Sous Vide in AIO?

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Yeah I do it all the time with my digiboil. Once you have an electric kettle, which can hold +/- 1 degree F, so many things are possible. You can throw in spices and marinade, and vacuum-seal it with your choice of meat. Take pork chop for example: perfect sous vide experience, sear it on the grill to finish it off, that's your choice. Salmon, steak, veggies, you name it. The trick is the cooking becomes temperature dependent in the water, and not time dependent.
 
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I’m a huge sous vide fan. When I got one it was like a cheat code for bbq. What used to be work came out awesome with little effort.

I’m just starting in brewing and mostly upgrading on the cold side but been thinking about hot side and whether I want to do three vessel or AIO. This might sway me
 
Clint Yeastwood said:
Anyone out there using an AIO for sous vide cooking?
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I use to until I got my Anvil Foundry. It worked great however I was doing 2.5G batches (5-6G mashes)
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I haven't needed the space in the AiO yet, but there's no reason it wouldn't work.

On the flip side: I like using my Sous Vide wand to heat sparge water
 
Clint Yeastwood said:
I have a Braumeister, and I don't think there is any practical way to make it run 16 hours. Neat idea, though.
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16 hours? This is not a smoker, where you would want 16 hours.

Sous vide does not benefit from more time. 3 hours is plenty for most applications. You want to subject, ie the meat, to reach temperature and stay there long enough. Not longer than that.

Take careful note: Sous vide cooking is temperature dependent, not time dependent.
 
It is true that I can set the Braumeister to run manually. I guess I'm too spoiled by the electronics. It seems like such an imposition to have to watch the clock myself. It's like TV remotes. When I was a kid, I thought it was normal to get up and change channels. After they started equipping every cable box and TV with remotes, I started thinking that if I couldn't find the remotes, I couldn't watch TV.

As for 16 hours, America's Test Kitchen recommends 16-24 hours for rib roasts.

The vertical thing inside the Braumeister would get in the way of anything big, but I guess I would have room enough for the vast majority of projects.
 
Langerz said:
I’m a huge sous vide fan. When I got one it was like a cheat code for bbq. What used to be work came out awesome with little effort.

I’m just starting in brewing and mostly upgrading on the cold side but been thinking about hot side and whether I want to do three vessel or AIO. This might sway me
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Yeah, I'm half way through 1.5 racks of St Louis style ribs. I started sous vide 24 hours ago at 155, then finished them at 300 for 20 minutes on aircrisp. The only problem is that I also like doing rice in the Foodi, so everything is going in batches.
 
It's difficult to understand why ribs would require a 16 hour sous vide. Brining maybe, but it seems to me that 16 hours at sous vide temps would result in bones and mush. I have used my Anvil to sous vide steaks with amazing results. 2 hours or so at 130 then a quick sear in a hot cast iron skillet--mmmmm!
 
BrewerofBeers said:
16 hours? This is not a smoker, where you would want 16 hours.

Sous vide does not benefit from more time. 3 hours is plenty for most applications. You want to subject, ie the meat, to reach temperature and stay there long enough. Not longer than that.

Take careful note: Sous vide cooking is temperature dependent, not time dependent.
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Temperature dependent but temperature throughout. If you through a brisket in there I doubt the internal temp is there in 3 hours.

The nice thing about sous vide is it doesn’t go above the temperature so doesnt over cook. I often just leave stuff in for a day as a result
 
Langerz said:
Temperature dependent but temperature throughout. If you through a brisket in there I doubt the internal temp is there in 3 hours.

The nice thing about sous vide is it doesn’t go above the temperature so doesnt over cook. I often just leave stuff in for a day as a result
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You are right. The standard is, the thicker the cut, the longer the cook time. Good point there.
 
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I don't know how long it takes to do ribs. They recommended 16 to 24 hours for a rib roast.

My enthusiasm is waning. I made myself prime rib the normal way three days ago, and it was glorious, as always. I don't see how sous vide could be any better.

