Want to support the channel? Buy me a coffee :-) www.buymeacoffee.com/DanZm If you are thinking of buying a freeze dryer, please consider supporting us by purchasing through our affiliate link. It helps us and costs you nothing! affiliates.harvestright.com/995.html Before buying a freeze dryer perhaps research to find out more about the downside of the machine; like with any big machine, some people say they have had problems with their machine and it's big and heavy and hard to return! Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" Consider looking at what commercial companies are doing. That's where I look to for guidance. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)
I’ve had grapes that either weren’t properly punctured by the frozen right berry tool or something, but they didn’t dry and didn’t dry and didn’t dry for days on end. I even tried a whole new cycle land they still didn’t dry.
I cut my grapes in half and it still took days, but they did dry. I think I might try different varieties if I try grapes again in the future to see if some dry better than others.
Making an Acrylic Disc Front for a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer ua-cam.com/video/erH1VDqNi80/v-deo.html Adding Front Seal Insulation To A Harvest Right Freeze Dryer ua-cam.com/video/LA1sHVUqKts/v-deo.html My sister's new (late 2022) machine has a chamber that is very round. We will be making a disc and seal cover for her machine (and videos) and I think the fact that it's round will make it easier.
have a newer model and there is loads of ice on the bottom of the chamber so I started putting the thermometer on top of the shelf rack so it doesn't get stuck in the ice and show the ice temp. Watching the temp internally is never what the display shows. I use a piece of wood clothes pin to keep it off the top surface heater.
My sister has one of the newer machines too. (October 2022) We changed were we put the bottom thermometer a short time back. We now put it along side the rack, on the left side, with the probe poked through a small piece of foam to keep it from touching any part of the rack while still touching the chamber wall. It keeps it away from the melting ice:) My sister also added a thermometer on top of the rack for a total of 6 thermometers. She stuck her thermometer sideways through its probe case/cover to keep it from rolling off the top. (And she taped it on) The top of her rack is covered with a layer of corrugated plastic (mine has 2 layers) to help insulate it from the heat, and the heater pad is under the top aluminum layer.
The HR tech told me on the phone there should be 13 ice rings if it is properly charged with the correct amount of freon. Mine was only 5 rings and had to go back. I have the 13 now that its back to work.
Thanks! What year machine is yours? My old machine might have that many coils, but it never had any at the front. If its cooling performance does, at some point, start to degrade I'll probably check with a local refrigeration service before packing it up and sending it all the way back. (Mine is way, way out of warranty) Unless I feel like a road trip. I would LOVE to go there and see their facility!
I have a 2022 model (large) and it works great - however my ice is not nicely patterned. I wonder now with this comment if it’s not actually working “great”. It takes a long time to defrost because if the larger lumpier ice areas. Hmmm, I’ll have to start really tracking things. Of course I ALWAYS (not a casual use of the word) weigh my food to determine when it’s done thanks to School Reports 💜
@@kayemoore It definitely sounds like at least all the newer machines should be pretty even from from to back. It might be worth checking into. I'm going to have to see if I can see a difference in mine over the years in video. I don't remember mine being different, but maybe it changed so slowly that I didn't notice.
I had a chance to try to count the rings just now because I had the machine empty for cleaning. I kind of failed. I tried to count them as it froze from back to front, but some of it froze so fast that I'm not 100% sure of the number. It was at least 11 and I think it was 12 or 13. (I though it was going to freeze slower, so I went to bring up a file for the 3D printer. I was only gone for a minute or two, I swear!) Mine still doesn't go very close to the front. I'm going to have to watch this to make sure it does not get worse/become an issue. Thanks for pointing out this potential problem.
Thanks for the "scientific" perspective. Also yes it seems you should get a new machine if sensible and put both to work... I just bought a 5 tray medium from fleet farm in Minnesota for 2350 with all my discounts and rewards.. I believe that's a steal
Thanks for watching and commenting! Awesome deal! That's more than $500 lower than HR website price! When I want/need to use 2 machines I have easy access to an additional machine - my sister's freeze dryer. I've done a few videos using her machine.
I have a 2022 machine. I will check the temperature on the next batch and let you know if it goes to -40 on mine or not. I do not have a separate thermometer to place inside to let you know how accurate it is however.
It's just a disc I cut out of 0.075" thick acrylic (1.9mm thick) I would probably use 1/8" (3mm +) next time. Once the machine is under vacuum the disc probably doesn't matter, but while it's freezing it seems to help. It also works when I want video inside the chamber while freeze drying. Here is how I made the one for mine. Making an Acrylic Disc Front for a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer ua-cam.com/video/erH1VDqNi80/v-deo.html If your freeze dryer is like ours, (2017) the opening is not quite round. For my first test piece I cut a very accurate circle out of a piece of foamcore and it had gaps of 1/8"+ (3mm +) around the edge. For the newer machines you may be able to skip the whole pattern making step if you chamber barrel is very round, and just draw the correct size circle. My sister's newer (late 2022) machine has a chamber that is very round. I am making a disc for her machine (most of the way complete - I'm just really slow!) and I think the fact that it's round will make it easier. Her machine is a medium and I think hers is just a simple 11 7/8" diameter actual circle!
No, it's still slower, but we don't use the defrost mode. We decided to use the fan to save electricity, to save wear and tear of the freeze dryer components, and to make sure I don't give molds and mildew a warm moist growth environment. Some people that have used the defrost function (and forgot to open the door afterwards) have reported a nasty, fuzzy surprise when opening it later. Our door is always open any time the freezer unit is not on, and we leave the fan running for at least a day or two if, for any reason, we're not starting another batch as soon as it's defrosted.
