First 500 lbs data spreadsheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing Batch worksheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13DCB2hXo9_ZYrhIUicLk2IrEaQGszwbaJTcEH8wJxk4/edit?usp=sharing Want to support this work? Buy me a coffee :-) www.buymeacoffee.com/DanZm
@@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284 We've only been freeze drying a little less than 7, so I only _know_ ours good for at least 6 1/2 years, but commercial companies say their freeze dried shredded cheese is good for 25 to 30 years.
You and John-in-Bibs are THE two BEST & informative channels on freeze drying on YT. SO grateful for your amazing instructional & informative videos. Thank you.
You (and Google/TH-cam) successfully got me to watch this video. I was searching for how to make the defrost baffle you use and was given this video and one other of yours. It’s one of the many, many vids I haven’t gotten around to. I’ve been moving around my freeze drying room and have considered the no-defrost option. I’m sure I can find a fan.. but the baffle, baffles me LOL
🤣 I'm pretty sure I've shown what the defrost baffle I made for my sister looks like more than once, but it's an offhand few seconds somewhere in of those 500 videos. I just wrote myself a note to make a short, stand-alone video showing the baffle and showing how/why I use it. Here is a short video about the defrosting from before my sister got her machine: How We Defrost and Dry our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer - th-cam.com/video/dSfIWkwC-e4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ociXg8Ep5phSWh-x
It's not that you can't freeze dry cheese, the $5 questions is how it performs after freeze drying and how do you re-hydrate and use it. The freeze dried cheese would probably work fine in a casserole, but I want mine for pizza. You could make your parchment larger and just have it extend above the sides of the trays like people do when they make souffle'. I personally would not want to be the one to clean the rack if the cheese lands and melts during the drying process into the shelving unit.
Most of the time we do just use it as shreds to put in dishes during cooking. (Or dry on a salad) They can be rehydrated by putting them in a bag with a damp paper towel. The rack in the freeze dryer doesn't get anywhere near hot enough to melt cheese, it's set to 120ºf
I make a paper towel wrap for shreds. I can’t even get 12lb in my large cuz I only do finely shredded. But if you roll paper towel out longer sideways and fully tuck it over the cheese it still sublimates. I’ve also weighed down w some dry rice
I designed my own dividers and cut them on my laser cutter. Works really well. I was lucky today. Found 10lbs of Granny Smith apples for immediate sale offered at 70% off.
Good deal! “If you only have a hammer then every problem looks like a nail” I've tried to justified buying a laser cutter, but just couldn't. So for me every problem looks like a job for a 3D printer. Maybe if I got rid of a couple of the printers I could get a laser cutter. 😃 70% off! Does that mean you only get 3 lbs?
@@SchoolReports tbh, the laser was my best investment right BEFORE my ender 3 3d printer. In the beginning of the pandemic i was able to cut with the laser face shields which I designed with the help of a local doctor. I was able to pump out a few hundred face shields to support our front line workers... The 3d printer was printing as well, but the volume was very limited.
@@emailausdrucker 😃 Optimist vs pessimist vs engineer (I've always been in the 'Too much glass' camp) So an optimist, a pessimist, and an engineer walk into a bar and there is a glass that is half filled. The optimist says: “The glass is half full” The pessimist says: “The glass is half empty” The engineer says: “The glass is two times too big”
@@emailausdrucker I'm down to 4 printers, but considering getting rid of 2 or 3 and replacing them with 1 or 2 new ones. (I taught 3D design & printing for 2 or 3 years)
I haven't exactly rehydrated shredded cheese because 1) shredded cheese is really good dry, and 2) when you add it to a recipe or a dish that has any moisture it will just absorb what it needs. If I were putting a lot of dry cheese in the recipe I would probably add a bit of extra water to account for the water the cheese will absorb. Crunchy cheese shreds on salad are pretty good. For just the cheese alone, I did try a small test of rehydrating it using a damp paper towel, putting some of the cheese on it and putting it into a zipper bag. That seemed to work okay; I just thought it was unnecessary.
I haven't done Parmesan cheese because we eat it too fast and never have extra. Parmesan is a very dry cheese, but I would think it should still do fine; I would probably lower the tray temperature down to maybe 80ºf or 90ºf and I would put a paper towel above and below it on the trays. I'll try to remember to try a batch sometime.
Thanks for watching. First, remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. Don't listen to me. Research. 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) This company gives their cheese a "up to 30 years" lifespan augasonfarms.com/collections/eggs-dairy/products/freeze-dried-shredded-colby-cheese Other companies say from 10 to 30+ years. The funny thing is that I get lots of questions about fat for every food I do that has fat in it, except when I do ice cream! I only have a bit less than 5 years of personal experience with OUR freeze dried items, so I only KNOW it's good for about 5 years. But, some foods will have a shorter shelf life; Mountain House only gives their ice cream bars a 3 year life span, and by way of comparison, 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 If you are interested, here is a paper on rancidity that I found interesting and learned a lot from: Rancidity of Food www.biotechnologynotes.com/food-biotechnology/food-chemistry/rancidity-of-food-introduction-types-factors-and-prevention-of-rancidity-food-chemistry-biotechnology/14100 In it it says "There are two types of rancidity: 1. Oxidative Rancidity: 2. Hydrolytic Rancidity: With proper freeze drying and packaging with oxygen absorbers, we should be controlling/eliminating both of those along with light and high temperatures.
Hello. My dryer had a mid batch heat failure several months ago and i finally replaced the burnt wire harness. The heater now works after testing. so i ran the shredded cheese that was nearly finished when i originally had a heat failure that i put back in our freezer months ago ...and it indeed did finish the cycle with no heating error. HOWEVER THE SHREDDED CHEESE STILL FELT COLD TO TOUCH I will note that it finished in 13 plus hours and was sitting in machine in finished mode. SO I HEATED TRAYS FOR 5 MINUTES BEFORE OPENING DRAIN VALVE TO RELEASE THE PRESSURE. BUT THE CHEESE WAS SOMEWHAT COLD TO TOUCH.. ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHY OR WHAT I SHOULD DO TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING?
