Want to support the channel? Buy me a coffee :-) www.buymeacoffee.com/DanZm If you are thinking of buying a freeze dryer, please consider supporting us by purchasing through our affiliate link. It helps us and costs you nothing! affiliates.harvestright.com/995.html Before buying a freeze dryer perhaps research to find out more about the downside of the machine; like with any big machine, some people say they have had problems with their machine and it's big and heavy and hard to return!

I did 9 lbs of garlic last week. My house still smells like it! I dumped the water immediately too, that helped but yeah, still glad I did it. Probably enough to last the rest of my life!

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

I've heard similar things from different people. Prefrozen gralic? I just don't get it; do we just not have the ability to smell? 🤣 Are the machines different? Do I stink so bad that strong odors are weak by comparison? Is it because our freeze dryer is in the basement and the smell doesn't travel up? Well, at least you have enough to last a while!

@robingirven4570

Жыл бұрын

@@SchoolReports ours is in the basement also. Yes, pre frozen and no, I’m sure you do not stink that badly! 😂 The freezer still reeks of it too.

@ciliap

Жыл бұрын

@@robingirven4570 What i've found.... is chinese garlic smells...worse. I find Cali garlic more buttery and mellow ... subject to crops etc... but I've noticed a diff

@robingirven4570

Жыл бұрын

@@ciliap it’s homegrown garlic.

@jonnaughton

Жыл бұрын

@@robingirven4570 I did a batch of home grown garlic about three or four weeks ago, and the room still reeks of it (despite emptying the water straight away). While I don’t particularly mind the smell, I really don’t want it getting into my other freeze dried foods either.

I didn't realize how tiring freeze drying frenzy could be 🥺Sleep is not coming to my house lately 😢🤣

@kimskluckers5665

Жыл бұрын

Mine gets extra drying time to correspond with my canning and sleep pattern .

@user-yk7vd4zg3r

Жыл бұрын

LOL, it certainly is time consuming. I set my extra dry time to 24:00 hrs. and saved it. I add even more time, as it ticks away, if I’m having a busy day. It can wait on me, rather than the other way around. I have read that if you leave things too long they can burn a bit. I haven’t noticed that being an issue though.

I love garlic in so much of my cooking. I’ll definitely be copying you on a full freeze dryer load of garlic. And as I tell everyone even if they’re not listening, I’ll do the weight checks without fail! THANKS AGAIN FOR A GREAT VIDEO!

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

I'm with you! After seeing how much water comes out of boxes of "dry" rice or "dry" hash browns, I can't imagine skipping the weighing Dry Check.

I am sitting here peeling fresh garlic to freeze dry while I watch this video. Thank you.

@SchoolReports

8 ай бұрын

I was going to do fresh garlic, but at the time I did these I couldn't get fresh at a lower price per pound than this minced stuff. Please lets use know how yours turn out!

Good stuff, thanks for sharing

Thank you for you info!! Cannot wait for the craft video

Always learning so much from you! Thank you so so much!!!

Thank you very much for the information. At first i was wondering about the dry check, but you have clarified everything.... thank you for all of your detailed work, it is very helpful to others. Do you have a link to a video explaining your defrosting process?

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting! Here are the easiest ones to find about defrosting. How We Defrost and Dry our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer kzread.info/dash/bejne/loeaq7mkp6aTlZc.html A few seconds at this point in this video about the ice in the bottom. Freeze Drying - The Next 50 Batches - Batch 585, Mixed Vegetables - Every Little Detail kzread.info/dash/bejne/nqSVlcabZcTSYpM.html

I know you have plenty of pans already; however, I do have one more suggestion for you. I have tried these and they work perfectly with no oil at all and fit like a glove for the medium freeze dryer trays. They are silicon baking pans that I bought off of Amazon. Here is the title for them....SILIVO 8 inch Silicone Square Cake Pan, 8x8 Baking Pan, Brownie Pan - Set of 2 Nonstick Silicone Cake Molds, Silicone Baking Molds for Brownies, Cakes and Lasagnas - 8x8x2 inch. Only cost $16.00 for four of them.

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

I do have 2 of those pans as well, and you are right; they are a great fit. (I've even listed them in the Amazon affiliate links in the description on some video) The problem for me is that they take up a lot more room in the freezer and don't stack well in the freezer either. I can only get half as many in the freezer shelf at a time. (12 vs 24) They seen great for someone that is only doing a few pans at a time, and they might be the perfect pans for those times I need/want to prefreeze something (egg white) and use zero oil. Thanks for the reminder. I probably should show them in a video as a good alternative pan that fits the tray.

@TPD605

Жыл бұрын

@@SchoolReports I didn't think about the freezer room issue with those pans. You would probably need to make a shelf system in your freezer if you were to use them a lot. They are nice for the foods that tend to stick more. I tried the metal ones, but I must have paid too much because they had too much metal to pop the sides like you do.

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

@@TPD605 Ha! 😁 Good pans don't flex like the cheap dollar store pans!