I am a newby to freeze drying--just finished my first batch this past weekend--and have been watching and learning a lot from your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences. I am using a plastic putty knife to seal my rubber gasket. It works well and I don't believe it will do any damage to the FD. As I was getting ready to start my second batch I had a thought. Is there any reason why you can't put the trays in the FD during the pre-cooling period to cool them down in preparation for putting your frozen food in them? Right now I have limited freezer space.
Plastic putty knife! Good idea. Putting the trays in the freeze dryer while it's cooling sounds like a good idea for people low on freezer space. You could probably even get them all on just the lower shelf or two where it's the coldest. We have lots of freezer space, so I probably would have never thought of this.
@SchoolReports Sounds like a good suggestion, getting the trays down low. I have the large size with 5 trays, so it will probably take two shelves. I have plans for a room addition to house the FD and accessories, along with more freezer space and storage space. All that is just going to take more time and money!
Thanks! Good question. I hope you don't mind if this takes a bit of time and perhaps gets long-winded. I am going to do a "short" video on this subject. First, do you have a single probe, double probe, or sample cup type meter? Next, does the manufacturer say what moisture range calibrated for? Moisture meters can only test the sample presented to it. With a probe type, that means the only part being tested is one single line between the two probes. It can't tell you anything about the rest of the piece being tested, only the area between the probes. And that's assuming the probes are in proper contact. (There is a video of a person "testing their food for dryness" using a lumber moisture meter, but had only one probe stuck in.) This might be a bit hyperbolic, but I don't think so: take a piece of blank paper and make 2 little dots on it the same distance apart as the moisture meter's probes. Now, draw a line from one dot to the other. That is the area being tested - that line. The meter is simply checking the electrical resistance from one probe to the other. With a sample cup type grain moisture meter, only the small sample in the cup is being tested. With both types, they are usually made to test down to what is needed for safe storage of grain, so most only go down to about 5%. (and some have multiple calibrations for testing different grains) Our goal is zero. Even with the type of meter that I would consider using, ( www.weberscientific.com/water-activity-meters-novasina ) I STILL wouldn't trust it, because it's still only checking a small sample size/location on the tray. By using the extra drying time method, I'm essentially able to test the entire load at once. If you happen to have a box of minute rice it would be interesting to check the dry rice with a grain moisture meter. The batch of "dry" minute rice I freeze dried in a video last year had about 7% water by weight. Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong.
Are those thermometers Taylor 6091N Instant Read (-40 - 120)? Appreciate you posting these videos as they are super helpful. I have my medium on on order.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Yes, we do use the Taylor 6091N. These are the ones we've been using: (Amazon affiliate link) -40 to 120 F 1-Inch Taylor 6091N amzn.to/3NElaja and we also have some of these: Thermometer -40 to 160 F 1-Inch Supco ST01 amzn.to/3pvAfIm
You can do them either way, but I prefer to FD mine raw. That way I can eigher scramble them or use them for baking. Scrambled they are just like fresh eggs.
Not technically required. The vacuum pumps tend to run very warm and we like to keep them cool. We also have a second fan blowing into the intake side of the freeze dryer unit itself to keep it nice and cool also. In cool climates or cool rooms they might both be unnecessary. Cool motors and machinery tend to last longer so we just keep them cool.
Thanks for the comment. If this was an issue with my sister's new (and still under warranty) machine I would agree. However, as I mentioned, this is on my old 2017 machine (way out of warranty) which doesn't have a coil at the front of the machine, and never did. I was just trying to point out that changes have been made to the machines over the years. Maybe mine is going bad, but it doesn't seem like it. If its cooling performance does, at some point, start to degrade I'll probably check with a local refrigeration service before packing it up and sending it all the way back. Unless I feel like a road trip. I would LOVE to go there and see their facility!
I had a chance to try to count the rings just now because I had the machine empty for cleaning. I kind of failed. I tried to count them as it froze from back to front, but some of it froze so fast that I'm not 100% sure of the number. It was at least 11 and I think it was 12 or 13. (I though it was going to freeze slower, so I went to bring up a file for the 3D printer. I was only gone for a minute or two, I swear!) Mine still doesn't go very close to the front. I'm going to have to watch this to make sure it does not get worse/become an issue. Thanks for pointing out this potential problem.
@@robingirven4570 Very interesting! I was finally able to check my sister's machine; hers also shows it's running version 5.4.23 but only does 30 minutes increments.
@@robingirven4570 Thanks. Maybe we can choose the increments somewhere. Not that it really matters if it's 30 minutes or 15, I just like to if there are choices! And perhaps it is 15 minutes on some screens and 30 on others.
Hi is this a common problem with these machines (seal) I’m expecting mine this Friday and am concerned? Do I need to return it? I am enjoying all the videos learning quite a lot thank you for All your experiments.
@@SchoolReports yes the seal you’ve mentioned it many times in your videos that the seal is not sealing properly or that you have to use a spatula to set it correctly Thanks for the response.
@@JuliaRtv50 Oh, that. Most people don't worry about it because they're going to have it start right away or they're going to be around when it starts. I'm often having it start later and I'm not going to be around, so I like to make sure it's sealed before I leave to make sure that there's no chance for a vacuum vacuum leak later. If it doesn't already have the seal ring around it it could pull in a little bit of air when it starts and it quit pulling a piece of dust that could prevent the seal. If you are there when it does that it's not a big deal. You open it clean, the seal, close it again. I'm almost never there when my machine starts.