Great question! (and sorry to hear you had to deal with a burnt wire harness issue. That sounds horrible!) It's for circumstances like this that I put thermometers into the food on the trays. Rewarming the trays for 5 minutes just wouldn't be long enough to get the food rewarmed. Depending on how long it has been sitting in _Finished_ mode, and what food it is, it can take up to almost an hour to rewarm it. I show this in this part of this video: Finishing Freeze Drying More Apples - Batch 642 - Part 2 th-cam.com/video/Hk3AV513cR4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=BzirV6B2E2kZcPUx&t=445
First off let me apologize for the stupid question but I am new to this freeze drying. Why the thermometers. Doesn’t the machine tell you what the internal temperature is?
You're terrible at stupid questions; I've seen them before and that's not what they look like! 🤣 That' was a good question. 😀 Only weirdos put thermometers in the food! Who would do that? They do come in handy occasionally. With many batches I do, the machine might say it's getting close to done. It might be in the last 3 hours and is going to finish at about 2 am, but one thermometer is showing that one tray was less than 10 degree, and I know from experience that it wouldn't be done in just 3 more hours, so I add more time without having to take it out and check it. Also, if the freeze dryer finishes when I'm not there, I can still know the temp of the food, making sure it's still warm before I take it out. If the food is -40, there will be condensation on/in the food almost instantly, you just won't be able to see it because it will be absorbed and not visible. It probably will have already happened before you even get it out of the freeze dryer. The room air moisture going into the machine when the drain valve is opened may be condensing in the food before you even have the door open. As far as the temperature probe inside the machine, mine only has one and it's on the bottom of the second tray from the bottom. It's sandwiched between the heater pad and the rack itself. It can not tell me the temperature of the food, only the temperature of the heater; good enough to know the temperature of the heater for controlling, but tells me almost nothing about the food.
Good question. Thanks for asking! The paper towels under the cheese were included in the gross/net weight calculations before and after freeze drying. The paper towels on the top are included in all of the _Dry Check_ weights, but _not included_ in the beginning or end weights. (Because they have nothing to do with those weights) The _Dry Check_ weights are just relative weights - the first check compared to the subsequent checks to check for weight loss - the actual total weights are meaningless for the _Dry Check_ weighing.
Thanks for watching. It's just a tight fitting disc I cut out of Acrylic. (I used 0.075" thick acrylic (1.9mm thick) I would probably use 1/8" (3mm +) next time) The disc seems to work better than the pad that came with the freeze dryer for lowering heat transfer. I'm basing this on the fact that the front of the door does not get as cold with the plastic disc in place as it did with the pad that came with ours. (think airplane window) Once the machine is under vacuum the pad or disc probably don't matter, but while it's freezing it helps. I love how good of a job it has done and have not experienced any downside. Here is how I made it. Making an Acrylic Disc Front for a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer th-cam.com/video/erH1VDqNi80/w-d-xo.html If your freeze dryer is like ours, 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.
@@SchoolReports it was so unexpected! Sooo, we have to pierce blueberry skins but not Skittles bags...🤔 Did you see Phil at 4800 feet has a video on freeze drying Skittles in 8 min?
@@MM-oc3sb Yeah, seems odd, but blueberries are little balloons of water and Skittles have almost no free water, just bound water. In my Skittles-in-the-bag trial I had to pierce the bags or the bags would pop. No matter how you go about it it takes time to remove/drive off the bound water. I'll have to check out the video you mentioned, thanks. (I stopped watching freeze drying videos on YT years ago because what I was finding were entertainment shows, not information videos and I don't have time for that) The only FD channel I've been following is Catwood Cooking.
@@SchoolReports great explanation on the water content 👍Totally understand not watching other videos - especially when you are busy putting out your own content. There are alot more people with freeze dryers recently and as a newbie I've been able to gather much needed info based on real data and experiences from a few trusted channels that are more about preservation/preparedness, not about being entertaining. Thank you and Catwood for being two of my main "go to" resources 😊
Good question. I only know from our personal freeze drying that it's good for 6 years. Time will tell. I've thought it so odd, since before we even got our freeze dryer, that home freeze drying people seemed to live in constant fear of anything with fats. The funny thing is that I get lots of comments about fat for every food I do that has ANY visible/known fat in it, except when I do ice cream! I only have 6 years of personal experience with OUR freeze dried items, so I only KNOW it's good for about 5+ years. But, some foods may have a shorter shelf life; Mountain House only gives their ice cream bars a 3 year life span, and by way of comparison, 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 Commercial freeze drying companies have to get it right every time or they don't become an old company! Mountain House has been doing this for more than 50 years. (I've been eating their stuff for more than 45 years!) Putting Lots Of Fat In The Freeze Dryer. A LOT! -- Responding to Anti Fat Comments th-cam.com/video/43ieIl3EB8k/w-d-xo.html
@@residuevideos The older videos? 🤣 I have to apologize for many of my older videos. Even I hate to look at them! They may be okay if you already know about freeze drying. In my focus to keep them very short, most of my older, shorter videos are almost devoid of information! I had just assumed that people watching them would already know about freeze drying, and had watched all my earlier videos leading up to each one, and therefore, they would make sense. Oops! Then I found out that half the viewers of each video have never seen any of my videos before and a large number had never even seen any freeze drying video before. That's when I switched to the longer format with the (somewhat) more repetitive content. 😁 I just had to realize that people know how to skip ahead!
