- Anything with too high a fat content may give some problems because the oils or fat will not evaporate, only the water will.
Specialty equipment serves a custom unique purpose. If you are planning on cooking something very specific, you may desire the exact tool for the job. This equipment might include pasta cookers, waffle cone makers, sous vide immersion circulators and more.
After the 3rd cycle I had hit my 20 cycle oil limit so it was time to change the oil. This time I took the time to add a flush port to my pump. When I replaced the plumbing with larger diameter brass and a cutoff valve I did not think to add the oil flush out port.
One of the reasons I like the small freeze dryer is the size. At the same time, my large freeze dryer takes up space equivalent to a clothes dryer—the small one doesn't.
(had to replace the whole galvanized T piece with new wires in it) Seems they are epoxied in there, and in my experience passthroughs are a problem spot, so it's not at all surprizing that there was a slight leak there. In any case, I thanks the folks at HR for sending parts and sticking with me throughout.
Of course, if someone used a larger can, say a #10, that is bigger than the top of the container that surrounds the filter and captures the oil, then the "disk" wouldn't be needed at all. In that case, an AN8 fitting might work -- or maybe there are longer ones out there somewhere.
Easy preparation. Food is prepared for freeze-drying the same way food is prepared for regular freezing. After rinsing and removing blemishes, blanch most vegetables; pretreat fruits if necessary to prevent browning; meats can be freeze-dried cooked or raw; casseroles are typically assembled from already cooked foods.
The item is then heated up again and as the water starts to leave instead of melting (ie going from a solid to a liquid) it sublimates (ie goes from a solid to a gas) under the influence of the negative pressure produced by the vacuum. So you are left with the cell minus water in an intact shape and size.
The differing vacuum levels during the system tests would be consistent with either a door seal leak or an drain valve leak.
When isolated, the pump seems to behave well. Short of putting a meter on the pump, my impression is that it is operating properly. I'm considering investing in a good meter to verify that it is reaching a good ultimate vacuum.
Removing water quickly is very important because the longer a harvested plant or compound retains water, the higher the chance it has of spoiling, losing nutrition, and losing potency.
Dehydrators take the water off the surface first, then water eqilibrates with the surface, more water is drawn off the surface. You are left with a shrunken item, with some residual water. Makes gorgeous leather.
I started by removing the 3 grocery bags that were holding the 2 thick bags that had at one time held the berries. Struck by how Shop Now much it looked like a placenta - bag and all!
adding insulation on the 3 ports on the chamber (One time thing - the drain and vacuum ports are very easy to get to)