@judyjohnson1012

10 ай бұрын

I looked up those Silivo silicone pans. There were only 2 for $16. 😕

@juliabrown5948

10 ай бұрын

@@SchoolReports what are the measurements of the dollar tree pans? Does anyone know?

I bet the water has some funk to it. The worst I had was chili for some reason. Took days to get the odor out. Will try the garlic. Sounds useful.

@SchoolReports

6 ай бұрын

😂 Not a great deal of odor in the water.

Thank you for all of the knowledge and experience that you share. You are my go-to for freeze dryer wisdom, and i am using many of your techniques. Recently I realized how helpful it would be to have dividers for my pre-freezing pans like you use. But i know nothing about 3D printing. Is there any chance that you could make them for me (for a price, of course)? I have the large FD and am using the Walmart Mainstays brand of 9"×9" cake pans to pre-freeze, which is the perfect size for the large trays. I believe i have heard you mention before that they would need two dividers per pan to make 3 portions. Thank you for your consideration.

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

I have one of the pans you have - I did some design and testing of a divider for that pan for use in the large machine's trays. 9x9 pan divider www.thingiverse.com/thing:4976081 Sorry, I'm not _currently_ planning to get into selling/making 3D printed stuff for other people. (I wasn't planning to get into teaching 3D design and printing either, but ended up teaching for 3 years, so who knows.) If I ever start making them to sell, the shipping costs would probably make the whole thing ridiculous. (There is an email link under the "About" tab of the channel.) For those without a 3D printer, here's my best ideas for getting some 3D printed dividers. Lots of areas have Maker's places with people that would love to do it for you. Or, better yet, some schools have 3D printing labs. Check with a the local charter school that has junior high or high school age students. I taught 3D Design and Printing for 3+ years at a local 6th - 8th grade charter school. We loved it when we could find/were given a real-world project with a real need. I've been meaning to make some dividers for quite a while without using a 3D printer. (Seriously, no 3D printer? Who lives that way?🤣) You've inspired me to get it done! I'll do a couple tests using foamcore and corrugated plastic and covering it with plastic. I'll glue the magnets in the the bottom to hold the dividers in place like I do with the 3D printed ones. I'm thinking that the best choice for plastic covering might be freezer bags or heat shrink plastic that's used for food packaging. I wouldn't use any of the plastic wraps that we have, because they get very brittle and sometimes shatter when they get very cold, leaving bits of the plastic all over.

@ciliap

Жыл бұрын

mark find someone with the 3d printer, show them the link below my buddy cranked out some for me they're very simple.

@markeggenberger4984

Жыл бұрын

Thank you both for your responses. You've given me some ideas. Any recommendations on an entry level 3D printer?

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

@@markeggenberger4984 I finally made a couple of the dividers without using the printer two days ago. It turns out it's an easy craft project and I think they will work well. I should have the video up very soon. (It would have been up already if I hadn't been 'wasting' my time the last two days doing yard work. It's mid May, and yesterday was the first time for the year I've turned on the sprinkle/drip system and cleaned, filled, and turned on the fountain) I'll come back later about 3D printers. If you don't _really_ want to get into 3D printing, you shouldn't, at the same time I can't imagine not having printers. (I have too many)

@markeggenberger4984

Жыл бұрын

@@SchoolReports Thank you again! I'll be looking forward to your video.

Where did you find the metal rods for use while freezing for the thermometers? I am new to FD and trying to learn all I can. You have been extremely helpful thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting! Here is the how-to video I made of the rods. Cutting and Bending Stainless Steel Rods for Thermometers During Freeze Drying. * NOT Required * kzread.info/dash/bejne/iKimmZpvdMa8mZM.html We got our stainless steel rods from Amazon 4mm x 300mm 304 Stainless Steel Rod amzn.to/3FaRkBp (Amazon affiliate link in the description :) They claim it's 304 Stainless Steel, often referred to as "food-grade" but I have no way to prove it. The thermometers are in no way _required_ to safely do the freeze drying, I just find it helps me out a lot. Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong. Research. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" Consider looking at what commercial companies are doing. That's where I look to for guidance. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)

found your 3D printer video

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

😁

The last time I freeze dried garlic (12lbs) my whole house stunk. My wife banned me from doing more. 😅

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

Well, at least you have enough to last a little while! You'll just have to roll the machine outside for the next batch. 😁

@mikegentile5030

Жыл бұрын

@@SchoolReports I was thinking the same thing.

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

@@mikegentile5030 I'd sure like to understand the odor issue better. It may just be a difference in odor tolerance. Do we just not have the ability to smell? 🤣 Is it because we super-freeze all of our batches before we let it start drying? Are the machines different? Do I stink so bad that strong odors are weak by comparison? Is it because our freeze dryer is in the basement and the smell doesn't travel up?

👍👍👍👍👍

Hi 😉😛😁

When you defrost, what is the function of the baffle? Is I just to keep the door ajar?

