I use a vac chamber to seal all my foods and cuts before freezing. When i cook with the precision cooker there is an unusual amount of liquid extracted fm the food… Things like chicken breast are textured dry after cooking. 3hrs frozen @ 145f* I know that frozen, the meat/sausage will have the juices extracted if i don’t break the vacuum seal during defrost… Could there be too much vacuum w/frozen meats during souse vide cooking that pulls the juices out of the meat? Lots of juices out of pork butts and roasts also… I do use the highest vac-seal for storage… Tks
It’s an interesting theory and easily tested with an experiment. I tend to think too much vacuum is not your problem, because if you vacuum seal unfrozen meat, you’d pull out an equivalent amount of moisture during vacuuming and I’ve not observed that. So here’s the experiment I would try: get 3 chicken breasts (or whatever) and weigh them and note the weights. Vacuum seal 2 of them as you normally do. Put the 3rd in a ziplock bag with less vacuum. Of course, season them all identically. Cook the 3 separate bags as you normally do. Of the two vacuum sealed bags, let one of them rest, maybe even refrigerate or plunge into an ice bath. So now weigh the 3 different chicken breasts without the liquid. If your thinking is right (and I’m wrong), the breast in the ziplock bag will weigh the most/be the least dry in texture. Another result is that the rested breast is the moistest, suggesting resting is important. Or, they could all be identical. Hopefully this experiment gives you a workable answer. Let us know!
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Thank you for understanding my issue, Mike. Just a little background ref my procedures… I normally fabricate primal cuts of beef and pork, and vc pac them after they get a little stiff in the freezer. I cut, bag, stiffen, and then (vac pac), vp at full throttle, and hard freeze till needed. When i sv a chuck eye, rib steak or fabricated chicken, i do not normally season or defrost. Just allow for defrost time, and sv. I have seen that defrosting meat for flash or oven cooking will draw out the blood/juices if i don’t break the vac seal while defrosting. Just a natural process. That being said i have never ziplocked for sv. Your thoughts have merit, and i think it will give me the feedback i’m looking for. Good or Bad. Your approach is methodical… I like it, and it’s an easy do. Just a note… my method is one of convenience. I may process 30-40lbs at a time, and cook 2-3 steaks for a meal. Also interestingly, i have experimented with vac-packing, and found i can bag sausage links, freeze and vac-seal. Ready to sv frozen in the future, a dozen at a time… poaching as needed, and ready for the grill… Tks again for your thoughts, and i will post my find… Cheers
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Hey joeb, I had another thought on this: vacuum is used to marinate meat more quickly than without a vacuum (so they say). If so, then the notion that vacuum sucks out moisture would run counter to the vacuum marinating claim. Regardless, nothing beats experimenting. Mike
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See pressure treating wood pressure fluctuation process. First vacuumed to remove water then pressurized to force treatment chemicals into the intercellular spaces.
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Mike, Douglas has a point and I’m fm that school. I have a high-end food saver as my backup, backup. There is a marinade function which will vac (w/marinade and meat in container), and then release the vac and recycle 5-7 times. I don’t full vac w/my chamber for a marinade… I Mostly use the air removal process (not full vac) to give complete meat/marinade contact. I am to understand that brine or marinade expels the water fm the meat cells and it is replaced by the salt/brine/marinade by osmoses. I know this is a little extreme… but what would happen to your body in a vacuum? All the cell contents would be sucked out, (and more). euggkkk! I still think your thoughts have merit… You are a good “on your feet thinker”. and wondering if the air displacement may be a better Technique… Archimedes’ Principle may be my next venture… The more you know, the luckier you get… Cheers, Joe… BTW thankyou Douglas, i am a wood sawdust maker also
Mike, Douglas has a point and I’m fm that school. I have a high-end food saver as my backup, backup. There is a marinade function which will vac (w/marinade and meat in container), and then release the vac and recycle 5-7 times. I don’t full vac w/my chamber for a marinade… I Mostly use the air removal process (not full vac) to give complete meat/marinade contact. I am to understand that brine or marinade expels the water fm the meat cells and it is replaced by the salt/brine/marinade by osmoses. I know this is a little extreme… but what would happen to your body in a vacuum? All the cell contents would be sucked out, (and more). euggkkk! I still think your thoughts have merit… You are a good “on your feet thinker”. and wondering if the air displacement may be a better Technique… Archimedes’ Principle may be my next venture… The more you know, the luckier you get… Cheers, Joe… BTW thankyou Douglas, i am a wood sawdust maker also
OK, Happy Dance… SV’d chicken breasts again w/better results. Too much vacuum in the bag. Changed the vac chamber settings fm -0.1 MPa @25sec. to 0.09MPa @ 15sec. I normally do frozen and my normal settings were too much. Thanks everyone for your input.
-0.1 MPa is roughly equal to -1 atmosphere, which is pretty high. Your typical (e.g. FoodSaver) pulls -0.07 MPa. All you’re really looking to do is to displace the air.
Thanks, i did roll it back to apx 0.07 w/good results
I’m happy when I learn something new.
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Greatly insightful thread, good read.
OP, slightly offtopic, the “salad chicken cook” I’ve never done it from frozen vacuum sealed, however “thrown in the ziploc method” we do have a vac-sealer …just not like yours 
the results are our favourite, hopefully you have tried it & can compare the results?
Yep I did reduced the vac… Too much vac was sucking out the juice during the bath. I buy meat in bulk. Freeze / vac till i souse v. I didn’t mention that after the bath i oil/dry rub and flash sear on the grill for looks. I do the same w/the sausage i make… Cheers
If you’re experiencing too much vacuum in a bag during cooking, it could be due to a couple of reasons:
1. Sealing issue: The excessive vacuum may occur if the bag was not properly sealed before cooking. Make sure the bag is tightly sealed using an appropriate sealing method, such as a heat sealer or zip-top bag with a reliable closure.
2. Sous vide cooking: If you’re using a sous vide cooking method, the vacuum-sealed bag is typically designed to remove as much air as possible to ensure optimal heat transfer and even cooking. However, if the bag collapses excessively, it might be due to an overly strong vacuum or prolonged cooking times. You can try reducing the vacuum intensity or adjusting the cooking duration to alleviate this issue.
3. External pressure changes: If you notice a sudden increase in vacuum during cooking, it could be caused by external factors such as altitude changes or variations in atmospheric pressure. These factors can affect the air pressure inside the bag, resulting in excessive vacuum. To mitigate this, try releasing some air from the bag by slightly opening it or adjusting the vacuum intensity.
Remember, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and recommended cooking techniques to achieve the desired results when cooking with vacuum-sealed bags.