# Sous Vide cooler



## smokeymose (Apr 15, 2017)

I finally got around to modifying a cooler for a Sous Vide unit. 
Found a cooler the right size and cut a hole to fit the ANOVA. It's a 30 quart cooler and 5 gallons hits the ANOVA right in the middle of the minimum/maximum level.
120 degrees to 155 only took a half hour.
There's a 4# Corned Beef flat in there now (after smoke). Pastrami tomorrow!












IMG_2019.JPG



__ smokeymose
__ Apr 15, 2017







:yahoo:


----------



## crankybuzzard (Apr 15, 2017)

You guys are going to make me get one of these things if you keep coming up with mods and such!

Looks great and I like the way you incorporated the cup holder.


----------



## b-one (Apr 15, 2017)

Nice got to love a nice cooler mod!Thumbs Up


----------



## SmokinAl (Apr 16, 2017)

Great idea using the cup holder!

Al


----------



## wild west (Apr 16, 2017)

Nice job on the cooler mod. Do you think pinching the top of zip lock bags between the lid and body of the cooler would work for holding the bags in place. I don't have a vac sealer


----------



## smokeymose (Apr 16, 2017)

wild west said:


> Nice job on the cooler mod. Do you think pinching the top of zip lock bags between the lid and body of the cooler would work for holding the bags in place. I don't have a vac sealer


It should, as long as the bag is big enough to let the food stay submerged. With 5 gallons there is still around 4 inches above the water in mine....
I'm using an old cut down cooling rack on the bottom, so you can let the bag sink and still have circulation all around it.


----------



## smokeymose (Apr 16, 2017)

CrankyBuzzard said:


> You guys are going to make me get one of these things if you keep coming up with mods and such!
> 
> Looks great and I like the way you incorporated the cup holder.



Like nepas said, "Want one you do".
Besides outstanding steak and Pastrami, I figure I can finish a whole 5# batch of k'basa in this bad boy....
:sausage:


----------



## shyzabrau (Apr 16, 2017)

SmokeyMose said:


> It should, as long as the bag is big enough to let the food stay submerged. With 5 gallons there is still around 4 inches above the water in mine....
> I'm using an old cut down cooling rack on the bottom, so you can let the bag sink and still have circulation all around it.



I like the idea of a rack on the bottom. I'll have to rig up something for my pot. Pix when I do it...


----------



## gnatboy911 (Apr 19, 2017)

I bought one of those coolers that most guys have bought for the sous vide mod...the coleman party stacker, but I like that one better I think....deeper for bigger items!


----------



## smokeymose (Apr 20, 2017)

That's what I liked about it. Last weekend I had a 3# pastrami, a pair of beef ribs and asparagus in it all at the same time. I just set it at 155 and pulled each when they were ready.


----------



## old bones (May 22, 2017)

SmokeyMose said:


> Like nepas said, "Want one you do".
> Besides outstanding steak and Pastrami, I figure I can finish a whole 5# batch of k'basa in this bad boy....


I picked up the same cooler and plan on using it on my larger meats and when doing big batches of sausage.  I tested out the circulation with a few coffee grounds and I was surprised how well my Anova  works.   If I preheat the cooler with hot water,  I have very little heat loss in three hours.


----------



## remsr (May 31, 2017)

Really great idea I'll bet the Sous Vide doesn't work nearly as hard to keep the temp stable in a cooler desind to maintain heat and cold? I do woodwork and have most sizes of hole cutting saw blades. A question I have is what did you do about the clip on the Sous Vide that's designed to clip on to a pot? 

Randy,


----------



## smokeymose (May 31, 2017)

REMSR said:


> Really great idea I'll bet the Sous Vide doesn't work nearly as hard to keep the temp stable in a cooler desind to maintain heat and cold? I do woodwork and have most sizes of hole cutting saw blades. A question I have is what did you do about the clip on the Sous Vide that's designed to clip on to a pot?
> 
> Randy,



That's why a cooler is such a good idea, Randy. It holds temps and when closed there is virtually no evaporation.
I don't know about other brands, but with the ANOVA the unit itself and the part that clamps to the pot are two separate pieces. 












IMG_2094.JPG



__ smokeymose
__ May 31, 2017





With a hole the right size no clamp/holder is needed.

Dan


----------



## remsr (Jun 1, 2017)

I have the 1200w Gourmia with wifi have not looked to see if the clip is removable yet. In a stock pot covered with foil it didn't  fluctuate even a degree for 50 hours of cooking. That was at 138 degrees so there was no evaporation either, but at higher degrees close to boiling it still doesn't fluctuate but I do get some evaporation. The cooler would  illuminate that problem and allow me to cook larger cuts of meat  without having to cut them into smaller pieces.
Thanks Dan.

Randy,


----------