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

Yes, to keep the door in position and to help direct the airflow of the fan into the top half of the freeze dryer and out the bottom.

I forgot to ask in “today’s” video about the shelving in your basement, but seeing it in this video reminded me. The bins on the next to bottom shelf don’t have lids. Is there a concern about this, whether pests getting in or moisture? After taste tests or partial usage do you re-weigh the bags and reconfigure the amount of water needed to rehydrate if you have that listed on the bags? I can only imagine “pain” of doing this on garlic bags where you’re not going to necessarily use a full cup (or do you?) in cooking. You noted the KWH’s used and said for us to figure out the cost of electricity in our areas. This would change in other areas too would it not? Those in higher humidity areas or higher/lower elevations would experience more/less dry time from their FD’ers much the same as these affect cooking with ovens. The amount of “juice” used would be different as a result it seems to me. I could be wrong, I’m not a scientist.

@SchoolReports

21 күн бұрын

The bins without lids are that way just to fit the height of the shelving. We don't worry about the ones without lids. 1) We've never had any pests where we're at; if we did many will still make it through the plastic bins. (And I would go to Shawn Woods channel:) 2) The lids are not sealed so will do nothing to slow moisture. If we reseal bags after using part of it for testing we do put new gross weight and water needed numbers on the bag. If we're opening a bag for kitchen use, like a bag of garlic to be used in recipes by the tablespoon or 1/4 cup, we don't re-weigh/re-label it. It'll just get used over a few months just like any dry spice we may have bought before we dried our own. Yes, you are correct, and all of the those variables plus others are why I used to tell everyone that the numbers that they would _insist_ that I needed to share (prefreeze time, freeze time, dry time, total machine time, pressure readings, weight loss, water needed to rehydrate, power cost, etc. . . ), would be almost worthless for anyone. I've considered telling people, when asked "how long did that batch take?" that it was 32 hours. And then explain that if you adjust the conditions just right, that every batch COULD be run in 32 hours. Otherwise it's kind of like asking how long does it take to go from point A to point B. The only good answer is: That depends... I didn't used to track the total time because it's almost worthless, just a ballpark number, except the freeze time and final dry which depend mostly on food type. It's done when it's done. 99% will somewhere between 18 hours and 70 hours. Even if I load the freeze dryer the same way, with the same amount of the same food, for two consecutive batches, the total time can still be a quite a few hours different. All I can do is generalize about total freeze dry time because there are so many variables to the dry times; Which machine you have, which firmware it's running, type of food, water content, sugar content, temperature of the food, ambient temperature in the room, room humidity, how much food in a batch, more than one kind of food in a batch, food volume, how tight it's packed, thickness on the tray, how well it contacts the tray, how porous the food is, how the food was sliced (this made a huge difference with citrus and pineapple), how clean the vacuum oil is (if it's an oil pump), and I'm sure there are more

Ok talk to me goose.... I got 6 lbs of Gilroy Garlic from Costco because I didn't want china poop water grown garlic. But its whole clove.... In the end, I wanted garlic powder.... I did look at the minced garlic like above but was concerned about the cost per lbs going up plus all the water..... that said...time, consistency in product / end result.... thoughts? 2nd: Thermal FLIR Cameras... they seem to be very popular... specifically because they seem to show temp variables. devils advocate might say your thermometer is in the front.... but what about the center or back. Not second guessing you...just wondering because I am /was about to consider getting FLIR to check for cool spots in addition to weighing as you mentioned. 3rd but you kinda answered it on the end... how stinky was the freezer and do you think it contaminated the fruit you had going? Anyways great video!

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

Good questions! What am I missing? Label on the jars of garlic - "100% California Garlic Grown, harvested, processed and packed in California." I know that California is practically communist, but it's not China. . . .yet. We almost went with whole clove garlic (but the price and work), and if we did, we would have put it through the food processor before freeze drying. The jars of minced garlic had so little water added there was hardly enough to flow out of the jars. 2nd: Waste of money for this use. They can not accurately check the temps though the plastic door and they still will tell you nothing about the dryness of the food when looking at the trays outside of the machine. I never use the thermometers to tell me if the process is done, (they can't - not even a FLIR) and I hope I can make that more clear in future videos. I use them to tell me it's *not* done. I use the weight to tell me it is done. I know that might not sound like a difference for some people, but if there is still any cold area in the food and therefore the process CAN NOT be complete yet, even though the freeze dryer firmware is telling me it is. A FLIR might be good to tell you that food *can not* be finished, but it *will not* tell you that it *is* dry. (Of course I could be wrong about everything) FLIR test for people - take a tray full of dry rice right out of the bag - set it out in the sun and let it warm up to about 100º and then check it with the FLIR. Is it all warm? Of course it is. Is it dry? No. If it's like my "Dry" rice test batch (Batch 556 video), it still has 9.5% water by weight. (The Minute Rice had 7% water) Warm does not equal dry. 3rd: When I'm putting prefreeze pans of food into the freezer for prefreezing, I seal them in gallon zipper bags.