@@SchoolReports I watch many freeze-drying and disaster-preparedness videos (including those annoying shocked-face thumbnail ones). There is always something new to learn in the videos and I personally love to dive into the older videos to see how the videos evolved to the point where they are today. Repetitive info is still valid as long as they are related to the topic. Knowing you don't worry much about subscriber count, I would still enjoy seeing start-to-finish tutorials about certain subjects. They would definitely bring many new viewers because new-to-freeze-dryer people will start from those. You are far more qualified than other clickbaity channels for the tutorials! 🙇♂
@@residuevideos Thanks. This one is probably my most detailed one. It goes on forever! 😁 Batch 585, Mixed Vegetables - Every Little Detail - th-cam.com/video/lpa3db5al20/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Nt-nz3DaS_Zumpg5
@@SchoolReports I sure hope it does. I just purchased a medium and am starting my journey. Do you have a video explaining your organization of inventory? I know you are labeling and tracking each item. Is there a goal of x amount of each item? Obviously I haven't watched all your videos, yet. Working on it though.
@@weegie2818 I really don't have a video that shows, in any detail, the storage and tracking of the bags of food. Until I started making the "First 50 Batch" series I really hadn't given much thought to having a plan or goal for our freeze drying. That was a big reason I started making the series; to tell other people to start with a plan or goal! There is no organization of our inventory on our racks of freeze dried food. 😁We just put the bags into bins and track the locations in a data base. It's like a small, super simple, warehouse management system. (We've spent a lot of years in food related manufacturing) We do print an updated hard copy every month or two and use it for the day to day movements of bags in and out. We are just using a database, using OpenOffice, to track our bags of food, and of course, we can sort by food, date, or location. These two videos show a bit of it: (there are more bits in other videos, I just don't know where because I didn't do a good job of labeling them) 😅 Recapping the First 50 Batches th-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/w-d-xo.html This spot in this video show a bit more of the rack storage. th-cam.com/video/mpdV-JejMq0/w-d-xo.html
@@SchoolReports seems to me you're working with purpose at setting aside food for that rainy day. I suppose you can micro manage into Bolivian but that would take all the fun out of it. I'm an ingredient cook but I think I want to make two goals. One short term goal of 30 days of meals in a bag then work on ingredients for long term storage. I'm new to freeze drying so once I get the grandkids their fruit snacks I'll work toward my goals. Thank you for the inspiration.
@@weegie2818 Ha! 🤣 Ours is mostly our pantry. I started freeze drying with the goal of having less freezers! We had (and still have) 3 full freezers (I like cooking big batches of everything) and I was thinking of getting another one; I decided I should buy a walk-in freezer instead. I started looking into walk-ins and realized they were expensive to buy (even used ones) AND expensive to own and operate. And then you still live at risk of power outages and freezer failures. With freeze drying, once it's finished and bagged, it can sit there for years without additional energy input.
Thanks for watching and commenting. We have been getting our Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers from PackFreshUSA.com for years now and have been happy with the products and service we have received from them. - They are not a sponsor, we just like their stuff. We get the 7mil bags, mostly the gusset bottom, seal top ones. These are the ones we get the most: The pint bag with OA's - packfreshusa.com/pint-7-mil-seal-top-premium-gusset-mylar-and-oxygen-absorbers/ Pint bags - packfreshusa.com/mylar-gusset-bags-pint-wholesale/ Quart bags - packfreshusa.com/mylar-gusset-bags-quart-wholesale/ And these are the 2 quart ones packfreshusa.com/two-quart-7-mil-seal-top-gusset-mylar-bags-500-wholesale/ And the oxygen absorbers we use the most -300cc Oxygen Absorbers in 10-Packs (1000) - packfreshusa.com/oxygen-absorbers-10-packs-wholesale/
Ha! I have no idea where I got mine or how many decades I've had it, but It's similar to this one: General Tools 70396 Lighted Steel Claw Mechanical Pick-Up Tool, 24-Inch amzn.to/39QbCDP They probably have them at all auto parts stores. You need one when you drop a bolt down the spark plug hole! Trust me. (or perhaps a screw in the door panel)
😁 The scoop I use is one I "adjusted." After I bought the scoop I cut both sides off and attached 3D printed end pieces to the sides. Taller side pieces might make it better. This is how I changed the scoop - Food Scoop For Freeze Dryer Tray th-cam.com/video/trs26E42Zho/w-d-xo.html It could be done without a 3D printer by heating up the cut off pieces with a heat gun (could be done over a toaster or in an oven) and I was able to easily flatten them. It would then be very easy to sand them to fit the side of the scoop and glue them on. I have made an updated scoop video that you might find more useful. No cutting or adding, just warming and bending. I think it turned out even better than this one! Adjusting My Sister’s Scoop th-cam.com/video/4EPiwgbFWgI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4Fhysu7POXqdRPpw Someone else told me that they had bought a metal scoop and re-bent it to fit the tray, but they didn't tell me which scoop they bought.
Does the freeze dryer actually detect if food is pre frozen and shorten the freezing time or goes through with the full length of the freezing cycle, nevertheless of prefrozen or not.
The freeze dryer does detect the temperature of the tray rack. There are multiple versions of the Harvest Right machine and versions of the firmware out in the wilds. I have an older machine with older firmware. (and so far I've decided to stick with the older firmware so I can keep the manual controls) One owners manual shows start controls that include "Non Liquid” or “Liquid” and then "Pre-frozen" and "Not Frozen." Another manual does not show some of the options but seems to be even more automatic, and both of these seem to start when the sensors say the food is "cold enough." With the older firmware (mine) it's just time. While it's great that the newer ones watch the temp and start when "cold enough", that's not good enough for me. As I've shown, there can be a large difference between the machines temp probe and the actual food temps. (even from tray to tray)
@@SchoolReports I’ve been using “frozen” or “not frozen” but otherwise default settings and adding dry time as needed (always needed). If it temps aren’t actually what they should be what will the difference be?
@@eileenniehaus5368 People that have had issues with the temp not being low enough before the drying starts have reported things like ice cream puffing up, or as some have described it "blowing up all over the machine" or "had massive blow ups" when doing raw eggs and having to do a major cleaning. Also, if the freeze temp is not low enough extra water vapor can be pulled through the vacuum pump. The fact that I prefreeze pretty much everything helps eliminate these issues. Finally, at the end of freeze drying, I want to make sure the final temp is high enough to remove the bound water from the food. With the newer machines with their newer firmware these problems seem to happen much less; looks like they are doing a great job improving the programing. Edit: The fact not The fat . . .
