Well mine new one had the ribbing cable to the touch screen apparently disconnect during shipping. Because of videos like yours I knew what was wrong; I used a hot stick to ensure the FD had power which it did, but no power to the touch screen. Customer service was great, however I told him what was wrong when he said it was more than likely a bad power cord. I was just looking for permission to take off the panels and inspect LOL. Hot sticks are great to ensure a device has power or a receptacle has power or a cord has power.
Love my freeze dryer. I enjoy seeing the different ways people use them. I mainly use mine for eggs, milk, and vegetables. I kinda wish I had skipped my dehydrator and just bought this first as it does so much more.
@Sandy R - don’t ditch you dehydrator. I have been binge watching freeze drying videos for a month. Several I have come across say that they have used their dehydrator in concert with their freeze dryer. There were times when pockets of food on some trays wasn’t all the way freeze dried but instead of adding additional time to the freeze dryer they just took that little bit of food and put it in their dehydrator to finish the process. I remember RoseRed Homestead was one.
@@debbiebrugman4543 Definitely not getting rid of the dehydrator it was around $7-8 hundred dollers for my Excalibur 10 tray. I do prefer apples dehydrated for the chewy texture & it is good for tea herbs ect. Just think for the money spent the freezedryer does more to benefit my allergy diet with such limited foods available to me. Being able to do milk is a life saver as I drive 65 miles each way to get the one brand I can use. In bad weather its really nice to have some available if I can't drive there. Eggs are another staple I use it for, no wasting my chickens eggs now.
I'm totally new to FD. I just got a small HR machine and have been nervous about set up. This video is really great thank you so much I am no longer nervous about it. Blessings to you!
To be honest I was very disappointed in my recent customer service with Harvest right. We spent 3k for a freeze dryer. It broke7 months after purchase. screen froze. Took over 3 weeks before Harvest Right even mailed the parts needed to fix. One call, they said (without even looking me up) Sorry they couldn't assist me because the freeze dryer was purchased over 1 year ago. I was like, no not true. Look me up before telling me my dryer is out of warrantee. Geez. I'm ok with the tech support trying to trouble shoot, but that should have been done in 1 day. Not a week of tech support. Took my person 2 more weeks to MAIL the part out. WOW. I feel like I paid a good amount of money. Not the service I would expect for this price on the machine.
This kind of thing is taking the fun out of homesteading and gardening in my opinion. To each their own, I’m not bashing. Homesteading used to be geared toward people taking care of themselves by using old school methods. Now it’s become a take out your wallet and buy the newest expensive gadget that is supposedly going to last you forever but only lasts a couple days after the warranty is over. Kind of disappointing to me.
I was all set to purchase one until I started reading customer service reviews. I really want one, but I’ve had to deal with horrible customer service for appliances and really don’t care for a repeat. 😢
I just recently purchased a 7 tray xl free dry, and I feel so much calmer doing to bread run while watching the video!! Thank you. Please keep doing more freeze dry videos.
Thank you. I had a total melt down just putting the oil in. This is really intimidating for me just doing the start up. I cannot tell you, I am so great full for your video. A few different instructions to start with. But saying it is freezing now with the bread in. Fire extinguishers on hand and only drunk 3 brandy's to switch it on and get started. I will be a nervous wreck til I get the hang of this thing. Or be in rehab !!
@@CountryLivingExperience I wish you had carried on when it finishes and starts beeping at you. do I warm tray, defrost first. I just switched it off in a panic. I am not a tecky person. I don't have a mobile phone , only just learned to upload a picture on the computer and I have been using one for years. I know I will get this in the end . Just so expensive and don't want to mess up. I will get it but hard not to have anxiety over each step.
Getting to the age that whatever I freeze dry, will literally last me the rest of my life......sorta, unless I live to be 90! This is my next big purchase. Thanks for the video.
OK I see where u did the pump detail. Thank u so much. U were straight to the point and very easy to follow. I watched a few b4 I settled with you. Everyone was great but I liked your video best thnx.
It took Harvest Right 6 weeks to get my Freeze Dryer. They lost my first order so I had to reorder. Then they were out of black or white Freeze Dryers, so I had to pay an additional $200 to get the Stainless Steel. Then it was supposed to be delivered within a week. So after 2 weeks they said that they were completely out of stock and they didn’t know when it was going to come. The next day they said a Big order was sent back, but for an additional $200 I could get a medium size but they couldn’t guarantee when it would arrive. So I took the small one that had been sent back, but come to find out, the one that had been sent back was originally built in 2019. Anyway after 6 weeks I finally got my Harvest Right Freeze dryer. I lost all but 1 batch of my cherries. We are currently on our 3rd batch and this one are peaches. In a couple of years we’ll order a Large machine. I must admit that I’m very impressed with the cherries. I would recommend Harvest Right to anyone who is interested in Freeze Drying their food, but expect LONG delays after ordering. And NO, they won’t upgrade anything even though it’s their fault for not having what you ordered
I live in Canada so things usually take longer to get to us due to crossing the border. So, when I ordered mine I was expecting 4-6 weeks. So my surprise it arrived in less than 3 weeks! I had absolutely no trouble with Harvest Right.
