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Post by Stealth on Nov 3, 2023 13:01:35 GMT 10
Well, over two months later and here we are with a new update. This whole time the machine hasn't been working but in fairness it's not entirely HR's fault. We had a house guest for an entire month and I didn't have the mental space at the time to deal with it so for a few weeks there the delay was as much related to my own time constraints as the tech support from overseas. I have been liaising with HR over email for the last several months and last week for whatever reason, a new tech took my job over. The previous one would take days and days to get back to me after I provided requested information. The new tech responds same day and it's been a MUCH swifter process as a result. He advised that (after some home testing) I'd need to get a HVAC tech to come to the property and confirm the problem. I booked the lovely guy that came last time to come again today, and it turned out that the condenser had fried and was no longer effectively grounded so it wouldn't even kick on. While it's annoying to have to pay a couple hundred dollars for the diagnosis report as he'd already told me that on his last visit, THIS time we have a way forward. He's going to find a replacement condenser locally because he knows how to source one that will do the job. He's going to quote the amount to reclaim the gas, install a new condenser, and the cost of the condenser and a replacement coil because he said that he would recommend replacing the one that it comes with to something that's more in line with Australian standards. With the amount of work that it'll take I'm expecting it to cost at least $1k. HR have said that they'll reimburse $200USD (so about $300 Australian) for the cost as the machine is still under warranty. I haven't yet confirmed if that's INCLUDING the condenser cost or not. But at this stage if it costs me $700 to have the machine repaired well... It's a lot of money. But it is what it is. I'd much prefer to pay that money and have a working machine again. Especially in the current climate, and especially because we're coming full swing into harvest season and we have two households that would like to make use of it thank you very much! Haha. It's a relatively new domestic technology in Australia and I knew that there were risks when I bought it. Unfortunately the most likely scenario is that the draw on the power tripping the RCD was what caused the condenser to spud in so it wasn't the machine's fault. The power harness needed replacing as well, also probably because it wasn't on a dedicated circuit. Had I known all of this is I would have paid the $450 to have the dedicated line put in in the first place and avoided all this drama. That would have meant that I would never have had all the issues with repairs, replacements, and delays in use. So do I still recommend a HR machine? That's a tricky one. For me, it was always a shot in the dark and I'm still learning. When we move into our forever home I'll ensure that we have a dedicated circuit for the HR machine with back up power options available. At this stage I would say, if you are not particularly tech minded and you just want to plug something in and expect it will work perfectly every time a HR machine is probably not the way to go. AT THIS STAGE. They mostly have the market cornered for domestic machines and while other companies are coming out with new machines they still have the largest market cap internationally. Other companies have taken note and there's a few that have put together machines that they've intentionally created to address feedback that HR hasn't actioned (such as WIFI connection for updating rather than a USB stick, machine quality, efficiency etc) so there's a fair to good chance that they'll step up their game.
Previously their largest sales pitch to US customers was that the machines are made in Utah and therefore American through and through. Well, this turns out not to be the case because as far as anyone can figure now ALL of the parts come from China. The machines are simply put together and tested in the US. This is exactly the same thing for other companies. I think there's at least one in the US and at least two in Canada that I've seen advertised around. Those companies do the same thing, get the parts from China and build domestically. But previously only HR could say they were built in the US from US parts. That's no longer the case so people seem more willing to move to other companies and that alone will hopefully drive a better customer experience down the track.
So. My HVAC tech has said that he's hoping to have the replacement condenser and will do the install within 1-2 weeks at the latest because they're coming up to their busiest time of the year and he wants to get my 'little' job out of the way as he's a commercial tech. He's been really helpful and lovely so I really appreciate his professionalism. Even with the large cost I'm hoping to have my machine up and running again within the next couple of weeks. I'll definitely be sending a few bags of FD'd lollies his way  |
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on Nov 3, 2023 15:00:06 GMT 10
Thanks for your latest update...
I've been wondering, but not keeping up well with your posts about the machine...
