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Superbags


mojoman

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On 2/11/2012 at 2:23 PM, nicad said:

finally started my egullet account to reply to this topic :D

these will work fine. I work in the water treatment field (among other things) and these are commonly used for water treatment, filtration, etc. The polypropylene bags seen here would work great:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-filter-bags

(click Mesh filter bags) to see a good selection

these are also FDA compliant.

I don't see the need to pay an extremely marked up cost for the same product - clever marketing by the superbag people!

 

I'm reposting this because I think it's the best advice in the thread. There's no reason to buy a branded superbag. These are commodity items, and they're available in much finer mesh sizes than the superbag people are reselling.

 

You can find identical bags made by other companies. I got a whole assortment on ebay, down to 25 micron. 

 

Edited to retract the following!—

 

Check out McMasters standard mesh bags and high performance bags.

 

I just ordered High Performance bags from McMaster and they're not useable in the kitchen. There are two or three layers of material, with one of them being a thick felt that you'll never be able to clean properly. The ones I've used in the past (generic, found on ebay) were like the superbags—single layer of woven synthetic fabric. The rep at McMaster is taking them back, and is unsure which filters in their stock have the right structure (they don't catalog them this way). Looking for a new source ...

 

In practice, I can't tell the difference between the nylon and polyester filters. I use the 25 micron size most often. My fine chinois is probably around 200-300 micron, so this size represents an order of magnitude decrease in particle size. It removes a LOT of stuff the chinois leaves behind. But it won't clarify a cloudy stock or other liquid. You need more powerful medicine for that, like a protein raft or agar / gelatin filtration.

 

The filter bags aren't terribly difficult to clean. I just turn them inside-out and spray them down, and work dishwashing soap into them by hand. Rinse and hang to dry.

Edited by paulraphael
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Notes from the underbelly

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  • 4 years later...

Modernist Pantry is having their yearly sale at the moment.  As well as an assortment of chemical cooking toys, I sprung for a couple superbags.  I've been making almond milk at least once a month and I'm hoping for something easier/faster/better than muslin.  Though I must say I can't quarrel with the quality I achieve with muslin.

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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12 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Modernist Pantry is having their yearly sale at the moment.  As well as an assortment of chemical cooking toys, I sprung for a couple superbags.  I've been making almond milk at least once a month and I'm hoping for something easier/faster/better than muslin.  Though I must say I can't quarrel with the quality I achieve with muslin.

 

Which sieve size(s) did you get?  How would you think they compare to a nylon mesh nut milk bag (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)?

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3 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Which sieve size(s) did you get?  How would you think they compare to a nylon mesh nut milk bag (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)?

 

I ordered one 100 micron bag and one 250 micron, in size medium, which is 4x14 inches.  The bag you linked is 12x12 inches, and that size would not work for me.  Also, I may have missed it, but I did not see the mesh size stated anywhere.  I was wondering what was the mesh size of the Superbags used for almond milk at El Bulli.

 

I have looked at the food safe bags sold by McMaster-Carr.  The 100 micron 4x14 inch bag is only $6.54, but shipping from McMaster is not free.  More importantly the McMaster bag is polypropylene.  In many ways polypropylene is my favorite plastic, however polypropylene degrades at boiling water temperatures.  For almond milk this shouldn't matter, but for straining stock or fry oil it might.

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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7 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I ordered one 100 micron bag and one 250 micron, in size medium, which is 4x14 inches.  The bag you linked is 12x12 inches, and that size would not work for me.  Also, I may have missed it, but I did not see the mesh size stated anywhere.  I was wondering what was the mesh size of the Superbags used for almond milk at El Bulli.

 

I have looked at the food safe bags sold by McMaster-Carr.  The 100 micron 4x14 inch bag is only $6.54, but shipping from McMaster is not free.  More importantly the McMaster bag is polypropylene.  In many ways polypropylene is my favorite plastic, however polypropylene degrades at boiling water temperatures.  For almond milk this shouldn't matter, but for straining stock or fry oil it might.

 

 

While it's not "on sale", your post in the other superbag thread prompted me to look into paint strainers. A 200 micron nylon paint strainer is 2$ CAD (in 10 pack) on Amazon, which seems a bargain to me. I am going to give it a try. I also learned coffee filters are 20 microns, which explains why I have had total failure in all my attempts to use them for straining

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14 minutes ago, andrewk512 said:

 

While it's not "on sale", your post in the other superbag thread prompted me to look into paint strainers. A 200 micron nylon paint strainer is 2$ CAD (in 10 pack) on Amazon, which seems a bargain to me. I am going to give it a try. I also learned coffee filters are 20 microns, which explains why I have had total failure in all my attempts to use them for straining

 

Thanks.  What are the dimensions of the paint strainer bags you are ordering?  Any indication the paint bags are food safe?  Modernist Pantry has a video on using Superbags for coffee.

 

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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On 11/29/2021 at 10:06 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Thanks.  What are the dimensions of the paint strainer bags you are ordering?  Any indication the paint bags are food safe?  Modernist Pantry has a video on using Superbags for coffee.

 

 

15x20 in.

Theyre made of nylon so I assume reasonably food safe. Interestingly, despite being sold as a paint strainer all the reviews mention food uses.

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Making a batch of orgeat tonight...

 

SuperBag12042021.jpg

 

 

Here is the medium (4x14 inch) 100 micron Super Bag filtering my almond milk.  For the amounts I make I think I might be better served by a smaller bag.

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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51 minutes ago, TdeV said:

Jo would you mind showing photos of your setup?

I've had those 100 micron Super Bags and I can't find anyway to support them. I find them very awkward.

 

 

SuperBag12042021.jpg

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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42 minutes ago, TdeV said:

Jo, that's the same as original image. I can't see what holds up the vertical standing piece. Laboratory equipment I'm guessing?

 

I'm not Jo, but I'm going to guess that you are correct and that she is using what I would call a ring stand, basically an upright rod attached to a heavy base.  Here's one (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) that comes with with two rings and a clamp.  It  looks to me like Jo has the bag hanging off the back end of a clamp.  

My house is sadly lacking in the ring stand department so I tend to hang my nut milk bag from one of the upper cabinet pulls.  Sometimes a clothespin is involved. 

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6 hours ago, TdeV said:

Jo, that's the same as original image. I can't see what holds up the vertical standing piece. Laboratory equipment I'm guessing?

 

 

(eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

 

Sorry, I did not understand the vertical member was the part you were wanting to see.  The stand I have seems to be out of stock but similar laboratory stands are fungible.  Although admittedly some lab stands are sturdier than others.

 

My laboratory stand is a steel rod that screws into a cast iron tripod base.  Inexpensive and quite useful.  Be careful if you want a clamp.  The first clamp I bought was garbage.  However clamps cost almost nothing, and amazon is good with their returns.

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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