We have some really great 'techy' type guys here who are, as they have been exploring the FD mechanics and sharing that in their posts, writing what is turning out to be a 'troubleshooting manual' for us less capable folks.
Furthermore, the development of vacuum drying and the control of temperature rise have increased the efficiency of the freeze-drying systems which leads to reduced cycle times and lower costs. The development of the industry gives a lot of hope for the future of freeze drying in both the pharmaceutical and food industry.
We have to face one hard fact when shopping for home freeze dryers. That fact is, unlike many other purchases, freeze dryers aren't cheap. However, unlike many other purchases, a freeze dryer can provide a lifetime of cost savings that ultimately pay for itself.
I would prefer those fittings to have internal Este rings and knurled thread on ports (similar to R134a vacuum gauge sets) that do not require high torque compression fittings. Finger tight and you are good to go. You spot a leak, change the Este ring and you're back in business.
Freeze dried food is easy to ship Absolutely! That’s one of the benefits of freeze dried food–it’s lightweight so it’s easy and inexpensive to ship!
•The shelf heaters can be set to automatically control the rate of sublimation during the primary drying cycle. Through this process, the unit has control of the attendant vacuum pressure.
I did wonder though, since this is gravity flow and not pressure driven as on a car, if having the filter mounted horizontally might result in using only "half" the filter, as the oil would tend to travel through the low side of the filter -- although in practice, I suppose, as the filter material gets plugged it would force the fluid level higher.
So I corrected the oversight - I drilled and tapped the elbow to add the port. Here is a picture. It worked great today when I flushed the website pump to clear out the gunk.
The evaporator coils that touch the surface of the stainless steel vacuum chamber reach about -42 F. With food in the chamber and because the location of the thermister is on the middle shelf of the four shelves, the temperature it records is going to range from -25 to -30 F in the 9 hour default freeze time. This temperature is very adequate for freeze drying the food.
Out of caution, I have only ever taken mylar bags in a checked bag and I’ve never had a problem. I know of people who have taken them in carry-on bags as well without issues.
Lean meats work very well. Meats can be freeze dried either raw or cooked. If you are processing beef or pork, be sure to remove as much fat as possible first.
Are there any customs fees? No, we cover any & all duty Shop Now or import fees. There are no additional customs fees when you purchase from us upon delivery.
Why? Because many of the meals we cook are intended to be eaten now AND freeze-dried to store away for the long haul. We don’t do it for chicken finger night but by golly we do it whenever she makes her freeze-dryer-appropriate meals like beef stroganoff.
And they are so much more flavorful than what you buy at the store. Again, I like to powder vegetables and use them to thicken soups. My family doesn’t even recognize when I add powdered zucchini to spaghetti sauce!