@ciliap

Жыл бұрын

@@SchoolReports You're not missing anything: I saw your garlic is Cali. I was more less telling you what I literally purchased at Costco the other night with a future desire to make an FD'd garlic product. Now your video has me second guessing: Is whole garlic (even though likely less expensive per lbs....maybe) better at making powdered garlic being it's dry? Or do you feel your minced product while slightly more expensive per lbs creates a more uniform more flexible end product that could if desired be pulverized to make powder as well. As for flir etc. I get what you're saying... as for your methodology.... your methodology is why I watch your channel... and watch your videos...in FULL. (unlike 98% of all my other subscribed channels) I feel your science + practicality + end results and ultimately your time and the volume of FD'ing you've done... is why I and others watch you. I ABSOLUTELY love the granularity of how and why you do something. My only suggestion: The science behind what you do and why you do it gets lost in the episodes sometimes. Its hard for me to go back and think "when did he talk about his plastic insert" ... the videos get buried and you may want to consider grouping the sciencey / reason behind the reason stuff in its own section) because man I share the heck out of those and refer back to a lot of them. You're awesome!

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

@@ciliap For me the minced garlic in the jar was a lower price per pound than any other I could get at the time. That's why I went with it. (I'm cheap and lazy!) And it is more uniform than anything I would make. I can't find the stuff I know I have put in the videos, either! I wish I had made some kind of index to the videos. People will ask about some thing I know I've mentioned, but I don't know where to look, and there's hundreds of hours of video to look through. Plus, for every hour that makes it to KZread, there is about 3 hours that I videoed, and not everything makes the cut. Sometimes I know I've talked about something and can't find it because it didn't make the cut. Cutting room floor!😁

Where did you get the pan devider

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting! (I know you already found the answer, but I put this here for anyone else that might come across this question) The dividers are designed to fit the pans we got at a Dollar Tree store. They were called 8x8" but the bottoms are about 7x7", 2 1/2 pans are a perfect fit ** for our medium freeze dryer trays. (Turns out they have them online too www.dollartree.com/cooking-concepts-square-cake-pans-75-in/10065 ) The different batches of pans that we have bought (over the past 20 years) have had slightly different side slopes, which would require a slight change in the divider shape. That's why some of our pans have an "X" on them. I've updated the Thingiverse listing to include a new version of the divider that is slightly narrower at the bottom to fit more of the pans. (I hope!) The divider is just something I designed and 3D printed to fit our pans. Here is the design and print video if you are interested; kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZX-AxM6Jc7fWeM4.html They were printed with ABS then vapor/acetone smoothed to seal them. The file is on Thingiverse. www.thingiverse.com/thing:3848619 (Some people feel that it's wrong to have food touch plastic - it's low on my personal risk list) For those without a 3D printer, here's my best ideas for getting some 3D printed dividers. Lots of areas have Maker's places with people that would love to do it for you. Or, better yet, some schools have 3D printing labs. Check with a the local charter school that has junior high or high school age students. I taught 3D Design and Printing for 3+ years at a local 6th - 8th grade charter school. We loved it when we could find/were given a real-world project with a real need. ** Clarification on the 2 1/2 pans per tray; it only works IF the divider is the thickness I use. (or thicker) The freeze dryer trays actually fits about 1/2" less than 2 1/2 pans; that's one reason I made the dividers that thick, that and to fit the magnets.

😀 🙂 🙃 ❤️ 🐸 😋

Where can I get the blue divider for the 8x8 pans?

@SchoolReports

9 ай бұрын

The dividers are just something I made. The dividers are designed to fit the pans we got at a Dollar Tree store. They were called 8x8" but the bottoms are about 7x7", 2 1/2 pans are a perfect fit ** for our medium freeze dryer trays. (Turns out they have them online too www.dollartree.com/cooking-concepts-square-cake-pans-75-in/10065 ) Here is the design and print video if you are interested; kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZX-AxM6Jc7fWeM4.html They were printed with ABS then vapor/acetone smoothed to seal them. The file is on Thingiverse. www.thingiverse.com/thing:3848619 (Some people feel that it's wrong to have food touch plastic - it's low on my personal risk list) I've updated the Thingiverse listing to include a new version of the divider that is slightly narrower at the bottom to fit more of the pans. (I hope!) ** Clarification on the 2 1/2 pans per tray; it only works IF the divider is the thickness I use. (or thicker) The freeze dryer trays actually fits about 1/2" less than 2 1/2 pans; that's one reason I made the dividers that thick, that and to fit the magnets. For those without a 3D printer, here's my best ideas for getting some 3D printed dividers. Lots of areas have Maker's places with people that would love to do it for you. Or, better yet, some schools have 3D printing labs. Check with a the local charter school that has junior high or high school age students. I taught 3D Design and Printing for 3+ years at a local 6th - 8th grade charter school. We loved it when we could find/were given a real-world project with a real need. I finally made a couple of the dividers without using the 3D printer a short time ago. It turns out it's an easy craft project and my sister says they are working well. (I will be making more non 3D printed ones, they're easy, cheap, and work!) Making Dividers for My Pre-freeze Pans Without Using a 3D Printer (For Our Medium Freeze Dryer) kzread.info/dash/bejne/ioKnxLmnYpzelKg.html Stay tuned. 😁 I'm going to show another way using 1/2 thick cutting board. (For people with more tools and/or skills)

