Chamber Vacuum Sealers, 2014–

[Unpopular Poet]

Well, I went ahead and ordered the MVS35XP from Polyscience yesterday -- It is being delivered today -- gotta love being within 20 miles of Polyscience.  I am really, really excited to see the difference between the 2 (35XP vs. 31X) -- I feel like the pump should make a huge difference -- as well as the soft air, hot food and infusion cycle.  PS - If anyone is in the Chicagoland area and has an interest in a MVS31X (which needs an oil change and pump cleaning which would cost about ~$250?), I would be happy to discuss a sale or interesting trade.  It does have the gas inlet as well, but I have never used that.  Otherwise, I am just going to put it up on craigslist at some point.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Unpopular Poet (log)

[Lbakermathews]

Okay can anyone tell me the difference in terms of what an oil pump chamber sealer can do that a dry pump cannot? Or is there no difference. I'm ready to buy a chamber sealer, and I just want to make an informed decision. Right now I'm trying to choose between VP215 and PS300.  For those of you with either of those models, what do you like best and least about them.  

[horseflesh]

An oil pump pulls a stronger vacuum, and is tolerant of water vapor meaning you can work with liquids and hot foods. The oil pumps are also said to be more long-lived in general. 

 

I do not know how much water vapor is too much for a dry pump, if anyone else does I'd like to learn more. 

[Lbakermathews]

Thank you horseflesh

[Lbakermathews]

i purchased the Vacmaster VP215 set to arrive on Monday--thanks for the input everyone.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

An oil pump pulls a stronger vacuum, and is tolerant of water vapor meaning you can work with liquids and hot foods. The oil pumps are also said to be more long-lived in general. 

 

I do not know how much water vapor is too much for a dry pump, if anyone else does I'd like to learn more. 

 

I thought oil pumps pulled a stronger vacuum, but were less tolerant of water vapor?

 

 

Edit:  My only experience of oil pumps was electron microscopy at school.

Edited June 8, 2014 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[rotuts]

More tolerant

 

some how the water get in the oil which you change from time to time.

 

got to be much more to it that that

 

last time i checked, though not recently, oil and water have a hard time mixing.

 

[Matt Powell]

I'm having some small issues with my VP112 - wanted to get some clarification on possible help for them.

 

With a standard 8-10oz. ribeye, I have to run the VP112 for 50 seconds to hit ~28.5Hg, then a 5 second seal - any less than this and I tend to get floaters. Even then, the vacuum isn't as tight as I expected. (Broadly speaking, I've had the same issue with other meats and when trying to do liquor infusions of fruit.)

 

My first question - I've seen some references to filling the chamber better, would it do any good to get a few plastic cutting boards to take up space in the chamber?

My second - for now, should there be any issues with meat texture with such a long vacuum? I haven't noticed any, but in the fruit infusions, 50 seconds definitely started to get cold liquid closer to the boiling point. 

[Raamo]

I'm having some small issues with my VP112 - wanted to get some clarification on possible help for them.

 

With a standard 8-10oz. ribeye, I have to run the VP112 for 50 seconds to hit ~28.5Hg, then a 5 second seal - any less than this and I tend to get floaters. Even then, the vacuum isn't as tight as I expected. (Broadly speaking, I've had the same issue with other meats and when trying to do liquor infusions of fruit.)

 

My first question - I've seen some references to filling the chamber better, would it do any good to get a few plastic cutting boards to take up space in the chamber?

My second - for now, should there be any issues with meat texture with such a long vacuum? I haven't noticed any, but in the fruit infusions, 50 seconds definitely started to get cold liquid closer to the boiling point. 

 

 

1st question Yes - filling up the space will mean the pump has less air to pull out.

 

2nd questions - shouldn't make any difference.  50 seconds doesn't seem like a long time if it's mostly empty chamber.

 

Then again this is all academic (from reading far too much MC and this site) for a few more days.  I finally pulled the trigger on a VP-215.

[pbear]

Matt, I have a VP112.  Unfortunately, it seems to me you have a defective unit.  As a double check, I just did a run with a substantially empty chamber - normally I use fillers to reduce the amount of dead air - just a very small book (3-1/2 oz, i.e., 100 g) in an 8-by-10" bag.  The unit had no problem pulling a full vacuum (as full as mine ever gets)* in 30 seconds.  I suggest you write Ary (the manufacturer).  Sounds like this is a new unit, so you should still be covered by warranty.

 

* My pulls always come in at 0.9 bar according to the gauge.  Several sources report that the VP112's gauge  isn't obsessively accurate, though, which is why they use a timer.  What worries me isn't the reading you're getting, but rather the fact that your bags float.  Mine don't.  (Well, proteins don't; veggies, of course, are a different problem.)  Heck, I just reran the test with 7 oz cooked meatballs - the only protein I have in the house at the moment - and even those sink.  Again, just a 30 second draw.

[rotuts]

I have a VP 215.  Ive had it for a while, but have only use it a few times as I have a freezer full of SV and have to go through quite a few Items before I get back to SV

 

my question is this :  as I understand it, there is no way to interrupt a cycle to 'seal' before the full set time is up.

 

I just vac'd a few bacon demi-slabs cut from a full slab of Edwards.  the last 10 seconds of the cycle I could hear what might be

 

'boiling'  and i would have prefered to seal when I first heard that sound.

 

most of my vac's will be various meats and Id prefer, for no particular reason. to seal just before any water 'boils'

 

I dont really think I need a vacuum that strong.

