processhead I do the same thing when I make sausage.

Meat Hacks: The importance of properly packaging your Snack Sticks.

Learn about the importance of properly packaging your Snack Sticks with Walton's and Meatgistics. Watch the video, read the guide, and then post your questions or comments below.

Meat Hacks

The importance of properly packaging your Snack Sticks
When made correctly Snack Sticks can be a near shelf stable product. One important factor in how long your snack sticks will keep is making sure they are dry when they get packaged. Any moisture that is trapped inside the bags can cause mold to grow which will destroy your product, so make sure that your snack sticks have been dried before you package them.

Another thing you want to make sure of before packaging your snack sticks is that they are cool, a warm snack stick, even if the outside is dry, will cause moisture to build up on the inside of the bag which will end up causing the same issue as packaging a wet snack stick.

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Packaging Meat After Cooking - Meat Hacks

Learn the steps to follow when packaging meat products after smoking or cooking with Walton's and Meatgistics. Watch the video, read the guide, and post your questions or comments below.

Meat Hacks

How to package meat after cooking
Whenever you cook meat snacks like smoked sausage, jerky, snack sticks, or any other smoked and cured meats, there are a couple of steps we recommend following before packaging. First, cool the product immediately after your smoking and thermal processing is done. You should NOT cover the product while it is cooling down, so you can prevent condensation from forming, and so that the outside of the meat product can be dry, especially if you used a cold water shower or bath as part of your cooling process, you’ll want the product exterior to dry out before packaging. Once you’ve cooled the meat products, you should let them sit out at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before packaging to begin equalizing with the ambient room temperature so you again don’t have condensation begin to form. For a product like snack sticks or jerky, where shelf stability is the goal, you can also lose shelf stability when moisture is introduced into the packaged product because moisture creates an environment where mold can potentially grow. Snack sticks and jerky are also meant to have a lower water activity. If you do not let the product cool before packaging and condensation forms in the package or the outside of the meat snack, then you won’t have the same effect and ability for a longer storage time without some packages and product going bad, growing mold, etc. Another benefit to removing moisture from the product and preventing condensation before packaging for meat snacks with casings is to prevent small ice crystals from forming and going through multiple freeze and thaw cycles which can actually separate the casings from the meat and, in turn, also lose the snap or bite the casing helps add to the meat snacks when biting and eating.

To sum things up, when you are ready to package your meat snacks or other products, the product to be packaged should have a dry exterior and should be equalizing with the ambient room temperature so you can avoid moisture on the product or condensation buildup in the package, which will help with your overall product quality, reduce chances for mold to grow, and help products with casings stay intact if they are frozen and thawed.

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Difference Between Chamber and Non-Chambered Vacuum Sealing Vacuum Sealer vs. Chamber Sealer

Learn what the difference between chamber and non-chambered vacuum sealers, along with the different vacuum sealer bags, and when to use which ones with Walton's and Meatgistics. Read the highlights here, and post your comments or questions below.

Walton's Chamber Vacuum Sealer What Is A Chamber Vacuum Sealer?

A chambered vacuum sealer is a vacuum sealer where the entire vacuum pouch is placed inside of the vacuum sealer and when the lid closes, the vacuum process begins. The air is removed from from inside the machine and the pouch is fully enclosed by the machine and lid. The VacMaster VP215 is a great example of a small chamber vacuum sealer. Chambered Vacuum Sealers come in a ton of different options and varieties. From as inexpensive as the Walton’s Chamber Vac Sealer at a little more than $1,000 all the way to a Promarks DC-900 Double Chamber Swing Lid Vacuum Sealer that costs $26,000. For a vacuum sealer at home, Walton’s recommends the VacMaster VP215 Vacuum Sealer. At just over $1,200, this vacuum sealer is hard to beat. For a commercial unit, it is a little bit harder to say which unit is best because it really depends on your volume and capacity. Walton’s does promote and really like the quality and functionality of the Promarks Vacuum Sealers for any type of commercial application, though.

Walton's Non-Chambered Vacuum Sealer What Is A Non-Chambered Vacuum Sealer?