where can we find those dividers

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting! The dividers are designed to fit the pans we got at a Dollar Tree store. They were called 8x8" but the bottoms are about 7x7", 2 1/2 pans are a perfect fit ** for our medium freeze dryer trays. (Turns out they have them online too www.dollartree.com/cooking-concepts-square-cake-pans-75-in/10065 ) The different batches of pans that we have bought (over the past 20 years) have had slightly different side slopes, which would require a slight change in the divider shape. That's why some of our pans have an "X" on them. I've updated the Thingiverse listing to include a new version of the divider that is slightly narrower at the bottom to fit more of the pans. (I hope!) The divider is just something I designed and 3D printed to fit our pans. Here is the design and print video if you are interested; kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZX-AxM6Jc7fWeM4.html They were printed with ABS then vapor/acetone smoothed to seal them. The file is on Thingiverse. www.thingiverse.com/thing:3848619 (Some people feel that it's wrong to have food touch plastic - it's low on my personal risk list) For those without a 3D printer, here's my best ideas for getting some 3D printed dividers. Lots of areas have Maker's places with people that would love to do it for you. Or, better yet, some schools have 3D printing labs. Check with a the local charter school that has junior high or high school age students. I taught 3D Design and Printing for 3+ years at a local 6th - 8th grade charter school. We loved it when we could find/were given a real-world project with a real need. ** Clarification on the 2 1/2 pans per tray; it only works IF the divider is the thickness I use. (or thicker) The freeze dryer trays actually fits about 1/2" less than 2 1/2 pans; that's one reason I made the dividers that thick, that and to fit the magnets. I finally made a couple of the dividers without using the 3D printer a few days ago. It turns out it's an easy craft project and I think they will work well. (I will be making more, they're easy and work will) I should have the video up very soon. (It would have been up already if I hadn't been 'wasting' my time doing yard work. It's mid May, and for the first time of the year I've turned on the sprinkle/drip system and cleaned, filled, and turned on the fountain)

How do you organize your inventory list so you can know what you have and where it is? Thank you

@SchoolReports

10 ай бұрын

For our printed copy we sort the database by "Item" and then "Date" (Of course it can be sorted any way needed) Here is the data from the the "50 Batch Series" where the plan was to do 50 batches in 100 days. Freeze Dried Items - 50 Batch Series - inventory data 08 04 2022 (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sHHAC8glSfwq6hCo2cRxDAZ-8KikgcimJLYZ3-92LzQ/edit?usp=sharing

What is the purpose of thermometers in each tray?

@SchoolReports

11 ай бұрын

Thermometers: The shorter answer is - The thermometers are absolutely NOT required for freeze drying, and I absolutely LOVE using them. I consider them to be the second most important tool (after the scale) for freeze drying. I never use the thermometers to tell me if the process is done. (they can't) I use them to tell me it's NOT done. I know that might not sound like a difference for some people, but if there is still any cold area in the food and therefore the process CAN NOT be complete yet, even though the freeze dryer firmware is telling me it is. I use the thermometers for two main reasons: First, to let me know if the food is getting CLOSE to being complete and second, to tell me if it's too cold to take out. For example, I might be doing a batch where the machine says is getting close to done, it might be in the last 3 hours and is going to finish at about 2 am, but one thermometer is showing that one tray is still only 10 degree, and I know from experience that it wouldn't be done in just 3 more hours, so I add more time without having to take it out and check it. As some (most) foods dry, they really became like super light fluffy insulation. The top and bottom layers can be very warm, yet there can still be a layer of ice through the middle. The machine's temperature probe will often say that it's very warm not knowing about the ice in the center layer. - Example: kzread.info/dash/bejne/o3ippMGNaMqvnZs.htmlsi=BZSwReZ0c2PZDpv2&t=540 Second, if the freeze dryer finishes when I'm not there (happens A LOT), I can still know the temp of the food, making sure it's still warm before I take it out. If the food is -40, there will be condensation on/in the food almost instantly, you just won't be able to see it because it will be absorbed and not visible. It probably will have already happened before you even get it out of the freeze dryer. The room air moisture going into the machine when the drain valve is opened may be condensing in the food before you even have the door open. There is a temperature probe built into the machine, but only one (more on the X-Large machine), and it's on the bottom of the second tray from the bottom. It's sandwiched between the heater pad and the rack itself. It can not tell me the temperature of the food, only the temperature of the heater; good enough to know the temperature of the heater for controlling it, but tells me almost nothing about the food. The built in probe also does not tell me the temperature of the chamber walls, (on my older machine) the thermometer laying on the bottom does.