@@littlebird3393 We love it! we had one small issue with the touch screen initially but the manual helped us out. We use it non stop and it works great!
@@sillybears4673 they haven’t responded so in case your still wondering , mine took about 3 weeks to be delivered although mine came from a different website so I don’t know if it would be the same if you purchased it form harvey’s right
Glad to know they actually send out machines that work. Got ours a little over a month ago and it wouldn’t freeze. Sent it back to harvest right to repair, got it back and tried the initial tests last night and it still doesn’t freeze. Very frustrating!!! About to send it back and just get a refund
Try to let the unit sit level, undisturbed, for 24 hours prior to running it, to allow the refrigerant to settle. I've just bought the medium sized HarvestRight unit, and it's getting down to -60°F in a half hour. Best regards, Alan
just bought the medium harvest right in white... harvest right forgot to screw the black filter on with shipping and mine arrived yesterday with the pump soaked in oil.
You mentioned the location of the vacuum pump drain, but neither you nor the instructons in the user manual cautioned to make sure the drain is closed before adding the oil. You guessed it. Ours came with the drain open, and we had a nice mess and lost oil strictly following your instructions and those in the manual. Just FYI for any updates. The rest was beautiful. Thank you.
I want one !!! But the budget is going to need some adjustments to acquire 😊 Looking forward to seeing your future videos on the freeze dryer. How exciting for you and your family!! Have fun, God Bless !!! Try to ignore the haters, but wow this one was terrible !!!
I totally understand. I would have had to save for another year to get one myself. I appreciate the kind words about ignoring the haters. It just baffles me sometimes especially when they attack my character for sharing a gift that I received. A gift that could help someone preserve food long term to give to someone in need, etc. God bless you as well!
@@tagladyify your words were very angry and unnecessary! Please continue to express your opinion without being a voice with contempt but with control! This never helps the community to continue teaching and helping others in need !
@T Ott It is no use arguing with a person like this. They are not thinking clearly and the mind has been clouded by the accuser (we know who that is). Hence, the baseless accusations, angry tone, the numerous rapid retorts. We can only pray that her mind is made clear and her soul put at peace.
Don’t buy one! At least, do better research first. Mine is always broken, same with everyone else’s I know who has one. Read the BBB reviews. You will be ripped off and regret your purchase
A step left out that’s very important “pre prep” u have to run the machine for 35minutes to a hour before u place anything into it or u will have to do twice as much work
Why would they put that open/close valve on it if it’s only supposed to be open? Seems like it’s setting the user up for error… the pump I’m talking about
Thank you! I have a question. At about 7:18 when you show the valve, is that opened or closed in that position? The book is vague on that and I keep getting a vacuum error 🙄
Thank you for such a great video. If you could help me with 2 questions, please… 1) how long should it take to reach below 500psi? 2) do you see a slight mist coming from around the black oil mist cap thing? If not, thoughts on plumber’s tape to seal this better? Thanks again for this great video!
Hi Natalie, just bought our own HarvestRight freeze dryer, medium sized, and with your unit expressing a light oil mist from the demister while operating, I suspect you've got a little too much oil in your pump The oil level should be just a little bit above the halfway point in the sight glass of the pump. To drain off a little oil, place a cup or other container under the spout found at the front of the pump, by the bottom- the drain spout points straight down, and is found just below the silver knob at the bottom front. Open the knob and catch the oil, watching the sight glass to see when it's at the proper level, and close the drain knob. You can clean that oil and save it for reuse when you filter the oil at the regular service interval. That should work for you, hope it helps! Respectfully yours, Alan
My question is, considering all the supply chain issues, is what happens if you can't get mylar bags and oxygen absorbers? I love the idea but if you don't have electricity and the supplies it becomes an expensive paperweight.
Great question. If you can buy them now, then stock up. If you cannot then just put them in mason jars. If you have solar, then you can still use it. If you don't have electricity, bags, absorbers, then use an old method of preservation. If you are blessed with one of these today, use it as much as you can to preserve all of your food while it is still possible.
@@CountryLivingExperience I think you need a pretty large solar and battery system to operate the FD, in my experience the power consumption varies between 2.5 kwh and 3.5 kwh depending on the product to be dried.
We use a combination of mason jars for fragile food, mylar bags and regular vacuum (Foodsaver) bags for storage. Good quality vacuum bags keep their vacuum for 2 years easily but they don't have the light blocking layer, you must store them in a dark place. One way to get around delivery bottlenecks is to order supplies well ahead of time and to shop around for a reliable supplier that sells quality bags and O2 absorbers, HR is at or at least near the top. Be very careful with offers popping up on places like Amazon, the bags sold there are sometimes 1/2 the thickness as advertised which makes them useless for packaging hard foods and the O2 absorbers can also be of poor quality. If you're planning to use your freeze dried food within a year or so then there is no need to add an O2 absorber. In my experience the maylar bags and O2 absorbers sold by HR are of the highest quality followed by PackFresh USA, but you have to pay attention to the thickness of the bags when you order from PackFresh USA. 5mil bags are good enough in some circumstances but 7mil bags are preferrable. Having said that, we store flour, rice and beans in vacuum sealed 5mil mylar bags with a 2000cc O2 absorber, the bags are rock hard and we're not having any issues with them losing their vacuum.