This is the Amazon affiliate link for the one that I have under the trays. • Dial Thermometer -40 to 160 F 1-Inch amzn.to/3pvAfIm I had planned to switch all the higher temp ones that I've been putting in the trays as the broke, but none have broke so I keep using them. I started with the higher temp ones, I didn't find the -40 to 160 F ones until after I had already bought the ones I use in the trays. I think the lower temp ones are more helpful because they are closer to the temperature range of the freeze dryers. These are the 0 to 220 F ones I've been using KT THERMO Instant Read 1-Inch Dial Thermometer(2-Pack) amzn.to/3NTDBkk Edit: Thanks for bringing this up. I meant to change out the tray thermometers for the lower temp ones, so now I've ordered some. They should start showing up in the videos in a week or 2.
@@SchoolReports great thank you. Quick question and I hope this is not dumb. The first link is the one for the thermometer that you put inside the foods?
@@Sabrina1998 Not a dumb question, I did leave it unclear. I have been using both of linked ones in the food, but I only had one of the first link ones and I've ordered more of them because they go to a lower temperature.
I haven't exactly rehydrated shredded cheese because 1) shredded cheese is really good dry, and 2) when you add it to a recipe or a dish that has any moisture it will just absorb what it needs. If I were putting a lot of dry cheese in the recipe I would probably add a bit of extra water to account for the water the cheese will absorb. For just the cheese alone, I did try a small test of rehydrating it using a damp paper towel, putting some of the cheese on it and putting it into a zipper bag. That seemed to work okay; I just thought it was unnecessary.
No. The closest I get is the grandson of my neighbor was in the Air Force Academy, and gave me an Air Force Academy t-shirt. "When it absolutely positively has to be destroyed overnight"
Yes I did! A lot better air flow. (I do have the 2017 version of the freeze dryer) I didn't even have the side panel on for a couple years, until I increased the hole size. Adding Larger Vent Holes in Our Freeze Dryer Side Panel - th-cam.com/video/cCuGEkjY7Tw/w-d-xo.html I received the following email 5-1 2020: Harvest Right Summer Reminder Summer is coming. The warmer temperatures will affect your freeze drying times. If your freeze dryer is in an area that gets hot, such as your garage, you should expect longer batch times. If temperatures exceed 90 degrees in the area you are freeze drying in, you may want to purchase a fan and have it blow on your vacuum pump. You could also take the sides off of your freeze dryer to help increase airflow. Refer to your Owner's Manual for recommended operating temperatures. Sincerely, The Harvest Right Team
Respectfully sir your numbers are way off. There is 448 grams per pound. 224 gr./ 1/2 pound 112 grams per 1/4 pound. Your cheese at 137 grams is nowhere near 1/2 pound. It is unfortunate you were unable to run a separate test since this ended up being two batches. I wonder if there might have been a difference if one batch was pre frozen.
Equally Respectfully, there are 453.5924 grams per pound (and I usually just use 453 while doing my weights) and about 226.75 grams per 1/2 pound. For this batch the total was slightly over 10 lbs to start with: Weight before drying was about 10 lbs (4571 grams) Weight after drying was 2771 grams (about 6 lbs 2 oz) which works out, after drying, to 277.1 grams per pound of cheese. If it were rehydrated back to the original moisture level it would again be a pound, so I use those numbers when I talk about how much is in a bag. The 2 "five pound" bags of cheese were slightly different than each other, which I ignored, and just used 137grams AFTER DRYING as the 1/2 pound number. When I'm referring to weights while bagging I'm talking about the pre-freeze dried weight. I don't point this out in ever video, but people seem to figure it out.
@@leelindemann7729 I have no problem with being corrected when I'm wrong, we all make mistakes. But, if you think you've found an error (not just mine, but at all times in life) and you're going try to correct it, try to be precise and try to be helpful! I like to start out by assuming that people are trying to be helpful, until they prove otherwise. "Almost everyone deserves a second change, and almost no one deserves a third chance"- Me
It has so little water, with so little mass, it doesn't seem to make a difference. And, by the time I transfer it from the freezer to the freeze dry trays it just seems to warm back up.
@@sharonfulton9345 I don't really rehydrate it so much as sprinkle it into things, as is, and let it melt into the food and/or absorb the moisture it needs during cooking/heating. It's also great dry.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 89 | คู่เอก "ยอดไอคิว vs คิริลล์"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z3vYkHJ_5Ig/mqdefault.jpg)
First 500 lbs data spreadsheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing
Batch worksheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13DCB2hXo9_ZYrhIUicLk2IrEaQGszwbaJTcEH8wJxk4/edit?usp=sharing
Want to support this work? Buy me a coffee :-) www.buymeacoffee.com/DanZm
How long does this keep?
@@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284 We've only been freeze drying a little less than 7, so I only _know_ ours good for at least 6 1/2 years, but commercial companies say their freeze dried shredded cheese is good for 25 to 30 years.
You and John-in-Bibs are THE two BEST & informative channels on freeze drying on YT. SO grateful for your amazing instructional & informative videos. Thank you.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this series. Thank you for all the great tips!
Thanks for watching! (and remember, I have a 2017 machine)
You (and Google/TH-cam) successfully got me to watch this video. I was searching for how to make the defrost baffle you use and was given this video and one other of yours. It’s one of the many, many vids I haven’t gotten around to.
I’ve been moving around my freeze drying room and have considered the no-defrost option. I’m sure I can find a fan.. but the baffle, baffles me LOL
🤣 I'm pretty sure I've shown what the defrost baffle I made for my sister looks like more than once, but it's an offhand few seconds somewhere in of those 500 videos. I just wrote myself a note to make a short, stand-alone video showing the baffle and showing how/why I use it.