Where did you get the divider?

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting! The dividers are designed to fit the pans we got at a Dollar Tree store. They were called 8x8" but the bottoms are about 7x7", 2 1/2 pans are a perfect fit ** for our medium freeze dryer trays. (Turns out they have them online too www.dollartree.com/cooking-concepts-square-cake-pans-75-in/10065 ) The different batches of pans that we have bought (over the past 20 years) have had slightly different side slopes, which would require a slight change in the divider shape. That's why some of our pans have an "X" on them. I've updated the Thingiverse listing to include a new version of the divider that is slightly narrower at the bottom to fit more of the pans. (I hope!) ** Clarification on the 2 1/2 pans per tray; it only works IF the divider is the thickness I use. (or thicker) The freeze dryer trays actually fits about 1/2" less than 2 1/2 pans; that's one reason I made the dividers that thick, that and to fit the magnets. The divider is just something I designed and 3D printed to fit our pans. Here is the design and print video if you are interested; kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZX-AxM6Jc7fWeM4.html They were printed with ABS then vapor/acetone smoothed to seal them. The file is on Thingiverse. www.thingiverse.com/thing:3848619 (Some people feel that it's wrong to have food touch plastic - it's low on my personal risk list) For those without a 3D printer, here's my best ideas for getting some 3D printed dividers. Lots of areas have Maker's places with people that would love to do it for you. Or, better yet, some schools have 3D printing labs. Check with a the local charter school that has junior high or high school age students. I taught 3D Design and Printing for 3+ years at a local 6th - 8th grade charter school. We loved it when we could find/were given a real-world project with a real need. I finally made a couple of the dividers without using the 3D printer a few days ago. It turns out it's an easy craft project and I think they will work well. (I will be making more, they're easy and work well) Making Dividers for My Pre-freeze Pans Without Using a 3D Printer (For Our Medium Freeze Dryer) kzread.info/dash/bejne/ioKnxLmnYpzelKg.html Stay tuned. 😁 I'm going to show another way using 1/2 thick cutting board. (For people with more tools and/or skills)

Have you used your past data on how long certain things take and just go by that or will you always do weight checks

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

I mostly include the times because so many _ask_ for the times. They will have almost no value for anyone else or even for me for future batches. Only good for rough estimates. 😁 I will *always* do the _Dry Check_ every time. Cheap insurance. I liken it to a commercial food company; even if they have made millions of an item, there is still testing. I used to work there. Even when you have past batch times, they are only marginally useful, due to the huge variability of how the trays were loaded, ambient temperature, type of food, water content, sugar content, temperature of the food when loading, ambient temperature of the room, how much food in a batch, more than one kind of food in a batch, food volume, how tightly it's packed, thickness on the tray, how well it contacts the tray, how porous the food is, how the food was sliced (this made a huge difference with citrus and pineapple), how clean the vacuum oil is (if it's an oil pump), the weather - temperature and humidity make a difference! Oh, and of course, which model, year, and firmware it is. There can be difference of quite a few hours between seemingly identical size batches of the same foods. But, the information may be useful for rough planning.

Just inherited a freeze dryer. Little older model with screen on the bottom. Every time the batch says complete, the food appears dry but the trays are still extremely cold. Is that normal? Should they be warm or at least room temperature?

@SchoolReports

11 ай бұрын

Could you tell me what version firmware it is? It should say it on the screen between batches. With my older machine the tray heaters are turned off for the last 15 minutes of the process and it starts cooling down. This is one of the reasons I put thermometers on the food. if the freeze dryer finishes when I'm not there (happens A LOT), I can still know the temp of the food, making sure it's still warm before I take it out, rewarming if needed before opening the machine. If the food is cold (and it could be -40), there will be condensation on/in the food almost instantly, you just won't be able to see it because it will be absorbed and not visible. It probably will have already happened before you even get it out of the freeze dryer. The room air moisture going into the machine when the drain valve is opened may be condensing in the food before you even have the door open. Use the "Dry Check" to make sure the food is dry before storing.

@dadees860

11 ай бұрын

V2.2.2

@SchoolReports

11 ай бұрын

@@dadees860 My machine is from mid 2017 and running version 2.4.3 and it's the oldest manual I have. (My sister's late 2022 machine is running 5.4.23) I would guess yours is similar to mine and that most functions are similar. Regardless, the food should be warm when you take it out or you'll run the risk of getting condensation on it.

OMG, I feel like throwing up. You were so right. I ran a test of freeze drying a batch of peppers. They were in 36 hrs, felt dry, tested dry with a wood meter (even though I knew that could fell through experience, I tested with it again), so I though the peppers were completely done and would have packaged them. BUT I wanted to try what you said about weighing them and putting them back in again and waiting a couple of hours more. When I checked them they had dropped another 2-3 grams! Okay, so I put them back in and they are drying now. I will check them in another couple of hours. So my question to you is can I unwrap everything I’ve done previously (only a month old, as I’m new at this) and reprocess them?! I didn’t have oxygen absorbers in with them, as someone else said they weren’t necessary if I was vacuum sealing them, which I was. Except the meat, those I added them to.