I just got my machine and we’re deciding where to have the electrician install the power outlet. I’m curious if it matters whether it’s in a hot garage or not? Does it need a cool location?
"In simple terms, a gas ballast valve incorporated into the system will allow a flow of air into the final part of the compression cycle and allow the vapor to be expelled without condensation or affecting the pump's overall performance."
Myself and my Son wants one so bad things would be so much easier for us I could really stock up on The Foods unfortunately I can't they are way out of my budget my Son broke his neck 17 years ago hes completely Paralyzed and I'm 'm a Single Mom so I'll keep wishing I do buy the Freeze dry candy for him he loves it
Great video... Question for you. I just recieved mine last night. Today I started the bread freeze. I notice it starts the freezing then pump starts and after a few minutes it goes back to freezing... Something about need more time to freeze did that happen to yours?
@@CountryLivingExperience After I posted this 30 mins it went into freeze mode. After a couple of hours it went into Drying mode... The drying timer has 27 hours already. it's about 85 % done.. don't know if that's normal or not. Hopefully I didn't screw something up. The total time running so far is 31 hours. HOpefully by tomorrow morning it will be done..
@@CountryLivingExperience I was doing the bread run. This morning it was still running and wife said just to cancel it. One thing I notice when I opened the door to take out the bread the bottom screw that holds the door was very loose. it's the screw that into the door. I didn't notice that when I first started. Could that cause some issue? I close the door after taking out the bread and tighten up the screw. Hopefully this doesn't cause an issue down the road..
@@louiem5985 Did the vacuum pull the correct MTor pressure? Did you monitor that part? If the door was loose, you shouldn't have been able to go past the vacuum stage.
Where did you get that stainless table? I like that one. Why are there heating mats in a freeze dryer? Four trays is a small. Five trays is a medium. You have a Small.
@@CountryLivingExperience I apologize. I didn't realize how old this video was or that they had made that change. I just ordered a medium and am trying to learn about how to use it. Thanks for all your great information. But, what about that table? 🙂
Good video. Oil filter is to clean oil ,why oil needs cleaning? Due to material that comes with AIR during suction or friction like engine oil of any vehicle? Thank you
Am looking into offering Freeze Dry candies from our Ice Cream truck, saw what appears to be the unit you have displayed and the cost was about $75 and others are $1000+, is the one you showed the $75 one. Thanks and have a blessed day.
Hello. All the freeze dryers that I know about are many thousands of dollars. Mine was $2500. I do not believe that you can build a machine like this for $75....that sounds like a scam. Be careful and have a blessed day.
I have a big problem! All I did was add the oil turn on for one minute as stated in the manual… When I came back a couple days later, all the oil was gone and into the Vac line area/inlet. Any idea how to get it out or what to do now?
Anyone-- how much did this affect your monthly Electric Bill, dollar $$ or kWh-wise? I know running our Dehydrator kicks up the daily kWh usage by about 5-kWh. Any info helpful. Just trying to figure out if there's a STICKER SHOCK when the power bill arrives after using a Freeze Dryer.
I have recently purchased one, after getting initial problems resolved, needed software upgrade. We ran the bread, my question is what if the process finishes up at 2am? Do you have to remove and Mylar pack? It says it beeps when done but I think most people keep in basement or garage. Any suggestions? If every run is a different length of time then you don’t know what time of day it’s completed. Great video and thanks for the excellent instructions ❤️
Thank you. It will beep when done but it will also go into the extra drying time mode. I have never had mine end at night but I have been out of the house for a few hours when it had ended. I suspect if it has finished, then finished with the extra dry time, it will just sit there and if it senses moisture it will kick on again. I usually start mine in the morning or early afternoon. My cycles are usually 18 to 28 hours.
Wowsers.....sure is a blessing.....I am a little envious! Here in Australia, the cheapest freeze Dryer is $13,000 (YIKES)....no can do. Ohhhhh the things you can now do, lol
you skipped the part where you have to let the freeze dryer cool for 15 minutes and then put the food in. Also you forgot to mention that it must be run on its own circuit.
I'm ordering mine and they are backed up 3-4wks to get delivered and I am sure that its bc our food processing centers are getting burned and 2 were hit by planes. Ppl plz get this to freeze dry your food and get to pressure cooking to seal meals, learn self defense, get the foragers guide book, weapons and get a stock pile of everything that you can think of for a bug out bag for each family member and get some books on DIY ways to survive and RUclips how to make fire and filter for water. I knew this was coming and remember that Bill Gates I'd buying up all the farmlands with China bc if they control the food, they control everyone who isnt prepared. God bless you all
That is actually a good lead time on a Harvest Right. Most of my friends who bought them last year waited for 2 months to receive them. The number of food plants "on fire" the last few months is crazy.
They are not terrible. King of like a window air conditioner. The vacuum pump will kick on and off over the course of the time it is used. The time depends on what you put in it. 17 to 40 hours.
A bit more info was needed for me. After reaching below 500 m torr I didn't know what to do. I pressed stop??? Main screen came up but no option for pump. It is freezing but I'm very nervous something was missed.
