How to quickly de-ice your freeze dryer in between batches

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How to quickly de-ice your freeze dryer in between batches

Рет қаралды 28,919

Күн бұрын

In this video, I'll show you how I quickly de-ice the freeze dryer and get it ready for the next batch.
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Пікірлер: 97

@dasroberts6811 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for showing what goes into using this machine. I think you are actually the first person that has shared this information. Most only show putting product in and taking it out. Very informative. Thank you.

@nebraskaprairieladyprepper3422 2 жыл бұрын

My husband and I are new to freeze drying and your video answered all our questions on de-freezing the chamber before starting a new batch. Thank you so much for an easy to understand step-by-step.

@astatine0085 Жыл бұрын

I’ve don’t two batches before defrosting if there isn’t too much moisture in the foods.

@xemptynester3449 2 жыл бұрын

Good information, but I have read that some people have had problems after removing the tray and door seal. I use a new one gallon garden sprayer with hot water to defrost. Just spray the ice and soon it will release from the walls and can be taken out. That method also works very well to clean up a mess when something has exploded in the chamber. No extra electricity used by the freeze dryer.

@astatine0085 Жыл бұрын

Pulling the ice out after some time in the open air seems to work fine enough

@daphneraven6745 Жыл бұрын

@@astatine0085 : It really does, but it takes a lot longer. If you live in a place where you can only operate it for so much of the year or maybe a week here and there, because of the humidity and temperature, then that will make a big difference to how much you can get done.

@avibhatt2013 Жыл бұрын

This is really smart. Also when you start defrost process, I lift up the dryer (may need to use a furniture mover wedge tool) and stick a half inch wood piece under the front feet, then all the water drains to the back, and doesn't come out the front when the ice is removed.

@Pappa_Wheelie 11 ай бұрын

Seriously informative video... no wasted time, great use of the camera angles, start to finish. 10/10 would recommend channel to friends and family. Thank you!

@petebeasttexashomesteading 11 ай бұрын

Thank you 👍

@idahohoosier8989 Жыл бұрын

Thank y'all. Brand new to this today. Blessings, julie

@redriverbluesman Жыл бұрын

Mangoes are a fave FD food for us. It usually has more of a dehydrated texture, not as crunchy as other fruits and veggies, with a little bit of a chew; just a bit. I find once they go into the mylar with the oxygen packet they remain shelf stable. I have eaten 2 year old batches that still have a bit of that softer chew behind the crunch and they remain delish. I'm starting another batch tomorrow with the same large unit you have. So yummy!!

@Elizabeth-tb5oh Жыл бұрын

Thank you. It was helpful ideas on wiping the seal and door with a lint free rag. Good post.

@crazybeccarf4222 26 күн бұрын

Tysm! Great video and very informative. 😊

@d.j.robinson9424 3 жыл бұрын

Great job Pete, looking forward to that plumbing on the rain barrels. 💙👍👍

@shellcshells2902 2 жыл бұрын

Use a fluffy pipe-cleaner to get in the small groove on the door gasket. It works well 😀

@montamitchell8066 2 жыл бұрын

Pipe cleaners shed so be careful to get all the little fuzzies out.

@alwysgn Жыл бұрын

Nice job Pete, clear and nice flow to your share on this procedure, Thx

@zhippidydoodah 2 жыл бұрын

Good information, thank you. I was looking for why the water stays on the very top of the tray rack. I just need to tip the while machine :)

@josemartin6500 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome easy step by step, thanks.

@ClickinChicken Жыл бұрын

That's smart practical common sense. A lot of sense.

@lynntaubeneck7383 Жыл бұрын

I use an external fan on a step ladder. Ice melts it about 30 minutes. Quicker and less messy than this video. Saves wear and tear on the heater tray too.

@rexhavoc2982 2 ай бұрын

Test for dryness before bagging food. Test the weight of each tray by using a gram scale run the trays for another hour in drying mode, weight again and see if the weight is the same or less, if less they need more dry time.

@zhippidydoodah 2 жыл бұрын

Thrift stores are great. That pasta maker, the Marcato - I got one for $5.00 at a church thrift store :)

@rodneymiller5926 2 жыл бұрын

I see your ice ring comes all the way up to the door seal. Our unit only forms ice in the rear half of the drum. Did Harvest Right save more money by shortening the length of Freon tubes wrapping the drum on ours? They saved money by not sending us a door insulating pillow, I'm wondering how far they will go to cut their cost.