Interesting. I have my machine set for a Final Dry time of 12 hours and I still need extra time after the Dry Check for a lot of batches. What is your Dry Check method?
I recently started using a worksheet with only 2 form per page instead of 3, so I could have more room for notes. I made them using OpenOffice, you may have to adjust the print size and/or margin to have them print correctly. Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 4 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14_1KDR7-eEv_h9EdwJcHb2Dex5MuhnxlDV24qPR7H6c/edit?usp=sharing Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 5 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :)docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tgNrGRD3BICKsokLxuClAbQAYvHfDTmbXu6XvA089nc/edit?usp=sharing Freeze Drying batch worksheet -4 tray - 3 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13DCB2hXo9_ZYrhIUicLk2IrEaQGszwbaJTcEH8wJxk4/edit?usp=sharing
When we started looking at freeze dryers, I wasn't thinking about prepping or anything like. (But we did plan to use some for camping) Our freeze dried stock is used as our pantry. (We've always kept necessary supplies well stocked and we've always cooked big batches. I hate running out of things.) For us it was because we had 3 large freezes full of meals and ingredients and lived in some fear of a power outage or mechanical failure. I started looking for a walk-in freezer, then realized that that wouldn't be an improvement, it would just be more costly to operate and maintain with the same problems. (And completely nuts because even used ones are not cheap) That's when we came upon Harvest Right. With freeze drying, once it's finished and bagged, it can sit there for years without additional energy input. We have used about 90% of what we freeze dried our first year and we've probably used/shared about 40 to 50% of everything we've freeze dried over the last 6 years.
Maybe. 😁 Yes, if you mean the water from condensation on the front of the door and all around the seal. No, if you're referring to the melt water from inside overflowing the front seal; we pervent that a different way.
@@SchoolReports weird. Mine is 2021 and never had that, only a little moisture on top edge of gasket so I lay a light towel over the top while running. Defrosting used to have it all pour out the front until I got a fan like yours, no baffle needed just a fan.
@@eileenniehaus5368 Mine doesn't beep at me and I can't hear my sister's! (I don't think she can either unless she's in the same room with the machine) I really never noticed her machine beeping until I was editing video of it and heard it. 🤣
The reasonably low cost of food is something we all take for granted. It's been going up by 5-10% for only a few years and the effects are starting to really be felt to the point where it's starting to get scary. We all need food to survive so we will spend our last dollar on a meal if push comes to shove. We like to think famine has been solved by modern farming but this is not a guarantee because the food industry is a financial enterprise and a financial crisis can thus affect food. Of all the investments you can possibly make, food has to rank close to #1 but it is not easy because of spoilage. I'm considering a freeze dryer simply for financial reasons. If a 3 dollar container of strawberries lasts 25 years and food inflation pushes up the price 10% ever year, that bag of strawberries is worth $30 after that time (1.1^25). And what if inflation spikes to 20% for only 2 years? your life savings are gone. A 40% increase will affect all the food you ever buy for the rest of your life. So compute your lifetime future food expense and multiply by 1.4. These food related uncertainties are real possibilities that can spell financial disaster. A 3000 machine that can preserve food can easily pay itself back simply by waiting and letting inflation push up the value of all the food you already bought.
In the recap video I did about the First 50 Batch series, I go over the payback time compared to buying bags of freeze dried food. The payback was less then 50 batches. And that's at today's costs and doesn't even take into account any inflation! Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Recapping the First 50 Batches ua-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/v-deo.html
@@SchoolReports Your videos are some of the best resources in the world on freeze drying so I really appreciate all your hard work and all the extra work you put in to document and share your efforts and experiences with the world. One question I have is how do you decide which foods to select for freeze drying? It seems there are many factors including the cost of the food, the ease of preparation, the alignment of the food to foods you already commonly eat, suitability for freeze drying, and many other factors. Is it better to freeze dry bulk ingredients or prepared meals? Some basic foods like ramen noodles, hash browns, and potatoes seem like the lowest value options but many people like to freeze dry these things anyways. What about pets? Do you make dog or cat food? If there is ever a food crisis, I suspect pet food manufacturers will likely prioritize production of human food over pet food which could turn into a serious problem. In many historical examples of this dilemma, people are forced to let their pets go and roam free due to the inability to affordably keep them.
@@RedShiftedDollar When it comes to ingredients vs prepared meals, it's really an individual choice and depends a lot on how you think you might be using it later. Meals = Ready to use now. However, with ingredients you could have just a couple dozen different items and make an almost endless number of recipes. We do both. Maybe a lot of people are doing potatoes items because they do well, are cheep, have a good number of carbs, and goes with so many things. Cooked vs raw: In *_general_* I prefer to have as much of my stored food as possible already cooked and ready to eat, except for those we could eat raw anyway. That way - even if cooking or rehydrating later is not an option (for whatever reason) - the food would be able to provide immediate calories and nutrition. I wasn't thinking about prepping or anything like that when we started looking at the freeze dryers. (We did consider camping) Our freeze stock is used as our pantry. (But we've always kept necessary supplies well stocked. I hate running out of things.) For us it was because we had 3 large freezes full of meals and ingredients and lived in some fear of a power outage or mechanical failure. I started looking for a walk-in freezer, then realized that that wouldn't be an improvement, it would just be more costly to operate and maintain with the same problems. (And completely nuts because even used ones are not cheap) That's when we came upon Harvest Right. Now it's been over 5 years and we still have 3 full freezers AND almost 50 bins of freeze dried food, plus we've often been eating our own freeze dried food for 5 years. With freeze drying, once it's finished and bagged, it can sit there for years without additional energy input. I know other people have freeze dried pet food, I haven't - no pet.
