On that point, I was first introduced to home freeze dryers while overseeing the guard force at the Embassy in Baghdad.
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.
I have no adverse vacuum performance change with the catch can in place. It just catches any oil. I still smell oil vapor when the pump first starts up, but not nearly as much. I've only emptied the can once or twice since I've had it installed. I slightly over filled the pump and it blew out into the can, then ran it with the FDer valve open for a few minutes. Nothing got past the can. I used the outside port as IN and the middle one as out. I did take the port off and the longer one should be the inlet port. It's not a great deal longer. Tony Edited January 22, 2016 by TonyC updated (log)
There is nothing better than fresh herbs! And freeze drying herbs makes them taste so close to freshly picked. I love growing my own herbs in my garden or countertop herb garden and then freeze drying them. They process quickly and are easy to store.
By this point, most of my son’s friends know about his dietary restrictions and it doesn’t bother them. My son takes rehydrated freeze dried meals to school banquets and to other social gatherings.
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1) I installed a 3/4" wide high density closed cell foam in the gap between the front of the chamber and the back of the front panel - just what Harvest Right suggested except all the way around (the first picture shows the gap). Use your fingers to push it into place. It needs to be tight against the inside panel. I then installed a vapor barrier around the entire FDer chamber. I used 7mil plastic and clear packing tape.
This includes setting as many as five different shelf temperatures, thus allowing the material to dry in phases, at different temperatures. For instance, you might have the material begin drying at 10ºF and increase the temperature in phases until the ultimate final dry temperature is 70ºF.
We love to get together with family during the holidays. Our family is massive and my son is the only one who is gluten-free. Although our family members are sympathetic and want to be accommodating, they don’t always realize that gluten is in found in more than just bread.
Foods with lots of seeds can be freeze dried but usually take longer. That’s because the seeds hold moisture. If you’re processing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, tomatoes, and kiwis you’ll need to add extra time. I like to add at least 12 hours when processing these foods.
In times of crisis or conterraneo disasters, having a stash of freeze-dried meals can be a lifesaver. Your family's safety and well-being are priceless. Not only does a freeze dryer set you up to survive, it lets you control the quality and content of your emergency food supply.
This is why so many people are buying their own freeze dryers to use at home. The market is essentially cornered by Harvest Right, which isn’t a bad thing since their quality and customer service are both superb.
Monitoring the FDer internal temps and once I see -40F I start the dry cycle, except for high sugar content food which I give an Em excesso hour. I'm Home Small Pro Freeze Dryer still experimenting with Ice cream and a few fruits to determine optimal freeze time to get the best results. The cooling cycle ends up much shorter.
The food options we had there were extremely limited and full of preservatives. To counter that, my buddy Lance went in with family members on the purchase of a freeze dryer for home use.