OK you sous vide nerds, educate us

[Darryle]

I really want to try this, I have a immersion circulator, but it seems like a poor design, designed to clamp to the side of a pot. I would think that evaporation would be an issue on long cooks.

Insta Pot w/sous vide a viable option?

So, recommend:

Cook books?
Sous vide machine or kit?
Standard vacuum bags, yea or nay?
Weights, yea or nay?
How to control evaporation?

Anything else we should know? Anything we must have before we start?

Thanks!

 

[Smoke NW]

I also have the clamp on immersion heater, works just fine. As far as vacuum bags I use the standard 4 mil bags that I use in my chamber sealer. To control evaporation I cover the top of the pot around the heater with foil. I've ran cooks as long as 5 hours without issue. I think the clamp on style heaters are a really inexpensive way to dip your toes in to this style of cooking to see if it's something you'll like.

 

[jebel]

I agree with everything Smoke NW said. Don't need to overthink it. Weights? Just put a couple heavy spoons on the bag(s) to keep them submerged. There are a million recipes online, but once you get the hang of it you won't need any. Have fun!

 

[FEENIX]

I really want to try this, I have a immersion circulator, but it seems like a poor design, designed to clamp to the side of a pot. I would think that evaporation would be an issue on long cooks.

Insta Pot w/sous vide a viable option?

So, recommend:

Cook books?
Sous vide machine or kit?
Standard vacuum bags, yea or nay?
Weights, yea or nay?
How to control evaporation?

Anything else we should know? Anything we must have before we start?

Thanks!

With mine, I do not have to worry about evaporation and temperature stability.

My first sous vide meal, https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/first-sous-vide-meal.234542/

Good luck on your decision/choice.

 

[P7M13]

What are you trying to prepare?
I've done meals in dutch ovens, and also ribs sealed in foil (6 hrs @170°F), but I don't believe in heating anything in plastic.
I recently did six pounds of pulled pork and a carolina reaper chutney that made 30 burritos, individually sealed.
To eat, I'll pull packages of them out to thaw the day before, and when it's time, pull them out of their packaging and roast them on the grill.

 

[biednick]

I use standard bags with an immersion heater. I bought a big plastic tub to do it in. It's a little easier to use the tub than the pots I have but definitely not necessary. I don't use weights and I very rarely do anything to control evaporation. I use a piece of plastic wrap over the top if I need to do anything. Unless you're running it real hot for 6+ hours evaporation shouldn't be a problem.

 

[bultinkle]

I have a large tub with a lif that has a cut out for the heater, it's never been an issue. I have racks that you can place steaks into and cook quite a few at once. Though if I'm only cooking steaks for me and the wife I will just use a soup pot as the extra volume isn't needed

 

[Darryle]

What temp and time for venison and elk back straps? I have close to a dozen whole back straps.

My usual method is to slice open, stuff with sausage or hamburger, bacon wrap and then grill. I am thinking about thawing, cutting into "steaks or small loins", seasoning and then rebagging for sous vide.

What are you trying to prepare?
I've done meals in dutch ovens, and also ribs sealed in foil (6 hrs @170°F), but I don't believe in heating anything in plastic.
I recently did six pounds of pulled pork and a carolina reaper chutney that made 30 burritos, individually sealed.
To eat, I'll pull packages of them out to thaw the day before, and when it's time, pull them out of their packaging and roast them on the grill.

Are you running them thru the Sous Vide and then refreezing for grilling later?

 

[FEENIX]

What temp and time for venison and elk back straps? I have close to a dozen whole back straps.

My usual method is to slice open, stuff with sausage or hamburger, bacon wrap and then grill. I am thinking about thawing, cutting into "steaks or small loins", seasoning and then rebagging for sous vide.



Are you running them thru the Sous Vide and then refreezing for grilling later?

That depends on your preferred doneness and how you will finish it. If you are going to finish it on a pan for a sear, factor in the temp, from sous vide (or whatever cooking method you choose) to pan searing.

 

[bultinkle]

What temp and time for venison and elk back straps? I have close to a dozen whole back straps.

My usual method is to slice open, stuff with sausage or hamburger, bacon wrap and then grill. I am thinking about thawing, cutting into "steaks or small loins", seasoning and then rebagging for sous vide.

This is how I do it. I prefer my venison quite rare but with sous vide you just temp it how you want.

I find this to be "close" maybe ever Heater is a little off or so, my go to for a medium steak is 137-138 for mine. I prefer 133 for a beef steak. For elk I'd knock it down to 129-130 personally and for venison maybe a few more.

Most of my venison backstraps I don't even do a water bath I cut them like 2/3" and then sear them on cast iron from room temp. When the sear is what I want the middle has enough heat lol

Make sure if you're pan searing for crust you're bringing the heat. If your pan is nice and hot and thick so it holds that temp you can dear without a large grey ring. Or practically any at all.

For time you need an hour for an inch. After that if it's thicker it needs more time but maybe not an entire hour. These are minimums, you can go longer. The texture will change as you go to long cooks. 1-2 hours texture shouldn't change much.

 

[FEENIX]

This is how I do it. I prefer my venison quite rare but with sous vide you just temp it how you want.

View attachment 460281

I sous vide at 118F and pan-seared.

The well done is the wife's.

 

[biednick]

What temp and time for venison and elk back straps? I have close to a dozen whole back straps.

My usual method is to slice open, stuff with sausage or hamburger, bacon wrap and then grill. I am thinking about thawing, cutting into "steaks or small loins", seasoning and then rebagging for sous vide.



Are you running them thru the Sous Vide and then refreezing for grilling later?

I do 5 degrees under my finished temperature for 1-2 hours, sear in a stainless pan, and let them rest under a foil tent while I make a sauce with the juices in the pan. They usually come out of the pan 2-3 degrees hotter than they go in and are right where I want them after they rest.

 

[bultinkle]

I have a monster 14" cast iron that I love for searing, you can really put a decent steak in it and it doesn't drop temp like thin pans in my experience, but anything hot works. The main goal for me is to get the most sear with the least time

I'm not super weird about a specific oil, but olive oil smokes too low, so just find something with a high smoke point

 

[Darryle]

I really appreciate everyone's tips and advice. I am going to give this a try this weekend when I have time to monitor everything.

I have some cheap steaks that have been tough when grilled to medium rare, I think they'll be good candidates for experimentation.