@lashbay5951 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing your videos 👍🏼

@betterbprepared 2 жыл бұрын

Good information! Thanks for the video.

@pstoneking3418 Жыл бұрын

The more you pull the tray in & out the more chance you'll cause a break in that cable. Same goes with constantly unplugging and plugging in the connector. I find it's defrosted enough when I can slide the ice out from the sides.

@Elizabeth-tb5oh Жыл бұрын

That is a good point about the cable.

@shara4389 8 ай бұрын

You don't clean it after every load? If you don't, you risk cross contamination of your next batch of food!

@DMT4Dinner Жыл бұрын

Thanks

@beautifuldreamer4895 2 жыл бұрын

I'd like to see the eggs adventure.. also show opening and closing the vent and when

@petebeasttexashomesteading 2 жыл бұрын

Will do in a future video, thanks.

@papasmurf9146 Жыл бұрын

Does removing the seal and replacing it on a regular basis speed up the wear and tear?

@angelinar.612 2 жыл бұрын

Tip; I saw 4800 Above Channel, do same, But he used A LARGE plastic rectangular SHAPE storage container on floor. All the ice just drops/catches falling ICE. LESS MESS

@eatrdust2 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, good video been thinking about buying one. But hear they are having lots of problems.

@petebeasttexashomesteading 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, mine did have a vacuum leak where the wires go through into my the vacuum chamber, but thankfully it was an easy fix just needed more Teflon tape around the threads.

@Elizabeth-tb5oh Жыл бұрын

First one I got had to be returned as the compressor didn’t work. It’s no fun going through the process sending something this big back. They sent another one and it works great so far. 3 yr warranty.

@chickeemama1 2 жыл бұрын

Would also really save electricity as well as time! How long have you been using this method? Wondering if you’ve had any issues doing it this way…I read that you should take the shelf out to clean it so I’m assuming the gasket should be fine and stay tight but again just want to see how it’s been going for you.

@selamewnetu4975 2 жыл бұрын

Could you share us about the table you are put the freeze drier? Is that plastic stand or steel stand? Thanks for your time!

@gmwwc Жыл бұрын

I am pretty sure that you could get to the ice faster if you remove the rack.

@jommmer 2 жыл бұрын

I just did this the other day, and the next batch my pump oil turned milky and got a pump error. I assume this was water contamination of the oil. I do not know how or where the water came from as I cleaned and dried the chamber and shelves.

@eatrdust2 2 жыл бұрын

Question, how come you must defrost between each batch ? Can you just add new trays right out of freezer? Would ice just build up to much or is the building up if ice part of process?

@tprfk 2 жыл бұрын

The ice is formed from water vapor hitting a super super cold chamber walls, efficiency is lost as the ice builds up on the walls. Defrost is a must between batches otherwise the subsequent batches will take longer and longer to complete if they finish drying at all.

@Dreamintn Жыл бұрын

@@tprfk thank you for explaining this. I came to this channel to find out if I had to defrost before next batch. Such great information here. Im a subscriber now. Thanks again.

@abrammatthew756 Жыл бұрын

My door is very wobbly on my new medium freeze dryer. The hinge pins that press down into the acrylic/plexiglass door are very loose. They are the ones that are in the slotted holes. And then when I shut the door, they are even kind of crooked. I mean everything works but that just seems wrong. Any advice? Thanks.

@petebeasttexashomesteading Жыл бұрын

My large HR is the same way. I just use a 5/32 Allen wrench and snug them up until you can see the inside part spin and it will be fine, it won't come out.

@abrammatthew756 Жыл бұрын

@@petebeasttexashomesteading thank you

@evapavlovic7049 Жыл бұрын

May I ask where you got your freeze-dryer cart?

@petebeasttexashomesteading Жыл бұрын

I got it at Harbor freight, It's the 24"x 36" metal cart. I put a piece of plywood on top so the freeze dryer would be more steady.

@salute1592 Жыл бұрын

Did you have to install a dedicated breaker and outlet for the freeze dryer?

@petebeasttexashomesteading Жыл бұрын

It's best to do that but I didn't have to because all my outlets are 20 amp.