Oddly, the last bad rib roast I had was at Lawry's the Prime Rib.
 
Clint Yeastwood said:
I don't know how long it takes to do ribs. They recommended 16 to 24 hours for a rib roast.

My enthusiasm is waning. I made myself prime rib the normal way three days ago, and it was glorious, as always. I don't see how sous vide could be any better.

Oddly, the last bad rib roast I had was at Lawry's the Prime Rib.
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Don't let your enthusiasm wane! Having read many of your detailed posts, and especially given your current avatar, I've the feeling we have some taste-buds in common.... I've been looking forward to the conclusion of your sous vide trial as I often find myself not wanting to go out on the deck in winter to grill, and I figure since I have a large kettle I can easily plug in and a propane-torch...well..
If you're collecting votes; mine is to give it shot.
:bigmug:
 
For ribs I mainly see two options listed - 1) 165F for 12 hours for "traditional" ribs or 2) 145F for 36 hours for "meatier" ribs. I've never tried the longer method myself.

The website Amazing ribs has a lot of discussion on the topic if you are interested in digging into it.
 
Broken Crow said:
Don't let your enthusiasm wane! Having read many of your detailed posts, and especially given your current avatar, I've the feeling we have some taste-buds in common.... I've been looking forward to the conclusion of your sous vide trial as I often find myself not wanting to go out on the deck in winter to grill, and I figure since I have a large kettle I can easily plug in and a propane-torch...well..
If you're collecting votes; mine is to give it shot.
:bigmug:
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My standard method for rib roast is to leave it in the fridge for a week or more with salt on it, then cover it with pressed garlic and butter, then throw it in the oven at 200, and then burn the outside at the oven's highest setting after the inside hits maybe 105. I take it out at 120 or so. Sometimes lower. Works fine in an oven that heats fast, but my new one is slow, so it takes forever to go from 200 to 550.

I also like the Ronco rotisserie, but it's kind of a hassle. I wired mine up with an extra diode for slow cooking.

I found a Youtube channel called Food Wishes. He says to multiply the weight of the roast in pounds by 5 minutes. Then give the roast that much time at 500. Then turn off the oven and take the roast out when it's done. I did a variation of that a few days back, and it was great. I increased the initial temperature because I was using a tiny two-rib roast.

I was afraid it was impossible to make good small rib roasts, but boy, was I wrong. I thought the inside would go grey too fast. I actually get a very nice but very thin outer crust, so the inside is still pink.

I'm using fake sous vide to reheat rib roast slices now. Vacuum bag and hot water. Seems to do less harm than an oven or steaming, which ruins the pink parts.

I don't know why anyone still fixes turkey twice a year. I do a boned turkey on Thanksgiving and prime rib on Christmas.
 
Langerz said:
Temperature dependent but temperature throughout. If you through a brisket in there I doubt the internal temp is there in 3 hours.

The nice thing about sous vide is it doesn’t go above the temperature so doesnt over cook. I often just leave stuff in for a day as a result
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The website I used showed multiple ribs cooked at 145, 155 and 160 for multiple hours, then completed later. I didn't need nearly as long for the final cook as they did. I liked them at 300 for 10 minutes in "air-crisp", not 20.
Grizwold1 said:
It's difficult to understand why ribs would require a 16 hour sous vide. Brining maybe, but it seems to me that 16 hours at sous vide temps would result in bones and mush. I have used my Anvil to sous vide steaks with amazing results. 2 hours or so at 130 then a quick sear in a hot cast iron skillet--mmmmm!
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They were most definitely not mush, and that was at 24 hours. I've done steak sous vide, and you are correct, just get them up to temp and sear.
 
Clint Yeastwood said:
I have never done sous vide, but I am curious to see what sous vide prime rib is like.
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Personally, I'm much prefer things like ribs or prime rib done conventionally in an oven. I mean for spare ribs or baby back ribs, it's simply no contest. Now chicken wings, that's different. Those are outstanding done in a sous vide first. I do mine at 165 anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours, doesn't matter. They're just fantastic that way. Then maybe 5 minutes in the deep fryer with a flour and baking soda dredge.