In the more than 620 batches, I've done, I've only had it failed to achieve vacuum because of the seal twice and that was because of lint or hair across the seal.
@@JuliaRtv50 Sorry if I've made it look/sound more troublesome the it really is. (Longer response because I'm back to the real keyboard instead of the phone one!) I don't want to scare anyone away from freeze drying, but at the same time people should have realistic expectations of the process. For the most part I'm trying to show all the possible issues so people will have as realistic expectations as possible. Once you get into a rhythm with the process, it really goes quick and easy. The freeze dryers are more work than a microwave and more than some people want to deal with. I do think companies selling these are doing a disservice in portraying them as "fully automatic" and suggesting that you just throw the food in, it does the rest and "DING" it's done and ready to bag. You do really need to check it yourself. Don't trust the machine. While some people have had problems with theirs, ours have been almost trouble-free the whole time we've had it. (Even good brand cars sometimes have problems from day one) The big problem is if you are one of the people that have problems with your machine, it's not just a statistic, it's 100% of your machine and it's big and heavy and hard to return! And, unlike cars and kitchen appliances, there isn't a repair network out there for these. For me it's not too big an issue if something goes wrong, I can pretty much work on and fix anything.
**WARNIMG**. Meat that is not extremely low in fat and has been cooked and thoroughly rinsed with very hot water WILL NOT STORE LONG TERM when freeze dried. Costco chicken is saturated in fat. You may get 2 or 3 years storage at most if fat has not been removed. Commercially freeze dried meat has had the fat removed. No one really knows how long home Freeze Dried meat will store, but it won't be long because of the fat content. The same applies to milk and dairy that contains fat. Even commercially FD milk will only last 3 or 4 years and that is usually low fat milk at that. Be careful. Just because something is on UA-cam doesn't mean it is correct.
***WARNING*** The above comment is full of false information! Mountain House has freeze dried ground beef that's good for 30 YEARS and has PLENTY of fat. (15 grams of fat in a 37 gram dry serving. I worked it out once, and I think it worked out to about 7% fat before freeze drying) mountainhouse.com/collections/freeze-dried-meats/products/ground-beef-10-can or Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with 12 grams of fat in a 61 gram (dry) serving. mountainhouse.com/collections/pouches/products/beef-stroganoff-pouch or Mountain House Scrambled eggs with bacon with 23 grams of fat in a 63 gram (dry) serving mountainhouse.com/collections/10-cans/products/scrambled-eggs-with-bacon-10-can Edit: Had to correct spelling.
@SchoolReports I was going to call BS on that comment as well but you beat me to it. Dehydrated products with fat will eventually go rancid but that is a completely different process than freeze drying. I have had freeze dried Whole (and even non-pasteurized) milk that was at least 10 years old and it tasted just as good (if not better by mixing it richer) than "fresh" milk.
@@mcmillanfarms Thanks for your support! The commenter is correct one one thing - Just because something is on UA-cam doesn't mean it is correct. They left this same comment on my "Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Batch 25 - Chicken, Costco, Rotisserie" video, too. Other commenters have told me it's even worse on Facebook. One viewer said they were told to "soak then rinse and then soak then rinse, to remove as much sugar as possible" when doing peaches! And one of my favorites - "storing an oxygen absorber in your baking soda or baking powder it could explode" The list goes on and on. I don't do Facebook and unless it were to changed a lot, I don't think I ever would. There might be a bit of information there, but there's a ton of misinformation. I've been reading papers on rancidity for the last couple years; I still don't know much (I'm no food scientist like Ann Reardon on "How To Cook That") but at least I'm trying. I may have to try doing a video or livestream Q&A about food rancidity. And don't get me started on the people using lumber moisture meters on their food! It just makes me feel sad for them. Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong. I certainly don't have all the answers, but at least I test my questions. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" 🤣 I'm not trying to convert anybody to my method, I just showing what I do and trying to tell why.
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If you are thinking of buying a freeze dryer, please consider supporting us by purchasing through our affiliate link. It helps us and costs you nothing! affiliates.harvestright.com/995.html
Before buying a freeze dryer perhaps research to find out more about the downside of the machine; like with any big machine, some people say they have had problems with their machine and it's big and heavy and hard to return!
Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!"
Consider looking at what commercial companies are doing. That's where I look to for guidance. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)
We had a good laugh at your t-shirt.
I’ve had grapes that either weren’t properly punctured by the frozen right berry tool or something, but they didn’t dry and didn’t dry and didn’t dry for days on end. I even tried a whole new cycle land they still didn’t dry.
I cut my grapes in half and it still took days, but they did dry. I think I might try different varieties if I try grapes again in the future to see if some dry better than others.
Fantastic as always thanks for sharing
Thanks for all the info!!
I would like to see how you make the insulator for the door seal and also the clear door you make 😊 thank you for sharing these videos
Making an Acrylic Disc Front for a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer ua-cam.com/video/erH1VDqNi80/v-deo.html
Adding Front Seal Insulation To A Harvest Right Freeze Dryer ua-cam.com/video/LA1sHVUqKts/v-deo.html
My sister's new (late 2022) machine has a chamber that is very round. We will be making a disc and seal cover for her machine (and videos) and I think the fact that it's round will make it easier.