Best wishes with your repairs.. Hope you get it working in time for your garden harvest season..
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Post by Stealth on Nov 9, 2023 10:35:03 GMT 10
Oooft. Got the quote for the repairs yesterday. Just over $1k, including the replacement compressor, labour, and sundries for the repairs. Well, I knew it was going to be expensive. And it's worse to have a $6.5k machine sitting there doing nothing, so tally ho. On with the billing lol.
If you had experience or the understanding to do that work yourself then obviously you'd be not having to worry about that kind of bill being so high. Unfortunately, I don't and given the price of the machine I wouldn't risk trying it myself. I'm happy to replace wiring harnesses or computer parts but welding and gassing fridge parts is outside of my comfort zone by a country mile so baby steps.
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Nov 9, 2023 11:49:41 GMT 10
Ouch......
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
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Post by Stealth on Nov 10, 2023 14:45:52 GMT 10
Alrighty. The tech just left and... We have freezing! Not freeze DRYING, not yet. But to date, I haven't been able to get the machine even getting into the freeze cycle so I'm exceptionally happy that it's currently sitting at 22f and dropping! I'm currently running a bread cycle to see what happens. It shouldn't take any more than about 24 hours to run the cycle so this time tomorrow I should know whether or not we've fixed the issue.
He replaced the compressor and balanced the gas. We had a little bit of a struggle because the machine seems to like to run at a lower pressure than he was expecting. But as he said, it's entirely possible that the machine's simply meant to run at a lower pressure. Without running a test cycle we're not sure so we're just letting it run to see what happens. But ultimately, machine is on. Machine is running a freeze cycle. Pump kicks on when tested. relays are all relaying. At this stage I'm touching all the wood in the vicinity that we're back on the road to freeze dry stockpiling and snack making but remaining slightly sceptical if only for my own sanity.
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on Nov 10, 2023 16:59:31 GMT 10
Best wishes with your test run...
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Post by Stealth on Nov 11, 2023 9:01:11 GMT 10
Good News! The test batched worked perfectly, came out in the morning to a fully freeze dried loaf of bread 😁. I've bought a few bags of lollies to freeze dry (skittles mostly) to do a batch for the tech who did the work for me. He was extremely knowledgeable and lovely. He showed me a few things about the gassing process so that obviously even though I can't do it myself, I have a bit of an idea of how they work out which gas to use via pressure levels etc. My brain doesn't compute numbers well so I couldn't figure it out myself without a bit of help but I definitely know a lot more about the process now than I did when we started. He also learned a bit about sublimation and how freeze drying worked so it's a win/win. He also showed me how to make sure that the filters are as clean as they need to be and how to check whether or not they need cleaning. He showed me the best place to put a fan when running in warmer temperatures as well. So essentially more support that I've had out of the HR guys purely because he was on site and able to show me.
Not HR's fault of course! But something to consider when thinking about maintenance that you might not consider initially.
The only problem I have is that the software that came with the machine was version 16, which had the 'candy mode'. That mode works faster and more efficiently for lollies and is great for production of that specific food. Without that mode, I have to muck about more doing batches of lollies. So I've emailed the HR rep back and asked if I can have a version of 16 sent over to me to up-version again. I'll still keep the version I have on a USB drive though because a lot of people online have moaned that the later versions are less efficient and hide flaws like the mTorr (vacuum levels) not dropping low enough.
So keeping the old version means I can roll back if required. Basically it's the software version of keeping spare parts for an emergency.
But for now I have a working machine again. I actually think I will start processing and selling batches of candy to start making back some of these costs at the local market. It's not something I need to do as such, I knew that there was the potential for this machine to be a very costly item and so far it has proven to be so.
I still don't recommend a FD'er to someone that has limited income or is not able to deal with unexpected costs. It's a bit like the difference between having a tinny with oars and having a powered boat in that aspect. You don't NEED it to prep. You can absolutely do it other ways. It's not really something you can just step into and expect to never have to do anything with it and there's always the risk that it won't do what you need it to do, where a tinny would have been more reliable and cheaper.