Here is a short video about the defrosting from before my sister got her machine: How We Defrost and Dry our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer - th-cam.com/video/dSfIWkwC-e4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ociXg8Ep5phSWh-x
It's not that you can't freeze dry cheese, the $5 questions is how it performs after freeze drying and how do you re-hydrate and use it. The freeze dried cheese would probably work fine in a casserole, but I want mine for pizza. You could make your parchment larger and just have it extend above the sides of the trays like people do when they make souffle'. I personally would not want to be the one to clean the rack if the cheese lands and melts during the drying process into the shelving unit.
Most of the time we do just use it as shreds to put in dishes during cooking. (Or dry on a salad) They can be rehydrated by putting them in a bag with a damp paper towel.
The rack in the freeze dryer doesn't get anywhere near hot enough to melt cheese, it's set to 120ºf
Awww, someone else who enjoys Wallace and Grommet 😊🧀
Unfortunately Wensleydale Creamery only delivers in mainland UK!
Love the content lots of helpful information thank you for making the effort
I make a paper towel wrap for shreds. I can’t even get 12lb in my large cuz I only do finely shredded. But if you roll paper towel out longer sideways and fully tuck it over the cheese it still sublimates. I’ve also weighed down w some dry rice
Thanks!
I designed my own dividers and cut them on my laser cutter. Works really well.
I was lucky today. Found 10lbs of Granny Smith apples for immediate sale offered at 70% off.
Good deal!
“If you only have a hammer then every problem looks like a nail”
I've tried to justified buying a laser cutter, but just couldn't. So for me every problem looks like a job for a 3D printer. Maybe if I got rid of a couple of the printers I could get a laser cutter.
😃 70% off! Does that mean you only get 3 lbs?
@@SchoolReports tbh, the laser was my best investment right BEFORE my ender 3 3d printer.
In the beginning of the pandemic i was able to cut with the laser face shields which I designed with the help of a local doctor. I was able to pump out a few hundred face shields to support our front line workers...
The 3d printer was printing as well, but the volume was very limited.
@@SchoolReports but by saving over 2/3 I might even got 30 lbs? No? ;)
@@emailausdrucker 😃 Optimist vs pessimist vs engineer (I've always been in the 'Too much glass' camp)
So an optimist, a pessimist, and an engineer walk into a bar and there is a glass that is half filled.
The optimist says: “The glass is half full”
The pessimist says: “The glass is half empty”
The engineer says: “The glass is two times too big”
@@emailausdrucker I'm down to 4 printers, but considering getting rid of 2 or 3 and replacing them with 1 or 2 new ones. (I taught 3D design & printing for 2 or 3 years)
How do you rehydrate the cheese without making cheese soup?
I haven't exactly rehydrated shredded cheese because 1) shredded cheese is really good dry, and 2) when you add it to a recipe or a dish that has any moisture it will just absorb what it needs. If I were putting a lot of dry cheese in the recipe I would probably add a bit of extra water to account for the water the cheese will absorb. Crunchy cheese shreds on salad are pretty good.
For just the cheese alone, I did try a small test of rehydrating it using a damp paper towel, putting some of the cheese on it and putting it into a zipper bag. That seemed to work okay; I just thought it was unnecessary.
I was wondering if you can do Parmesan cheese. I did a load and there is tons of oil on bottom of pan. Is this normal.
I haven't done Parmesan cheese because we eat it too fast and never have extra. Parmesan is a very dry cheese, but I would think it should still do fine; I would probably lower the tray temperature down to maybe 80ºf or 90ºf and I would put a paper towel above and below it on the trays. I'll try to remember to try a batch sometime.
why didn't you freeze cheese first?
Does cheese not last as long due to the higher fat content?
Thanks for watching.
First, remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. Don't listen to me. Research. 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) This company gives their cheese a "up to 30 years" lifespan augasonfarms.com/collections/eggs-dairy/products/freeze-dried-shredded-colby-cheese Other companies say from 10 to 30+ years.
The funny thing is that I get lots of questions about fat for every food I do that has fat in it, except when I do ice cream!
I only have a bit less than 5 years of personal experience with OUR freeze dried items, so I only KNOW it's good for about 5 years. But, some foods will have a shorter shelf life; Mountain House only gives their ice cream bars a 3 year life span, and by way of comparison, 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 If you are interested, here is a paper on rancidity that I found interesting and learned a lot from: Rancidity of Food www.biotechnologynotes.com/food-biotechnology/food-chemistry/rancidity-of-food-introduction-types-factors-and-prevention-of-rancidity-food-chemistry-biotechnology/14100 In it it says "There are two types of rancidity: 1. Oxidative Rancidity: 2. Hydrolytic Rancidity: With proper freeze drying and packaging with oxygen absorbers, we should be controlling/eliminating both of those along with light and high temperatures.
@@SchoolReports thanks for being so Thorough
Hello. My dryer had a mid batch heat failure several months ago and i finally replaced the burnt wire harness. The heater now works after testing. so i ran the shredded cheese that was nearly finished when i originally had a heat failure that i put back in our freezer months ago ...and it indeed did finish the cycle with no heating error. HOWEVER THE SHREDDED CHEESE STILL FELT COLD TO TOUCH
I will note that it finished in 13 plus hours and was sitting in machine in finished mode. SO I HEATED TRAYS FOR 5 MINUTES BEFORE OPENING DRAIN VALVE TO RELEASE THE PRESSURE. BUT THE CHEESE WAS SOMEWHAT COLD TO TOUCH.. ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHY OR WHAT I SHOULD DO TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING?
Great question! (and sorry to hear you had to deal with a burnt wire harness issue. That sounds horrible!)
It's for circumstances like this that I put thermometers into the food on the trays.
Rewarming the trays for 5 minutes just wouldn't be long enough to get the food rewarmed. Depending on how long it has been sitting in _Finished_ mode, and what food it is, it can take up to almost an hour to rewarm it. I show this in this part of this video: Finishing Freeze Drying More Apples - Batch 642 - Part 2 th-cam.com/video/Hk3AV513cR4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=BzirV6B2E2kZcPUx&t=445
First off let me apologize for the stupid question but I am new to this freeze drying. Why the thermometers. Doesn’t the machine tell you what the internal temperature is?