The length of the pump hose is inadequate. The placement of where the hose attaches is not at the back of either the pump or the freeze dryer. It's frustrating. I had to readjust the bottom shelf of my cart quite high, almost too high to accommodate the height of the pump even. I feel a few pennies more to make the hose longer would have been smart.
I just received my freeze dryer yesterday and have the bread burn going now. My manual said to do a 15 min cool down prior to putting the trays in or until the temp was down to 32 degrees. It took several more minutes than that to reach 32 degrees. Is this an issue and do I put the trays in after 15 minutes no matter what the temperature is showing on the screen? I appreciate your videos very much.
It should count down from 15 minutes on that first cycle to cool down. I always put mine in after that because it indicates the cool down cycle is over. I haven't paid attention to what temp it was at that point.
How loud is the machine when running a cycle? Curious cause I live in an apartment and don’t want to disturb the neighbors with a loud pump running all night.
Every video I've seen, the unit is waist high. Aside from need to be at least a few inches off the ground so it can drain @ defrost, does it have to be _that_ high off the ground? Just got ours and it is *HEEEEEEEAVY...* 😅😭🙈 Thank you for the very clear set up instructions, cheers!
Cool, thank you. 👍 Even though I'm sure the response may vary due to the water content of the food you're freeze drying, but about how much water drains out per batch? Do you ever reach near a full 5 gallon bucket or no? Thanks~
Only open it to drain the defrosted water after the entire cycle is done. The screen on the machine will prompt you to close it or open it at the proper times.
I paid Harvest Right over 20 weeks ago for a machine.... I am still waiting for the product, my concerns are they are ignoring my emails as to when I can expect delivery or anything reason for the delay. At this time I feel like I have been scammed
Did you call them? They are usually about 8 to 12 weeks to deliver since demand is so high. They may be selling even more now. I waited a while. Give them a call.
Our HARVEST RIGHT FREEZE DRYER: affiliates.harvestright.com/1404.html
Well mine new one had the ribbing cable to the touch screen apparently disconnect during shipping. Because of videos like yours I knew what was wrong; I used a hot stick to ensure the FD had power which it did, but no power to the touch screen. Customer service was great, however I told him what was wrong when he said it was more than likely a bad power cord. I was just looking for permission to take off the panels and inspect LOL. Hot sticks are great to ensure a device has power or a receptacle has power or a cord has power.
Love my freeze dryer. I enjoy seeing the different ways people use them. I mainly use mine for eggs, milk, and vegetables. I kinda wish I had skipped my dehydrator and just bought this first as it does so much more.
Very cool. Yes, I also wish I had skipped the dehydrator and put that money toward a freeze dryer years ago.
@@CountryLivingExperience ditto
@Sandy R - don’t ditch you dehydrator.
I have been binge watching freeze drying videos for a month. Several I have come across say that they have used their dehydrator in concert with their freeze dryer. There were times when pockets of food on some trays wasn’t all the way freeze dried but instead of adding additional time to the freeze dryer they just took that little bit of food and put it in their dehydrator to finish the process. I remember RoseRed Homestead was one.
@@debbiebrugman4543 Definitely not getting rid of the dehydrator it was around $7-8 hundred dollers for my Excalibur 10 tray. I do prefer apples dehydrated for the chewy texture & it is good for tea herbs ect. Just think for the money spent the freezedryer does more to benefit my allergy diet with such limited foods available to me. Being able to do milk is a life saver as I drive 65 miles each way to get the one brand I can use. In bad weather its really nice to have some available if I can't drive there. Eggs are another staple I use it for, no wasting my chickens eggs now.
How loud are these machines? I’m in an apartment
Better than HarvestRight's own setup video. Thanks!
I appreciate that. Thank you.
I had the exact thought!! Much more detailed!! Yes sir! Thank you!!! It helped me so much!
Thanks so much. I have oil free pump
I have been looking for a good setup video. In my humble opinion, this is the best one I have ran across.
Thank you
This video was so helpful! Got our freeze dryer today and feeling better about trying to set it up now. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for your video! You made it really simple to understand how to break in and use the unit.
Glad it was helpful!
This is one of the best informative videos I've ever watched. So simple and helpful, super appreciate it!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the walk through. My daughter and I followed your every step and got it up and running with no issue.
You're welcome
I'm totally new to FD. I just got a small HR machine and have been nervous about set up. This video is really great thank you so much I am no longer nervous about it.
Blessings to you!
You're welcome
To be honest I was very disappointed in my recent customer service with Harvest right. We spent 3k for a freeze dryer. It broke7 months after purchase. screen froze. Took over 3 weeks before Harvest Right even mailed the parts needed to fix. One call, they said (without even looking me up) Sorry they couldn't assist me because the freeze dryer was purchased over 1 year ago. I was like, no not true. Look me up before telling me my dryer is out of warrantee. Geez. I'm ok with the tech support trying to trouble shoot, but that should have been done in 1 day. Not a week of tech support. Took my person 2 more weeks to MAIL the part out. WOW. I feel like I paid a good amount of money. Not the service I would expect for this price on the machine.
Sorry to hear that.
This kind of thing is taking the fun out of homesteading and gardening in my opinion. To each their own, I’m not bashing.
Homesteading used to be geared toward people taking care of themselves by using old school methods. Now it’s become a take out your wallet and buy the newest expensive gadget that is supposedly going to last you forever but only lasts a couple days after the warranty is over. Kind of disappointing to me.