A non-chambered vacuum sealer is a vacuum sealer where only the end of the bag is placed inside the vacuum sealer. Once the vacuum is turned on, most of the bag remains outside the vacuum sealing chamber and air is pulled out of the bag by small channels in the vacuum pouch. These types of units are typically very inexpensive and are great for all kinds of applications at home. These types of units would not be suggested for commercial applications, though.
Walton’s carries its own brand of vacuum sealers with two choices in the non-chambered models. The Walton’s 12-inch Pro Vac Sealer is made of stainless steel and is ideal for home vacuum packaging, including marinating meat and seafood. Constructed from stainless steel, the Walton’s 12-inch Pro Vacuum Sealer has a handle featuring a quick-start and quick-seal buttons for convenience.
Another affordable option for the home user is the Walton’s Fresh Vac Sealer. For bags up to 11 inches in width, this vacuum sealer comes with a lock down handle and extra vacuum power. For $89.99 this vac sealer is a good option for home use.

Waltons Chamber Vacuum Sealer Bags What Vacuum Pouches work with Chamber Vacuum Sealers?

All vacuum pouches! Chambered machines will work with any type of vacuum pouch, regardless of brand or style. That is the great thing about Chamber Vacuum Sealers in that you aren’t stuck using only a special type of bag like the non-chambered units require. And, with Chamber Vacuum Sealers, you also get the added benefit of having multiple options available. Instead of just plain 3-mil Vac Pouches, you can also get 4-mil Vac Pouches, 5-mil Vac Pouches, Zippered Vac Pouches, Windowed Vac Pouches, Safe Handling Printed Vac Pouches, and Gold Foil Vac Pouches.

What Vacuum Pouches work with NON-Chambered Vacuum Sealers?

Only vacuum pouches with a textured interior. Sometimes referred to as “full-mesh bags”, “textured bags”, or “non-chambered bags”. Almost all vacuum sealer bags that have a textured interior are compatible with any brand of FoodSaver®, Walton’s, VacMaster®, or Ziploc® heat-seal vacuum systems (and other brands). Walton’s offer vacuum sealer bags with the textured interior from both Walton’s and VacMaster. I personally use the Walton’s bags, but both types of brands of bags from Walton’s will work with any brand of non-chambered vacuum sealers.

Why Should I Choose Chamber or Non-Chambered Vacuum Sealers & Bags

First off, whichever machine you have, buy the right type of bags for it. If you have a chamber machine, it will still work fine with the non-chambered (textured interior) bags, but the actual Chamber Vacuum Sealer Bags will be less expensive. Then, if you are still trying to choose between the styles, consider this… Initial costs will be less expensive on the “non-chambered” units, but more expensive on the bags over time. The machines cost less and it’s easier to start off by buying a non-chambered vacuum sealer but buying a chamber vacuum sealer will save you money because chamber vacuum sealer bags are a fraction of the cost of their non-chambered counterparts. Non-chambered vacuum sealers cost less than chamber vacuum sealers, but chamber vacuum sealer bags cost less than non-chambered (textured interior) vacuum sealer bags.

What Is The Price Comparison Between The Two Types of Vacuum Sealers & Bags?

Example: If you average using 10 bags a week to seal leftovers from dinner or package a few batches of jerky and snack sticks from time to time, then you’d use 520 bags in 1 year. That cost in 8x12 bags for the non-chambered type would cost you about $125. The same quantity of bags, but for a chamber vacuum sealers would cost about $30. That’s a $95 difference. Multiply that out over 5 years of use, and add in the cost of buying a vacuum sealer of either type…
Walton’s 12inch Pro Sealer ($340) plus vacuum pouches ($625) equals a total cost over 5 years of $965.
Walton’s Chamber Vac Sealer ($1,099) plus vacuum pouches ($150) equals a total cost over 5 years of $1,249.
From that, you can see that the cost of vacuum sealer bags are really a great equalizer over the long run, and the total cost of ownership between non-chambered and chamber vacuum sealers is really quite close.

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