@salute1592 Жыл бұрын

@@petebeasttexashomesteading So it should be fine if I just install a single 20 amp outlet among my other outlets in the same room on the same breaker? I don't have anything else plugged up in this particular room.

@petebeasttexashomesteading Жыл бұрын

@@salute1592 No, that would not work because the outlets in your room are most likely 15 amp. The large freeze dryer needs a 20 amp outlet. So you would have to run a 12 gauge wire with it's own 20 amp breaker to a 20 amp outlet. Here's the outlet you would need. www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-20-Amp-Commercial-Grade-Duplex-Outlet-White-R62-CBR20-00W/202066702

@petebeasttexashomesteading Жыл бұрын

@@salute1592 Or you could plug a large freeze dryer in the kitchen counter outlets because those are 20 amp already.

@salute1592 Жыл бұрын

@@petebeasttexashomesteading Okay darn well guess I'll be heading to Lowes today lol. Thanks for the information. I really appreciate it.

@kentran8909 2 жыл бұрын

How big is the tray?..i just bought the large with 8...but its so narrow..yrs seem better ..but I cant find it on the webpage..

@user-qq3be3dw8w Жыл бұрын

I have a freeze dryer. How do you clean a drain tube? The water will be sucked in the chamber when you make the 2nd batch. Pretty good amount of water remains in the tube and it won’t dry over night. Do you simply stick a pipe cleaner from a hole in the chamber (metal part) and it’s tube attached to it outside of the freeze dryer? What is the best way?

@petebeasttexashomesteading Жыл бұрын

After the ice has melted, I grab the drain valve and tilt it down enough so the tube inside the machine tilts down on an angle to get the rest of the water out of the tube.

@SeekChrist82 9 ай бұрын

U not worried about being fried by electricity from removing ice with your hands? Even tho it has a ground on the plug, people say u could become the ground.

@chrispaulus4491 8 ай бұрын

The user manual suggests that😏 you unplug your freeze dryer before defrosting. Safety first

@johndoe-uf9pu 2 жыл бұрын

srupid question, why not just leave the majority of ice in as a prefreeze for the next batch? Also, I learned the hard way, dont close the door with moisture remaining,, it will mold up on the inside. I usually just open the door with a fan running

@johndoe-uf9pu 2 жыл бұрын

but I havent seen that kind of ice build up in mine either.

@petebeasttexashomesteading 2 жыл бұрын

When the freeze dryer is running, the moisture in the food evaporates and sticks to the cold surface of the chamber. If you don't defrost it, the ice will keep building up.

@homesteadgmad8223 3 жыл бұрын

I am seriously considering buying one of these machines. What SIZE mylar bags do YOU tend to use the most? I was thinking of getting a medium dryer...However, after watching your video, I am wondering if I should purchase a large? After owning a large for a time, do you think a medium would have sufficed or are you glad you went with a large? Did you buy yours from HD or direct from the manufacturer? Just curious.

@petebeasttexashomesteading 3 жыл бұрын

We purchased it from Harvest right and I'm glad we got the large freeze dryer because we have it running all the time and we're trying to freeze dry as much as possible. You will need a dedicated 20 amp plug for the large freeze dryer and all your kitchen outlets are 20 amp. The biggest mylar bags we use is 12"x14" because that's the biggest bags we can use in our chamber vacuum sealer. You do get a 12 inch impulse sealer when you purchase a freeze dryer from harvest right but you'll have to use oxygen absorbers in the bags if you don't have a vacuum sealer. We use all sizes of regular vacuum seal bags to mylar from 6" to 12" If you're using regular vacuum seal bags, try to use no less then a 4 mil bag and 7 mil for mylar. Hope this helps.

@jodysfavorite9762 2 жыл бұрын

Good video! Can I ask you where did you buy your cart? And which card did you purchase?

@jommmer 2 жыл бұрын

looks like the Harbor Freight one. for the large unit you need the 24x36 which are $80 at today's price. Harvest Right recommends one from Uline, but they are $160. Then again you get what you pay for.

@dr.leaneborden6979 3 жыл бұрын

Do you like the cart you have for the freeze dryer? Are you able to share where you purchased it?

@petebeasttexashomesteading 3 жыл бұрын

The cart works great, you can wheel it out of the way when not in use. It's the metal cart and I purchased it at Harbor freight.

