OT - Sous Vide EggBites Failure (twice)

LDR

Okay, maybe I need more caffeine (or scotch), but I've fouled up egg bites two days in a row after multiple instances of them being dead on.  They are not cooking through.  A dozen eggs, five ounces of cream cheese, two tablespoons of hatch chile salsa (from 505), a little salt and pepper, and then blended and into the 172 degree bath for 75 minutes.  I'm more than double that time today after yesterday's failure and still not set.  Two different cartons of eggs and two different boxes of cream cheese - and water temperature is right.
I've got a feeling I'm missing something obvious here...

GrateEggspectations

Don’t know if this will help you or not, but I’ve had numerous failures with eggs cooked sous vide. As far as I can reckon, the only factor that could bear on these failures is Egg freshness. If my theory holds true, only exceptionally fresh eggs should be used for sous vide cooking. Should future trials confirm my theory, please circle back and let me know!

ColtsFan

I got nothing. Same recipe you've always made? I've literally made hundreds of these and never had this issue 

LDR

Yesterday was a different recipe - I used quite a bit of shredded jack instead of cream cheese.  I thought maybe the cheese was breaking or something, so I went back to the version I've always made, and got the same crappy result.  I'm starting to suspect I'm under a voodoo curse for the weekend.

frazzdaddy

GrateEggspectations said:

Don’t know if this will help you or not, but I’ve had numerous failures with eggs cooked sous vide. As far as I can reckon, the only factor that could bear on these failures is Egg freshness. If my theory holds true, only exceptionally fresh eggs should be used for sous vide cooking. Should future trials confirm my theory, please circle back and let me know!

Grocery store eggs can be over 90 days old. Try some farm fresh. When you crack them they hold together vs old eggs that run all over the pan.

JohnInCarolina

Have you checked the bath temp with an independent measurement?  

LDR

JohnInCarolina said:

Have you checked the bath temp with an independent measurement?  

I did.  I used the black thermapen with the red flames - so I'd know it was right! 

I think I've decided to use this as an excuse to upgrade from my off-brand sous vide stick to an Anova.  Odd thing is - those Anovas are all out of stock at the major retailers at the moment.  It must have been a good Christmas for them.

I'll give it another shot next weekend after giving everything some extra cleaning.

mEGG_My_Day

You may try putting your cracked eggs in a sieve or colander and let the runny part of the whites drain off and only use the ‘good white’ and yolk.  I know this improves poached eggs.  This is just a guess. 

BGEChicago

It may be blasphemy but I've never has a problem using this instead of regular eggs:

caliking

Have you perused this thread?

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1211740/off-topic-starbucks-sous-vide-egg-bite/p1

Eggcelsior

With regards to egg freshness from store-bought eggs, look at the side of the carton. There is a three digit code that refers to the day of the year the eggs were laid from 000 to 365. Today would be 364.

ColtsFan

Eggcelsior said:

With regards to egg freshness from store-bought eggs, look at the side of the carton. There is a three digit code that refers to the day of the year the eggs were laid from 000 to 365. Today would be 364.

That's very useful information! Thanks for sharing 

milesvdustin

I think egg beaters taste funny. 

JohnInCarolina

milesvdustin said:

I think egg beaters taste funny. 

It's probably the Guar gum.

nolaegghead

When you are blending, is it staying cold?  Some blenders will heat up the contents and that would denature the proteins in the egg that cause the "set".

LDR

nolaegghead said:

When you are blending, is it staying cold?  Some blenders will heat up the contents and that would denature the proteins in the egg that cause the "set".

It wouldn't think it had affected it significantly, as it was the same process as before.  I've almost decided that I'm doing something differently and not realizing it, so I'm just going to give it a week and then give it another try, carefully following the recipe.  I did miss having an instant breakfast today, but the Chick-Fil-A nearest my house was running a "receipt day" special today (bring today's receipt back in four weeks and get the same items for free), so it wasn't all bad.

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

blasting

Eggcelsior said:

With regards to egg freshness from store-bought eggs, look at the side of the carton. There is a three digit code that refers to the day of the year the eggs were laid from 000 to 365. Today would be 364.

I shouldn't be surprised that a useful tidbit like this would come from someone with a handle like yours.  

I just got back from purchasing eggs when I read this ^^.  Check this out - grocery store eggs that were laid 6 days ago - not bad!

thetrim

Eggcelsior said:

With regards to egg freshness from store-bought eggs, look at the side of the carton. There is a three digit code that refers to the day of the year the eggs were laid from 000 to 365. Today would be 364.

I feel smarter for having read this thread!

nolaegghead

I prefer older eggs if I'm hard/soft boiling in the shell, they peel much easier. 

I wouldn't think aged eggs wouldn't set up, though.  Unless they were the Chinese market "fear-factor" eggs (don't ask).  Nightmare fuel.

LDR

We always stick some eggs back for a week.  Fresh eggs are impossible to peel if you want them to come out "pretty" for something like deviled eggs.

And - after a couple more rounds of experimentation - the ones that have set were ones where I did not have cream cheese in the blender with the eggs.  However, that worked before.

Last night I baked some in a six-muffin tin, and they came out pretty well.  I filled each position with a variety of ingredients and baked at 325 for 30 minutes.  I left out the dairy, but I think the texture will be better if I put something in there.

LDR

And I think I've abandoned sous vide for egg bites, in favor of the toaster oven.  I kept them plain during this pass, but they turned out well.  

18 eggs
2/3 cup milk (used 2% this round)
5 tablespoons hatch chile salsa

Into the blender briefly and then baked at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.  Internal temp was around 155 when the toothpick check was good.

According to the recipe builder in MyFitnessPal: 230 calories, 16 g fat, 3 carbs and 19 protein each.  The finished items weighed 5.5 to 6 ounces each.  These are sizable hunks of food.  I think I like leaving out the meat and just grabbing whatever I favor each morning.  Next pass I'll definitely add some green onions.