I think I killed my FoodSaver 4860

[fzxdoc]

I foolishly followed the Chef Steps video for my Joule when sous vide-ing fresh corn and vacuum sealed it. It was so fresh that a ton of liquid was sucked into my FoodSaver 4860. Since then it does not want to vacuum seal very reliably. Perhaps one in 8 or 10 attempts I might get a half-hearted seal. Yike$ , I'm thinking.

I went to the FoodSaver website and spoke with an online agent. They do not do FoodSaver repairs. Sigh.

So it looks as though I'm back in the market for a vacuum sealer. I'm looking at the 5800 series, $299 with a 30% discount and free shipping.

Not as expensive as Spinaker 's MacBook snafu, but I had other places I wanted to spend $200+ bucks.

And no more vacuum sealing fresh corn for me.

Kathryn

[kmhfive]

Was it still on the cob? Confused where the moisture came from.

[DWCowles]

Fresh corn on or off the cob has lots of moisture

[RonB]

Thats a bummer. $23 replacement. Any you can use almost any vac bag as long as it's press to seal and not slide to seal. The bags they sell are super sturdy and I've not had one fail.

[rat88]

I'm confused. It wont vac or it wont seal? Could just need the air pump cleaned

[EdF]

I've killed 3 vac sealers of that style or toggle style because of liquid. Finally caved and got a chamber sealer - which has been good for over 5 years now.

[Jerod Broussard]

"Kathryn killed the vacuum sealer, last night, said it made a bad seal and made her cry, went to the physics lab and got a mass set......."

[Steve R.]

Reckless discharge of a gun, that's what the officers are claiming. Kathryn hollered, "Reckless, Hell! I shot just where I was aiming!"

[fzxdoc]

That's exactly what happened, Jerod Broussard and Steve R. .

K.

[fzxdoc]

kmhfive , the moisture came from the cut-off-the-cob fresh corn. It didn't look that juicy, but I guess when the vacuum pulls, the moisture goes with it, right into the "moisture tray" which did not live up to its name, apparently.

rat88 , it won't pull the vacuum strongly enough to evacuate the bag. It seals one end of the bag fine, but of course the other end's seal won't happen because it senses that the bag has not been evacuated thoroughly enough. I'm going to take it apart to see what can be done. Nothing to lose at this point.

EdF , I was really tempted to look at chamber sealers. But they're so big, and twice as expensive (or more). I'll just be sadder, wiser, and more careful in the future.

RonB , do you have a Thrifty Vac?

Kathryn

[RonB]

I just got the pump, but I've been using the bags for several years and they are great. The pump is cheap plastic, but works as advertised. It is just as fast as the Foodsaver I have, and much quieter.

[fzxdoc]

Thanks, RonB

[kmhfive]

Ah-ha. Cut corn makes sense. You'd want that at least partially frozen to seal in a bag, then. You're right about nothing to lose. Pull it apart and see if you can clean the pump and replace the seals. Good luck.

[ComfortablyNumb]

Here is the lowest price chamber I found: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ary...VMASVP112.html

And for a couple dollars more you can get a dual: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ary...120VMA550.html

[fzxdoc]

I really like that Duo 550, ComfortablyNumb . I looked at it closely. Can't say I can justify the price, though, for the frequency with which I use a vac sealer (1-2x per week, perhaps). But if I keep doing stoopid things like vacuum sealing fresh corn, it may be in my sights after all.

[EdF]

I have that one's predecessor, from the same store. It is good. The VP-112.

[ComfortablyNumb]

If you get the FS working freeze the corn before sealing.

[fzxdoc]

I guess I will, ComfortablyNumb . But for sous vide purposes, I think I'll just dump it, unfrozen, in a vac-seal bag (because it bathes at 185°F, which is higher than a Ziploc can stand), press out the air by hand, and put it in the bath. It's a wonder to me that the Chef Steps guys didn't crap up their vacuum sealer in the demo, since they appear to have a FoodSaver as well. Maybe that FoodSaver is a prop and they actually use a Duo 550.

K.

[HouseHomey]

fzxdoc I've done that to my 3860 or something like that. I just popped it open and pulled all the trays out and dried the sensors and such and aired it out for a day and it worked fine every time.

[fzxdoc]

Good to know. This has been going on now for a couple of weeks, though. Even so, I'll pop everything open. Heck, I'll try anything!

[HouseHomey]

fzxdoc I have that tall one before the green thing on the left side. I bought this one at Costco like 3 years ago. Is that green thing for the sealing of like... bologna bags? Does that work good? I'm sure there's a thread for that.

[HouseHomey]

I'm feeling Spinaker and you Kathryn as my iPhone crapped out today in the kitchen. I guess they don't make iPhone 5 like they used to. Geeze it's not like I dropped it in the fryer.

[fzxdoc]

Back in the day I dropped an iPod in the toilet...

[ecowper]

I won't tell you how many times my wife's iPhone has fallen out of her back pocket into a toilet ..... but I do always buy insurance for her phone now :-D

[HouseHomey]

@ecopower my wife called that day and we did buy the insurance. They waived half of our deductible for being good and boom, by 11am the next day a NEW (To me) IPhone 5s should up at my door. Whoohooo! An upgrade.

[Spinaker]

A loss is a loss. Never fun! I think its time for the VacMaster!!!!

[Ernest]

Don't vacuum seal corn or fish. Always use water displacement method.
Get the Game saver monster