Near Sous Vide disaster...

[mrteddyprincess]

Last weekend I posted a cook that involved two pork shoulders that I pulled and then vacuum sealed for the teacher lunch today at school.

Long story short when I pulled one of the bags up out of the water, the vacuum-sealed heat seal gave way, and the entire bag of pulled pork got dumped into the hot water bath. A very fast-thinking teacher named Jim grabbed a pan and dove in after the pork. We drained the water off of it and then mixed it with the bag that didn't give way, you really couldn't tell.

The lunch took place and I got a round of applause for the pulled pork. Disaster avoided.

Next time I will package the pulled pork in smaller batches to keep the weight of the pork from putting too much pressure on the seal of the bag...

Brian

[Oak Smoke]

I often will slide the bag out just a bit after I finish the vacuum sealing and hit seal again for a second seal. I’m still using an old food saver that lets me do that. I have no ides if that’s an option with other sealers.

[Steve B]

I always use at least two seals on each end of the bags. Also have a food saver.

[fzxdoc]

My Avid Armor makes a double seal. But for long or large SV cooks, I still double seal the double seal.

K.

[realdocBBQ]

I also double seal most things - and for large things like 3lbs of pulled pork or something, I'll often double seal, then bag again and double seal again. I've had too many bag and seal failures over the years - I'm not risking it.

[MBMorgan]

Last weekend I posted a cook that involved two pork shoulders that I pulled and then vacuum sealed for the teacher lunch today at school.

Long story short when I pulled one of the bags up out of the water, the vacuum-sealed heat seal gave way, and the entire bag of pulled pork got dumped into the hot water bath. A very fast-thinking teacher named Jim grabbed a pan and dove in after the pork. We drained the water off of it and then mixed it with the bag that didn't give way, you really couldn't tell.

The lunch took place and I got a round of applause for the pulled pork. Disaster avoided.

Next time I will package the pulled pork in smaller batches to keep the weight of the pork from putting too much pressure on the seal of the bag...

Brian

Nice save! (I'm not above double-bagging (both double-sealed) in similar circumstances.)

[Davek8282]

Glad you were able to save it. I probably would have stood there stunned until it was too late.

[xrodbob]

I was just literally thinking if you could take a larger bag for a chamber vac, seal only the one end, cut the bag and then have 2 have bags to seal again. Of course, one of the bags would then only have the heat seal side on both and this could happen. Good to know for future use which side of the bag to pull on going forward.

Thanks for the lesson learned.

[Smoker_Boy]

I would have said bad words and gotten kicked out.

[Jerod Broussard]

You ain't saving any food in my sous vide water.....unless it's being reheated for an animal that can drink water from a roadside ditch and live.

[Skip]

Good save mrteddyprincess. You had some quick thinking there and saved the pork.

[hoovarmin]

Thank God for the unseen heroes who keep us all safe behind the scenes and go without credit 😂

[fzxdoc]

Wow that was close. Supporting the bag from the underside as you pull it out might help a bit too, but double sealing smaller batches of meat is good insurance. Plus they should heat up faster.

Nice to have that quick thinker around to save your bacon, er, pork!

Kathryn