GlowingGhoul

Busch is premier vac pump manufacturer, so that's what you want anyway. Google "Chamber Vacuum Pump shipped without oil" or "Vacuum pump shipped no oil" and you'll see that universaly, oil vacuum pumps are drained before shipping. At the very least, I'd insist on the warranty being extended, in writing.

Robert, Vacuum pumps are never supposed to be shipped with oil in them. Given the amount of your investment, I'd call and insist on a replacement...lord only knows what the hydraulic oil got into and what effect it may have on the long term reliability of the machine. At the very least, the exhaust filter is almost certainly contaminated, reducing the maximum vacuum you can draw.

I haven't found any US source for the greenvac containers. Please let post if you find one.

There's no need to externally seal FoodSaver containers if they fit into the chamber. Just put the entire closed container into the chamber. The one-way sealing valve allow air to be evacuated and then closes to prevent air rushing in. Not only does it work well, it's easier than hooking up the hose. You'll have to experiment with different vacuum levels to find the correct on for a particular container, since full vacuum will cause it to collapse. I cancelled my order for the hose when I discovered this. All the programs on the Lynx are fully customizable on the Lynx, just like the Boxer. The Lynx has 20, Boxer has 10.

Take a look at the Henkelman Lynx 32 . Very feature rich, Busch pump, touchscreen controls, and very compact at 360x320x103mm . The chamber has no "depth". It's a flat surface, with the domed lid providing all chamber space. The only downside I can see is that if you spill something, it's going over the side, instead of being collected in the chamber.

Between the VP210 and VP112, I'd choose the VP112, since performance and durability are going to be similar. However, the oil pump based VP215 should last considerably longer than the dry rocker pump VP210 and VP112, and if you're interested in compression, the VP215 has a much higher maximum vacuum than the VP210. The difference between 94%(VP210) and 99%(VP215) for compression purposes is significant. PS: Chamber vacuums in the home definately fall into the "early adopter" catagory, but these machines have been around for a long time and the technology involved is pretty basic, so no need to be concerned about "bugs" that might have to be worked out.

I agree. Another thing to watch for is gas in the bag, which is a sign that bacteria is present. There should be nothing but solid and liquid in the bag, even after long cooking. If there is a bubble of gas at the top of the bag, you'd be well advised not to eat the contents. Not to nitpick, but don't some longer cooks, at higher SV temps like 70+ sometimes result in phase change puffing up the bag a little? My briskets almost always have a small bubble in the corner of the bag after 24 hours, but there are no off flavors or odors (of course, I keep the bags weighed down so they remain fully submerged).

How accurate is your temperature control? What equiptment are you using?

This can also happen if any part of the bag was out of the water. I use retaining grids on all my long cooks to make sure this doesn't happen. I had a short rib that got lodged against the wall of the vessel, and the top stuck out. Yech.

Re-use is the best form of recycling!

On my Henkelman, there is a "pump conditioning cycle". This runs the pump for 10 minutes. The manual says that the purpose is to get the oil hot enough for any moisture in the pump to emulsify into the oil, preventing corrosion from degrading the pump. They recommned running that cycle once a week or after sealing lots of high moisture product. I know other manufacturers have similar conditioning/cleaning programs. The bottom line seems to be that you've got to get that oil good and hot in order to effectively remove moisture. When I touch the sight glass after the cleaning cycle it's not scorching hot, but uncomfortable enough that I woudn't want to leave my finger there. The also recommned getting the oil hot before changing it, so as much of the old stuff as possible flows out. Have you gotten any boiling in your Minipack yet?

That would be great for sous vide and vacuum packaging in general!

For corned beef I like 80ºC for 16 hours. wow- I didn't think any meat was cooked that high. Is this standard for corned beef or do others cook it at a lower temp.? I've used this temperature for Sous Vide bbq brisket (which has a finish temp of around 90 using traditional methods), though I've found 78 keeps the meat more moist and still gets the same sort of result.

I'm making this: http://www.fusionchef.us/us/rezept_details.php?id=Onion+Soup+Parmesan What can I do with the whey reserved from this recipe?

I dislike the sweetness of most ketchup, but Heinz "Reduced Sugar" tastes great to me. Much more tomato and vinegar flavor, and far less sweetness. It's 1g sugar vs 4g. No HFCS, no added sugar, but they do use a small amount of sucralose. They originally sold this as "Onc Carb" and "Low Carb" ketchup.

