Vacuum Sealer

[brewshki]

I am about to pick my first hop harvest and have noticed that amazon is selling a few options of vacuum sealers for a very reasonable amount, right about $50. However, I didn't want to spend the money on one of these cheaper models if I would really be missing out on something with a nicer one. Any thoughts? Does anyone have any tips on picking out a good/decent vacuum sealer?

I was looking at something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071RGFDCJ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[microbusbrewery]

I have a Foodsaver brand one...not sure on the model number but I think it wa about $65. About the only thing I would suggest is make sure replacement gaskets are available and reasonably priced because they do have to be replaced occasionally.

 

[brewshki]

I have a Foodsaver brand one...not sure on the model number but I think it wa about $65. About the only thing I would suggest is make sure replacement gaskets are available and reasonably priced because they do have to be replaced occasionally.

Much appreciated! Thanks. A little nervous about hop harvest numero uno, but I figure if I screw it up, it'll be like everything else and I'll learn for next time

 

[mirthfuldragon]

I bought a Ziploc-brand sealer at Walmart on clearance, and used their generic-branded sealer bags. I have had no issues. It is adequate for vacuum-sealing hops.

 

[microbusbrewery]

Much appreciated! Thanks. A little nervous about hop harvest numero uno, but I figure if I screw it up, it'll be like everything else and I'll learn for next time

Nice. It's fairly easy. The hardest part is probably drying them and that's not really hard either. Are you planning on air drying? Food dehydrator? I use a food dehydrator myself. I think it was a Walmart purchase originally intended for fruit and beef jerky, but it works well for hops too. The ones with the temp control are nice because they give you a little more control over drying time. My understanding is screens, a sunny patio, and possibly a fan to help move the air work equally well.

 

[processhead]

I have a 10 year old FoodSaver brand sealer. It is the cheapest model they offered at the time and it has been a solid performer which I use a lot.

Beware some brands of film. Not all work as well as others.

 

[curtisbrewer]

i have a foodsaver as well , it is the older model of basic introductory kit. i believe is was 60 or 70 dollars, works flawlessly and it has the hose kit for mason jars and container which im curious about but have not tried yet . as far as bags go i love the ones linked below and have never had any problems. 100 feet of bags lasts forever!

make sure when packaging you make the bags bigger than necessary for opening and resealing and you'll use 100 feet in maybe a few years

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K07MZBO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[brewshki]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071RGFDCJ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I ended up getting the above one. $40 with taxes and 1 day shipping. I picked a the ones I believed to be ready and only got about 2 oz wet...

definitely a poor yield, but there are a lot of younger more green hops on the bine, so I am hoping to at least get enough total for a batch after I pick the next ones. They are sitting in my garage (still 100+ here in SoCal, so I decided that was warm enough). They had a fan on them all night but I took it off when I left for work today. They definitely were drier this morning. As long as they are fairly dry tonight, I think I will go ahead and package them.

 

[i4ourgot]

Looking at getting a vacuum sealer but reading alot of mixed reviews you guys all still like yours?

 

[day_trippr]

I'm still pleased with the FoodSaver model I bought for freezing hops, but I bought it so long ago (2010) that may not be relevant any more.
Unless one is looking for attachments and stuff I recommend buying whatever model/package is on sale. Mine was a lower-middle package that didn't have all the vacuum attachments and bowls but was the same machine that did and cost about half...

Cheers!

 

[NeoBrew]

I've found they are a mixed bag.

I have had two Food Savers. My current one is 10+ years old and has been great. It actually grabs the bag and holds it while it seals.

I also bought a cheaper non FS one off of Amazon a couple years ago. It is a little smaller than my Food Saver. I purchased it to take on fishing trips. It is definitely not as good as my main one. It will seal a bag, but it takes a lot more fussing around. If there is any moisture in the zone where it needs to be sealed it might take 2 or 3 tries to get it to seal up.

I wish they would publish specs for the heating elements in them. The vacuum pump doesn't seem to be much of a technical problem from the several I've used over the years. Having a heating element that gets hot enough and is evenly hot across the length of the bag is what makes the process go smoothly. This is less of an issue when you are doing dry things like hops and grains.

If you want to go all out for quality, you might take a look at some of these.

 

[JohnSand]

I bought a Nesco VS-01 a few years ago, I'm happy with it. Still about $40.

 

[Horseflesh]

My vacuum sealer cost more than my EBIAB rig. It’s a beast and I use it constantly!

 

[TwistedGray]

I picked up this NutriChef one, and it works well enough. I'm still trying to get the hang of it though as I've had a few air pockets on dry stuff...wet is atrocious, too, but I've come to just freezing the liquid with the solid and then vacuuming it. I am pretty sure it's operator error (except for the wet...seems to be the norm).

 

[Horseflesh]

Any sealer that sucks air out at the edge will have problems with liquids. Freezing them is the best solution. You can also chill the liquid and drape the bag over the side of the counter when you pump down. That won't prevent the machine from sucking liquid in, but it will help get more air out before you have to stop the pump and start the seal.

 

[TwistedGray]

Any sealer that sucks air out at the edge will have problems with liquids. Freezing them is the best solution. You can also chill the liquid and drape the bag over the side of the counter when you pump down. That won't prevent the machine from sucking liquid in, but it will help get more air out before you have to stop the pump and start the seal.

Yeah, before I froze the liquid I knew it was a gamble, so it was really just to see how big of a mess I could make

 

[MaxStout]

I have this one and like it a lot. The cheaper knockoff bags and rolls are just as good as the Food Saver name brand ones.

 

[Cody s]

I have a foodsaver v2244
Works great I just double seal everything for extra piece of mind. I store everything from grains, dme, corn suger and freezing hops. It will probably set you back about $80 but well worth it.

 

[Cato1507]

I am about to pick my first hop harvest and have noticed that amazon is selling a few options of vacuum sealers for a very reasonable amount, right about $50. However, I didn't want to spend the money on one of these cheaper models if I would really be missing out on something with a nicer one. Any thoughts? Does anyone have any tips on picking out a good/decent vacuum sealer?

I was looking at something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071RGFDCJ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I too have the foodsaver, and it's still chugging along after 6-7 years of use. I use it a lot for my grain storage.