@@SchoolReports thank you!
have a newer model and there is loads of ice on the bottom of the chamber so I started putting the thermometer on top of the shelf rack so it doesn't get stuck in the ice and show the ice temp. Watching the temp internally is never what the display shows. I use a piece of wood clothes pin to keep it off the top surface heater.
My sister has one of the newer machines too. (October 2022) We changed were we put the bottom thermometer a short time back. We now put it along side the rack, on the left side, with the probe poked through a small piece of foam to keep it from touching any part of the rack while still touching the chamber wall. It keeps it away from the melting ice:)
My sister also added a thermometer on top of the rack for a total of 6 thermometers. She stuck her thermometer sideways through its probe case/cover to keep it from rolling off the top. (And she taped it on) The top of her rack is covered with a layer of corrugated plastic (mine has 2 layers) to help insulate it from the heat, and the heater pad is under the top aluminum layer.
The HR tech told me on the phone there should be 13 ice rings if it is properly charged with the correct amount of freon. Mine was only 5 rings and had to go back. I have the 13 now that its back to work.
Thanks!
What year machine is yours? My old machine might have that many coils, but it never had any at the front.
If its cooling performance does, at some point, start to degrade I'll probably check with a local refrigeration service before packing it up and sending it all the way back. (Mine is way, way out of warranty) Unless I feel like a road trip. I would LOVE to go there and see their facility!
I have a 2022 model (large) and it works great - however my ice is not nicely patterned. I wonder now with this comment if it’s not actually working “great”. It takes a long time to defrost because if the larger lumpier ice areas. Hmmm, I’ll have to start really tracking things. Of course I ALWAYS (not a casual use of the word) weigh my food to determine when it’s done thanks to School Reports 💜
@@kayemoore It definitely sounds like at least all the newer machines should be pretty even from from to back. It might be worth checking into.
I'm going to have to see if I can see a difference in mine over the years in video. I don't remember mine being different, but maybe it changed so slowly that I didn't notice.
I had a chance to try to count the rings just now because I had the machine empty for cleaning. I kind of failed. I tried to count them as it froze from back to front, but some of it froze so fast that I'm not 100% sure of the number. It was at least 11 and I think it was 12 or 13. (I though it was going to freeze slower, so I went to bring up a file for the 3D printer. I was only gone for a minute or two, I swear!) Mine still doesn't go very close to the front. I'm going to have to watch this to make sure it does not get worse/become an issue. Thanks for pointing out this potential problem.
My machine is Aug 2022 model. After tell you about the 13 rings I got paranoid and ran over and counted again... 13
You jjst sent me here from another video. THANK YOU!
Blue shirt is awesome!😂😂😂😂😂
Thanks for the "scientific" perspective. Also yes it seems you should get a new machine if sensible and put both to work... I just bought a 5 tray medium from fleet farm in Minnesota for 2350 with all my discounts and rewards.. I believe that's a steal
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Awesome deal! That's more than $500 lower than HR website price!
When I want/need to use 2 machines I have easy access to an additional machine - my sister's freeze dryer. I've done a few videos using her machine.
I have a 2022 machine. I will check the temperature on the next batch and let you know if it goes to -40 on mine or not. I do not have a separate thermometer to place inside to let you know how accurate it is however.
Thanks.
Where did you purchase the round insert for a second "door"? Thanks for your wonderful level of detail.
It's just a disc I cut out of 0.075" thick acrylic (1.9mm thick) I would probably use 1/8" (3mm +) next time. Once the machine is under vacuum the disc probably doesn't matter, but while it's freezing it seems to help. It also works when I want video inside the chamber while freeze drying. Here is how I made the one for mine. Making an Acrylic Disc Front for a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer ua-cam.com/video/erH1VDqNi80/v-deo.html If your freeze dryer is like ours, (2017) the opening is not quite round. For my first test piece I cut a very accurate circle out of a piece of foamcore and it had gaps of 1/8"+ (3mm +) around the edge. For the newer machines you may be able to skip the whole pattern making step if you chamber barrel is very round, and just draw the correct size circle.
My sister's newer (late 2022) machine has a chamber that is very round. I am making a disc for her machine (most of the way complete - I'm just really slow!) and I think the fact that it's round will make it easier. Her machine is a medium and I think hers is just a simple 11 7/8" diameter actual circle!
If you keep fondling your corn, you will grow stalks on your palms LOL. (Referencing your comment at 31:11)
Okay, just until I need glasses!🤣
We have used a plastic hamburger spatula to get our seal. Works great $1.99 at the Wally World.
Great Idea!
Does the "defrost baffel" you crafted, Defrost the machine faster than using the Defrost Mode of the Unit? TIA
No, it's still slower, but we don't use the defrost mode. We decided to use the fan to save electricity, to save wear and tear of the freeze dryer components, and to make sure I don't give molds and mildew a warm moist growth environment. Some people that have used the defrost function (and forgot to open the door afterwards) have reported a nasty, fuzzy surprise when opening it later. Our door is always open any time the freezer unit is not on, and we leave the fan running for at least a day or two if, for any reason, we're not starting another batch as soon as it's defrosted.
I am a newby to freeze drying--just finished my first batch this past weekend--and have been watching and learning a lot from your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences. I am using a plastic putty knife to seal my rubber gasket. It works well and I don't believe it will do any damage to the FD. As I was getting ready to start my second batch I had a thought. Is there any reason why you can't put the trays in the FD during the pre-cooling period to cool them down in preparation for putting your frozen food in them? Right now I have limited freezer space.