Steaks are actually very good up through an hour and maybe two, but absolutely no longer. It just ruins them. I do stuff with my sous vide all the time but some things are simply better the old traditional way. I never would have guessed you can try doing it in a brewzilla but I guess you learn something new everyday.
 
4Mesh said:
Personally, I'm much prefer things like ribs or prime rib done conventionally in an oven. I mean for spare ribs or baby back ribs, it's simply no contest. Now chicken wings, that's different. Those are outstanding done in a sous vide first. I do mine at 165 anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours, doesn't matter. They're just fantastic that way. Then maybe 5 minutes in the deep fryer with a flour and baking soda dredge.

Steaks are actually very good up through an hour and maybe two, but absolutely no longer. It just ruins them. I do stuff with my sous vide all the time but some things are simply better the old traditional way. I never would have guessed you can try doing it in a brewzilla but I guess you learn something new everyday.
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Speaking of wings, I should drag out the smoker. I was blown away by how good smoked wings were.

I like using the sous vide for whole meals I can walk away from for a few hours. Some potatoes, veggies and chicken breast. Add some kinda fat, and throw in seasonings and freeze. When i know I'll be lazy, throw the whole affair in the water and go about my errands. I know it won't work for every entree+sides combo, but it's a no fuss dinner. Gives different options than just a crock pot.
 
4Mesh said:
Personally, I'm much prefer things like ribs or prime rib done conventionally in an oven. I mean for spare ribs or baby back ribs, it's simply no contest. Now chicken wings, that's different. Those are outstanding done in a sous vide first. I do mine at 165 anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours, doesn't matter. They're just fantastic that way. Then maybe 5 minutes in the deep fryer with a flour and baking soda dredge.

Steaks are actually very good up through an hour and maybe two, but absolutely no longer. It just ruins them. I do stuff with my sous vide all the time but some things are simply better the old traditional way. I never would have guessed you can try doing it in a brewzilla but I guess you learn something new everyday.
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I did ribs for 2-3 years with the 3-2-1 method on a gas grill with wood chips. For just my immediate family, I can do a bunch without having to bother running to the grill every 30 minutes or so, and then just run the finish on the grill if I want. I also switched from baby back to St Louis style since they are more uniform in size and cook far more evenly. We pressure cook and then air crisp wings regularly. I'll have to try that sous vide.

I agree with you on steak. Just to temp, then finish.
 
Jonakr said:
I did ribs for 2-3 years with the 3-2-1 method on a gas grill with wood chips. For just my immediate family, I can do a bunch without having to bother running to the grill every 30 minutes or so, and then just run the finish on the grill if I want. I also switched from baby back to St Louis style since they are more uniform in size and cook far more evenly. We pressure cook and then air crisp wings regularly. I'll have to try that sous vide.

I agree with you on steak. Just to temp, then finish.
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What is the 321 method?

When I do ribs I double wrap them in heavy foil and do them in the oven. 3 hours at 315° is what I've done. Lots of people like to put them on the grill afterwards just to sear them but I don't even do that.

I've never tried St Louis style. Never even asked at the meat market if they have them, but I guess I'll have to. Cheers.
 
day_trippr said:
3 hours smoked bare, 2 hours wrapped in foil often with apple cider added, 1 hour unwrapped and typically sauced near the end.
I found knocking a half hour off the foiled stage to provide a better texture...

Cheers!
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Gotcha. Interesting method. There's a million different ways people do ribs. Actually I think 900,000 of them are pretty good. LOL
 
I've wondered lately if my 10 gallon cooler (mash tun) could be used to sous vide.. I haven't actually measured temperature loss in it while brewing. I take an initial reading to make sure the temp is good and I know it will be fine for an hour.

