Vac sealer bag size

[jclifton]

I'm going to be ordering my first vacuum sealer a VacMaster VP112S.   The max bag size it can take is a 12” x 14”.  I want to order a supply of bags with i and wanted to know what is everyones most common bag sizes they use?

I will be bagging some portion of most things I smoke including pulled pork, steaks and chops, loin.

Thanks,

Jason

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[EFGM]

I use mainly 6x10. 95+% of the time. 3 mil

[old sarge]

Jason - you can make bags as long as you need by buying rolls. Just do not exceed the width capacity of your machine. Rolls are cheaper than pre-made but it is far too easy to make a bag too large. So take your time. Enjoy!

[SconnieQ]

Jason - you can make bags as low my as you need by buyin rolls. Just do not exceed the width capacity of your machine. Rolls are cheaper than pre-made but it is far too easy to make a bag too large. So take your time. Enjoy!

I did the math once a while ago, and found the Vacmaster rolls to be more expensive per inch than the pre-made bags. Where you might save money with rolls, is by being very careful to make your bags to the exact size you need, with no waste. If you tend to just pull out a big piece from the roll, thinking it is cheaper, and make them larger than you need, then the roll will probably cost you more. In addition to being more of a hassle due to the extra seal cycle, and extra potential seal fail.

[old sarge]

Yep!

[jclifton]

Thanks all for the replies.  Ended up ordering a VP215 instead and will use the sample bags (25 each of 6x10, 8x12 and 10x13) to make sure I know what I need.

I hesitated on the VP215 because of the physical size.  I'll just have to set it up in our semi finished basement on a sturdy cart.  I don't believe the wife will tolerate it's bulk on the counter.

Jason

[gregbooras]

Jason,
I have been buying the 11x16" bags for years. Also like to keep a roll on hand, in case I want to vacuum seal something long like a brisket.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BW3N4M4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Best Greg

[sweetride95]

Have you gotten your vp215 up and running yet? Thoughts?
I have a VacMaster pro350 and am running into some buyers remorse. I am finding the limitations of a regular sealer machine driving me towards a chamber type machine. The pro350 is a total beast and works well, but and juciness makes sealing a pain.
I don't have unlimitted space, so I am leaning towards the 112s.

[old sarge]

Moisture and juices are a problem for sure. Freezing before vac sealing works well. A little extra work but if doing stews and soups and such, freeze in a ziplock bag saying flat; after freezing unzip the bag and place the whole shebang into a vac bag and seal as normal.  If it is just the juices from meat, paper towels between the meat and the seal work.  And there are absorbent pads as shown in the link below.

https://www.lemproducts.com/product/absorbent-pads-for-vacuum-bags/vacuum-sealers-bags

[Joe]

I have owned the Vacmaster VP112s for about one year now and absolutely love it!!  FWIW, bought it from Lisa at Vacuum Sealers Unlimited - best price and superior service!!

[sweetride95]

I have owned the Vacmaster VP112s for about one year now and absolutely love it!!  FWIW, bought it from Lisa at Vacuum Sealers Unlimited - best price and superior service!!

Thanks Joe! I ordered one yesterday. Can't wait to really start exploring some sous vide recipes.
I will try the paper towel trick next time I use my regular vacuum sealer.

[jclifton]

Have you gotten your vp215 up and running yet? Thoughts?

Yes I have.  The chamber sealer is a great tool to have.  I have tried a couple of  brands of bags, vacmaster and vacuumsealersunlimited,  all without issues.  I have sealed pork steaks, chicken legs, pulled pork, Canadian bacon and bacon.  Some of the benifits I have found for having a vacuum sealer:

1. Able to smoke a larger batch and distribute to our sons.  Sons live near us but are both in graduate school.
2. Able to buy in bulk, SAMs & Costco, repackage and freeze.
3. Able to package portion appropriate sizes.  Yep I needed help here.
4. Very quick meals.  Since the packages are sealed I thaw in hot tap water then finish heating once unwrapped.

I've very excited for fall so I can package some chili, ham & beans and stew.

Now the VC215 was expensive and much of what I have done so far could have been done with an external sealer but having a chamber sealer gives me many more options.    The VC215 is very heaving and fairly bulky.  I keep mine on a rolling cart and bring it to the kitchen when doing a batch of packaging and just use it where it is stored when sealing only a bag or two.

If you have any specific questions I would be happy to answer them.

Jason

[NDKoze]

I might be wrong, but I have ordered several bulk boxes of bags from Vacuum Sealers Unlimited as well as my 215C and if you look at the box they are all made by VacMaster.

I got some 10X18 size and man do they come in handy sometimes. I can always put something shorter in there, but it is a pain when my bag is not long enough.

[old sarge]

If the bags are of good quality you are good to go.

[NDKoze]

While a good quality bag like those made by VacMaster or FoodSaver is probably the best to go with, one of the often overlooked things is to look at the mil thickness. The bags typically come in 3, 4, and 5 mils with the higher the mils the thicker the bag. The thicker bags are important especially if you are packaging sharp things like jerky, snack sticks (dried edges can be very sharp) or anything with bones. I try to use no lower than 4 mil bags when packaging jerky/snack sticks, or I end up with a lot of bags that end up with small punctures with broken seals. You can avoid this by clipping the ends with scissors or knife to cut off the sharp edges, but that is a lot of work if you do large batches.

The last time that I looked, they now even sell boilable bags that are made specifically for long boiling times. I normally only reheat or sous vide with simmering water, so the 3-5 mil bags work fine for that.