Plastic putty knife! Good idea.
Putting the trays in the freeze dryer while it's cooling sounds like a good idea for people low on freezer space. You could probably even get them all on just the lower shelf or two where it's the coldest. We have lots of freezer space, so I probably would have never thought of this.
@SchoolReports Sounds like a good suggestion, getting the trays down low. I have the large size with 5 trays, so it will probably take two shelves. I have plans for a room addition to house the FD and accessories, along with more freezer space and storage space. All that is just going to take more time and money!
@@markeggenberger4984 Five of the large will take some space!
I got a grain moisture reader. Why won’t that work?
Thanks! Good question.
I hope you don't mind if this takes a bit of time and perhaps gets long-winded. I am going to do a "short" video on this subject.
First, do you have a single probe, double probe, or sample cup type meter? Next, does the manufacturer say what moisture range calibrated for?
Moisture meters can only test the sample presented to it. With a probe type, that means the only part being tested is one single line between the two probes. It can't tell you anything about the rest of the piece being tested, only the area between the probes. And that's assuming the probes are in proper contact. (There is a video of a person "testing their food for dryness" using a lumber moisture meter, but had only one probe stuck in.) This might be a bit hyperbolic, but I don't think so: take a piece of blank paper and make 2 little dots on it the same distance apart as the moisture meter's probes. Now, draw a line from one dot to the other. That is the area being tested - that line. The meter is simply checking the electrical resistance from one probe to the other.
With a sample cup type grain moisture meter, only the small sample in the cup is being tested. With both types, they are usually made to test down to what is needed for safe storage of grain, so most only go down to about 5%. (and some have multiple calibrations for testing different grains) Our goal is zero.
Even with the type of meter that I would consider using, ( www.weberscientific.com/water-activity-meters-novasina ) I STILL wouldn't trust it, because it's still only checking a small sample size/location on the tray. By using the extra drying time method, I'm essentially able to test the entire load at once.
If you happen to have a box of minute rice it would be interesting to check the dry rice with a grain moisture meter. The batch of "dry" minute rice I freeze dried in a video last year had about 7% water by weight.
Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong.
Are those thermometers Taylor 6091N Instant Read (-40 - 120)? Appreciate you posting these videos as they are super helpful. I have my medium on on order.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yes, we do use the Taylor 6091N. These are the ones we've been using: (Amazon affiliate link) -40 to 120 F 1-Inch Taylor 6091N amzn.to/3NElaja and we also have some of these: Thermometer -40 to 160 F 1-Inch Supco ST01 amzn.to/3pvAfIm
Anyone freeze drying eggs do you cook them before or better do them raw and cook them once removed from the mylar bag ????? Thank you
We do both. Here is one example - Freeze Drying & Rehydrating Eggs with Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms ua-cam.com/video/8YC_VBEp1yg/v-deo.html
@@SchoolReports thank you very much
I use a new paint stir stick to seal my gasket.
@@Gonesquirrely Perfect!
You can do them either way, but I prefer to FD mine raw. That way I can eigher scramble them or use them for baking. Scrambled they are just like fresh eggs.
Why is there a fan br the motor?
Not technically required. The vacuum pumps tend to run very warm and we like to keep them cool. We also have a second fan blowing into the intake side of the freeze dryer unit itself to keep it nice and cool also. In cool climates or cool rooms they might both be unnecessary. Cool motors and machinery tend to last longer so we just keep them cool.
Your machine has what harvest right calls short ice normally you have to send the machine to them to fix it.
Thanks for the comment.
If this was an issue with my sister's new (and still under warranty) machine I would agree. However, as I mentioned, this is on my old 2017 machine (way out of warranty) which doesn't have a coil at the front of the machine, and never did. I was just trying to point out that changes have been made to the machines over the years. Maybe mine is going bad, but it doesn't seem like it. If its cooling performance does, at some point, start to degrade I'll probably check with a local refrigeration service before packing it up and sending it all the way back. Unless I feel like a road trip. I would LOVE to go there and see their facility!
I wonder if they do tours - that would be awesome! I’m so in love with “freeze drying the world” I would really enjoy that tour!
I had a chance to try to count the rings just now because I had the machine empty for cleaning. I kind of failed. I tried to count them as it froze from back to front, but some of it froze so fast that I'm not 100% sure of the number. It was at least 11 and I think it was 12 or 13. (I though it was going to freeze slower, so I went to bring up a file for the 3D printer. I was only gone for a minute or two, I swear!) Mine still doesn't go very close to the front. I'm going to have to watch this to make sure it does not get worse/become an issue. Thanks for pointing out this potential problem.
That’s strange. I ordered my FD 12/22/22 and mine does 15 min increments 🤷♀️
Hers is only about 3 months older. Which software/firmware version is yours running?
@@SchoolReports v.5.4.23
@@robingirven4570 Very interesting! I was finally able to check my sister's machine; hers also shows it's running version 5.4.23 but only does 30 minutes increments.
@@SchoolReports I have trays in the freezer that will go into the FD tonight, I’ll double check and let you know.
@@robingirven4570 Thanks. Maybe we can choose the increments somewhere. Not that it really matters if it's 30 minutes or 15, I just like to if there are choices! And perhaps it is 15 minutes on some screens and 30 on others.
Hi is this a common problem with these machines (seal) I’m expecting mine this Friday and am concerned? Do I need to return it? I am enjoying all the videos learning quite a lot thank you for All your experiments.
Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by "problem with the seal." Maybe I'm just so used to it that everything seemed normal.