I could overshoot the temp by 5 degrees and it might hold around the intended temp for a 3 hour sous vide session.. Anybody know how much temperature loss is common in a 10 gallon cooler over an hour time period?
 
wdavis2003 said:
I've wondered lately if my 10 gallon cooler (mash tun) could be used to sous vide.. I haven't actually measured temperature loss in it while brewing. I take an initial reading to make sure the temp is good and I know it will be fine for an hour.

I could overshoot the temp by 5 degrees and it might hold around the intended temp for a 3 hour sous vide session.. Anybody know how much temperature loss is common in a 10 gallon cooler over an hour time period?
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I have probably the same cooler, an Igloo yellow one with a red lid. The lid is not insulated btw. I've considered filling it with spray foam but never bothered.

I check for exactly that and mine loses about 2-3 degrees F every hour. However, that's not a fair reference because I'm not putting cold steaks in the water. That's my water temp after the grain has stabilized at temp. There's also a good bit of stratification in mash if you don't circulate it some. enough that even though I don't have a pump, I'll do my drain and clear at the beginning just so as to remove that hot liquid from the bottom and circulate it to the top some. There's a good 4-5F difference in that top to bottom, and that's true no matter how much I stir. PS, I have a SS mash paddle that I made, and I try to push down in one side and come up on the other, still doesn't mix the mash.
 
I bet if you put your steaks on the stove and brought them up to 120F for 5-10 minutes, then add them to the mash tun, you could suis vide them 2 hrs no problem and without any other hands-on after closing the lid. Steaks don't suis vide that hot, like 122 max (at least in my house they don't). So, doesn't need to be all that hot. Chicken / pork is a totally different can of worms.
 
I actually was doing Suis Vide decades before I ever heard of suis vide. Either in a pan on the stove in a plastic bag as mentioned above, or even in the sink with just hot water. I had no clue why I was doing it as far as the enzymatic reactions that were taking place. I just knew that I did a MUCH better job cooking steaks that had been warmed all the way to the center before I started. And, by accident I found that a long time in the bag was a big improvement. I started doing roasts and they were fantastic doing this process. I didn't even use vac seal bags, I used "Baggies", if you recall the old plastic bags that came with twist ties. (You can still get them and they seal far better than zip-locks btw). I would either catch the open end on the edge of the pan with a heavy glass lid or tie it to a handle, and viola. I had to turn the stove back on every 10-15 minutes, but just for a minute or so and back to whatever else. There's no need for fancy equipment, it just makes it much easier. But for beef or fish (which cook at a lower temp than anything else), those are really just as easy with no Suis-vide cooker. But don't let the bag fall in the water or it's all over...
 
4Mesh said:
I have probably the same cooler, an Igloo yellow one with a red lid. The lid is not insulated btw. I've considered filling it with spray foam but never bothered.

I check for exactly that and mine loses about 2-3 degrees F every hour. However, that's not a fair reference because I'm not putting cold steaks in the water. That's my water temp after the grain has stabilized at temp. There's also a good bit of stratification in mash if you don't circulate it some. enough that even though I don't have a pump, I'll do my drain and clear at the beginning just so as to remove that hot liquid from the bottom and circulate it to the top some. There's a good 4-5F difference in that top to bottom, and that's true no matter how much I stir. PS, I have a SS mash paddle that I made, and I try to push down in one side and come up on the other, still doesn't mix the mash.
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I think I just learned a lot about my mash process lol. And yes, same exact cooler. My process is stir in, check temp and leave it for 60 minutes. Dump in first batch sparge water then I use a pump to recirc for 15 minutes while I heat up the 2nd batch sparge water. Wondering if I should pay more attention to the temp difference you noted from top to bottom..