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

Sorry, I missed this comment. I'll try to get to it tomorrow, hopefully your stuff will be fine. Oxygen absorbers are always necessary. (Except for *very* short term storage)

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for your comment! I know the feeling; I once bought a bad batch of bags. Yes, if it were me, I'd put everything back through the freeze dryer, just using the "Final Dry" or "Extra Dry" time function. I'd use 3 hours to make sure it's dry and then 2 more hours as the Dry Check *if* there is anything more than zero weight loss during the 3 hours cycle. (Of course I'd weigh everything at each stage) I'm probably a bit neurotic when it comes to water activity levels in the food for storage. So, if it were me, I would do a re-dry of the food in any bag that even COULD have an issue. And, I'd add an oxygen absorber to every bag. I would do what I did in this video where I bought a bad batch of bags: The Freeze Dry Video I Never Wanted to Make kzread.info/dash/bejne/dGR_t8ioeNipm5c.html I had to go through all of my bins to find any of the thin bags, plus my sisters bags (thousands of bags) open, re-dry, and re-bag hundreds of bags, and throw out more than a dozen bags of food that we didn't feel safe using. (If they didn't still look, feel, and smell *perfect* ) It was dramatic for me. 😁 And, the more time that went by, the more of the bags that were going to go bad. Moisture was going through the bags *_way faster_* than it should with any good Mylar bag. I wouldn't trust MY ability to tell, by look or feel, whether or not the food is good or bad. Though, when I did the re-bagging, if it looked bad or smelled bad, or had a water content over 4% (by weight) I did throw it out. I don't know of any method I would trust to make sure the water has been removed other than the weight check method. I'm probably a bit neurotic when it comes to water activity levels in the food for storage. (I can't find the science paper I'm looking for right now because I'm changing computers and not all the drives are installed yet, but if I remember correctly, for safe long term storage the water content needs to be below 4%. (or maybe it was 2% - I can't find the source right now) I just always aim for as close to 0% as I can get) I've read comments from multiple people saying they use wood moisture meters, infrared thermometers, or thermal imaging cameras to "check" the dryness of their freeze dried food. "Touch" doesn't tell you it's dry. "Snap" doesn't tell you it's dry. "Warm" doesn't tell you it's dry. Nor can a lumber moisture meter (or these other meters) tell you your food is dry enough to safely store long term. Moisture meters can only test the sample presented to it. With a probe type, that means the only part being tested is one single line between the two probes. It can't tell you anything about the rest of the piece being tested, only the area between the probes. And that's assuming the probes are in proper contact. I was even told there is a video of a person "testing their food for dryness" using a lumber moisture meter, but had only one probe stuck in. (I could happily go on for paragraphs more about moisture and meters if you'd like:) All bags are permeable to moisture and oxygen. Vacuum sealing removes MOST of the air out of the bags, (and may or may not crush the food) but without an oxygen absorber, will do nothing for the small amount of remaining oxygen or any future oxygen that gets in. Oxygen absorbers remove (or convert) the oxygen that is present now and going forward into the future. I would love to do nitrogen flushing (and I will be soon) of the food when I open the drain valve, and when I bag, like the commercial producers do. It's really simple, I just need to find time and do it! (Even with nitrogen flushing I would still add an oxygen absorber.) I'm not against vacuuming the bags, but If I were only going to do one or the other, I would take the oxygen absorber only, over the vacuum only. I have no issue with doing both except cost of the chamber vac, and time. (maybe a minute per bag x thousands of bags) Even when vacuuming there is still going to be small amounts of air/oxygen between every particle of food. The oxygen absorbers will remove the oxygen exponentially better. Of course, both might be better. If the bag has a lower pressure on the inside vs the outside, there will be a pressure pushing the oxygen in. Mylar bags are better than most bags at slowing down the moisture/oxygen transfer. (And, because of the differences in oxygen partial pressures, the oxygen *will* be coming in anyway) Cody of Cody'sLab does a great demonstration of oxygen going INTO an inflated balloon that doesn't have any oxygen. This is the link if you're interested in seeing it. Self Inflating Balloons?! kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZoqNmJSgnbCsorw.html It's a very good thing that Mylar bags are a LOT better than balloons! The long term problem is permeability - oxygen and moisture ARE going to be going through the bag, slowly, forever. The better the bag the slower it happens. If you have oxygen absorbers in the bag they keep absorbing any oxygen that comes through, and should take care of all the oxygen without any need for vacuuming. Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" Consider looking at what commercial companies are doing. That's where I look to for guidance. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)

