ready to eat, take the steaks out of the bags, burn the outside of them for a second or two with a crackhead torch, and enjoy.
If you don't have a vacky-packer, you CAN put them in a ziplock, squish out all of the air, and try that. They float sometimes, though, and don't seem to get the same results. The sous vide specific bags with the flap valve on the side just suck. The flaps leak. Don't fall for those.
I bought an entire slab of prime rib and had him cut it into steaks. I vacuum packed the steaks individually with a LITTLE montreal seasoning (use less than you normally would, a lot less), and then freeze them. If I want steaks tonight, just throw take them from the freezer, throw them in the mash tun, and mash them at 134 for... all day long. It doesn't matter. You can undercook them, but you can't overcook them, so just throw them in early.
When you're ready to eat, take the steaks out of the bags, burn the outside of them for a second or two with a crackhead torch, and enjoy.
If you don't have a vacky-packer, you CAN put them in a ziplock, squish out all of the air, and try that. They float sometimes, though, and don't seem to get the same results. The sous vide specific bags with the flap valve on the side just suck. The flaps leak. Don't fall for those.
You have peaked my interest !! I want to try this as well it looks great.
chuckjaxfl
Well-Known Member
Normally, you apply 80 million degrees of heat from the outside, when the middle of the steak hits 134, it's "cooked". The outside of the meat is more done than center.
In sous vide, you dunk the meat (in a bag) in 134 degree water. It takes forever (relative to flame cooking) but eventually, the entire mass normalizes to 134 degrees. So, instead of a well done outside and a rare middle, you have perfect wall-to-wall center cooked perfection.
I'm explaining poorly, but that's the gist of it.
In sous vide, you dunk the meat (in a bag) in 134 degree water. It takes forever (relative to flame cooking) but eventually, the entire mass normalizes to 134 degrees. So, instead of a well done outside and a rare middle, you have perfect wall-to-wall center cooked perfection.
I'm explaining poorly, but that's the gist of it.
Cromwell
Well-Known Member
rjsnau, you set the water temperature to the final temperature of your meat. If you want rare beef, I think that's something like 140? 134 seems a little low, but it's just very rare. In any case, because it's immersed in water at the final temperature, it cooks to exactly that temperature and no more. No possibility of overcooking, and it's exactly the same temperature all the way through.
Veggies have to be at a higher temperature, obviously as would pork, etc. You just have to pick the appropriate temperature, and then toss it in.
Veggies have to be at a higher temperature, obviously as would pork, etc. You just have to pick the appropriate temperature, and then toss it in.
chuckjaxfl
Well-Known Member
Here's a more technical write up on sous vide.
http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html
I have done this in my mash tun with RIMS heater with great success. I am now planning a dedicated sous vide system with PID, heater and circulation pump for a 60 qt. picnic cooler.
This works great on leg of lamb, makes it easy to carve and clean off the bone.
http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html
I have done this in my mash tun with RIMS heater with great success. I am now planning a dedicated sous vide system with PID, heater and circulation pump for a 60 qt. picnic cooler.
This works great on leg of lamb, makes it easy to carve and clean off the bone.
Believe me, it does, and it makes it the most tender meat you've ever eaten.
yes, that's what I do
Not long, but you can't think that way. You need to cook the meat long enough at temp to 1) break down the collagen that makes it tough, and 2) kill the bacteria that are harmful.
You need to leave the meat at low temps for a while to do both. I've gone 24 hours with some of my sous vide cooks ( I usually do roasts and such, not individual cuts). Look at the Baldwin site that I posted above. I follow those instructions and have all successes.
Well there isn't as much of a risk of bacteria with muscle cuts especially beef. I'm not worried about that so much. I can understand that "low and slow" cuts would require similar cooking times to liquefy collagen. It looks like steaks can be cooked med rare in under 1-1/2hrs. I just saw that Thomas Keller (of French Laundry fame) wrote a book called Under Pressure. If Keller is down with sous vide then who am I to question it? I'm gonna brew on Saturday for my b'day and cook steaks during boil. Blooms like hanger steaks are pretty popular via sous vide; they are one of my faves so maybe that"ll be the guinea pig.
aubiecat
Well-Known Member
I'm an glad I saw this. I can't wait to do some steaks this weekend. Glad to see the cheaper cuts of steak end up being just as good as the expensive ones.
