VacMouseketeers POST HERE!!!!

[Scott Mark]

Wow. You hit my top three in terms of food.

I haven’t had time to really get into charcuterie, but it’s easy and quick to make a great duck prosciutto, and I’ve got lots of that. I’ve got about 40 lb of raw duck breast in various freezers in the area, with a plan to perfect a duck breast confit because duck legs are very hard to get. And the bones will make a very good glace, consomme, or stock.

I mention this because I use drybag to make the duck “prosciutto”. And it is simple and great.

I think the “perfect storm” for a great steak is to start with the most _flavorful_ steak, and use dry aging and sous vide to concentrate the flavor and give it the tenderness you want.

I find that I’ve got less and less use for an actual grill, because I cook the steak sous vide, and then pan-sear it to finish. I’m almost afraid that I’ll find a substitute for the smoker and never have to keep an eye on things, ever. Wouldn’t that be an awful thing?

I forgot to mention — Ron, I do feel a little fortunate and a little bad about having a devoted fridge for dry-aging, but (1) the unit I’m using sells for about $150 at Sam’s Club and (2) I figure that if I’ve got the thing, I should use it – run some side-by-side or other experiments and report to the group what I’ve learned. Based on the success of the “round top round” project, I plan to hit Sam’s Club to compare aged Sirloin to aged Ribeye.

Monday – friends over – duck “prosciutto” and (sadly, only one-week) dry-aged ribeye for dinner.

[Katie Level]

Ron, BarbeQueen here, been a while! Wondering about using the vacmouse with the Sinbo and an old Tilia foodsaver. Since we usually seal the corners with the sinbo, could you cut down the mouse and reseal it at the cut end, then slip it in onto the snorkel? My Tilia works more like a snorkel than a foodsaver, it has about a 2″ vacuum slot, think the same would work well? certainly seems so. Last time I did a NY, I went through 3 bags, even with the paper clip, and I don’t consider myself a sinbo rookie, so I’m really hoping these do the trick! Can someone (hint hint) post about using the mouse with the Sinbo, Please?

[Ron Pratt]

Katie,
I wouldn’t see why it wouldn’t work. Keep in mind the VacMouse was created as a solution for being able to use a FoodSaver with the Drybag product so a person did not have to purchase a snorkel type sealer.

Just curious though why you went through 3 bags. I always try to get the point across that if you have an initial failure then use that first bag many times learning how to get a good seal – practicing on 1 bag instead of wasting 3 bags just makes sense to me.
Ron

[Anonymous]

So, is it true that the only vacuum machine tested by anyone on the forum so far that will not work with the VacMouse is the Weston Pro-2300?

It’s interesting and good to know that the Vacmaster Pro 160 works though. It’s a nice looking sealer. I couldn’t find the vacuum rating for the Pro 160, but it seems otherwise similar in specifications to the Weston Pro-2300. Both are dual piston vacuum sealers with 15 inch seal bar.

[Katie Level]

I don’t know why I couldn’t get a decent seal on that last ribeye. I coulda sworn I’d finessed the learning curve by now, and have been using the paper clip for some time. Maybe the size and shape just didn’t want to cooperate. I always leave extra bag at the top for a second (sometimes even a third) try; this last one took me to the second try on the third bag. Anything that could be a bit more fail safe, I’m willing to try!

[Barry]

You would really enjoy the earlier Food Saver model with the Vac mouse. I have put up 2 so far using this method and it has worked flawlessly.

[Jim]

You are absolutely correct that Weston Pro-2300 and Vacmaster Pro160 are similar in function and principal of operation. The Vacmaster Pro160 performs very well with the VacMouse. There is one trick with the Weston that may overcome the problem that was posted here. This involves placing the VacMouse at the edge of the bag and/or grasping the bag and creating some wrinkles in the bag opening.

[Anonymous]

I did not think to try it at the edge. All of my attempts were centered. I will see if I can salvage a piece and give it a try.

Here is the Weston Pro 2300

Here is the way I first tried to seal the bag.

I also tried in the longer orientation. This picture was after I cut the sealed portion off, but it didn’t seal either.

[Jim]

The Weston is a good vacuum sealer and maybe “too good” since it creates very strong vacuum and sucks down the lid very hard thereby cuttng off the VacMouse ability to pass the air out of the bag. What may be even more useful then placing the VacMouse at the edge of the bag is to rough up the opening of the bag a little. Since you did not place a large piece of meat in the bag, the bag was probably lying very flat on the sealing bar and vacuum channel gasket and this is not favorable for the VacMouse.
It is counterintuitive but some small wrinkles in the bag actually help with VacMouse application.

[A. F.]

RCR wrote:

quote :

RRP wrote:

quote :

Color is looking good – how long do you intend to age it? Have you previously aged a brisket before? I’m just wondering if the trimming lost on such a relatively thin piece of beef is going to be counter productive if you age it too long – but that is just my opinion, not experience. Keep us posted!

21 days is the target but I may have to cut it short by a couple of days. It all depends on when I can smoke it. Ive never done a dry aged brisket or any cut for that matter. This is all new territory for me. 🙂

I dry aged a Wagyu brisket using this process for 55 days and it was some of the best brisket I’ve ever eaten. Worth the time and every penny. Looking forward to your results. 🙂

[Andy Starvaski]

I just bagged up a 13lb NY Strip roast this past Sunday using the Vac Mouse material and my Foodsaver model 2840.

This time I cut the material length wise and placed the VM material completely across the opening of the Drybag.

I set the food saver to Normal/Moist.

I started the foodsaver and massaged the bag tight against the meat and just before the Foodsaver could start auto sealing I stopped the foodsaver but continued to massage the bag, and restarted the vacuuming process. This resulted in the foodsaver drawing out just a bit more air and gave me a very tight vacuum/fit between the roast and the bag. – One the best I’ve had. I tripled sealed the bag and put it in the ageing fridge. Probably will take this about 35 days.

This was one of the easiest times I had bagging the meat and one of the best seals so far. B)

[Thea]

Andy,

This is a excellent suggestion. Glad to hear that the sealing process went easily. THAT’S what we’re hoping for.

–Thea

[Andy Starvaski]

But what am I going to do with my Sinbo snorkel sealer now that the Food Saver is working so well?!?!?!?!?!?! :ohmy: 😛

[Ron Pratt]

all kidding aside I have found the Sinbo reseals bags for cookies, potato chips and other snacks better than a Food saver does.

[Larry Poms]

First my vacuum sealer is not a channel style, but a nozzle type. It is a Tilla and is identical to the VacUpack. The same as the one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjR8ZMg8Bv8&feature=relmfu It is a great vacuum sealer, but It would not pull air out of the dry bag without the mouse. It does not have a nozzle extension. The mouse worked great.
Well, I have done something a bit different. I cured some pork and now I am making pancetta. Normally after curing you would hang it for two to three weeks, but I don’t have the best situation for that. In steps the dry bag. I sealed it first to make the opening about the size of the mouse. I am not sure I even needed to do that, but it worked. I did just like any other meat and popped it in the refrigerator on a rack to allow air flow. I am turning daily. In a couple of weeks I will see how it all turns out.

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