You're terrible at stupid questions; I've seen them before and that's not what they look like! 🤣 That' was a good question.
😀 Only weirdos put thermometers in the food! Who would do that?
They do come in handy occasionally. With many batches I do, the machine might say it's getting close to done. It might be in the last 3 hours and is going to finish at about 2 am, but one thermometer is showing that one tray was less than 10 degree, and I know from experience that it wouldn't be done in just 3 more hours, so I add more time without having to take it out and check it.
Also, if the freeze dryer finishes when I'm not there, I can still know the temp of the food, making sure it's still warm before I take it out. If the food is -40, there will be condensation on/in the food almost instantly, you just won't be able to see it because it will be absorbed and not visible. It probably will have already happened before you even get it out of the freeze dryer. The room air moisture going into the machine when the drain valve is opened may be condensing in the food before you even have the door open.
As far as the temperature probe inside the machine, mine only has one and it's on the bottom of the second tray from the bottom. It's sandwiched between the heater pad and the rack itself. It can not tell me the temperature of the food, only the temperature of the heater; good enough to know the temperature of the heater for controlling, but tells me almost nothing about the food.
Thank you very much.
YOU....OVERKILL!!!! no, never.😅
😇
Did you weigh the tray with the paper towels both times?
Good question. Thanks for asking!
The paper towels under the cheese were included in the gross/net weight calculations before and after freeze drying.
The paper towels on the top are included in all of the _Dry Check_ weights, but _not included_ in the beginning or end weights. (Because they have nothing to do with those weights)
The _Dry Check_ weights are just relative weights - the first check compared to the subsequent checks to check for weight loss - the actual total weights are meaningless for the _Dry Check_ weighing.
Where can I buy the second shield
Thanks for watching.
It's just a tight fitting disc I cut out of Acrylic. (I used 0.075" thick acrylic (1.9mm thick) I would probably use 1/8" (3mm +) next time) The disc seems to work better than the pad that came with the freeze dryer for lowering heat transfer. I'm basing this on the fact that the front of the door does not get as cold with the plastic disc in place as it did with the pad that came with ours. (think airplane window) Once the machine is under vacuum the pad or disc probably don't matter, but while it's freezing it helps. I love how good of a job it has done and have not experienced any downside.
Here is how I made it. Making an Acrylic Disc Front for a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer th-cam.com/video/erH1VDqNi80/w-d-xo.html If your freeze dryer is like ours, 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.
Do you put a paper towel under the ground beef?
We do put paper towels under and over ground beef, just in case.
Your side insulation might be too tall and may block the sublimated moisture from going out that side of the rack. ??
Did you happen to see Catwood Cooking's video where they freeze dried Skittles in the bag? th-cam.com/video/wnR8gfJJ4lY/w-d-xo.html
@@SchoolReports it was so unexpected! Sooo, we have to pierce blueberry skins but not Skittles bags...🤔 Did you see Phil at 4800 feet has a video on freeze drying Skittles in 8 min?
@@MM-oc3sb Yeah, seems odd, but blueberries are little balloons of water and Skittles have almost no free water, just bound water. In my Skittles-in-the-bag trial I had to pierce the bags or the bags would pop. No matter how you go about it it takes time to remove/drive off the bound water.
I'll have to check out the video you mentioned, thanks. (I stopped watching freeze drying videos on YT years ago because what I was finding were entertainment shows, not information videos and I don't have time for that) The only FD channel I've been following is Catwood Cooking.
@@SchoolReports great explanation on the water content 👍Totally understand not watching other videos - especially when you are busy putting out your own content. There are alot more people with freeze dryers recently and as a newbie I've been able to gather much needed info based on real data and experiences from a few trusted channels that are more about preservation/preparedness, not about being entertaining. Thank you and Catwood for being two of my main "go to" resources 😊
@@MM-oc3sb Wow! Thank you for the kind words.
How long do you think the shelflife will be? From what I hear from others, freeze drying fatty food is not long term.
Good question. I only know from our personal freeze drying that it's good for 6 years. Time will tell.
I've thought it so odd, since before we even got our freeze dryer, that home freeze drying people seemed to live in constant fear of anything with fats. The funny thing is that I get lots of comments about fat for every food I do that has ANY visible/known fat in it, except when I do ice cream! I only have 6 years of personal experience with OUR freeze dried items, so I only KNOW it's good for about 5+ years. But, some foods may have a shorter shelf life; Mountain House only gives their ice cream bars a 3 year life span, and by way of comparison, 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 Commercial freeze drying companies have to get it right every time or they don't become an old company! Mountain House has been doing this for more than 50 years. (I've been eating their stuff for more than 45 years!)
Putting Lots Of Fat In The Freeze Dryer. A LOT! -- Responding to Anti Fat Comments th-cam.com/video/43ieIl3EB8k/w-d-xo.html
@@SchoolReports Thank you so much for detailed response. I love your videos and trying to watch all of them from the beginning. Cheers.
@@residuevideos The older videos? 🤣 I have to apologize for many of my older videos. Even I hate to look at them! They may be okay if you already know about freeze drying. In my focus to keep them very short, most of my older, shorter videos are almost devoid of information! I had just assumed that people watching them would already know about freeze drying, and had watched all my earlier videos leading up to each one, and therefore, they would make sense. Oops! Then I found out that half the viewers of each video have never seen any of my videos before and a large number had never even seen any freeze drying video before. That's when I switched to the longer format with the (somewhat) more repetitive content. 😁 I just had to realize that people know how to skip ahead!