@@SchoolReports yes the seal you’ve mentioned it many times in your videos that the seal is not sealing properly or that you have to use a spatula to set it correctly
Thanks for the response.
@@JuliaRtv50 Oh, that. Most people don't worry about it because they're going to have it start right away or they're going to be around when it starts. I'm often having it start later and I'm not going to be around, so I like to make sure it's sealed before I leave to make sure that there's no chance for a vacuum vacuum leak later. If it doesn't already have the seal ring around it it could pull in a little bit of air when it starts and it quit pulling a piece of dust that could prevent the seal. If you are there when it does that it's not a big deal. You open it clean, the seal, close it again. I'm almost never there when my machine starts.
@JuliaRTV I'm not normal! I don't like any inconsistencies no matter how small.
I have never had to add dry time.
Interesting. I have my machine set for a Final Dry time of 12 hours and I still need extra time after the Dry Check for a lot of batches. What is your Dry Check method?
I like the papers you use is that something you made or downloaded?
I recently started using a worksheet with only 2 form per page instead of 3, so I could have more room for notes.
I made them using OpenOffice, you may have to adjust the print size and/or margin to have them print correctly.
Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 4 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14_1KDR7-eEv_h9EdwJcHb2Dex5MuhnxlDV24qPR7H6c/edit?usp=sharing
Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 5 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :)docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tgNrGRD3BICKsokLxuClAbQAYvHfDTmbXu6XvA089nc/edit?usp=sharing
Freeze Drying batch worksheet -4 tray - 3 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13DCB2hXo9_ZYrhIUicLk2IrEaQGszwbaJTcEH8wJxk4/edit?usp=sharing
Just curious, what do you do with all this food you freeze dry or what do you plan to do with it?
When we started looking at freeze dryers, I wasn't thinking about prepping or anything like. (But we did plan to use some for camping)
Our freeze dried stock is used as our pantry. (We've always kept necessary supplies well stocked and we've always cooked big batches. I hate running out of things.) For us it was because we had 3 large freezes full of meals and ingredients and lived in some fear of a power outage or mechanical failure. I started looking for a walk-in freezer, then realized that that wouldn't be an improvement, it would just be more costly to operate and maintain with the same problems. (And completely nuts because even used ones are not cheap) That's when we came upon Harvest Right. With freeze drying, once it's finished and bagged, it can sit there for years without additional energy input.
We have used about 90% of what we freeze dried our first year and we've probably used/shared about 40 to 50% of everything we've freeze dried over the last 6 years.
Do you mean puddling in the front while defrosting?
Maybe. 😁
Yes, if you mean the water from condensation on the front of the door and all around the seal. No, if you're referring to the melt water from inside overflowing the front seal; we pervent that a different way.
@@SchoolReports weird. Mine is 2021 and never had that, only a little moisture on top edge of gasket so I lay a light towel over the top while running. Defrosting used to have it all pour out the front until I got a fan like yours, no baffle needed just a fan.
@@eileenniehaus5368 The times it builds up condensation on the front is when we don't get to it in time and it sits overnight just chillin'.
@@SchoolReports ahhhh gotcha, I never do that cause the alarm is maddening.
@@eileenniehaus5368 Mine doesn't beep at me and I can't hear my sister's! (I don't think she can either unless she's in the same room with the machine) I really never noticed her machine beeping until I was editing video of it and heard it. 🤣
The reasonably low cost of food is something we all take for granted. It's been going up by 5-10% for only a few years and the effects are starting to really be felt to the point where it's starting to get scary. We all need food to survive so we will spend our last dollar on a meal if push comes to shove. We like to think famine has been solved by modern farming but this is not a guarantee because the food industry is a financial enterprise and a financial crisis can thus affect food. Of all the investments you can possibly make, food has to rank close to #1 but it is not easy because of spoilage. I'm considering a freeze dryer simply for financial reasons. If a 3 dollar container of strawberries lasts 25 years and food inflation pushes up the price 10% ever year, that bag of strawberries is worth $30 after that time (1.1^25). And what if inflation spikes to 20% for only 2 years? your life savings are gone. A 40% increase will affect all the food you ever buy for the rest of your life. So compute your lifetime future food expense and multiply by 1.4. These food related uncertainties are real possibilities that can spell financial disaster. A 3000 machine that can preserve food can easily pay itself back simply by waiting and letting inflation push up the value of all the food you already bought.
In the recap video I did about the First 50 Batch series, I go over the payback time compared to buying bags of freeze dried food. The payback was less then 50 batches. And that's at today's costs and doesn't even take into account any inflation! Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Recapping the First 50 Batches ua-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/v-deo.html
@@SchoolReports Your videos are some of the best resources in the world on freeze drying so I really appreciate all your hard work and all the extra work you put in to document and share your efforts and experiences with the world.
One question I have is how do you decide which foods to select for freeze drying? It seems there are many factors including the cost of the food, the ease of preparation, the alignment of the food to foods you already commonly eat, suitability for freeze drying, and many other factors. Is it better to freeze dry bulk ingredients or prepared meals? Some basic foods like ramen noodles, hash browns, and potatoes seem like the lowest value options but many people like to freeze dry these things anyways.
What about pets? Do you make dog or cat food? If there is ever a food crisis, I suspect pet food manufacturers will likely prioritize production of human food over pet food which could turn into a serious problem. In many historical examples of this dilemma, people are forced to let their pets go and roam free due to the inability to affordably keep them.