 

Of course, I could 'test' a bag first.  note the time to 'boil' and \turn off and reset the time for that number.

 

but Im as lazy as the next guy if not more so.

 

also in this type of system, is a 4 MIL bag worth the minor extra cost over the 3 mil bags?

 

Ive decided when its time for me to get bags, an order of 500 might last for a very long time.

 

1000 will last many lifetimes.  Id get at least a larger bag, they are so cheap and cut them down if Im using significantly less space.

 

Your thoughts ?

[Martin Fisher]

as I understand it, there is no way to interrupt a cycle to 'seal' before the full set time is up.

 

Sure there is, press "Stop"...it'll stop vacuuming and seal.

[rotuts]

thank you   I thought it just stopped and did not seal.

 

I'll be tossing and turning all night thinking about something else then ...

 

probably a vacuum - freeze - dryer.

 

any idea what number on that cute dial represents the sort of vacuum I get on the Weston Sealer ?

 

or a 'good quality' non- oil pump textured bag sealer   ( ie Weston ) not FoodSaver ?

Edited September 16, 2014 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

and  re: 4 mil bags ?  its a trivial Delta Expense .

[Martin Fisher]

In practical terms, I'd say you need to get at least half-way thru the green area on the gauge.

 

4 mil bags at the absolute minimum, IMHO...even they suck (no pun intended) in certain situations.

The other day I sealed some tomatoes that I dried and just the rough edges of the the dried tomato were enough to cause failure in some of the bags.

[rotuts]

thanks.  Ill move to 4 mil

 

the boiling seemed to start past the 1/2 way mark on the green area, about 1/2 way further along towards the next mark.

[daveb]

I have a 112.  All was good, anything I sealed would get to the .9 (my max) in about 20 seconds.  Still ran it 30 seconds.  Then it started going slow, real slow and would not reach .9.  I was contemplating warranty and sending back when I realized I had left the hose in the aux port.  In effect I was trying to vacuum the state of Fl.    Pulled the hose out and all is good again.   Suggest you do an exam of the port area and ensure that's not your problem.

 

fNow anybody have a trick to keep the gasket seated between uses?  It wants to pull out of the track when I lift the lid.  I'm thinking of a food safe grease or just continue to tuck the gasket in everytime I use it.

[gkas]

Now anybody have a trick to keep the gasket seated between uses?  It wants to pull out of the track when I lift the lid.  I'm thinking of a food safe grease or just continue to tuck the gasket in everytime I use it.

 

I called Tech Support on this problem on my VP112. They said that the problem will lesson after the seal breaks in a bit. They also suggested that I could use a couple of drops of Super Glue in the channel to glue down the gasket. VERY SPARINGLY. You want to be able to get the gasket out if you need to replace it. I solved my problem by flipping over the gasket. It may not totally solve the problem, but it works for now.

[pbear]

thank you   I thought it just stopped and did not seal.

 

To do that, you need to use the off button.  Stop works as DDF says, i.e., it seals the bag.

[Raamo]

What do other people think about 3mil vs 4mil bags?  There seem to be a heck of a lot more available at 3mil.

[daveb]

I've never had a 3 mil fail.  Why worry?

[rotuts]

Ive used the Weston sealer w their 3 mil bags for years.  as long as I kept the seal area clean and dry ive had no failures.

 

I doubt Ive sealed anything that might break this bag, including pounds and pounds of green coffee

 

however w a chamber vac, things might be a bit different only in the sense that the bags are so much cheaper and come in many sizes 

 

and thickness.

 

So Illl move to 4 MIL bags as the cost difference is trivial.

 

the bigger problem is what to do w 1000 bags ?

 

 

that's several lifetimes worth for me.   I'll also stay w one bigger bag  :  12 x 10  or 13 x 10 and cut the bag down if I want something smaller.

 

a problem that might not be a problem is never the less, solved.

 

[Smithy]

 

the bigger problem is what to do w 1000 bags ?

 

 

that's several lifetimes worth for me.  

You might consider splitting a set with someone (or several someones) else: WTS/WTB: Sharing Modernist Ingredients

[horseflesh]

I'll also stay w one bigger bag  :  12 x 10  or 13 x 10 and cut the bag down if I want something smaller.

 

 

The cost of the bags seems to scale up in linear fashion with the amount of material used. If you buy only big bags, and end up cutting half of them up, you are actually wasting money. If it's more convenient, go for it... but I find that I really like having a few bag sizes on hand. I think I spent about 4 cents per pint bag (my most commonly used size) and 11 cents per gallon bag. If every pint bag cost me 11 cents I wouldn't use them with reckless abandon... but at 4 cents, I seal everything. I seal instead of using tupperware if it's going to be in storage more than a day. 

 

Also, I think you will be surprised how many bags you use. I will have put over 600 bags through my sealer by its first birthday. If a thousand bags is truly several lifetimes worth a chamber sealer probably isn't worth the cost. 

 

3 mil bags have worked fine for me. I have had a few failures over the last year. Mostly that happens when I don't put the bag in the machine right, so there is a wrinkle in the sealer area. Sometimes the payload will shift during evacuation and move the bag around. I have also had sharp foods like shrimp shells puncture the bag. In those cases, I double-bag. I find that to be more cost-effective than also maintaining a supply of 4 mil bags. 

[rotuts]

good points.

 

I have the VP 215 because it has an oil-pump

 

that's worth it to me as ive had to send the Weston back for repairs as its not an oil pump machine

 

and eventually moisture damaged the pump.

Edited September 17, 2014 by rotuts (log)