Sous Vide cooking

[BeerCat]

I came across this guys channel last night and thought it might be of interest. Mouth watering stuff, i wonder what other vegetables can be cooked using this method.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glM9y8FkJLY[/ame]

 

[IainM]

That looks goooooood. Carrots are great done sous vide. I see he had trouble keeping the corn submerged because of the gasses coming from them, and I find lots of veg do this. With the Bulldog Brewer I just put the sparge plate on upside down and raise it enough to fit the food underneath, but still below the water line. That way it stays submerged the whole time and cooks perfectly.

 

[BeerCat]

Great idea about keeping it submerged, corn must be amazing (and asparagus). Carrots sound great. Still don't have a sealer so need to get one . Wondering if its possible to cook your dinner while mashing? Perhaps if you were doing a meat stew you could have 2 bags and add the veg later.

 

[Dutto]

I watched the video the day it was posted and yet again explored sous vide cooking.

Yesterday I got my winnings from Inkbird and for the first time ever I had a spare temperature controller! :thumb:

Today I decided to set up a sous vide cooker using whatever I could cobble together from my brewing gear.

I started with the converted FV that I use for heating up my Strike and Sparge Water. It has an old Steamer Element inside and as I have been switching it "On" and "Off" regularly for the last six months I reckon it will work with the controller. :thumb:

Next up was how to cook something in the FV without imparting any flavours that may be transferred to future brews.

I came up with the arrangement in the photographs.

Using a stock-pot from the kitchen, I knocked up a tripod (to support the stock-pot away from the element in the FV) out of some old 10mm copper tubing and held together with tie-wraps. (I will solder them together if it works.) "Bingo" one sous vide cooker. :thumb:

Now all I need is to watch the video again and then go down town tomorrow and get something to cook! :thumb:

 

[BeerCat]

Interesting. Are you planning on cooking the meat in the pot instead of a bag? I really like the idea of using what you have. I have watched a lot of those guys videos. He is great, you can tell he loves his food. :)

 

[Dutto]

Interesting. Are you planning on cooking the meat in the pot instead of a bag? I really like the idea of using what you have. I have watched a lot of those guys videos. He is great, you can tell he loves his food. :)

In a bag, in the pot with the pot full of water; and the water in the FV about two-thirds up the side of the pot.

I plan to heat up the water in the FV to start with, fill the pot from that and then control the temperature with the probe in the pot itself alongside whatever I'm cooking.

I'm hoping that the large amount of water in the FV will make for a fairly steady temperature.

I don't have a vacuum system at the moment so I will give the "48 hours" type of cooking a miss. :thumb:

 

[BeerCat]

I reckon that will work fine. I am going to have to buy a vac sealer. It will be useful for something i am sure. Hops (hopefully) and frozen fruit. Want to try corn. Would be great if i could throw it in the mash, would be a bit like cooking on your engine. Free energy for cooking. Should we start a thread about that, might be good fun.

 

[IainM]

Want to try corn. Would be great if i could throw it in the mash, would be a bit like cooking on your engine. Free energy for cooking. Should we start a thread about that, might be good fun.

I don't think that would work. Corn and other veg need a higher temperature than mash temp to cook properly. Chicken breast, on the other hand, would be perfect in the mash temp range.

 

[BeerCat]

I don't think that would work. Corn and other veg need a higher temperature than mash temp to cook properly. Chicken breast, on the other hand, would be perfect in the mash temp range.

Thanks i like the idea of doing that. When you cooked yours did you use a blowtorch on it or was it fine without? Could you remind me how long and what temps you cooked yours at?

 

[Fil]

just be mindful of fats and oils getting into your brew kit if re purposing for souse viede cooking..
and an 80C rinse with a soda crystal solution to lift any residual fats and oils may be prudent prior to brewing again.

 

[Dutto]

This has opened up a right can of worms because I regularly manage to screw up my brewing plans; and the thought of cooking something at the same time as doing a mash just has me reeling with fear! :lol:

SWMBO's response to an explanation of sous vide was "Why would you want to do it?", so the first thing I cook better turn out to be the best thing that she has ever eaten.

