ISO vacuum sealer

[attyindaburgh]

So I am getting started into brewing and in order to bring costs down, have been buying in bulk and also following Craigs list. As for hops, I want to get a vacuum sealer that I can also use for other bulk buys for freezer items besides hops. Does anyone here recommend one or have one that they don't recommend? I am getting tired of searching and am pretty anal about what I buy.

 

[Hello]

I got this one linked below, which was listed on homebrewfinds.com for $139. It's fantstic and I wish I had done it sooner. I do see them pop up on Craigslist from time to time, but this deal was great. It eat amazon's price by a lot.

http://www.foodsaver.com/vacuum-sea...ler---the-master-chef-kit/FSFSSL3880-DTC.html

 

[attyindaburgh]

Thanks Hello, looks like they are currently out of stock.

 

[imasickboy]

I have the V2222, which is the older version of the V2244, and it works more than adequately for hops.

They're having a 20% off sale right now, which makes the V2244 $64, plus free shipping. If you feel like waiting, they often put a different one on sale with a steep discount, every so often. Signing up for emails will also net you 10% off.

Edit: Do not buy bags or rolls from them. Get that stuff from Amazon or ebay. MUCH cheaper.

 

[Jeffinn]

I've had a few different FoodSavers models over the years. They work great but for the most part cannot be repired once they quit. But if you're looking for a moderately priced unit, they're a good choice.
I was looking for something that was heavier duty and allowed for the replacement of worn out parts. I tried a few different ones and ended up with the Weston Pro 2300 vacuum sealer. Its pricey but built to last. Since I also smoke some meats as well as brewing I bought a unit that will hopefully hold up under continual use.

 

[Nagorg]

I got this one from Amazon. It's a Rival and its only $35.00. Mine has worked very well. I buy my hops in bulk and split them out in to 1, 2 and 3 ounce vacuum sealed bags. Works out to be half the cost of hops from my LHBS; even including the cost of the vacuum bag!

Amazon is also a good place for cheap bags too. These are .20 per bag.

 

[attyindaburgh]

The weston looks nice but out my price range. Not heard many good things about rival.

 

[soonerpike1748]

I bought this guy on Amazon: FoodSaver Professional Vacuum Sealer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004M1801Y/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004M1801Y/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I grew hops last year, and I used this to bag almost 2 lbs of dried hops. It worked great. If you are making 20 or so seals in a short period of time, the unit shuts down for a couple of minutes to cool off. It's only happened to me once so far. I also use this guy to package food for long term storage and bags for sous vide cooking. If you have a way to control temps in your HLT or mash tun, you can sous vide cook!

In short, the vac sealer has a lot of advantages.

 

[Spartan1979]

I've had a Rival for several years and it works fine. Sometimes one of the seals comes loose, but all I have to do is push it back into it's slot. It was cheap, but it serves my purposes.

 

[ButcherBoy]

I bought a FoodSaver unit, got one with a vacuum port and got the attachments to seal canning jars. We use it to by food in bulk and break the packages down to useable sides for my family. I use canning jars for bulk hops storage, pop a lid on, seal, and store in the freezer. I don't use it for sealing grain, but small quantities of specialty grains would work well in canning jars as well. It works great, and my wife likes saving money buying food in bulk too!

 

[Nagorg]

My Rival works great for splitting up pounds of hops. The only negative thing I can say about it is that it's not so good for use with things that have much liquid, even meats. The thing will suck liquid up and this causes a bad seal. But I read that this is pretty common with most vacuum sealers. To avoid that issue, you really need something like this VacMaster but it's a bit pricey!

But again, for dry goods like hops my cheap Rival works like a champ!

 

[soonerpike1748]

It helps to partially freeze juicy/watery meats so the liquid doesn't interrupt the seal.

 

[ButcherBoy]

It helps to partially freeze juicy/watery meats so the liquid doesn't interrupt the seal.

This is what we do here, most meat goes in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. Then we seal, not much of a problem.