@@RedShiftedDollar When it comes to ingredients vs prepared meals, it's really an individual choice and depends a lot on how you think you might be using it later.
Meals = Ready to use now. However, with ingredients you could have just a couple dozen different items and make an almost endless number of recipes. We do both.
Maybe a lot of people are doing potatoes items because they do well, are cheep, have a good number of carbs, and goes with so many things.
Cooked vs raw: In *_general_* I prefer to have as much of my stored food as possible already cooked and ready to eat, except for those we could eat raw anyway. That way - even if cooking or rehydrating later is not an option (for whatever reason) - the food would be able to provide immediate calories and nutrition.
I wasn't thinking about prepping or anything like that when we started looking at the freeze dryers. (We did consider camping) Our freeze stock is used as our pantry. (But we've always kept necessary supplies well stocked. I hate running out of things.) For us it was because we had 3 large freezes full of meals and ingredients and lived in some fear of a power outage or mechanical failure. I started looking for a walk-in freezer, then realized that that wouldn't be an improvement, it would just be more costly to operate and maintain with the same problems. (And completely nuts because even used ones are not cheap) That's when we came upon Harvest Right. Now it's been over 5 years and we still have 3 full freezers AND almost 50 bins of freeze dried food, plus we've often been eating our own freeze dried food for 5 years. With freeze drying, once it's finished and bagged, it can sit there for years without additional energy input.
I know other people have freeze dried pet food, I haven't - no pet.
😀 😛 ❤️ 🐸 😋
👍👍👍👍👍
At this point I feel like I just made the biggest mistake on a very expensive purchase 😢🤢
In the more than 620 batches, I've done, I've only had it failed to achieve vacuum because of the seal twice and that was because of lint or hair across the seal.
@@SchoolReports ok thank You
@@JuliaRtv50 Sorry if I've made it look/sound more troublesome the it really is. (Longer response because I'm back to the real keyboard instead of the phone one!) I don't want to scare anyone away from freeze drying, but at the same time people should have realistic expectations of the process. For the most part I'm trying to show all the possible issues so people will have as realistic expectations as possible. Once you get into a rhythm with the process, it really goes quick and easy.
The freeze dryers are more work than a microwave and more than some people want to deal with. I do think companies selling these are doing a disservice in portraying them as "fully automatic" and suggesting that you just throw the food in, it does the rest and "DING" it's done and ready to bag. You do really need to check it yourself. Don't trust the machine.
While some people have had problems with theirs, ours have been almost trouble-free the whole time we've had it. (Even good brand cars sometimes have problems from day one) The big problem is if you are one of the people that have problems with your machine, it's not just a statistic, it's 100% of your machine and it's big and heavy and hard to return! And, unlike cars and kitchen appliances, there isn't a repair network out there for these.
For me it's not too big an issue if something goes wrong, I can pretty much work on and fix anything.
**WARNIMG**. Meat that is not extremely low in fat and has been cooked and thoroughly rinsed with very hot water WILL NOT STORE LONG TERM when freeze dried. Costco chicken is saturated in fat. You may get 2 or 3 years storage at most if fat has not been removed.
Commercially freeze dried meat has had the fat removed. No one really knows how long home Freeze Dried meat will store, but it won't be long because of the fat content. The same applies to milk and dairy that contains fat. Even commercially FD milk will only last 3 or 4 years and that is usually low fat milk at that.
Be careful. Just because something is on UA-cam doesn't mean it is correct.
***WARNING***
The above comment is full of false information!
Mountain House has freeze dried ground beef that's good for 30 YEARS and has PLENTY of fat. (15 grams of fat in a 37 gram dry serving. I worked it out once, and I think it worked out to about 7% fat before freeze drying) mountainhouse.com/collections/freeze-dried-meats/products/ground-beef-10-can or Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with 12 grams of fat in a 61 gram (dry) serving. mountainhouse.com/collections/pouches/products/beef-stroganoff-pouch
or Mountain House Scrambled eggs with bacon with 23 grams of fat in a 63 gram (dry) serving mountainhouse.com/collections/10-cans/products/scrambled-eggs-with-bacon-10-can
Edit: Had to correct spelling.
@SchoolReports I was going to call BS on that comment as well but you beat me to it. Dehydrated products with fat will eventually go rancid but that is a completely different process than freeze drying. I have had freeze dried Whole (and even non-pasteurized) milk that was at least 10 years old and it tasted just as good (if not better by mixing it richer) than "fresh" milk.
@@mcmillanfarms Thanks for your support!
The commenter is correct one one thing - Just because something is on UA-cam doesn't mean it is correct.
They left this same comment on my "Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Batch 25 - Chicken, Costco, Rotisserie" video, too.
Other commenters have told me it's even worse on Facebook. One viewer said they were told to "soak then rinse and then soak then rinse, to remove as much sugar as possible" when doing peaches! And one of my favorites - "storing an oxygen absorber in your baking soda or baking powder it could explode" The list goes on and on.
I don't do Facebook and unless it were to changed a lot, I don't think I ever would. There might be a bit of information there, but there's a ton of misinformation.
I've been reading papers on rancidity for the last couple years; I still don't know much (I'm no food scientist like Ann Reardon on "How To Cook That") but at least I'm trying. I may have to try doing a video or livestream Q&A about food rancidity. And don't get me started on the people using lumber moisture meters on their food! It just makes me feel sad for them.
Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong. I certainly don't have all the answers, but at least I test my questions. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" 🤣 I'm not trying to convert anybody to my method, I just showing what I do and trying to tell why.