I was all set to purchase one until I started reading customer service reviews. I really want one, but I’ve had to deal with horrible customer service for appliances and really don’t care for a repeat. 😢
I got mine a few days ago. Thanks for this video…. MUCH clearer than the booklets! Fingers crossed!
You’re welcome. Have fun freeze drying
I just recently purchased a 7 tray xl free dry, and I feel so much calmer doing to bread run while watching the video!! Thank you. Please keep doing more freeze dry videos.
Glad it was helpful. We have quite a few freeze drying vids. Check out our playlist....ruclips.net/p/PLe8gvCbPFkexl5-D5s2mdPKuaztkj_x8x
I love this. Thank you. This is what I've been looking for!
You're welcome
Thank you. I had a total melt down just putting the oil in. This is really intimidating for me just doing the start up. I cannot tell you, I am so great full for your video. A few different instructions to start with. But saying it is freezing now with the bread in. Fire extinguishers on hand and only drunk 3 brandy's to switch it on and get started. I will be a nervous wreck til I get the hang of this thing. Or be in rehab !!
Glad we could help. You can do it!
@@CountryLivingExperience I wish you had carried on when it finishes and starts beeping at you. do I warm tray, defrost first. I just switched it off in a panic. I am not a tecky person. I don't have a mobile phone , only just learned to upload a picture on the computer and I have been using one for years. I know I will get this in the end . Just so expensive and don't want to mess up. I will get it but hard not to have anxiety over each step.
Mazel tov brother. That is next level. Especially with the exponential food problems on the horizon. Well done
Thanks. It was a big gift from God.
Getting to the age that whatever I freeze dry, will literally last me the rest of my life......sorta, unless I live to be 90! This is my next big purchase. Thanks for the video.
You're welcome. Hope you live to eat it all.
We just got ours delivered today!! Can’t wait to start using it. We got the exact same one as the one sent to you.
Very cool!!! You are going to love it.
Did it take a long time for it to ship? I just ordered today and it said 8-10 weeks!
@@brenna5202 Yes. It took at least 10 weeks for it to make it to a friend of mine.
Very easy video to follow. It made our initial setup simple! Thanks a bunch!
You’re welcome. Glad it was helpful.
OK I see where u did the pump detail. Thank u so much. U were straight to the point and very easy to follow. I watched a few b4 I settled with you. Everyone was great but I liked your video best thnx.
Glad it was helpful
Thanks for making the video! We just bought the large version and are getting it set up today. Super helpful!
You're welcome
"Praise God, I love that you call it a blessing as well! 😇"
Thank you for your video! I just got mine freshly hooked up
You're welcome
It took Harvest Right 6 weeks to get my Freeze Dryer.
They lost my first order so I had to reorder. Then they were out of black or white Freeze Dryers, so I had to pay an additional $200 to get the Stainless Steel.
Then it was supposed to be delivered within a week. So after 2 weeks they said that they were completely out of stock and they didn’t know when it was going to come.
The next day they said a Big order was sent back, but for an additional $200 I could get a medium size but they couldn’t guarantee when it would arrive.
So I took the small one that had been sent back, but come to find out, the one that had been sent back was originally built in 2019.
Anyway after 6 weeks I finally got my Harvest Right Freeze dryer.
I lost all but 1 batch of my cherries.
We are currently on our 3rd batch and this one are peaches.
In a couple of years we’ll order a Large machine.
I must admit that I’m very impressed with the cherries.
I would recommend Harvest Right to anyone who is interested in Freeze Drying their food, but expect LONG delays after ordering.
And NO, they won’t upgrade anything even though it’s their fault for not having what you ordered
I live in Canada so things usually take longer to get to us due to crossing the border. So, when I ordered mine I was expecting 4-6 weeks. So my surprise it arrived in less than 3 weeks! I had absolutely no trouble with Harvest Right.
Great Video. I will be watching more. I am starting up my dog treat business and this is super helpful
Cool. Glad it was helpful
So excited, I just ordered one of these. The exact same one! Well, sort of. I got the medium black one but with the oil less pump.
Very cool! I have heard good things about that oil-less pump.
How long did it take to arrive?
Do you still like it? Have you had any problems with it? Let us know if you can. Mine is supposed to arrive in a few weeks.
@@littlebird3393 We love it! we had one small issue with the touch screen initially but the manual helped us out. We use it non stop and it works great!
@@sillybears4673 they haven’t responded so in case your still wondering , mine took about 3 weeks to be delivered although mine came from a different website so I don’t know if it would be the same if you purchased it form harvey’s right
We just got one of these ourselves and are going to start it up soon, so excited to see how it goes for you.
Awesome. I am loving it so far. We did our first batch yesterday.
How was it
Very informative video better then the actual set up video from harvest rite
Thanks. Glad it was helpful.
Great video, hit all the points I was looking for
Glad it helped
Yay you !!! Your blessings bless me ! Use it in good health, brother.
Thank you Judy
I thought it was sublimation. Great video, thank you. It made it so much easier to set up.
You're welcome!
