Do you have any vacuum gauges at all to test the pump? ( Though I doubt that is the problem based upon your tests )
5 Posted September 16, 2015 (edited) Gypsyman: Proof again that "great minds think alike". In my initial pondering, I thought using an oil filter base would be a logical approach -- but I didn't have one handy and figured my car might miss it. Besides, one of my goals was to keep this affordable, and they tend to be a little pricey.
The best choice I ever made when it comes to long-term storage food is getting a freeze dryer. I didn’t always think that. It was far more work than I imagined and the maintenance on the machine is annoying when it needs it.
That also goes for dense foods like mashed potatoes. Liquids or soft foods can be put in silicone molds and frozen. Then pop them out of the molds, put them on the freeze dry trays, and put them in the machine when it’s ready.
By this point, most of my son’s friends know about his dietary restrictions and it doesn’t bother them. My son takes rehydrated freeze dried meals to school banquets and to other social gatherings.
I want my son to have great meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas, just as the rest of us do. And it’s not feasible for me to cook the entire meal for a huge crowd.
Question for you: I'm impressed by the shortening of cycle times. Obviously some of that is from the improvement in insulation on the lines, etc., but I'm wondering how much of it might be from "drying out" of the insulation and outer walls of the freeze drying Know More chamber.
The pros and cons are easy to understand. In fact, there really is only one pro and it’s a huge one. YOU control the food you’re storing away for yourself and your family. Those who are willing to spend the time and money to freeze dry their own food should do so as long as they’re going to be committed.
A bit of background on me - I used to work in a sold state fabrication lab (university research lab) and had a lot of hands-on work with ultra-high vacuum equipment. The pumping we do for freeze drying was what was required to just start
A funny lesson I learned is that we pelo longer freeze-dry many fruits or vegetables. I know this goes against what most preppers say but I’ve come to a different conclusion. We did tons of fruits and vegetables at first but considering the time it takes we found that we are better served by spending that precious freeze drying usage on more expensive items like meats, eggs, Buy Now and complete meals.
It appears that the ice build up inside the chamber sublimates as well as the ice in the food. Eliminate the ice and the process is faster, and less water ends up in your oil.
seis) The first place was the cold return line into the compressor. It had insulation, but a second layer helped stop the constant drips. I used black electrical tape to secure the foam.
Harvest Right’s lyophilizer/freeze dryer is the perfect addition to any laboratory. The scientific freeze dryer can be completely customized with your preferred processes.
It's hardly the most exciting GoPro video for sure, and some may think it's about as interesting as watching a tree grow, but if you really want to see the Harvest Right "in action" in order to understand what's happening (not that there's much to see), this provides a "speeded-up" way to do that!