Iv done prime rib this way
I'm a chef at a county club we had to do some on the fly so I sous a rib.
Do it for about 2 hours then take it out season the outside again and finish the last 20-30 in The oven at 275 it will give you that awesome crust a prime rib needs in my book. Good luck
I'm a chef at a county club we had to do some on the fly so I sous a rib.
Do it for about 2 hours then take it out season the outside again and finish the last 20-30 in The oven at 275 it will give you that awesome crust a prime rib needs in my book. Good luck
runningweird
Well-Known Member
I made the most amazing filet mignon with my HERMS system - threw them in at 132 degrees, allowed to recirculate for an hour, then seared on a really hot cast iron pan.
Grass fed organic beef is amazing, but sous vide makes it better.
I am going to make ribs the next time my brew pal comes over for a brew day. so worth it.
Grass fed organic beef is amazing, but sous vide makes it better.
I am going to make ribs the next time my brew pal comes over for a brew day. so worth it.
jamesmp
Member
OH NOES YR ALL FOODIES NOW!
http://www.starchefs.com/events/studio/techniques/Joel_Robuchon/index.shtml
http://www.starchefs.com/events/studio/techniques/Joel_Robuchon/index.shtml
Budzu
Well-Known Member
Anyone tried this with fish?
I like the idea of a quick sear right after low slow sous vide.
I like the idea of a quick sear right after low slow sous vide.
runningweird
Well-Known Member
going to sous vide some pork ribs - 24 hours in the mash tun should give some nice delicious ribs.
BeerguyNC61
Well-Known Member
Then wash those might fine ribs down with a freshly poured home brew from the tap!!
Now thats livin!!
Now thats livin!!
You have me inspired. I think I'm going to do a boneless leg of lamb in my hot liquor tank for Easter. Is there any problems if the foodsaver bag touches the element? If it is how do you keep the bag away from the element?
No problem.
runningweird
Well-Known Member
The spare ribs were rubbed with a dry rub and vac packed. They will go into the HERMS mash tun at 155 degrees f for 24 hours. The ribeye steaks will go in after the ribs are done at around 133 degrees
into tun mash tun go the packages of dry rubbed meat
The system was set up in a hurry so it looks even worse than normal:
tomorrow night I will take them out, put on some home made BBQ sauce, and perhaps caramelize them a little bit before serving directly into my mouth.
into tun mash tun go the packages of dry rubbed meat
The system was set up in a hurry so it looks even worse than normal:
tomorrow night I will take them out, put on some home made BBQ sauce, and perhaps caramelize them a little bit before serving directly into my mouth.
.... F**K I'm hungry...
runningweird
Well-Known Member
I put mine in the mash tun so there is no heating element, I suppose it could easily be put into the BK, you could macguyver a real simple wire cage tube for the element out of chicken wire.
Not to get to off topic, but my brother in law, who is a professional chef- has often vacuum sealed "left overs" at work and when we go camping these "left overs" show up.
I gotta say, one of my favorite memories is hanging out with my brother, and brother in law, and his brothers- a bunch of family camping in the woods- drinking and tossing high quality beef, steak, and salmon into a bucket over a camp fire- then eating these amazing meals in the middle of nowhere. Damn, I'm hungry too!
I gotta say, one of my favorite memories is hanging out with my brother, and brother in law, and his brothers- a bunch of family camping in the woods- drinking and tossing high quality beef, steak, and salmon into a bucket over a camp fire- then eating these amazing meals in the middle of nowhere. Damn, I'm hungry too!
I've also touched the element -- its hot but I didn't lose any skin.
The foodsaver bags can sit right against the element. I've done this plenty of times without an issue. I put a picture of exactly this up above somewhere.
If your bags float (mine never do, can't explain why) drop your false bottom on top of them.
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