Vacuum sealing jars for cheap

[blynx]

and I bought one of these units when they first came out the other year. The biggest problem I've found with them is that a majority of the bags I used lost their vacuum after anywhere from an hour to a couple weeks.

If you can't afford the hundred bucks for a Foodsaver with jar attachment, you could always buy the jar attachment (around $8) and a harbor freight brake bleeder and vacuum pump kit ($25) and hook the jar attachment up to the hand squeeze vacuum pump and manually seal the jars.

http://www.harborfreight.com/brake-bleeder-and-vacuum-pump-kit-92474.html

 

[ak-51]

Thought this might be helpful:

I want to note a couple things about this chart. I do not own any of the products listed and cannot vouch for the accuracy of the vacuum negative-pressure (in.Hg vac). Also, most of these can probably be janky-rigged up to seal jars. The FoodSaver brand jar sealing accessory just has a hole in the top. If you can mate your vacuum device to it then you can seal jars. I'd also like to note that my MityVac brand brake line bleeder is advertised as being capable of reaching 25in.Hg. I have tested this myself and can say it does pretty much top out there.

I also have questions about the level that is necessary for what we want. The more the better is probably your first though. I found that to get off lids that were sealed with 20in.Hg I had to really pry them off. I was using my knife to pry them off and I was actually starting to bend the outside lip of the lid before it would finally pop off! At what level is mold growth retarded? At what level is it flat out impossible? If storing long term I would likely go with more pressure since you are at that point fighting normal degradation which would occur over time.

 

[wonnagogreen]

this was a very helpful thread

 

[Cmobile69]

This is a very good method Baba ku thanks! But my only problem is I am hooked on the smell of my buds lol. I can't go long without opening jars for a sniff.

 

[SoCoMMJ]

Have Vacuum Sealed an untold number of jars and NEVER EVER had product mold in inventory or storage. Done properly meds will continue to cure in jar until opened. Here's what you need to do it right:

you need one of these [$10] wide or small mouth are different:
http://amzn.com/B00005TN7H

and something like one of these[has to have a vacuum port]. If you shop around you can get them fairly cheap.
http://amzn.com/B001E75OSG

We use this set up in a commercial setting with great success.

If you vacuum seal the jars at +/- 57% humidity, measured with one of these, :
http://amzn.com/B001CZLO5W

they will continue to cure while sealed and you will NEVER lose meds to mold.

There ya go... trade secrets revealed

 

[Gila-Monster]

I've used a device called a Preservino that injects Argon gas into a container. Used in combination with a Mason jar vacuum sealer it's very nice. The jar sealer I have is made by FoodSaver, but I use a heavier vacuum pump.

Yes, exactly:

Have Vacuum Sealed an untold number of jars and NEVER EVER had product mold in inventory or storage. Done properly meds will continue to cure in jar until opened. Here's what you need to do it right:

you need one of these [$10] wide or small mouth are different:
http://amzn.com/B00005TN7H

[...]
There ya go... trade secrets revealed

 

[inquest]

AK-51, as long as you burp and re-vac, your buds should lose moisture slowly and thus cure. Add freezing to the technique and you've got freeze-dried buds. Yuck, lol!

Baba, love the idea! You could do a bunch of small jars at once in the same bag, too! Also, for those who are handy, a real vacuum pump could also be used for laminating, general clamping, infusion techniques, composite mat'l mfg, ion nitriding, diy plasma projects, all kinds of goofy stuff!

 

[gardenbug]

Foodsaver, wide mouth jar attachment, and jars.
Works great.
Confuses people the first time they try to open the jar and can't because the vacuum is so strong on it. No smell will escape from the jars due to being glass, and the vacuum. Wipe them down with alcohol when you are done and they are completely smell free. I would almost bet a dog would miss it.

 

[mugenbao]

I jarred up a plant this morning using the Ziploc sealer, then took a look and sniff of some that I did a few weeks ago while I was at it, and I gotta say I'm pretty pleased with the results. For such a cheap sealer, it seems to do a pretty decent job.

 

[mugenbao]

Slight modification

Slight modification

After using the OP's method to seal my jars for a while now, I decided it just wasn't as convenient as it ought to be. I still love the ultra-low price, I just hate having to stick the jars in a bag to get the seal.

So I decided to cut the vacuum valve off of the bag, poke a hole in the jar's lid, and affix (glue) the valve directly to the lid of the jar like so :

​

It seems to me that this actually works better, and is much more convenient for me. Just thought I'd put in my $0.02 in hopes that someone found it useful.


.

 

[GP73LPC]

interesting thread...

 

[Fattie]

With the upgrade, the cheap technique is looking pretty pro right now. Almost like the jars came like that and you just have to pump them...

Sweet job bro.

 

[Rolldaddy]

Good idea to vacuum seal a jar without the machine

 

[Corvette Doc]

I hope some-one can help me figure something out;

Every one says freeze dried weed tastes bad...I can aggree with that. The reason being is that the plant cells rupture from water forming ice crystals and not all of that sublimates.

In chemistry class we used vacuum to boil off liquids. Doesn't this cause similar cell destruction if there is any humidity at all?

I mean that one says to store at 57% humidity??? Isn't that high enough to cause rupturing of cell walls?

And what of rupturing trichomes in a vacuum? Maybe a low vacuum will not cause this, i just don't know for certain. But it seems like you would want a low vacuum and VERY low humidity. Does any-one know where the tipping point is in concidering these factors?

 

[PeopleWish]

I cant fit 5 gallon buckets in the vac bags.........

 

[ak-51]

You can get a foodsaver machine and jar adapter for under $100.

I was using the jar adapter and a brake line bleeder to vacuum seal jars at first. Just getting the foodsaver machine was a good choice. After doing a few jars with the brake line bleeder my forearms are pretty tired. The foodsaver machine doesn't get tired.

 

[TLoft13]

I also have questions about the level that is necessary for what we want. The more the better is probably your first though. I found that to get off lids that were sealed with 20in.Hg I had to really pry them off. I was using my knife to pry them off and I was actually starting to bend the outside lip of the lid before it would finally pop off! At what level is mold growth retarded? At what level is it flat out impossible? If storing long term I would likely go with more pressure since you are at that point fighting normal degradation which would occur over time.

Just make a small hole in the lid ad the vacuum is gone. Ad you ca easily reseal later.

 

[VirginHarvester]

Looks to me like the original poster had a good idea. There are multiple ways of sealing bud air-tight. But as to curing, it seems like a little air has always been part of the equation. I think once bud is dried and cured well enough it's then you would want to seal for preservation.