How long for Oxygetn Absorbers to 'work'?

[rocktot]

Ok, I just did a few bags with oxygen absorbers, and the OA bag was air tight, but the bags have not sucked in yet after 2 days. I did see that one bag from a previous test sucked in, but it probably took a few days or a week, which does not sound normal. I thought it should be the next day -24 hours. The bag with the extra 6 OA has also not sucked in even though it was sealed![Mad]

[hollohas]

Mine have always sucked in after 24 hours. What food did you pack? What size bag? What size O2 absorber? Did your absorbers come with an oxygen monitor type sticker? It is possible you got some bad O2 absorbers...

[rocktot]

grr, I think they are 300 cc for gallon bags. They hold at least 3 quarts of beans. Well, got some new ones on order one way or the other. ALL THOSE DAMN BAGS SEALED! GRRRRRR.

[rbeau30]

Mine start working immediately. As a nmatter of fact when I open a bag of absorbers if I don't constantly keep the bag they are in closed, they get warm to the touch.

After sealing I would say within the hour the bags look like vaccuum sealed coffee beans. However, whatever is the recommended size, i always double it. My time is worth more than a few dollars for some extra absorbers.

[rocktot]

Ok, then I would ask what type do you use, and where do you get them? Thanks

[rbeau30]

I get these exact ones from this seller. I also browse their other products and get an extra 60-pack of absorbers per order.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003X87CFW/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My storage solution is to have 6 of these gallon bags in each 5 gallon bucket.
This has worked for: Pinto Beans, Rice, Wheat, Rolled Oats, Quinoa, powdered potatoes, Etc. Have not had a fail to work so far.

I know they may not be the cheapest... but this is what I started with and it worked so I stuck with what worked for me.
I also seal the bags up with a Flat Hair Iron straightener like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Remington-Straight-Ceramic-Straightening-Tourmaline/dp/B00067YSLO/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1361086280&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=Remington+flat+iron

[rocktot]

Ok, those are the ones I had good luck with, and am ordering more, thanks. I use an old household iron on about medium, and I have a metal angle thing I can lean the bags up without spilling, and iron them shut using aluminum foil to keep from burning. I have to cut them all opened and redo now. Not that I have that many though.

[rbeau30]

I bought the hair iron, because it has a digital temp setting. It is 25 bucks and I honestly don't have an iron. I'm Air Force, and utilize the on base dry cleaners LOL!

[brobar]

How can you be in the Air Force and not have an iron? I thought that was standard issue along with your underwear!

[brutal]

How can you be in the Air Force and not have an iron? I thought that was standard issue along with your underwear!

They get a curling iron and panties. :D

[rbeau30]

How can you be in the Air Force and not have an iron? I thought that was standard issue along with your underwear!

Ha! After tech scool, and basic, where when I still went through, we had to iron our tshirts and all clothes in our locker. I quickly stopped doing that after I was not required to do so. In place of an iron we still do stupid and menial tasks like Safety briefings and Wing-Commander's call (not much different than a high school pep rally, complete with a 'mascot').

An iron brings me to a place I don't want to go.

[J]

I have always used a food saver vacuum device. Works pretty well, but not the cheapest device, or materials to operate. I have always wondered just how well they pull out all the oxygen, seem to work well enough. This has me thinking for extra long terms storage if a small O2 absorber in the bag would help at all to suck out the last little bit. Any thoughts?

[rocktot]

Yea, it would get it down a little further. Your supposed to use some kind of 'gas' when sealing anyway. And humidity absorbers also, but few do. For rice and other touch things I would do as much as possible.

[rbeau30]

There is still a lot of space in between the food granules to hold Oxygen to feed microbes/weevil eggs. The microbes will eventually run out of oxygen, but what we are looking IMO in food storage is maximum nutritional retention over the longest period of time. I have read somewhere that those food-saver devices do not work as well with Mylar bags as the plastic bags they are designed for... and the plastic bags they utilize are not Mylar so they are porous and will leech oxygen in over the years. Plus I don't believe the food saver bags give you a true vacuum, the food in it eventually goes bad in your fridge anyways right?

Displacing the oxygen with Nitrogen like a lot of people do is a good way, but you don't get the vacuum effect which would normally give you an indication that the seal failed or something. Dessicant is cool, but there really is not much humidity here to matter I don't think. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to throw some in there if you had them. once inside Mylar inside a sealed bucket, inside a cool/dry place away from sunlight, in the arid climate we are in, I think you wouldn't have to worry as much.

I definitely would put O2 absorbers in any food storage solution (not sugar). If I have spent money on the food, I would hate to have to replace it in 15 years or so, and see it go to waste. Adding a food dessicant pack certainly would not hurt, and probably help peace of mind when it comes to ensuring your food stays shelf stable. They aren't expensive, so why not?

[J]

Makes sense, I've tested out to 3-5 years and all is good, but would be great to know it goes longer.

[rbeau30]

If it works for you I say go for it. I tend to be over-cautious. Even in my home-brew, and home canning operations. So what I do probably is overkill.