Several SousVide Questions

JohnH12 · February 2017

I have to admit that I'm intrigued by the technique. Primarily for warming leftover BBQ and such, maybe cooking at a later date.
For those with some experience:
** Is there a preferred method.. the stick style like the Anova type vs the slow cooker water immersion oven like the Gourmia or similar water bath slow cookers?

** Could I just fill my crock pot with preheated water and SousVide away to my heart's content?

** How do you know when the meat is up to temp and ready to serve? A great big SWAG or is there a more precise method of timing the cook?

** I'm pretty sure that the inventor didn't have any of the fancy electrical gadgets available today. How about just a pot of simmering water with a thermometer to check the temp? I realize there would be minimal circulation but is that such a terrible thing?

Thanks to any with their thoughts.

For those inquiring minds: SWAG = Super Wild Ass Guess

JohnInCarolina · February 2017

Personally for starters I think the stick-like controller/circulator that Anova or Joule produces is great.

Yes you can do a lot in a crockpot. Many of us have bought larger containers to do bigger items.

You cook for an extended period of time, following guidelines (from any number of sources). Cook times and temps depend on how thick the cut is and what kind of consistency you're after. But the beauty of SV is that once you're past that time, you have a buffer where you can go over but generally won't over cook. So it's much more worry-free than other approaches.

You could do a pot of simmering water, sure - some folks call that "hot tubbing". But it won't give you precise temperature control, and it's hard to handle a long cook (like over a few hours) like that.

HeavyG · February 2017

I have both styles - sticks and "water ovens". The results are the same. Both have pros/cons.

If you have an old analog style crock pot you can buy a $25 PID controller to set/keep a specific temp. I use this one with an analog slow cooker -
- https://smile.amazon.com/WILLHI-WH1436A-110V-Temperature-Controller/dp/B00V4TJR00/ref=pd_sim_60_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MYKEPJB1G8QRZ0KS6MEF

There are tables around that give an indication as to how long to keep a piece of meat in the water based on its thickness. Some folks stick meat probes in thru the bags (there are foam tapes that are used to seal the probe hole). Seems like overkill to me tho.

Carolina Q · February 2017

HeavyG said:

If you have an old analog style crock pot you can buy a $25 PID controller to set/keep a specific temp. I use this one with an analog slow cooker -
- https://smile.amazon.com/WILLHI-WH1436A-110V-Temperature-Controller/dp/B00V4TJR00/ref=pd_sim_60_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MYKEPJB1G8QRZ0KS6MEF

This is what I do, for the time being anyway. It does an excellent job of controlling temp. At first, I checked water temp periodically with my Thermapen, but since it was always spot on, I stopped checking.

The main disadvantage is size. You can cook anything... but only if it fits in your crock pot. I have done steaks, chops, veggies and 48 hour chuck roasts. No way I could fit a packer brisket or an 8 lb butt in there though. Lack of water circulation doesn't seem to be a problem.

One of these days, I'll probably get an Anova, but for now, this is fine.

HogHeaven · February 2017

You can put your meat in a zip lock bag to reheat it. Extract all of the air out of it so it doesn't float or put a heavy object over it to keep the meat submerged.

That way you can open the zip seal and use your digital thermometer to see what temperature your meat is. If it's not to your desired temperature just reseal the bag and back in the water it goes.

The circulator AND the heater combined makes everything easier for sure but you can fake it. Just keep the water temperature accurate and you're good to go.

GregW · February 2017

** How do you know when the meat is up to temp and ready to serve? A great big SWAG or is there a more precise method of timing the cook?

** I'm pretty sure that the inventor didn't have any of the fancy electrical gadgets available today. How about just a pot of simmering water with a thermometer to check the temp? I realize there would be minimal circulation but is that such a terrible thing?

Thanks to any with their thoughts.

For those inquiring minds: SWAG = Super Wild Ass Guess

You can take a look here:
http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html

This guy is very informative on the SV cooking method.
Also, there a a number of ios apps for SV. I personally use the Poly Science Sous Vide Toolbox. It is useful in determining time/temps.

The circulator I use is the Poly Science Sous Vide Professional Chef Series
http://polyscienceculinary.com/products/sous-vide-professional-chef-series

This model can do up to an 8 Gallon water capacity.

A $800 circulator is certainly overkill for home use.

When I purchased this unit years ago there wasn't any of the cheap Chinese circulators on the market. Once SV became popular the cheap imports started coming into the country.

I'm not saying anything is necessarily wrong of inferior with the Anovo or the Joule units, however in the the restaurant business you don't see many of them. It may just be that a commercial kitchen needs a bigger water bath for larger cooks.

Skiddymarker · February 2017

The best cooking appliance purchased in the last 10 years. I have two of the original ANOVAs, great product IMO.
I use a cheapo SS stock pot, <$10 and I would never want to put actual heat under it, but for SV it is ideal. 3" hole saw to shape the lid. For reheating leftovers, from the fridge or freezer, SV is pretty much foolproof. You don't have to check the foods temp, just set the circulator and give it some time. It will be warmed in as little as 30 minutes to an hour - and it will never be overcooked as the food will not get hotter than the bath.
Steaks and chops are very good. Don't hesitate to get one you will only be one year older when you do (to quote Warren Miller)

blind99 · February 2017

Works great for rewarming leftover BBQ. I'll make pulled pork or pulled beef ahead of time and put it in ziplock bags then just throw it in the bath for reheating as I need it.

For flexibility and fool proofness it's hard to beat something like an Anova

bgebrent · February 2017

blind99 said:

Works great for rewarming leftover BBQ. I'll make pulled pork or pulled beef ahead of time and put it in ziplock bags then just throw it in the bath for reheating as I need it.

For flexibility and fool proofness it's hard to beat something like an Anova

And cooking pork and chicken and veggies...

JohnH12 · February 2017

I reheated a 2# portion of a brisket that was smoked and frozen a couple of weeks ago. It was thawed overnight in the refrigerator.
I just used a stock pot, brought the water to a boil, turned the heat down, and put the brisket in when the temp was down to about 190.
Pulled it out of the water after about 2 hours and it was actually juicier than when fresh off the smoker.
Although the fancy cooker/circulators may be OK, a pot of hot water and a thermometer works great for warming leftovers.
I definitely like the previous post about putting the package in a ziplock if it needs more time after checking the IT with a temp probe.
Never going to reheat any BBQ in the oven again.

Several SousVide Questions

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