I was recently turned onto Hops Direct. In order to keep the unused portion of hops preserved I am considering purchasing a vacuum sealer. The prices seam to vary greatly. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Thanks
I have that cheap-o Ziplock suck-n-seal dealio’. Works great for me.
I used to use the Reynolds Handi-Vac cheap-o suck-n-seal thing. I found it to be very hit or miss with the bags maintaining their seal. I’d pull the hops container out of the freezer and some bags would still be sucked down and other would be loose.
On the recommendation of someone (forget who) on one of the other boards, I switched to using Mason jars and the thing called a Pump-n-seal. There’s a little tab thingy you put on the Mason jar lid and then you put the pump over and pump it a few times. Seems to hold a good reliable vacuum in the jars for a long time.
We have the Foodsaver brand. I keep hops for 2+ years vacuum packed and in the freezer.
The other benefit is that it works great on… Food!
We think it was a good investment for the kitchen let alone for storing hops.
+1
We have the Foodsaver brand.
Which one?
You made me put down my coffee and get up to look.
Foodsaver by Tilia. Model number V1085. Bought it at the big box store 4 or 5 years back for about $90, and figure that it has saved much more than that by helping to preserve hops and food in the freezer.
+1 on Foodsaver. Any model will do.
I also have one of the reynolds zip-loc vacu-suck things. And a batch of bad bags (Can’t seem to get em to suck). They are, however, pretty handy for hop use - if you brew frequently, they are easier than dragging out the big foodsaver gizmo.
I’ve been using a FOODSAVER for my hops and to seal and freeze home made sausages. Works like a charm, is very reliable, uses barrier bags, and has been working perfectly for well over 15 years.
Another +1 on the FoodSaver! We just bought one last spring and started using it for food this past fall, finally used it on some hops and its Awesome. 8)
Thanks everyone, I appreciate all the advice.
+2 - I’ll make a bunch of stromboli’s or something and freeze them for quick & easy lunch at work when I need it.
+3
I use my Foodsaver almost daily.
Keeps hops fresher longer!
I’m late to the thread, but let me add this. Don’t waste the money on the Zip-Loc one. The bags are very hit and miss. I’ve found that if any hop dust gets anywhere near the “suck-hole”, it will never properly seal. I’m getting a Foodsaver model in the near future as i tend to buy meat in bulk when its on sale.
That is one of the things that make the vacuum sealer pay for itself. If some cuts of meat are on sale, my wife gets 2 or 3 times what she normaly would, fixes some for dinner, and seals up the rest for the freezer.
I bought a bottom of the line Foodsaver at Bimart for about $50. I’ve been using it for several years now and I’m pleased with it.
+1 there. I will buy ground beef in bulk and seal it freeze it. Plus, when pork chops, or chicken breast, or just about anything else goes on sale buy a bunch and seal it up. It really does save a lot of money. It’s also great for when roasts are on sale and you can make a bunch of pulled pork or beef and then freeze that along with some sauce.
Not to mention the huge bonus for having lots of hops on hand all the time.
I just ran out of foodsaver bags, we broke down 1/4 pound of both Columbus and Cascade. We’re making bbq porkloin today and half of it or so will need to be vacsealed so going to the store for more. Love this machine… it even has a marinator attachment! 8)
Another +1 on the Foodsaver
A tip for freezing meats.
Partially freeze the meat first, then it holds its shape AND liquids. Prevents having to clean up the vacuum channel
GREAT idea! Thanks!