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Sous Vide cooking
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rustyred5




Joined: 06 Apr 2012
Posts: 12



PostLink    Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 4:12 pm    Post subject: Sous Vide cooking Reply with quote


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Sous Vide anyone?
I don't know if anyone ever thought about it but anyone could possibly turn the HLT in to a Sous Vide cooker on. If you aren't a big cooking nerd like me you may not know what sous vide is. and by all means I'm no expert. Sous vide is french For "under vacuum". It is really a different way of cooking. Basically it is cooking at a low consistent temp for long periods of time. In stead of cooking a roast at 350 a couple hours. you can vacuum seal a roast in a bag and cook it water of 140 degrees 24-48 hrs. Sear the meat after the sous vide. This will be the most tend and juicest thing you every ate. Plus the meat will be medium rare end to end.

I haven't finished building my electric brewery yet but i was wondering if this idea every came to anyone else and if they tried it.

Sorry if this is hard to read. I never have been the best writer.
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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are some guys using their systems as Sous Vide cookers. I read one guy smoked a brisket and vac bagged it after 4 hours and put it in the hot water for something like 24 hours...
Others are vac bagging porterhouse steaks and cooking them at 135*F and then finishing off with a torch or searing on HOT cast iron.
I would like to try this technique once I get my brewery built. Almost there...
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silverspoons




Joined: 21 Dec 2010
Posts: 555
Location: Webster NY


PostLink    Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Funny you asked!

My son and his wife ( both cooking nerds ) were asking me about this over the weekend. i'd love to hear from anyone one actually did it.

Silverspoons
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 2:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've heard of it too. The basic idea is that you cook at the final temp you want the meat to be at and over time the meat gets to that temp. It never goes over. This is all done in water. The meat's in a sealed plastic bag.

I haven't tried it myself but would like to.

The only issue that raises questions for me is the long time steeping/cooking in the plastic bag. I'm not a big fan of that idea, especially since some manufacturers (like Foodsaver) have publically stated that their bags are not meant to be used in such extreme temps.

Kal

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rustyred5




Joined: 06 Apr 2012
Posts: 12



PostLink    Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 3:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I actually have a sous vide unit. And have used the foodsaver bags. I was a little worried about the foodsaver bags too. But what I think it comes down to for foodsaver inc. is that they never test the bags for this process and cleared it for this statement. Because years down the way someone discovers the they might give cancer or something like that. At least they have their butts saved from getting sued. All I can say is the I have had great results sous viding my roasts and steaks.
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only bags I'd consider using are re-usable food-safe silicone bags like these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049EU670/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=curtpalmecrtp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0049EU670

For pretty much the same reasons why I don't want my beer touching plastics (only stainless, copper, and silicone).

Re-usable is also a great benefit IMHO. Less plastic in the garbage.

Kal

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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyone try this yet? I have my brewery finished to a point at which I could try this if I only had a food saver system! Grrrrr. I am "batch'n" it for a few evenings and wanted to try this while the wife was out of town.
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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok. So I picked up a crappy vacuum sealer this evening and tried it. Took some pictures. Will upload them with my crappy internet. May take a while.
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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So if I am not brewing on my brewery yet... I might as well do something with it. This temperature control is precise... yes. Enough to be the envy of many chefs.



Water temp is holding steady at 135. I plan to pull it off after the 99 minute timer sounds the alarm and sear it on a SCREAMING HOT cast iron pan that is in the oven pre-heating. The other oven has my potato in it baking away.
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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

After almost 2 hours in the water, it has cooked in it's own juices and matched the water temp of 134*F.


Look at all the au-jous that came off one steak!


Gotta get some char on this hunk-o-meat. Tried a screamin' hot cast iron pan but it STUCK bad, so this side gets the flame!
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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Self explanatory and smells soooo gooood!



Nice char on the outside...



The complete meal.



All finished up. Yumm. This turned out to be one of the best steaks I have ever enjoyed. Absolutely more tender than I could have imagined.



I will most definitely be doing this again!
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kellzey




Joined: 04 Aug 2011
Posts: 580
Location: Orlando, FL


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's the idea. There are a few threads on HBT discussing as well
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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yeah. It turned out really good. I need to exchange that crappy vac sealer I got at wally world for a much better model though. It would never suck all the air out...
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Castermmt




Joined: 03 Jan 2011
Posts: 863
Location: Lowell, In

Drinking: Steelhead Porter, Alt-Toids, Hefty-Weizen, Terry's Kolsch, African Amber, Pumpkin Ale, Double Dog Ale

Working on: Janet's Brown Ale, Terry's Kolsch, Pilsner


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used a foodsaver coupon to get $40 off and free shipping a very nice unit model V3440. Do a Google search and the coupons are out there. went to the local flea market and scored a FoodSaver Mini Chef kit $129. for $5 in like new condition.The vacuum sealer is a very great investment for a home brewer if not a must have, so get a decent one that will do the job and last. Hope this helps, Castermmt
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kellzey




Joined: 04 Aug 2011
Posts: 580
Location: Orlando, FL


PostLink    Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It worked!

I used peanut oil in the cast iron skillet. Got it scalding not. No sticking and a nice crust. About 2 minutes per side!






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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think that is where I went wrong on my cast iron. I probably heated it WAY too hot and did not have any oil in the pan. What temp did you pre-heat the pan to with the oil in it?
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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also, what temp did you cook at and for how long?
I am thinking this method could be used for a dinner party. A bunch of steaks could be cooked and then just thrown on the grill for a few minutes to brown the outsides...
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foomench




Joined: 21 Feb 2012
Posts: 704
Location: Longmont, CO

Drinking: Pinot barrel aged quad

Working on: Flanders oude bruin in barrel, Flanders red fermenting to refill the barrel


PostLink    Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The reviews for that bag Kal linked to make me want to skip that and try the vacuum seal bag. Very cool. Must research this some more.
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huaco




Joined: 05 Apr 2012
Posts: 1506
Location: Burleson Texas


PostLink    Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

foomench wrote:
The reviews for that bag Kal linked to make me want to skip that and try the vacuum seal bag. Very cool. Must research this some more.


Not sure the silicone bag Kal linked to would work too well. Silicone insulates pretty well and without being able to evacuate the air your steak would just float the whole time. The vacuum bags I got said they were safe to simmer in. Simmering is done at about 180*F and Sous-Vide is LOW temp cooking. Heck, I could stick my hand in the water to retrieve the steak...
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kellzey




Joined: 04 Aug 2011
Posts: 580
Location: Orlando, FL


PostLink    Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lots of problems with the silicone bags.

First, the silicone bags have bad reviews for sous-vide based on the heat warping the zipper and it not truly being water tight.

Also, sous-vide means "under vacuum" so you really have no way to induce a vacuum seal with the silicone bags. You wouldn't be really cooking sous-vide with this type of bag.

Next, silicone is a good heat insulator (thinking about my silicone oven mits), so I don't think these bags would be great at transferring heat from the water bath to the meat inside.

Lastly, the temps you are using (134 degrees for medium rare) are hardly enough to leach anything harmful from the Food Saver bags into the meat.

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