Thank you so very much for this video I walked threw it with you an now it's on freeze
You're welcome
Glad to know they actually send out machines that work. Got ours a little over a month ago and it wouldn’t freeze. Sent it back to harvest right to repair, got it back and tried the initial tests last night and it still doesn’t freeze. Very frustrating!!! About to send it back and just get a refund
That is crazy. I am on cycle 30 and about to do my first oil change. No problems with mine at all.
Your “refund” will incur a 15% restocking fee from this dishonest company. My condolences that you fell for their scam
Try to let the unit sit level, undisturbed, for 24 hours prior to running it, to allow the refrigerant to settle.
I've just bought the medium sized HarvestRight unit, and it's getting down to -60°F in a half hour.
Best regards,
Alan
I still saving up for one. I can't hardly wait. Hopefully I will be able to get it by the end of March.
Ours has been a blessing. Hope you can get one soon.
Thank you my family just got one for are own business
Awesome. You’re welcome
Incredible video! Harvest right did good to send you one. Your video alone is the best out there.
Thank you Lisa. That is kind of you to say that.
Hi I'm following u as I just got it. But was I supposed to add the vacuum pump derail b4 the bread test.? 😮
just bought the medium harvest right in white... harvest right forgot to screw the black filter on with shipping and mine arrived yesterday with the pump soaked in oil.
That is so cool! I need to get one.
Thank you for sharing
You're welcome
You mentioned the location of the vacuum pump drain, but neither you nor the instructons in the user manual cautioned to make sure the drain is closed before adding the oil. You guessed it. Ours came with the drain open, and we had a nice mess and lost oil strictly following your instructions and those in the manual. Just FYI for any updates. The rest was beautiful. Thank you.
he did mention that lol
I want one !!! But the budget is going to need some adjustments to acquire 😊
Looking forward to seeing your future videos on the freeze dryer. How exciting for you and your family!! Have fun, God Bless !!! Try to ignore the haters, but wow this one was terrible !!!
I totally understand. I would have had to save for another year to get one myself.
I appreciate the kind words about ignoring the haters. It just baffles me sometimes especially when they attack my character for sharing a gift that I received. A gift that could help someone preserve food long term to give to someone in need, etc.
God bless you as well!
@@tagladyify your words were very angry and unnecessary! Please continue to express your opinion without being a voice with contempt but with control!
This never helps the community to continue teaching and helping others in need !
@T Ott It is no use arguing with a person like this. They are not thinking clearly and the mind has been clouded by the accuser (we know who that is). Hence, the baseless accusations, angry tone, the numerous rapid retorts. We can only pray that her mind is made clear and her soul put at peace.
They did offer a payment plan when I bought mine & ship once final payment was made. It maybe or not be helpful info if they still offer that.
Don’t buy one! At least, do better research first. Mine is always broken, same with everyone else’s I know who has one. Read the BBB reviews. You will be ripped off and regret your purchase
A step left out that’s very important “pre prep” u have to run the machine for 35minutes to a hour before u place anything into it or u will have to do twice as much work
Awesomeness 😎
Just bought one Wednesday. A God thing, as I got it very reasonably priced. Nervous about setup and initial use
That's awesome. Don't be nervous.
@@CountryLivingExperience thank you
Why would they put that open/close valve on it if it’s only supposed to be open? Seems like it’s setting the user up for error… the pump I’m talking about
Thank you! I have a question. At about 7:18 when you show the valve, is that opened or closed in that position? The book is vague on that and I keep getting a vacuum error 🙄
The way I have shown it is closed. When the valve handle is perpendicular to the hose it is closed. When parallel, open.
Great introduction. We are about to get ours delivered
Thank you
Thank you for such a great video. If you could help me with 2 questions, please… 1) how long should it take to reach below 500psi? 2) do you see a slight mist coming from around the black oil mist cap thing? If not, thoughts on plumber’s tape to seal this better? Thanks again for this great video!
Hi Natalie, just bought our own HarvestRight freeze dryer, medium sized, and with your unit expressing a light oil mist from the demister while operating, I suspect you've got a little too much oil in your pump
The oil level should be just a little bit above the halfway point in the sight glass of the pump.
To drain off a little oil, place a cup or other container under the spout found at the front of the pump, by the bottom- the drain spout points straight down, and is found just below the silver knob at the bottom front.
Open the knob and catch the oil, watching the sight glass to see when it's at the proper level, and close the drain knob.
You can clean that oil and save it for reuse when you filter the oil at the regular service interval.
That should work for you, hope it helps!
Respectfully yours,
Alan
I got mine a few weeks ago, but just now looking to set it up.
Cool. Have fun with it. I am still experimenting with a lot of foods.
How was it
My question is, considering all the supply chain issues, is what happens if you can't get mylar bags and oxygen absorbers? I love the idea but if you don't have electricity and the supplies it becomes an expensive paperweight.
Great question. If you can buy them now, then stock up. If you cannot then just put them in mason jars. If you have solar, then you can still use it. If you don't have electricity, bags, absorbers, then use an old method of preservation. If you are blessed with one of these today, use it as much as you can to preserve all of your food while it is still possible.
You could also run it if you have a generator. There's ALWAYS a solution! Necessity is the Mother of invention!