But the powered version is fun, works faster and better in a lot of ways, so if you can afford it and you don't mind the hiccups along the way it's a good tool to have in your arsenal.
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Post by Stealth on Nov 12, 2023 10:44:21 GMT 10
Batch in progress, lime quarters that we were given MONTHS ago. They'll be used for flavouring meals and drinks, but also as a vitamin C boost if required. I also had a 'this is why I got this' moment this morning. Hubby made french toast with a left over loaf of sourdough that was going to be too stale to use later on. He had a container with quite a bit of the egg and milk mix left and most of the loaf of bread. I was about to tip the egg down the sink (it had sugar and spice in it and everyone had already eaten so it wouldn't have been used in anything else) and stopped myself and thought "Wait, if I make up the rest of it I can freeze dry it and not waste the leftovers". Seems obvious, right? And honestly it is, but not being able to store food past what you can fit in your fridge or freezer is something that you have to get used to. We eat FD'd french toast as a delicious crunchy breakfast replacer rather than reconstituting it. Reconstituting bread can be painful because it takes a lot of time and doesn't always work. But the crunchy version is delicious straight out of the bag. So back to saving up our leftovers again for a fresh meal later on  |
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on Nov 12, 2023 12:16:56 GMT 10
Wait.. I can make up the rest and save the left overs...
== ==
Had to chuckle at that... As that kind of thinking is part of the ..prepper.. mind set you learn a little at a time it seems.. For instance... Like freezing onion trimmings, carrot ends and peels, a turkey or chicken bones and such for making and canning stock broth.. Pasta sauce from the store is so much cheaper than homemade and canned but looking at the jars it comes in to make sure you get the brand that can re use the jar as a canning jar... And things that can go into the chicken feed bucket rather than the drain... A whole ..mind set.. so many don't know, and seemingly will never learn fast enough to survive hard times.. ...Steps off soap box...
Glad you got the machine running.. Good luck..
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Post by Stealth on Nov 14, 2023 12:33:06 GMT 10
Current batch, limes! They've been sitting in the deep freeze waiting to be done so thankfully we're getting that space back. But as you can see in the pictures, the absolute iceburg of water that's been removed from them is pretty impressive. They were juicy as heck and that ice is evidence of that fact.   I also cooked up two shoulders of pork as pulled pork last night. We had the intention of FDing the whole lot but of course the smell got the best of us and we ended up having pulled pork rolls for dinner. About half of it survived that little session 😅. So we have about 1kg of left over meat that's going into the freezer to pre-freeze and run after the limes. We also have a chunk of beef that hubby makes an absolutely amazing dish with that will also be FDd. Getting stuff when it's on sale is super handy when it doesn't matter how long it will take you to actually eat it. |
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Post by Stealth on Nov 19, 2023 15:00:34 GMT 10
Finally got my act together and made a fire cider blend to freeze dry. The intention is to powder it and then put it in a dark jar so that when we need it we can either add it to apple cider vinegar, apple juice or high proof alcohol depending on the person and purpose. So this blend includes a small hand of ginger, a couple of thumbs of turmeric, about 10 decent sized cloves of garlic, about three large whole limes, 2 large red chilis and four birds eye chilis with all of their seeds. The average recipe recommends lemons but we had left over limes that are extremely close to lemons. They actually taste more like lemons than limes to me. But either way, they'll do the same job. My recipe is also not high heat on the chilis for two reasons, the garlic that I used in there is raw so it will help with the heat. The other reason is that I intend using this for my kids as well and while one is very much a chili fiend the other two aren't. Had a quick taste of it and... It's delicious! Citrusy, spicy, not too heavy on the garlic but you can tell it's there. I feel like it could definitely have more heat in it but like I said, I need it to be consumable by small people so I can always add some powdered chili when making it. Recipes vary quite a lot, some of them recommend raw onion as well but I've found as I've gotten older that I can't stomach raw onion anymore. Some recommend horseradish. Not easily accessible here so I left that out. But most of them at least contain the ingredients that I've used