@@SchoolReports I watch many freeze-drying and disaster-preparedness videos (including those annoying shocked-face thumbnail ones). There is always something new to learn in the videos and I personally love to dive into the older videos to see how the videos evolved to the point where they are today. Repetitive info is still valid as long as they are related to the topic. Knowing you don't worry much about subscriber count, I would still enjoy seeing start-to-finish tutorials about certain subjects. They would definitely bring many new viewers because new-to-freeze-dryer people will start from those. You are far more qualified than other clickbaity channels for the tutorials! 🙇♂
@@residuevideos Thanks.
This one is probably my most detailed one. It goes on forever! 😁 Batch 585, Mixed Vegetables - Every Little Detail - th-cam.com/video/lpa3db5al20/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Nt-nz3DaS_Zumpg5
Question, does freeze dried cheese keep its ability to melt when rehydrated? I heard it doesn't.
I've thought it did well in dishes, such as mac & cheese or potato or egg dishes. I'll work on a video showing some of these. Thanks!
@@SchoolReports I sure hope it does. I just purchased a medium and am starting my journey. Do you have a video explaining your organization of inventory? I know you are labeling and tracking each item. Is there a goal of x amount of each item? Obviously I haven't watched all your videos, yet. Working on it though.
@@weegie2818 I really don't have a video that shows, in any detail, the storage and tracking of the bags of food.
Until I started making the "First 50 Batch" series I really hadn't given much thought to having a plan or goal for our freeze drying. That was a big reason I started making the series; to tell other people to start with a plan or goal!
There is no organization of our inventory on our racks of freeze dried food. 😁We just put the bags into bins and track the locations in a data base. It's like a small, super simple, warehouse management system. (We've spent a lot of years in food related manufacturing) We do print an updated hard copy every month or two and use it for the day to day movements of bags in and out.
We are just using a database, using OpenOffice, to track our bags of food, and of course, we can sort by food, date, or location. These two videos show a bit of it: (there are more bits in other videos, I just don't know where because I didn't do a good job of labeling them) 😅
Recapping the First 50 Batches th-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/w-d-xo.html
This spot in this video show a bit more of the rack storage. th-cam.com/video/mpdV-JejMq0/w-d-xo.html
@@SchoolReports seems to me you're working with purpose at setting aside food for that rainy day. I suppose you can micro manage into Bolivian but that would take all the fun out of it. I'm an ingredient cook but I think I want to make two goals. One short term goal of 30 days of meals in a bag then work on ingredients for long term storage. I'm new to freeze drying so once I get the grandkids their fruit snacks I'll work toward my goals. Thank you for the inspiration.
@@weegie2818 Ha! 🤣 Ours is mostly our pantry. I started freeze drying with the goal of having less freezers! We had (and still have) 3 full freezers (I like cooking big batches of everything) and I was thinking of getting another one; I decided I should buy a walk-in freezer instead. I started looking into walk-ins and realized they were expensive to buy (even used ones) AND expensive to own and operate. And then you still live at risk of power outages and freezer failures. With freeze drying, once it's finished and bagged, it can sit there for years without additional energy input.
What mylar bags do you
Thanks for watching and commenting.
We have been getting our Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers from PackFreshUSA.com for years now and have been happy with the products and service we have received from them. - They are not a sponsor, we just like their stuff. We get the 7mil bags, mostly the gusset bottom, seal top ones. These are the ones we get the most: The pint bag with OA's - packfreshusa.com/pint-7-mil-seal-top-premium-gusset-mylar-and-oxygen-absorbers/ Pint bags - packfreshusa.com/mylar-gusset-bags-pint-wholesale/ Quart bags - packfreshusa.com/mylar-gusset-bags-quart-wholesale/ And these are the 2 quart ones packfreshusa.com/two-quart-7-mil-seal-top-gusset-mylar-bags-500-wholesale/ And the oxygen absorbers we use the most -300cc Oxygen Absorbers in 10-Packs (1000) - packfreshusa.com/oxygen-absorbers-10-packs-wholesale/
Thank you very much. Love your channel
where did you get the snatchy grabbits you use to clean out the freeze dryer?
Ha! I have no idea where I got mine or how many decades I've had it, but It's similar to this one: General Tools 70396 Lighted Steel Claw Mechanical Pick-Up Tool, 24-Inch amzn.to/39QbCDP They probably have them at all auto parts stores. You need one when you drop a bolt down the spark plug hole! Trust me. (or perhaps a screw in the door panel)
Thank you very much
Where did you get that scoop?
😁 The scoop I use is one I "adjusted." After I bought the scoop I cut both sides off and attached 3D printed end pieces to the sides. Taller side pieces might make it better. This is how I changed the scoop - Food Scoop For Freeze Dryer Tray th-cam.com/video/trs26E42Zho/w-d-xo.html It could be done without a 3D printer by heating up the cut off pieces with a heat gun (could be done over a toaster or in an oven) and I was able to easily flatten them. It would then be very easy to sand them to fit the side of the scoop and glue them on.
I have made an updated scoop video that you might find more useful. No cutting or adding, just warming and bending. I think it turned out even better than this one! Adjusting My Sister’s Scoop th-cam.com/video/4EPiwgbFWgI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4Fhysu7POXqdRPpw
Someone else told me that they had bought a metal scoop and re-bent it to fit the tray, but they didn't tell me which scoop they bought.
@@SchoolReports thank you
Does the freeze dryer actually detect if food is pre frozen and shorten the freezing time or goes through with the full length of the freezing cycle, nevertheless of prefrozen or not.
On the HR you choose frozen or not frozen.
@@mini696 odd. I am not getting asked when I start the process. I will check today.
The freeze dryer does detect the temperature of the tray rack.
There are multiple versions of the Harvest Right machine and versions of the firmware out in the wilds. I have an older machine with older firmware. (and so far I've decided to stick with the older firmware so I can keep the manual controls)
One owners manual shows start controls that include "Non Liquid” or “Liquid” and then "Pre-frozen" and "Not Frozen." Another manual does not show some of the options but seems to be even more automatic, and both of these seem to start when the sensors say the food is "cold enough." With the older firmware (mine) it's just time. While it's great that the newer ones watch the temp and start when "cold enough", that's not good enough for me. As I've shown, there can be a large difference between the machines temp probe and the actual food temps. (even from tray to tray)
@@SchoolReports I’ve been using “frozen” or “not frozen” but otherwise default settings and adding dry time as needed (always needed). If it temps aren’t actually what they should be what will the difference be?