Sounds like I would have a tough time using the cooler to sous vide. I wouldn't mind trying some steaks and seeing how it goes.
 
wdavis2003 said:
I think I just learned a lot about my mash process lol. And yes, same exact cooler. My process is stir in, check temp and leave it for 60 minutes. Dump in first batch sparge water then I use a pump to recirc for 15 minutes while I heat up the 2nd batch sparge water. Wondering if I should pay more attention to the temp difference you noted from top to bottom..
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Yes, the difference top to bottom is important. Maybe not so much on a 148/150 mash, but it's deadly at 155 since you will be cooler up top (somewhat counterintuitive) and that top measurement doesn't reflect the mash at the bottom being above the B rest temp. End of the world? Maybe not, but it's one explanation I have for my high mash temp beers not finishing at an OG where other folks end up.

wdavis2003 said:
Sounds like I would have a tough time using the cooler to sous vide. I wouldn't mind trying some steaks and seeing how it goes.
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Not really. But, if you don't have a Suis Vide gizmo to keep the temp exact, just remember you have to probe the center of the beef and determine what happens next. If it's 122 or above, it's already done and there's no more cooking. Just sear really quick and brown it. If it's below 118 (rare), then you might need to leave it on the cast iron pan a little longer to finish the interior. Either way, blot with paper towels and smear on olive oil before placing in the cast iron pan.. I also salt the steaks before putting them in the bag because there's a protein breakdown that occurs with the salt, breaking the long chain proteins and tenderizing the steak. That's true even if you're letting steaks overnight in the fridge. Salt first.
 
wdavis2003 said:
I think I just learned a lot about my mash process lol. And yes, same exact cooler. My process is stir in, check temp and leave it for 60 minutes. Dump in first batch sparge water then I use a pump to recirc for 15 minutes while I heat up the 2nd batch sparge water. Wondering if I should pay more attention to the temp difference you noted from top to bottom..

Sounds like I would have a tough time using the cooler to sous vide. I wouldn't mind trying some steaks and seeing how it goes.
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I think it would be workable for steaks.

If you wanted to pull a brisket out of the freezer and throw it in the Igloo for a couple days it isn't going to work.

Steaks I typically only sous vide for an hour to get close to the final temp and finish/sear on my grill. Steaks also don't have as much mass or as thick. If you let them thaw well in the fridge so the temp difference isn't that big it would probably work ok. Since you are finish/searing them elsewhere if the water temp drops more than you want then just sear them a bit longer to make up for it. Overall should have better results than just grilling, but not as good as a true sous vide.
 
I agree with everything Langerz said with the exception that I think you can do every bit as well manually, it's just more work if you are super fussy about the end result. Seems there's a bunch of votes in this thread for not doing steaks > 1 hr.

I would also say, I occasionally buy steaks from Allen Brothers. I do not suis vide them, but I will warm them in a water bath. They don't need any help from a suis vide. You can throw them directly in a fire pit and eat the dirt and all and they're still good. :D
 
I use my electric HLT for sous vide. I have a venison roast in there right now which is going to go for 30 hours. This is my first long dunk. I didn't initially believe anything would need to be cooked for that long, but I've been seeing a lot of posts where people are doing chuck roasts for 48 hours and thought I'd give it a try.

I have previously only done steaks for 2 hrs and chicken for 3 hours.
 
ringneck said:
I use my electric HLT for sous vide. I have a venison roast in there right now which is going to go for 30 hours. This is my first long dunk. I didn't initially believe anything would need to be cooked for that long, but I've been seeing a lot of posts where people are doing chuck roasts for 48 hours and thought I'd give it a try.

I have previously only done steaks for 2 hrs and chicken for 3 hours.
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My experience with pork is that it takes dramatically longer in SV than it does in an oven conventionally. I'd say on the order of 4x as long. That didn't entice me to keep perfecting the process. I'd be curious to hear your opinion with the venison roast. I would think 30 hrs isn't any too much. Yes, you can ruin things in them, but I doubt you can ruin stuff like Venison or Brisket which even take a long time on the grill or in the oven.
 
Clint Yeastwood said:
The 3-2-1 method is not really correct. A lot of people get bad results with it.
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I tried it once. Ribs were done long before the '1'. I could probably cook them at 200 and it still wouldn't take 6 hours. You don't want them falling apart. Once I get the color I like, then wrap. Mine are just right around 4 hours total
 

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