so I'm happy with the results. The main reason I'm making it as a freeze dried recipe instead of as a ferment as is generally recommended is two fold. One, I can add it to whatever will suit the person drinking it. For example, ACV is highly acidic and can be a bit too much for younger tummies, or those who're suffering from gut issues. Having it as a powder means I can throw it into a cup of OJ or apple juice for anyone who needs something a bit less aggressive for whatever reason. A ferment has additional benefits of course, and as raw ingredients I can definitely create a ferment from the powder. The other reason is that as a freeze dried product it will have a longer shelf life than standard lab medications. Obviously I stockpile those as well and I would never trust JUST this for the health of my family. But it's a good little preventative medication that may help during cold and flu season. I always instinctively seek out the foods and drinks that will help clear out my sinus when I'm sick and chili is always high on that "This will make me feel better". So even if it's just a placebo effect I think it'll be a useful addition to our medical stores. It looks a bit like carrot soup haha.  I also made a tray of minced garlic to freezedry. I cooked it off for a bit first to reduce some of the raw-ness, but it is what it is, ultimately it's about 10 heads of garlic blended up. I was happy enough to put that through with the fire cider mix because it's all going to be off the charts pongy anyway. Our garage has been smelling lovely lately with the limes having just been freezedried so it's time for a fumigation. |
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Post by Stealth on Dec 18, 2023 9:40:13 GMT 10
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frostbite
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Post by frostbite on Dec 18, 2023 11:38:35 GMT 10
When am I coming over for dinner?
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Post by Stealth on Dec 18, 2023 13:54:47 GMT 10
Door's open! In fairness, you don't have to worry about there being enough cause hubby is the cook in our household and he seems to find it impossible to cook for any less than 40. I absolutely am not complaining though! Gives us plenty of opportunities to save leftovers, especially with the freezedryer in our arsenal. I swear I'd starve to death or eat a horrible diet without him because I have absolutely no imagination when it comes to cooking. He can open a cupboard and see ingredients and think of a meal to make with them. I open a cupboard, see parts of a meal but have trouble substituting a missing ingredient and then immediately lose track of any sort of plan.
So when it comes to FD'd meals he generally comes up with mains and I'm the sugar junky FD'ing treats. That being said, FD'd pink lady apples with a sprinkling of sugar? SO GOOD! Definitely don't need lollies in the house, I'll go though several apples in a go.
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frostbite
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Post by frostbite on Dec 18, 2023 14:03:24 GMT 10
He’s a keeper.
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Dec 18, 2023 15:24:22 GMT 10
When I worked at BHP (Australian Iron and Steel) at Port Kembla, we had a sit down, hot, 3 course lunch supplied at a small price in the Engineering Building, so my main meal was lunch. Tea usually consisted of a $1 worth of hot chips from Cols place at Albion Park on the way home. And my favorite food is still hot potato chips, which I cook on the BBQ now. Weekends were a pain as I didn't want to go down town just to get a bag of chips, so bought a 'chip machine'. Basically a large pot, filled with cooking oil, and a wire basket that you could put some chipped spuds into, either home made ones, or commercial crinkle cut types. I had a 30,000 BTU gas ring on the sink in the shed which powered it, and used it for many years, until I got married and my new wife condemned it as a germy, oily, mess.
So my cooking skills are pretty basic, read simple. And the BBQ features strongly in that skill set.
When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind. CS Lewis
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Post by Stealth on Dec 18, 2023 20:22:49 GMT 10
Not to be downplayed, however! A good chip is an artform that I've never exceeded at. I can make pretty good home made oven fries/chips in the air fryer but for some reason the deep fried version just never works out right for me. On that note, I've seen some Americans online recently talking about freeze drying potato gems. 'Tater tots with vinegar' are apparently super easy to consume heaps of as a snack. I can't imagine it personally, you have to drink a lot of water when you eat FD'd foods without rehydrating them. At least enough to compensate for what should have been in the food originally.
