What will happen if I don't flash chill my stocks?

[Edward J]

You do not need to flash chill stocks. Especially if they were brought to boil temps like 212F. Due to the nature of sous vide cooking alot of people cook at really low temps that "barely" pastuerize. I think this also brings out the worry warts so these people tend to over think things. I ony flash chill when i know i cooked something med rare and dont plan to eat it that same day and want to leave it in the fridge instead of freezing. If i plan to freeze i just put it in the fridge for a few hours and right into the freezer. No need to flash chill.

 

Not flash chilling stocks is a gamble.  If you cook at home and can not be held liable or responsible for poisoning someone, great, do what you like, but do respect your guests and their functioning digestive systems.  If, however you cook for a living and can be held responsible for food poisoning, it is prudent to take every precaution, and flash chilling is very cheap and takes very little time to do so.

 

Bacteria multiply at temperatures between 70-100 F.  Even if you can guarantee that your stock is 100% bacteria free and leave it cool down over a 4 hr period you will get contamination--usually from air borne mold spores and air borne bacteria, not to mention foreign objects dropping in.  If you think you can cool down stock by just slamming a lid on the pot and leave it to sit out on the counter for 4 hours or overnight, you will find the lid vacummed tightly on the pot and the stock smelling "off" next morning.

 

Do NOT forget, that prior to the 1990's all labs grew bacteria cultures in petri dishes that were lined with a thin layer of protein rich gelatine--very similiar to meat stocks.

 

Once again, it is stupid not to flash chill. It is stupid to put hot stocks into a 3-4 cu foot insulated box with airtight seals (a.k.a. a refrigerator) and expect everything in that box to maintain a 36 degree temperature, it is stupid not to expect bacteria to multiply when perishables are kept at temperatures above 38-40 F. 

 

Did I mention the word "Stupid" enough????

 

Ice paddles are ideal to cool down stocks when used in combination with a cold water/ice bath.  Many people just fill up 2 lt pop bottles or milk jugs with water and freeze them beforehand  instead of purchasing a ice paddle

[FeChef]

 

Did I mention the word "Stupid" enough????

 

 

Stupid would be you assuming the original poster is cooking for a living. Stupid would be assuming i knew the original poster was cooking for a living. Not once in his original post did he mention he was in the business of cooking for others.

 

Stupid would be the original poster for asking advice on food safety on the internet instead of taking a food safety class for his business.

[mm84321]

Thanks for all of the information. The McGee article was very helpful.

 

To clarify a concern, I am not in the food business. I am simply a passionate home cook. That said, it is still my interest to operate on the highest level of sanity any hygiene as any professional restaurant kitchen.  

[Edward J]

You do not need to flash chill stocks. Especially if they were brought to boil temps like 212F. Due to the nature of sous vide cooking alot of people cook at really low temps that "barely" pastuerize. I think this also brings out the worry warts so these people tend to over think things. I ony flash chill when i know i cooked something med rare and dont plan to eat it that same day and want to leave it in the fridge instead of freezing. If i plan to freeze i just put it in the fridge for a few hours and right into the freezer. No need to flash chill.

 

 

Look, pasteurization--when used for milk for example,  typically is brought to a temperature of 72 C (161 F) for 16 seconds and then brought down rapidly to 4 C (36 F).   The rapid cooling is part and parcel of the pasteurization process.  Even then it (milk) needs constant refrigeration at 4 C to prevent spoilage.

[c oliver]

Appreciate all of the input. Could someone please point me towards a few sources (scientific) that explain a bit more in depth as to why this is a necessary practice? I'm sort of in between thoughts at the moment, because I think 9 hours at 90C is enough time to consider the stock "pasteurized", therefore safe from harmful bacterial growth, but I also think, as a habit, rapid cooling is usually the best course of action. However, I really do not know enough about this topic to make a final decision. Thanks. 

AND when you actually use the stock you'll be reheating, right?  So if any cooties crawled in, you can still kill them

[paul o' vendange]

FWIW, I use a cooling paddle.

Yep, great tool.  I used those too, for all our stocks. 

 

First time back in years, long story.  Now devoted to making hard French alpine cheeses (Abondance form, really), but nice to be cooking again - it's been seriously a long time since I've done any - and checking in with this community.  Thank you from my very humble heart, all, for keeping it going so strong.