How long should it take for O2 absorbers to seal?

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Ajax, Mar 16, 2011.


  1. Ajax

    Ajax Monkey++

    I recently did a few 5 gallon buckets of rice and it has been 24 hrs and the bags do not seem very vacuum sealed. Last time it seems like it sucks the air in pretty good like somehting that was mechanically vacuum sealed but this last batch still hasn't tightened up. I pushed the air out of them when starting but didn't use a vacuum to suck as much as possible out though.

    As far as I can tell it seemed to seal fine, I tested it on a pice and it sealed well enough to tear the bag befor the seal. I sealed it twice in two seperate places.

    The O2 were about 1 1/2 years old but have been in a air tight bag for the whole time. There was a little pink pill that seemed pink although I could see a small plue circle right in the middle of the pink. After taking it out the little pill turned a purpleish blue all over.

    I am thinking that I will have to redo it but was curious if I just need to give it longer. According to the directions it should have been good for 3000 CC and the mylar bag after being filled should only have about 1700 CC's of O2.

    Another question I have is I have a hand pump vacuum sealer that will seal mason jars, if I rigged it up to seal a mylar bag to 25 would that be enough to vacuum seal it compared to using O2 absorbers?

    Thanks,
     
  2. Ajax

    Ajax Monkey++

    Update, it seems like there is a little bit more of a seal now on the bag, still not like manually vacuum sealing the bag but I did some reading online and apparently the O2 absorbers don't necessarily create a vacuum as much as they just remove O2.
     
  3. Country_boy

    Country_boy Monkey+

    They should remove 21% of the air, assuming you live at sea level, this is about 3 psi vacuum. You can see it if the product isn't compressable, and you didn't have a ton of head space. If your O2 asorbers are the kind thst expect there to be some moisture, they will take forever (if at all) with dried rice
     
  4. Ajax

    Ajax Monkey++

    What do you mean by compressible? Not sure about the moisture, I bought them from Nitro Pak so they are made for sealing up food like this.
     
  5. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    A slightly overstated analogy, but imagine a fluffed up down sleeping bag placed in a vac seal bag and pull all the air out so the volume is minimum. What remains is incompressible. The same idea applies to storage of food stuffs. Rice grains are (for all intents and purposes) incompressible. (Not sure that was the question --)
     
  6. Ajax

    Ajax Monkey++

    I'll check when I get home and maybe take a picture. It was starting to suck in some compared to when I first sealed it just not as drastically as I thought it would.

    I realize now that I should have left the pill with the remaining O2 absorbers in the jar but I was curious what it would look like after sitting out a little while, lol.
     
  7. Country_boy

    Country_boy Monkey+

    If you are packing powered milk or hash browns, you want get the firm feel you get with rice and beans. The 3 psi will just compress the food. I purge with nitrogen 9and then add O2 absorbers), so I don't get it either. i've considered stopping, as the "sucked down bag" is a good indication of success, but not pulling as much vacuum on the bag reduces the chance of leaks, and should reduce permability.
     
  8. Ajax

    Ajax Monkey++

    I went and checked them again and definitely more of a vacuum than right after I sealed them but still not like a brick. I pushed my finger in and the bag is firm but not hard, I can press in maybe .5 or a little more inches.

    I sealed two 40 lbs bags of short grain rice in two buckets.
     
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