@@eileenniehaus5368 People that have had issues with the temp not being low enough before the drying starts have reported things like ice cream puffing up, or as some have described it "blowing up all over the machine" or "had massive blow ups" when doing raw eggs and having to do a major cleaning. Also, if the freeze temp is not low enough extra water vapor can be pulled through the vacuum pump. The fact that I prefreeze pretty much everything helps eliminate these issues.
Finally, at the end of freeze drying, I want to make sure the final temp is high enough to remove the bound water from the food.
With the newer machines with their newer firmware these problems seem to happen much less; looks like they are doing a great job improving the programing.
Edit: The fact not The fat . . .
Did you use 1 qt bags?
Yes I did.
May I ask where you get the thermometers from?
This is the Amazon affiliate link for the one that I have under the trays. • Dial Thermometer -40 to 160 F 1-Inch amzn.to/3pvAfIm
I had planned to switch all the higher temp ones that I've been putting in the trays as the broke, but none have broke so I keep using them. I started with the higher temp ones, I didn't find the -40 to 160 F ones until after I had already bought the ones I use in the trays. I think the lower temp ones are more helpful because they are closer to the temperature range of the freeze dryers.
These are the 0 to 220 F ones I've been using KT THERMO Instant Read 1-Inch Dial Thermometer(2-Pack) amzn.to/3NTDBkk
Edit: Thanks for bringing this up. I meant to change out the tray thermometers for the lower temp ones, so now I've ordered some. They should start showing up in the videos in a week or 2.
@@SchoolReports great thank you. Quick question and I hope this is not dumb. The first link is the one for the thermometer that you put inside the foods?
@@Sabrina1998 Not a dumb question, I did leave it unclear. I have been using both of linked ones in the food, but I only had one of the first link ones and I've ordered more of them because they go to a lower temperature.
@@SchoolReports thank you for the clarification:)
How would you re-hydrate cheese? I know you note how much water was removed, how do you get it back in when you want to use it?
I haven't exactly rehydrated shredded cheese because 1) shredded cheese is really good dry, and 2) when you add it to a recipe or a dish that has any moisture it will just absorb what it needs. If I were putting a lot of dry cheese in the recipe I would probably add a bit of extra water to account for the water the cheese will absorb.
For just the cheese alone, I did try a small test of rehydrating it using a damp paper towel, putting some of the cheese on it and putting it into a zipper bag. That seemed to work okay; I just thought it was unnecessary.
@@SchoolReports Thanks. Was thinking about tacos, salads, etc. Will add it to the list!
@@shaunnichols4664 Yum! Personally, for those uses, I would just use the shredded cheese dry. Great, intense cheese flavor, plus a bit of crunch.
I have a random question, are you affiliated with the Air Force in anyway?
No. The closest I get is the grandson of my neighbor was in the Air Force Academy, and gave me an Air Force Academy t-shirt. "When it absolutely positively has to be destroyed overnight"
It looks like you drilled extra vent holes on the side of your FD?
Yes I did! A lot better air flow. (I do have the 2017 version of the freeze dryer)
I didn't even have the side panel on for a couple years, until I increased the hole size.
Adding Larger Vent Holes in Our Freeze Dryer Side Panel - th-cam.com/video/cCuGEkjY7Tw/w-d-xo.html
I received the following email 5-1 2020:
Harvest Right
Summer Reminder
Summer is coming. The warmer temperatures will affect your freeze drying times. If your freeze dryer is in an area that gets hot, such as your garage, you should expect longer batch times.
If temperatures exceed 90 degrees in the area you are freeze drying in, you may want to purchase a fan and have it blow on your vacuum pump. You could also take the sides off of your freeze dryer to help increase airflow.
Refer to your Owner's Manual for recommended operating temperatures.
Sincerely,
The Harvest Right Team
Respectfully sir your numbers are way off.
There is 448 grams per pound.
224 gr./ 1/2 pound
112 grams per 1/4 pound.
Your cheese at 137 grams is nowhere near 1/2 pound.
It is unfortunate you were unable to run a separate test since this ended up being two batches. I wonder if there might have been a difference if one batch was pre frozen.
Equally Respectfully, there are 453.5924 grams per pound (and I usually just use 453 while doing my weights) and about 226.75 grams per 1/2 pound.
For this batch the total was slightly over 10 lbs to start with: Weight before drying was about 10 lbs (4571 grams) Weight after drying was 2771 grams (about 6 lbs 2 oz) which works out, after drying, to 277.1 grams per pound of cheese. If it were rehydrated back to the original moisture level it would again be a pound, so I use those numbers when I talk about how much is in a bag.
The 2 "five pound" bags of cheese were slightly different than each other, which I ignored, and just used 137grams AFTER DRYING as the 1/2 pound number.
When I'm referring to weights while bagging I'm talking about the pre-freeze dried weight. I don't point this out in ever video, but people seem to figure it out.
@@leelindemann7729 I have no problem with being corrected when I'm wrong, we all make mistakes. But, if you think you've found an error (not just mine, but at all times in life) and you're going try to correct it, try to be precise and try to be helpful! I like to start out by assuming that people are trying to be helpful, until they prove otherwise.
"Almost everyone deserves a second change, and almost no one deserves a third chance"- Me
why didn't you freeze cheese first?
It has so little water, with so little mass, it doesn't seem to make a difference. And, by the time I transfer it from the freezer to the freeze dry trays it just seems to warm back up.
@@SchoolReports did it rehydrate well?
@@sharonfulton9345 I don't really rehydrate it so much as sprinkle it into things, as is, and let it melt into the food and/or absorb the moisture it needs during cooking/heating. It's also great dry.