@@CountryLivingExperience I think you need a pretty large solar and battery system to operate the FD, in my experience the power consumption varies between 2.5 kwh and 3.5 kwh depending on the product to be dried.
We use a combination of mason jars for fragile food, mylar bags and regular vacuum (Foodsaver) bags for storage. Good quality vacuum bags keep their vacuum for 2 years easily but they don't have the light blocking layer, you must store them in a dark place. One way to get around delivery bottlenecks is to order supplies well ahead of time and to shop around for a reliable supplier that sells quality bags and O2 absorbers, HR is at or at least near the top. Be very careful with offers popping up on places like Amazon, the bags sold there are sometimes 1/2 the thickness as advertised which makes them useless for packaging hard foods and the O2 absorbers can also be of poor quality. If you're planning to use your freeze dried food within a year or so then there is no need to add an O2 absorber. In my experience the maylar bags and O2 absorbers sold by HR are of the highest quality followed by PackFresh USA, but you have to pay attention to the thickness of the bags when you order from PackFresh USA. 5mil bags are good enough in some circumstances but 7mil bags are preferrable. Having said that, we store flour, rice and beans in vacuum sealed 5mil mylar bags with a 2000cc O2 absorber, the bags are rock hard and we're not having any issues with them losing their vacuum.
@@j.79 We did a video on this a few weeks ago.
Thanks for the tutorial!
Happy to help!
I just got my machine and we’re deciding where to have the electrician install the power outlet. I’m curious if it matters whether it’s in a hot garage or not? Does it need a cool location?
You cannot put it in a hot garage. It requires a cool space with a lot of ventilation. This machine runs hot too.
Great video my friend send you all my love and wish you a nice day stay safe greetings from Thailand. 😊 👍.
Thank you so much. Have a great day.
@@CountryLivingExperience your welcome wish you a great sunday🙏
The Found quit at the end. The last two or three minutes has no sound.
Thanks for this!
You're welcome
If the gas valve should always be open why is there a switch to close it. Is there a time when it needs to be closed
"In simple terms, a gas ballast valve incorporated into the system will allow a flow of air into the final part of the compression cycle and allow the vapor to be expelled without condensation or affecting the pump's overall performance."
Myself and my Son wants one so bad things would be so much easier for us I could really stock up on The Foods unfortunately I can't they are way out of my budget my Son broke his neck 17 years ago hes completely Paralyzed and I'm 'm a Single Mom so I'll keep wishing I do buy the Freeze dry candy for him he loves it
The Lord will provide. Use other methods to preserve like canning or dehydrating first. Maybe buy a few freeze dried meals for an emergency.
Thanks Eric, This is Doc. Ne Blessed Bro
You’re welcome
Great video... Question for you. I just recieved mine last night. Today I started the bread freeze. I notice it starts the freezing then pump starts and after a few minutes it goes back to freezing... Something about need more time to freeze did that happen to yours?
Thank you.
Not sure why yours did that. It should freeze for a few hours, then vacuum for a few minutes, then freeze dry for many hours.
@@CountryLivingExperience After I posted this 30 mins it went into freeze mode. After a couple of hours it went into Drying mode... The drying timer has 27 hours already. it's about 85 % done.. don't know if that's normal or not. Hopefully I didn't screw something up. The total time running so far is 31 hours. HOpefully by tomorrow morning it will be done..
@@louiem5985 Did the cycle complete itself yet? Depending on what you put in there, 31 to 40 hours could be normal.
@@CountryLivingExperience I was doing the bread run. This morning it was still running and wife said just to cancel it. One thing I notice when I opened the door to take out the bread the bottom screw that holds the door was very loose. it's the screw that into the door. I didn't notice that when I first started. Could that cause some issue? I close the door after taking out the bread and tighten up the screw. Hopefully this doesn't cause an issue down the road..
@@louiem5985 Did the vacuum pull the correct MTor pressure? Did you monitor that part? If the door was loose, you shouldn't have been able to go past the vacuum stage.
Where did you get that stainless table? I like that one.
Why are there heating mats in a freeze dryer?
Four trays is a small. Five trays is a medium. You have a Small.
Wrong. The old medium is 4 trays. The new medium was upgraded to 5. Look at the video date.
@@CountryLivingExperience I apologize. I didn't realize how old this video was or that they had made that change. I just ordered a medium and am trying to learn about how to use it. Thanks for all your great information. But, what about that table? 🙂
No worries.
I purchased the table on Amazon. I think the link is in the video description.
Good video.
Oil filter is to clean oil ,why oil needs cleaning? Due to material that comes with AIR during suction or friction like engine oil of any vehicle?
Thank you
Thank you.
Yes, just like an engine the oil picks up debris in the pump and it starts to degrade from friction.
Wow- I am so glad I read all the comments- helpful, but disappointed so many of you are experiencing SO MUCH TROUBLE. I probably will NOT purchase.
There are just as many comments stating that people love theirs and have no problems with them. I personally have not had any issues.
Am looking into offering Freeze Dry candies from our Ice Cream truck, saw what appears to be the unit you have displayed and the cost was about $75 and others are $1000+, is the one you showed the $75 one. Thanks and have a blessed day.
Hello. All the freeze dryers that I know about are many thousands of dollars. Mine was $2500. I do not believe that you can build a machine like this for $75....that sounds like a scam. Be careful and have a blessed day.