I reckon duck breasts are going to be first up. If I fail to impress my better half, I will probably be cast out into the garage to fend for myself with a couple of Cream Crackers and a lump of cheese.

 

[BarnBrian]

I'm beginning to doubt that you worked offshore Dutto, not a single piece of duct tape to be seen! 😃😃

 

[BeerCat]

Dutto my friend sorry about this. Please don't hold me responsible for any injuries you may receive from er indoors.
Seriously looking forward to how you get on though. Some of the burgers I have seen look devine. Beetroot might be worth a go as well. One of my favourites.

 

[Dutto]

I'm beginning to doubt that you worked offshore Dutto, not a single piece of duct tape to be seen! 😃😃

Ex-HSE Managers have to set an example ... :thumb:

... and at the last count I had 127 stitch marks (90% self inflicted) to prove it! :whistle:

 

[IainM]

Thanks i like the idea of doing that. When you cooked yours did you use a blowtorch on it or was it fine without? Could you remind me how long and what temps you cooked yours at?

I think I did it at 62C for 1.5 hours. I didn't torch it afterwards, but it was perfectly tender and juicy for a salad. This was skinless breast though. If it had the skin on I'd want to crisp that up.

 

[The Idiot]

In my opinion, sous vide cooking is for those who can't manage to cook properly over fire. Sous vide doesn't give varying texture, there's no Malliard reaction with meat and there's no fat rendering. In short, the taste is compromised for ponciness.

Man evolved when he learned to capture fire, not when he worked out he could cook a duck breast for 32 hours in a plastic bag immersed in tepid water.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

To be honest I don't get it either boiling the kettle for an hour and a half just to get a piece of chicken tender seems to me to be both a waste of time and money.

.

 

[Braufather]

I actually have a dedicated sous vide machine, don’t use it so much now but it’s great for a few things but not great for most.- it adds convenience for restaurants but sometimes there is a compromise on character. good for veg, and confit duck, octopus, Pork Belly but not as good as a pressure cooker for melt in the mouth results as you don't get that texture with SV - beef shin, lamb neck and other slow cook joints.

With pork belly you get the most amazing stock from the cooking juices.

Not great for roasts- delivers soft texture but loses that roast flavour, even if you brown it before/after.

Tends to split the crowd with chicken breast, fish and eggs - with eggs you lose the white but the yoke is as rich as you can get. you guys should try an egg as its easy, no vac Pac needed as comes in its own packaging.

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/the-egg-calculator

 

[BeerCat]

Chippy some of it is cooked for 2 days. :) I used to love to BBQ but i often burn the crap out of the food so looking for something a bit different. I reckon i could rig up my slow cooker to an STC and that should work.

 

[Dutto]

Picked this off t'Internet as we both love duck and I find it difficult to cook so that it's pink, but without blood streaming out of it.

DUCK BREASTS
Cut FAT SIDE with sharp knife JUST to scar (don't cut to flesh).
Season with salt and pepper on both sides with fresh thyme leaves.
Put in HD sealable freezer bag.
Remove air and refrigerate for one hour.
Cook at 58 degrees for 90 minutes.
Remove, pat dry then fry fat side on high heat for 5 minutes.
Turn and fry on the other side for 1 minute.
Rest for 2 minutes.
Carve and eat.

It took about 30 minutes for the temperatures in the FV and pot to stabilise and I watched the Tour de France for the 90 minutes whilst the duck cooked.

A painless way to cook and the finished article was perfect. Pink, succulent meat with a crunchy skin that SWMBO praised. (Hallelujah!) :thumb:

PS

When I was in Tesco to get the duck breasts, I noticed that they were selling good quality Spray Bottles with an adjustable spray nozzle reduced from �£2.50 to �£1.50 so I bought a couple. One for the Star-San and the other (it will NEVER go into the brewing area) for water for the BBQ. :thumb: