Blast chillers

[rotuts]

im just guessing here 

 

and why not ?  

 

if you Fz something w micro crystals 

 

and the whole item stays Fz , I cant see how any of  the micro crystals

 

get to be macro crystals  , , unless they thaw and  refreeze  at a higher temp

 

unless they have a mind of their own

Edited April 4, 2020 by rotuts (log)

[gfweb]

What would one use a BC for in a typical eG kitchen?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 hours ago, rotuts said:

@teonzo 

 

if Im here next spring , and fully vaccinated 

 

and I get the 25 % off then  

 

 maybe    .  I wonder if you can blast - freeze    SV bags

 

and the bag doesnt suffer

 

the manual says to BF  items not in containers 

 

or I think it said that.

 

my list for next spring is getting quite long , BTW

 

We have no spring but this present.  You are getting a stimulus check, no?  Last night I bagged up portions of red snapper fillet and blast froze them.  Why would you expect the bags to suffer?  Most of Vesta's line is sous vide gear.  I expect they thought of this.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 hours ago, KennethT said:

I imagine that if you kept your blast chilled items in the middle of the self defrosting freezer (not near the walls) and surrounded by other frozen stuff you should be ok.

 

Wish I had a self defrosting freezer.  I live in an apartment.  My ice box is old.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 hours ago, gfweb said:

So how will you use the BC?

 

Stay tuned.

 

Though so far I have used it for blast chilling soup, blast freezing soup, blast freezing fish, and storing milk.  For soup the Vesta replaces the Ruhlman method.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 hours ago, StumptownGeek said:

I won't have a chance to play until Monday.

 

This weekend I'm running a second branch circuit out to my basement kitchen extension.  Too many gadgets, not enough Amps...

 

What are you putting food containers on while waiting for the missing shelf?  Just the chiller floor?  Tried any GN1/2 pans?

 

I'm using a CSO rack of course.

 

Remarkably a quarter sheet pan barely fits, but I would think it would impede air circulation.  Sadly the Vesta chamber is not tall enough to accommodate a nine inch deep hotel pan.  Unless I turn the hotel pan on its side.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, gfweb said:

What would one use a BC for in a typical eG kitchen?

 

A storage surface.

 

[teonzo]

5 hours ago, rotuts said:

I take it you have a BC

 

what model ?

 

what do you use it for ?

 

I worked in restaurants and pastry shops, so I used the professional ones, mainly Irinox and Koma. I have zero experience with home models, I suppose they work exactly the same, just smaller dimensions. But I can try to explain how you feel after spending 3 hours in a row vac-packing things that are going in the blast freezer. Or what happens when you put a human being in a blast freezer for some seconds (don't try that with a home model).

 

Seriously, if you are retired and willing to get it the next year, then there's not much sense in waiting. You are always going to spend your money, but if you get it now then you use it for more time. And you can take advantage of this situation: call the producer, cry at the phone "I'm sooooo saaaaaddddd due to all of this, I need 70% discount". I'm pretty sure you know how to sanitize it with all the due precautions. Only problem is if you need to lift it up the stairs, but in this case you know who to call for help.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[teonzo]

2 hours ago, gfweb said:

What would one use a BC for in a typical eG kitchen?

 

It's useful for many things.

It can be set in 2 cycles, "positive" and "negative". Positive means that it chills to near 0°C, remaining in the positive zone of the Celsius degrees, this is helpful to avoid the danger zone and limit microbial proliferation. Negative means that it freezes below 0°C, it depends on the model, usually it should reach around -30°C.

These are some of the possible uses:

- quick-cooling hot stuff to avoid the danger zone, like pastry cream, vegetables and so on, the difference is noticeable both about taste and duration;

- blast-freezing fruit, blast frozen berries taste like fresh, normally frozen berries taste like dead;

- blast-freezing partially cooked bread (small loaves), you cook them for about 75% time, take them out of the oven, let them cool about 2 minutes, then put in the blast freezer, when you want fresh bread you just need to put the frozen ones in the oven for about 35% time (without waiting for de-frosting and proofing);

- blast-freezing fresh fish, especially when you want to eat raw fish that is at risk for anisakis, the difference in taste for fish is pretty sensible (fish and berries are the cases with the biggest difference, as far as my experience goes);

- blast freezing all kind of pastries, you get much better results with mousses (you avoid syneresis), cakes (after defrosting they seem like new) and so on;

- blast freezing filled pasta like ravioli, you limit the risk of breakage during cooking.

 

If you have a good amount of freezer space then it can help you save quite some time and money when preparing your food. You gain in taste quality too.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[teonzo]

19 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

A storage surface.

 

It's the perfect base for the chamber vacuum machine.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 minute ago, teonzo said:

 

It's the perfect base for the chamber vacuum machine.

 

 

 

Teo

 

 

No, unfortunately, it is a little small, at least for mine.

 

Vesta has updated their website information on the Frysta.  There are more specifications and they now say "Does NOT include trays".  However @rotuts has a CSO.  My tray is in the mail and I will report on it when it comes.  The specifications say the BF100 accommodates two GN1/2...unlike the CSO.

 

Note that while Vesta has products for home use and for professional use; their blast freezers are listed under professional products, not home products.

 

[gfweb]

41 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Note that while Vesta has products for home use and for professional use; their blast freezers are listed under professional products, not home products.

 

I've seen instances where home use of a pro model voids the warantee.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

27 minutes ago, gfweb said:

I've seen instances where home use of a pro model voids the warantee.

 

So have I but Vesta doesn't.  Thinking of my Vollrath mixing bowls.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Vesta also has a 30 day return/exchange* -- shipping costs at their expense.

 

 

*say, incase you need a bigger model.

 

[rotuts]

@JoNorvelleWalker 

 

next spring 

 

everything willing 

 

might be less stessfull

 

and much more relaxed

 

I am hoping 

 

and no 

 

no stimulus check for me

 

BTW

 

gad you have the VBC

 

but on the manual they suggested 

 

and the Item you hope to  Blast and Chill

 

""   

• Do not cover or place the food within a container unless necessary. ""

granted a SV might not be thought of a container,

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Sometimes necessary is necessary.  They also say to cover liquids.

 

In other news, I was able to get the display into Celsius by doing a factory reset of the firmware.

 

[gfweb]

56 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

 

In other news, I was able to get the display into Celsius by doing a factory reset of the firmware.

 

 

But food tastes better in F than C

[rotuts]

indeed

 

but  Cold  might be Colder in C.

 

no fiddle  nor faddle  nor any guess work  involved.

 

now  in Kelvin , the VBC

 

might not seem  to be such  a good deal

 

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by rotuts (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

18 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

But food tastes better in F than C

 

Yes, but the Vesta gets colder in Celsius.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Actually the lowest temperature the Vesta allows me to set is -30C.  I was a bit disappointed as the original spec was supposed to be -35C.  Though I must say the Vesta takes food to -30C quickly.  There is a thermocouple probe for inserting in the food.  The front panel will display either the cabinet temperature or the probe temperature.

 

Another observation:  contrary to what I wrote above, the compressor does not seem all that loud.  I now believe most of the sound is from the blast fan.  So much more to learn!

 

[jedovaty]

On 4/4/2020 at 2:16 PM, teonzo said:

These are some of the possible uses:

 

How about using it to kill weavils in grains, seeds, flours, etc?

 

Why am I reading this thread.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

12 minutes ago, jedovaty said:

 

How about using it to kill weavils in grains, seeds, flours, etc?

 

Why am I reading this thread.

 

Or parasites in fish!  You know you want one.

 

[jedovaty]

Just now, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Or parasites in fish!  You know you want one.

 

Teo mentioned the fish in his post. 

It's not that I want one.  I needs it.

Are these things kept on like a fridge, or, do you turn it on as needed?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, jedovaty said:

Teo mentioned the fish in his post. 

It's not that I want one.  I needs it.

Are these things kept on like a fridge, or, do you turn it on as needed?

 

Turn it on as needed.  Which, as you say, you do.

 

[palo]

Re killing pests - probably, but you realize that they'll still be there, just dead 👅

 

p