I honestly think putting a thermometer inside the unit is an excellent idea. I sent the following note off to Harvest Right Support in an effort to gain a little better understanding of the process.
It's awesome! I don't have a freeze dryer yet but am planning to place an order tomorrow. I am super curious how Kerry's scroll pump is holding up... eliminating the oil from the equation would make this whole thing SO much easier.
Our electricity was very high when we had it in AK because our electric company charged a lot, but in Texas, it’s very cheap to run. I don’t mind that I can’t freeze dry some things, as most of the things that you can’t freeze dry, you can purchase commercially or they shelf stable as is. For instance, I don’t freeze dry butter, but I do buy powdered butter. Oh, here’s one more potential con:
Regular maintenance includes cleaning the lint filters, inspecting and cleaning heating elements, checking for any blockages in vents, and ensuring all moving parts are lubricated. Follow the manufacturer's maintenance guidelines for specific intervals.
Most foods can be freeze dried; however, items with high fat content like avocados may not preserve as well as low-fat foods like fruits or vegetables.
•The shelf heaters can be set to automatically control the rate of sublimation during the primary drying cycle. Through this process, the unit has control of the attendant vacuum pressure.
Other companies sell “beef crumbles” or other versions of scrap beef that have nearly as much fat as protein, and they often sell for more than we do.
Take care of it, change the oil regularly, maintain it, and make sure to read the user manual carefully to keep it in good, working order. You might have to change a pump, change freon or general maintenance, but it’s no different than any other major appliance.
I freeze dry right now so I can have as much preserved food as possible. For me, it’s a lot cheaper in the long run, even with the initial investment and run time.
This is the case with meats as well. The trick with meats is to cook out as much fat as possible, then run it under water to remove even more fat. However, you can also freeze dry raw meat as well.
It appears that the ice build up inside the chamber sublimates as well as the ice in the food. Eliminate the ice and the process is faster, and less water ends up in your oil.
We packed freeze dried milk and cooked chicken strips as well as an assortment of snacks. One checked bag was dedicated to food, and it traveled very well.
Why? Because many of the meals we cook are intended to be eaten now AND freeze-dried to store away for the long haul. We don’t do it for chicken finger night but by golly we do it whenever she makes her freeze-dryer-appropriate meals like beef pharmaceutical freeze dryer for sale Canada stroganoff.
Howdy! My name is Morgan I’ve been prepping for over 10 years and teach others to be prepared for emergencies and disasters. Learn more!