how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.

It all depends on time in the freezer, really.  Ziplocs will dry food out pretty quickly in my experience where a vacuum sealed bag will keep it fresh tasting for months.  I originally bought one because I buy coffee beans in 5lb bags so I wanted something to break them down into what my grinder would hold and started using it for everything.  I make 3-6 gallon batches of soups and sauces and just use the foodsaver to break them down into small batches (gripsticks are essential for this when dealing with liquids).
 
Durangosmoker said:
I live alone, so typically have lots of leftovers, even if I smoke just one chicken.  I am curious why everyone uses vac sealers to freeze food? I typically just use ziplock freezer bags, and they seem to work fine.  Is a vac sealer that much better that I should consider getting one?
Click to expand...

Eric, I can't recommend a vacuum sealer enough.  We started using one in the late 80's (when the first FoodSavers came out), and they're worth their weight in gold!  First, whatever you remove all the air from lasts considerably longer.  If you are just freezing a small portion of leftovers, and are going to eat them pretty soon, the Ziploc bags are fine.  But, if you intend to keep something frozen for several months, vac sealing is the only way to go.

When freezing, or keeping in the fridge, air is the enemy.  It causes freezer burn, and lets food decompose much faster.  By placing food in a vacuum, you remove the air.  Here's what really convinced us, many years ago, about the value of vacuum sealing:  If you buy a package of hamburger meat, and freeze it (in the styrofoam/plastic wrap from the store), it will be watery when you thaw it.  It just doesn't hold together, like fresh hamburger.  If you vacuum bag it, and then thaw it, it is literally "just like" the day you bought if from the store!  This is the same with steaks, and other meats that affected by the freezer.

I always smoke more ribs than I need.  When I vac-pack the fresh ribs, and then reheat them months later, they are just like the day I smoked them. 

Bottom line - a vacuum sealer is one of the best investments you can make, in our hobby!
 
+1    We use the vac sealer for all left over smoked meats.  But more than that, my wife uses it for sealing pretty much anything, so it gets a heavy amount of use.
 
OFFSHORE GINGER said:
Just curious is there any one brand that is a plus or are they all about the same.
Click to expand...

Check out the Vacmaster Pro on Amazon, I own the 140 model, but they also have larger units.

Here is a thread discussing them
http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=3685.0

Greg
 
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