Survivalist Forum banner

Oxygen Absorbers - what cc?

6K views 29 replies 12 participants last post by  Old Warrior 
#1 ·
Just a quick question, what number cc oxygen absorber do you use for a 1 gallon mylar bag? (with say beans or rice)

Thanks!
 
#11 ·
Those are 300cc,

I used 1 of those per gallon or half gallon bag. I've packed about 400 so far, and only have 2 or 3 failures. Most everything draws down like a brick, what doesn't has been consistent though, and I wasn't concerned.

I do my packing over a 5 day week. I open the O2 absorbers and we count them as fast as possible into pint mason jars. Then I pack 20 bags a night.

Sealed once with an impulse sealer, then again with a flat iron.

Packed in boxes, then checked and stored.

Never felt as though my system was inadequate, like I said, 2 or 3 (unexplained) failures....a few more if you count my mistakes.
 
#6 ·
I filled some 1 gallon mylar bags last night and put 1 300cc oxygen absorber in each bag. Some of the bags are solid as a rock now and others still have a lot of air in them.

4 1-gallon bags (oatmeal) are still puffy like a pillow with air in them
5 1-gal. bags (oatmeal) are not puffy but also aren't solid like a brick
3 (1/2 gal) bags of popcorn are like a brick
1 (1/2 gal) bag of popcorn isn't puffy or solid like a brick
1 1-gal. bag with 12 cups of rice in it is like a brick
2 of the same size bags of rice are still puffy with oxygen in them
1 (1/2 gal) bag of ziti pasta is like a brick

All of the bags were packaged and sealed the same way... one right after the next. I only took 5 or 6 absorbers out of the bag at a time and sealed the rest of them up immediately so they wouldn't be ruined.

I don't know why 300cc's was enough for some bags and not enough for the others. This was my first time doing this.

To answer your question, I suggest using an oxygen absorber larger than 300cc's for a 1 gallon bag. That's what I'm going to do - unless someone can suggest what I might have done wrong.

FWIW
 
#13 ·
What were you sealing with?

If you feel you're seals are good, and the absorbers were good to start, I'd give them a day or 2 to draw down. Some products take longer than others. Some have more air in there. Some fine powders clog the absorbers holes and take longer. You get more air out of some bags than others.

I felt like you on my first round, and some things just took a while......My second round, I boxed everything up for a few days, then took it out and checked it all.....everything was fine, but it was a lot easier on my head not sweating it.



Wait it out a bit, I feel that 300cc is plenty for a 1 gallon bag.
 
#12 ·
Personally I don't. I see it as doing the same "thing" twice......

Freezing kills the bugs, but removing all the oxygen from the bag would kill them too.

It's enough work as it is, trying to freeze 2-300 pounds of stuff in a freezer would be a pain in itself. I could just put it outside for a night, but then it would snow.....I know it would.


Plus I feel that varying the temperature like that could cause condensation issues, maybe. I like that my food and work area are the same temperature when I'm packing
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top