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[geneabovill]

Be careful with those collapsible water containers.. Had a few beers end up with a distinct au de plastique about them when it was drinking time.

I'd suggest letting water sit in them for a day, emptying, repeating for a few days. The suggested one-day soak didn't rid the plastic manufacture residue from the inside of the container.

 

[Rambo]

Those Kathmandu ones seem alot better than the Aldi one I got. Smells very plasticy and I think will take more than a one day soak.

 

[Seeker]

No smell at all from the kathmandu ones nor the Coleman one I got. Beers taste fine. The Kathmandu one seems better made and the plastic has less give. Better quality tap too. Not sure I'd trust the cheapest ones personally.

 

[DU99]

Not beer related but something that might help the cause.i have been on the Grand Prix tour with this company


Tours on Trike Melbourne

 

[DU99]

Two-For-One Tickets to Beer Festival Melbourne

 

[lukiferj]

Kogan has the Vacuum Sealer for $54 at the moment. $15 cheaper than usual.

 

[kcurnow]

Kogan has the Vacuum Sealer for $54 at the moment. $15 cheaper than usual.

I have one of these and it works OK with channel bags but not so good with normal non channel bags. There is no control over vacuum time or sealing time so if you have a lot of air in the bag it will seal up before it has all been removed. Also it won't seal any heavy duty foil / Mylar bags, just not enough oomph in the heating strip.
My 2 cents worth on them.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

it doesn't work with non-channel bags because it's not designed to.. at all.

I'm not 100% sure but the vacuum time appears to be determined by the back pressure - different volume bags seem to take differing amounts of time and the sealer engages about a second after it's fully vacuumed.

I haven't yet ended up with excess air.

I read in the manual that it cuts out after 30seconds, so I guess if you don't deflate the bag first, maybe that's what's happening in your case?

 

[kcurnow]

Just providing feedback for people weighing up what kind of vac sealer might work for them. I realise it was designed for channel bags but tried resealing existing hop bags after they had been opened. It sealed them up except for the heavy Mylar ones but did not suck the air out as the bags are not the channel type.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

What are channel type and non? Photo?

 

[Camo6]

I'm sure there's a youtube clip somewhere of a small channelled plastic strip used to adapt for mylar bags. I guess your sealing element still needs to be up to it though.

 

[DU99]

Type of bag: Channel bags " one textured / embossed side " and " one flat side "

Non channel look like normal plastic bag

 

[Wilkensone]

Are you guys mainly using these to seal up specific hop quantities?


Wilkens

 

[Liam_snorkel]

to seal up the remaining hop quantities. also handy for sealing bags of spec grains if that's how you store them. plus various kitchen uses.

 

[Camo6]

. Can't see why this principle can't be employed for most vacuum sealers. Haven't done it myself as my hops tend to come in channel bags.

 

[H0U5ECAT]

FYI, aldi apple juice, $2 per 2 ltrs.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Just fermenting 24L of that aldi juice with white labs english coder yeast atm. Goes off like a rocket with a heat belt at 20-22C!!!

 

[stux]

to seal up the remaining hop quantities. also handy for sealing bags of spec grains if that's how you store them. plus various kitchen uses.

Great for bacon, steaks, and any other meats etc you want to divide/store/freeze.

Steaks will last much longer and be much better after thawing if vacuum sealed rather than thrown in straight from the supermarket

(i find the best way to thaw is just to throw the sealed item into warm water)

 

[shaunous]

Great for bacon, steaks, and any other meats etc you want to divide/store/freeze.

Steaks will last much longer and be much better after thawing if vacuum sealed rather than thrown in straight from the supermarket

(i find the best way to thaw is just to throw the sealed item into warm water)

Same way I thaw, works awesome if u get an un-invited guest turn up for dinner and dont have enough food/meat, remove frozen portion, vac seal and throw into warm water, thaws quick and no worries about tieing 30 plastic bags in double nots that still somehow gets water in to goo the meat up.

I also do a fair bit of camping, so handy for throwing meat straight into an esky without getting waterlogged or bleeding through everything else, THEN theres all the brewing uses already mentioned.

 

[shaunous]

Niko-Brew, Grab Bags. 450g of suprise hops.

$7.50 for 450g

http://www.nikobrew.com/grab-bag-8-2oz-packs-of-2011-crop-hops/