@homesteadgmad8223 3 жыл бұрын

So thorough...I ❤️ thorough!!!

@dwinn7109 2 жыл бұрын

My freeze dryer is several weeks old and I am having mid batch vacuum error. Have you had this issue before? Daphna

@astatine0085 Жыл бұрын

How did you lift your machine up into the table?

@sewerman911 Ай бұрын

They are heavy. Hard to get your fingers under the unit. I wish they put handles or at least slots for handleing. You don't move them after it's set up, but it's a bear getting it there.

@jlf6614 Жыл бұрын

What is that pad thing that goes between the door and the trays?

@petebeasttexashomesteading Жыл бұрын

That is an insulation pad that Harvest Right used to give out with all their freeze driers. But they don't anymore because they say it's not really necessary, but I think it keeps the cold in the freeze drier better.

@jlf6614 Жыл бұрын

@@petebeasttexashomesteading can we get those anywhere?

@eatrdust2 2 жыл бұрын

Question, How come you must defrost? Why can’t you just keep going by adding new, full frozen trays. Seems like it would save time. Or would it just freeze up to hard?

@petebeasttexashomesteading 2 жыл бұрын

The water that's in the food condensates around the chamber in the freeze dryer sometimes up to 2" thick. If you don't let the ice melt, it would keep building up and you would not be able to load the food in.

@richardlwellington 2 жыл бұрын

Out of Curiosity do have to store your DryFreeez stuff in the freezer or can you store it on a shelf in a dry cool place?

@diyrenewableenergyelectron4996 2 жыл бұрын

Freeze dried foods do not need to be frozen or refrigerated. One of the big perks of freeze dried foods!

@DaveSmith-cp5kj Жыл бұрын

Pre freezing speeds up the process since it slightly dehydrates the food due to the water pulling out as ice, and starts it already frozen so the sublimation process happens faster.

@hohdesignsbycindyprice8181 Жыл бұрын

I stop pre freezing in the chest freezer. My freezer works faster if I start fresh not frozen foods for some reason.

@AllOtherNamesUsed 2 жыл бұрын

Can you ever smell the food when it’s going through the dry cycle?

@petebeasttexashomesteading 2 жыл бұрын

No, I have never smelled anything even when we're freeze drying onions.

@AllOtherNamesUsed 2 жыл бұрын

@@petebeasttexashomesteading guess I’ll have to call customer support..

@petebeasttexashomesteading 2 жыл бұрын

@@AllOtherNamesUsed Of course it's going to depend on the food. I wouldn't worry about it because you have to remember that the vacuum pump is pulling air from the chamber where your food is, so you might smell it. My sense of smell might not be so good 😊

@Raul28153 2 жыл бұрын

Is a freeze drier really worth $2000.00?

@petebeasttexashomesteading 2 жыл бұрын

It depends, if the grocery stores are empty because everyone hoarded all the food because of economic collapse or disaster, then yes it's worth it.

@gtiguy1992able Жыл бұрын

2000 I wish lol the large runs 3500

@quietlifehomestead1180 2 ай бұрын

not the Harvest Right

@egomaniac8510 Жыл бұрын

By all means wipe the condensation upon opening to clean and care for a very expensive piece of equipment. But please do not believe for a micro second that a drop of water will contaminate and rehydrate the tray. If you disagree please do a video showing that result.

@petebeasttexashomesteading Жыл бұрын

If one drop of water falls on any piece of food on the tray, then that piece of food could start to grow bacteria or fungus because now it has moisture.

@egomaniac8510 Жыл бұрын

@@petebeasttexashomesteading to hat drop of condensation would evaporate at room temperature quickly. You are just being over protective.

@ambrosemclaren145 Жыл бұрын

Considering the time, labor and cost to freeze dry, I would never take that chance. I don't know if a dessicant could alleviate risk. There is also a botulism factor and botulism is no joke.

@davekintz 9 ай бұрын

Titled video starts at 3:30, and rambles on and off subject from there... Use a clamp-on fan with the door open and it will do the same in 45 minutes.

@chrispaulus4491 8 ай бұрын

I concur. My garage has been 50 to 60°F and my FD defrosts even without a fan in the time it takes me to package and label the food. 🫤