@user-yk7vd4zg3r

Жыл бұрын

@@SchoolReports Thank you so much for the info! The only positive side to this is that I now have this testing info before I have years worth of food stored. Plus I might not have to toss any food, always a massive plus. Also of note, almost without exception my stuff ran for well into 24 hrs Extra Dry Time if not longer as I always up even the 24hrs, so I never had it shutdown when I wasn’t around. I think where mine would get more moisture is while bagging, as I’ve been doing it by individual servings-suits us better. That could take hours to do. I wonder if you could bag everything and put the bags back in and dry again for a couple of hours (while in an open bag?). I’m using sous vide bags as I gather enough dried ingreds. to make components of a dinner and then put them in mylar, so sous vide bags can take heat, while I know mylar cannot. Oh it just occurred to me, I may only need to test one bag of each batch, as if one tests fine they all would! I could then just clip open bags corners, add the oxygen absorber, put all in a new bag and re-vacuum seal it. As to your question about percentages, I read 2% will always stay in your bag no matter what you do. I don’t have the source info either as it seemed an inevitable at the time. Also of note you might find this interesting, after I had asked another KZread video personality about silica gel vs oxygen absorbers he asked AI and the following was said. See my next post.

@user-yk7vd4zg3r

Жыл бұрын

@@SchoolReports Special thanks to Phil@4800 who asked AI about Silca Gel pack: Q) If a Silica Gel Pack was placed, with freeze-dried food, inside a sealed mylar bag, with an oxygen absorber, would there be a problem? A) No, there shouldn't be a problem if you place a silica gel pack, freeze-dried food, and an oxygen absorber inside a sealed mylar bag. In fact, this combination is commonly used for long-term food storage to maintain the quality and shelf life of the food. Silica gel packs are desiccants that help to absorb moisture and keep the environment inside the bag dry. This is important because moisture can lead to spoilage, mold growth, and a reduction in the quality of the freeze-dried food. The silica gel pack helps to prevent these issues by absorbing any moisture that might be present. An oxygen absorber, on the other hand, helps to remove oxygen from the sealed environment. Oxygen can cause oxidation and spoilage of food, leading to a loss of flavor, color, and nutritional value. By removing oxygen, the oxygen absorber helps to extend the shelf life of the freeze-dried food. When you combine the silica gel pack, freeze-dried food, and oxygen absorber inside a sealed mylar bag, you create an ideal environment for long-term food storage. The mylar bag acts as a barrier, preventing oxygen and moisture from entering and affecting the food. The silica gel pack absorbs any moisture that might be present, and the oxygen absorber removes oxygen to preserve the quality of the food. Overall, this combination is an effective method for storing freeze-dried food for an extended period, maintaining its quality and extending its shelf life.

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

@@user-yk7vd4zg3r Yes, I pretty sure that Silica gel packs won't hurt, but I've seen no evidence that it could help either. They are not designed to help with moisture levels that we need to obtain. If they were helpful in freeze dried food bags, I would assume Mountain House would be using them. I haven't seen any specs for Silica gel pack suggesting they will help at the low levels we are achieving. Again, as always, I could be wrong! 🤣

great video. i have had some bad batchs because of them not being dry. by the way what is the make of your power meter?

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

This is the power meter I've been using. Power meter amzn.to/3s4RVOr (Amazon affiliate link)

@johnbailley4468

Жыл бұрын

@@SchoolReports THANKS

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

@@johnbailley4468 I'm posting this here hoping you will see it. I thought I saw a question from you on the latest video (Cocktail Sauce - Freeze Drying, Bagging, and Rehydrating), but I reloaded the video (due to an audio issue) and lost all the comments on the original uploaded one. Did you have a question about my oil filtering system?

@johnbailley4468

Жыл бұрын

@@SchoolReports yes where did you get that t-shirt? and you said something about a oil filtration sysstem that i was wondering about.

@SchoolReports

Жыл бұрын

​@@johnbailley4468 My neighbor gave me that shirt over 10 years ago. I've seen shirts with that front on Amazon, but I haven't found ones with the printed back, too. The continuous oil filtration system I made (and use) is only needed with the old vacuum pump like my old 2017 one. The new pumps stay SO much cleaner. Building Freeze Dryer Carts - Part 3 - Finishing the Freeze Dryer and Vacuum Pump Cart kzread.info/dash/bejne/lYOsw8uYabu4k8Y.html Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Cleaning the Oil Filters Between Batches 5 & 6 kzread.info/dash/bejne/qmSdt4-LlMK3YqQ.html

Should have drained the water off to save time drying

@SchoolReports

5 ай бұрын

True! I certainly could have, but I decided to keep it because the liquid had tons of garlic flavor.

All videos are too long

@SchoolReports

10 ай бұрын

Oh well, some people want every detail, some don't. I guess these aren't for you. Most people don't watch my shorter videos. Thanks for checking it out anyway. This one's only 22 seconds long :) - kzread.info/dash/bejne/fqRm18VslbPMg9Y.htmlsi=lXDNtZ370nbl7jUx