So dehydrating yourself from the inside out while eating a snack that's approximately 170 calories for four potato gems BUT they're way lighter because no water so easier to consume... Seems like a dietary recipe for disaster. Delicious, sure. But I don't hate my waistline THAT much 🤣
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Post by Stealth on Jan 14, 2024 18:30:43 GMT 10
Today's effort was pretty simple but definitely one of my favourites. Mangos have dropped down to $5 a kilo again. I've been waiting for this part of the growing season with much anticipation. So I bought a kilo and a half (just like last January) and processed those today. Took maybe 40 minutes and much resistance against getting into the produce. I'm definitely going to pick up some more next week, but for now I have three trays in the freezer pre-freezing so that as soon as the weather cools off I can get it into the machine. I cut the cheeks off and cubed them with a handy manual food chopper that I have and then squeezed the extra fruit and pulp off the seeds. I wasn't going to let a single scrap go to waste.  I also made up a small batch of guacamole because a lot of comments online that I've seen from folks says that avocado is very difficult to reconstitute. It can turn black and take on a strange and unpleasant taste. Apparently guac reconstitutes perfectly though. I'm guessing it's the addition of acid and other ingredients that helps. So I've made the equivalent of one tray's worth and that's also pre-freezing. That's being made with the specific intention of rehydrating it to test it though. I have a box of avos to use if it works well (again, taking advantage of the good prices at the moment) and if it does work out I'll probably make quite a bit more before the avo season is over. It's a great healthy fat to have in storage and even if it only lasts 1-2 years, that's guac that we can have out of avo season with no more effort than the addition of some water and a bit of patience while it rehydrates. I also watched a youtube vid last night with a couple who do a lot of FDing and like me they frequently FD ingredients but not so much for meals. I need to start creating a few meals just so that we have options and they made a jambalaya dish with andouille sausage in it. Andouille is available in Aus if you search for it but it's definitely an expensive item here IF you can find it. So when we were at the markets today I had a bit of a search and came up with chorizo as an alternative. Andouille is chunkier in texture but they have a pretty similar flavour profile so I'm going to make up a batch and make up individual meals with it. I know that the kids love chorizo and they'll eat most rice dishes without complaint so we should have an option that everyone is happy with. |
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on Jan 15, 2024 3:28:27 GMT 10
Appears you are up and running quite successfully.. Hope it continues.. Good job..
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Post by Stealth on Jan 23, 2024 21:28:11 GMT 10
Latest batch included some boysenberries for my in-laws from their ever bountiful garden. I offered to do some stuff for them because I didn't have anything lined up for the machine in the next week or so. Of course the second I say that, I have stuff that I realise I could have done hahaha. But I have to say, nothing that you can have in your long term pantry holds colour quite like freeze dried berries.  but it's fine, the last bit of what they asked me to put through for them is currently drying along with some pulled pork and roast chicken that I had ready to go that I'd forgotten about. I realised once again today that I need to update my freeze dried meal inventory again. It's been about six months and in that time I've added things over time and taken a few things out. A few times I've used individual ingredients out of the stores. Pulled pork one night when I couldn't be bothered to cook. Raw cubed onions on another night when I read the recipe wrong and didn't realise I needed onion, but the meat was already browning so I had to get it in the pan asap. Poured out of a bag and straight into the pan, they absorbed the moisture coming out of the fat and were really tasty as a result. My realisation is that having meals is super handy, but what's been even more beneficial is having the ingredients that I need to stretch a meal out further. It makes it easier to use the items when I'm rotating because it means that I can use the ingredient in whatever I'm cooking or just rehydrate one side rather than a whole meal. I'm also planning to go through my long term storage and see what's getting close to it's best before date. I've already done that with some items, I blended up some apples that I had that were for apple pie mix. They were getting close to their best before date so I just freezedried them. They'll be able to live in bags for the next 10 years plus if I find I don't get to them. And then of course I can cycle in new cans to replace them. |
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