Cooking Sous Vide in Brewery?

[MplsUgly]

Has anyone done this? I was thinking of buying one of those little gadgets but then thought...I already have the brewery, could I just double bag it and throw this into the HLT? Has anyone done this before?

I just don't want leaky meat in my brewery if that happens from time to time with this process??

 

[Jayjay1976]

Has anyone done this? I was thinking of buying one of those little gadgets but then thought...I already have the brewery, could I just double bag it and throw this into the HLT? Has anyone done this before?

I just don't want leaky meat in my brewery if that happens from time to time with this process??

First of all, I've been cooking sous vide for a couple of years now and have never had a properly sealed bag leak. If you intend to go with ziploc freezer bags, all bets are off.

Second, yes, you absolutely can sous vide in a HLT, just be sure to get yourself a vacuum sealer and a roll of sous vide bags. I would probably not advise cooking highly seasoned/spicy foods while brewing because some aromas do permeate the bag and your beer might acquire an off flavor or aroma. BBQ pulled pork porter, anyone? Oh man, I just realized that this might be an excellent idea when brewing up a smoked beer. Could also be an awesome way to add bacon flavor to a smoked maple porter without the problems that oils or fats would caused if you mashed in some actual bacon.

Edit:My head is spinning with the possibilities!

 

[Wizard_of_Frobozz]

Short Circuited Brewing did a video on using a stick with an induction cooktop. Not exactly what you're thinking, but gives you some idea on the process:

 

[schematix]

I did it a few times before I bought an Anova.

It does leave aromas. Also the tiny bit of meat juice and seasoning that get near the outside of the seal can get into your vessel if you don’t clean it up first.

For me it was a hassle to heat up that much water, hook up pumps, controllers, etc. it definitely worked though.

 

[golfindia]

I use my RIMS tube for Sous Vide all the time. I have a separate 5gal Igloo cooler dedicated for that purpose. I just hook up my RIMs tube and a pump. I have always used ziploc freezer bags, never had any problems. Cooler maintains super precise temp for days. I've cooked standing ribroasts and pork shoulders in it.....

 

[MplsUgly]

So it sounds like it can be done but might have some negative impacts on the brew system if things leak. Maybe I'll try it once or twice to see if I like the product and if so, buy a little immersion heater.

My other concern is that I would need to fill my HLT with about 6-8 gallons of water to have a decent depth above my element and that's a log of water just to cook a chunk of meat.