After selecting the wrong program (inadvertantly disabling the H20 sensor), and watching my very cold rib-eyes start to boil, I dug into this and think I may have the answer. 99% is simply too vague of a measurement to accurately determine how much negative pressure the meat is subject to, and what the resulting boiling point will be. As far as I can tell, MVP doesn't publish the "maximum final vacuum" achievable with their units. Henkelman specifies 99.8% for the Boxer 35. The MVP-31 uses a pump capable of drawing 7 square meters of air per hour and the Boxer 35 uses a pump capable of drawing 16 square meter of air per hour. The MVP-31 pump is 0.5 horsepower, and the Boxer 35 is 1.0 HP. Although we don't know what the MVP's final maximum vacuum is, I think it's a safe assumption that given the disparity in vacuum pump strength, the MVP is likely going to have a lower maximum final vacuum than the Boxer. A small amount of difference in the "maximum final vacuum" will make an enormous difference in the boiling point. To illustrate, if the MVP reaches s 99.3% final vacuum, the boiling point is 40°F. At 99.8% the boiling point is 6°F! In pounds per square inch, 99.8% excerts more than 3 times the negative pressure of 99.3%. There are other possibilites. The MVP may be stopping vacuum earlier than the Boxer. I've noticed the Boxer overshoots the programmed vacuum percentage every time (I've learned to compensate by setting it somewhat lower than I require). Perhaps the MVP stops right at 99.0%, regardless of it's maximum vacuum capability. These small differences in final vacuum percentage (but large differences in the strength of negative pressure applied) may also explain why some chamber vacuums don't seem to be very good at fruit/vegetable compression. PS: Although my figure of 99.3% for the MVP was just a guess, we know that if you're not seeing boiling of non-frozen meat, the vacuum level can't be above 99.4% since the boiling point would be below 32°F.

Be sure to drain the oil out of your old vacuum packer before it's transported, or the pump will be damaged if the unit tips off axis.

I should have been clearer. I am also using MAP-Pro, since MAPP is no longer available. I know the old MAPP gas reportedly left no petroleum byproduct flavors, but I was never able to confirm this for MAP-Pro. Do you ever notice any off flavors imparted by the gas? I haven't, but I haven't used it very much either. Here's the torch I'm using. I can adjust from a very low to incredibly high flame, it's easy to handle. The flame is very broad as well: http://www.bernzomatic.com/newsroom/bernzomatic-quickfire-torch.aspx I never had a problem quickly achieving a great looking crust, it just didn't taste the same as the crust achieved using the other methods. Perhaps I should give it another try.

My biggest struggle with Sous Vide has been in finishing meat, and I have also found that skillet searing leaves something to be desired, particularly in the lack of flavor. I use grapeseed oil on a cast iron griddle preheated for 15 minutes. I also haven't been enamored with the results achieved with my MAPP gas torch (although it does create a beautiful looking crust, there's something off about the taste...). The broiler has been the best of the indoor methods so far, but it's just not hot enough, and overcooking becomes a problem for all but the largest cuts. For now, I'm achieving much better results by letting the cast iron grate on my propane grill heat to at least 700 degrees(550 lid temperature) and finishing on there. I get a lot of smoke, and a few flare ups in the few minutes the meat is on there, but the added flavor is remarkable. I suspect confining the smoke under the lid is what's imparting the additional flavor. I ice bath the bags so the meat goes on the grill cold, to allow a little more maillarding time without overcooking. Outdoor grilling was my primary method of cooking meat prior to Sous Vide, and the "smokey" flavor profile of grilling is what I prefer.

Thanks for that link! Just ordered 1/2 case of their Spanish Style Yellowfin, and on sale for less than the $2/can I have to pay for "cat food" style tuna here in NY.

A nice piece of cheddar in one hand, and half of a ripe garden tomato (with a sprinkle of salt) in the other. Then I just alternate bites.

I like the CostCo bacon bits as well, and rather than the ground texture of a lot of brands, they are pretty good sized pieces with the occasional large cube shaped bacon chunk.

I've never heard of them, but they look like decent machines, and the Busch pump is a good sign. I can't figure out if they have a vacuum sensor or are programmable by time only though.

When I have a pile of enameled cast iron cookware to clean, I run it through my dishwasher with the "hi temp" option selected, as well as "sani rinse", and NO DETERGENT. These two heat the water significantly hotter than a standard wash cycle, and there is no risk of damage. With the exception of baked on food, they come out perfectly clean, and are not harmed at all. In fact, I'd bet handwashing is far more likely to mar the enamel than this method. On occasion, I'll run my Henkels Twin Cuisine knives through a detergentless run as well. Knives laid flat, blades facing up of course. After doing this for many years, there's absolutely no sign of deterioration on the knives (they have composite handles). I'm surprised there isn't a dishwasher equivalent of Woolite, for items that can safely be immersed in water but suffer from the chemical etching of regular, harsh detergents.

It's too bad the Boxer didn't work out for you. I noticed that the manual states that while it can be moved with oil in it, it must be kept level. It says the pump will be damaged if the unit is tipped over with oil in it. I suspect this is what happened to yours. The electronic sensors are useful in that they automate the process(both vacuum level and H20), but not absolutely necessary. Since you can monitor vacuum level by the gauge, you can simply observe how much time it takes to get to a certain vacuum level and adjust the program for whatever task you are doing. The Jumbo's look like an excellent deal on a quality machine. I would recommend you get the inclined plate for liquids and cut-seal option. Having the excess flap of bag cut off is useful keeping things clean (since that part of the bag often has food particles on it), and still provides a second (albeit narrower) seal. The new Lynx units look very slick, but it looks like all you are are getting for the premium of the Lynx 32 over a Boxer 35 is good looks, data logging for health inspections, and 20 instead of 10 programs. The Lynx 32 has a smaller chamber, a slower pump (they are using the 8m3/h vs the Boxer's 16m3/h), and a since the floor of the chamber is flush with the machine (not recessed like other machines), vacuuming liquids looks like it could be very, very messy if things go wrong.