I'm looking to upgrade to a chamber vacuum sealer. Can I get by with using 3mil bags for salmon/halibut? Or, do I need to go with 5mil for fish? How about size of bags? I'm going to stock up so what's the most popular size(s) to have? Thanks.
chamber vacuum sealer bag question
- Thread starter tcman
- Start date
kasilofchrisn
Well-known member
I like the thicker bags. Much better protection for a small price increase.
As for size I bought several different sizes to accomodate different things. It really depends on how much you want in each package.
If you are a single guy a 2# package is way more than a meal. A family of 5 or more could easily eat that much halibut or game meat in one sitting.
Also need to look into what size sealer you are going to buy. Some will do a whole salmon fillet others you will have to cut and/or fold the fillet to fit in your sealer.
As for size I bought several different sizes to accomodate different things. It really depends on how much you want in each package.
If you are a single guy a 2# package is way more than a meal. A family of 5 or more could easily eat that much halibut or game meat in one sitting.
Also need to look into what size sealer you are going to buy. Some will do a whole salmon fillet others you will have to cut and/or fold the fillet to fit in your sealer.
I use the pre-made bags that Alaska Butcher Supply sells. What thickness the plastic is has never crossed my mind. I have a few sizes but my most used size is 8x10. I got some bigger bags last time, like 10x12. I don't use many of the smaller bags. I'd recommend buying a few sizes and seeing what you use. That's what I did. I have a lifetime supply of small bags now but quickly ran out of the bigger sizes.
I use the 8x10 the most. I buy the bags at Alaska Butcher Supply. About $120 / 1000 for the 8x10 4 mil. The other sizes I use (10x13 and 6x12) I buy in the 100 packs. I've purchased thicker bags but found 4 mil is plenty adequate (fish and meat) from my experience. If you move your frozen product around alot, the thicker bag probably would be better. If I have something (generally not food product) that I think might puncture a bag over time or use, I just double or triple bag it. I keep my machine (Minipack MV31) right on the counter. Use it all the time.
I like the heavier bags myself and generally use 6 x10 or 6x12 and 8x 10. My goal is when i get bags it’s worth it to me to get a product that will seal if it doesn’t seal the meat will be wasted so it not worth scrimping on a few cents. Not knowing what sealer you are getting you may need to play with different bags to determine which work the best for you.
The only time I've had a seal failure in my chamber machine was because I overstuffed the bag. Not necessarily with volume but by shape of the product inside the bag, too. That supports my original post about using more larger bags than smaller.
I doubt heavier bags make much difference to guys like me who package and transport to our own freezers. If I was a commercial packer who shipped around the country in I'd be more concerned. For a private user a chamber machine and 4 mil bags is pretty much top of the line already.
I doubt heavier bags make much difference to guys like me who package and transport to our own freezers. If I was a commercial packer who shipped around the country in I'd be more concerned. For a private user a chamber machine and 4 mil bags is pretty much top of the line already.