I have a big problem! All I did was add the oil turn on for one minute as stated in the manual… When I came back a couple days later, all the oil was gone and into the Vac line area/inlet. Any idea how to get it out or what to do now?
I have never had that problem. I would call HarvestRight.
Anyone-- how much did this affect your monthly Electric Bill, dollar $$ or kWh-wise? I know running our Dehydrator kicks up the daily kWh usage by about 5-kWh. Any info helpful. Just trying to figure out if there's a STICKER SHOCK when the power bill arrives after using a Freeze Dryer.
I have recently purchased one, after getting initial problems resolved, needed software upgrade. We ran the bread, my question is what if the process finishes up at 2am?
Do you have to remove and Mylar pack? It says it beeps when done but I think most people keep in basement or garage. Any suggestions? If every run is a different length of time then you don’t know what time of day it’s completed. Great video and thanks for the excellent instructions ❤️
Thank you.
It will beep when done but it will also go into the extra drying time mode. I have never had mine end at night but I have been out of the house for a few hours when it had ended. I suspect if it has finished, then finished with the extra dry time, it will just sit there and if it senses moisture it will kick on again. I usually start mine in the morning or early afternoon. My cycles are usually 18 to 28 hours.
Wowsers.....sure is a blessing.....I am a little envious!
Here in Australia, the cheapest freeze Dryer is $13,000 (YIKES)....no can do.
Ohhhhh the things you can now do, lol
It was a very unexpected blessing for sure. They are about $3000 here. Not sure why they are so expensive there.....imported?
@Country Living Experience: A Homesteading Journey yeah probably....so ridiculous and frustrating....but oh well....adapt and overcome
Thanks!
Thank you so much!
How do you sign up for a free freeze dryer?
If I can't get to the freeze dryer when it's done can I add a " more dry time" cycle?
It will automatically “hold” and flash a screen asking for more dry time. You have to manually hit “yes” to add the dry time.
you skipped the part where you have to let the freeze dryer cool for 15 minutes and then put the food in. Also you forgot to mention that it must be run on its own circuit.
Is your door hinges slightly loose? Both of mine are. It seems secure however, I’m not reading anything on this.
They move around slightly but I have never had an issue with the door sealing.
@@CountryLivingExperience thanks for the reply. Makes me feel better. I’m looking to run the initial sit-up tomorrow night.
I'm ordering mine and they are backed up 3-4wks to get delivered and I am sure that its bc our food processing centers are getting burned and 2 were hit by planes. Ppl plz get this to freeze dry your food and get to pressure cooking to seal meals, learn self defense, get the foragers guide book, weapons and get a stock pile of everything that you can think of for a bug out bag for each family member and get some books on DIY ways to survive and RUclips how to make fire and filter for water. I knew this was coming and remember that Bill Gates I'd buying up all the farmlands with China bc if they control the food, they control everyone who isnt prepared. God bless you all
That is actually a good lead time on a Harvest Right. Most of my friends who bought them last year waited for 2 months to receive them.
The number of food plants "on fire" the last few months is crazy.
I ordered mine thru Home Depot n it took a Month to get here, They gave me 10% off for my Veterans discount....
How loud are these machines in real life ? I’m in an apartment and I’m wondering how loud they would be and for how long…
They are not terrible. King of like a window air conditioner. The vacuum pump will kick on and off over the course of the time it is used. The time depends on what you put in it. 17 to 40 hours.
So when you're done, now what? Can you tell us how we defrost?
Defrost is simple. Just push the defrost button and leave the vacuum hose valve open.
A bit more info was needed for me. After reaching below 500 m torr I didn't know what to do. I pressed stop??? Main screen came up but no option for pump. It is freezing but I'm very nervous something was missed.
The process is automatic. You do not need to do anything until the entire process is done.
When you turned the vacuum pump on for the initial one minute was it plugged into the wall or the freeze dryer. It’s not clear to me.
For that initial one minute, it was plugged into the wall. All other times, it is plugged into the freeze dryer.
Awesome! I’m jealous…lol looking forward to the videos
It was an unexpected blessing for sure. I was saving up for one eventually.
That metal table you have looks perfect for the medium freeze drier! I've been trying to find something similar myself. Where did you get it?
We got ours on Amazon. This is the link.....amzn.to/3NlLNfK
Great video
Thank you
Another content creator said he elevates the back of the pump a little when draining the pump. But you said it must always stay level. Why?
I followed the instructions from Harvest Right.
Good morning, may I ask for a link where you purchased your cart? Thanks great informative video
You're welcome.
Here is the link to the one we bought......amzn.to/438DUjN
I have the same pump but my window for the oil is different and very hard to see where the level of the oil is.
I don't know your type of pump.
@@CountryLivingExperience I have the same pump, they just now make it with a different oil level viewer.
Interesting
How long does it usually take to freeze dry a batch of candy? Thanks for sharing this video.
I don't freeze dry candy.
The length of the pump hose is inadequate. The placement of where the hose attaches is not at the back of either the pump or the freeze dryer. It's frustrating. I had to readjust the bottom shelf of my cart quite high, almost too high to accommodate the height of the pump even. I feel a few pennies more to make the hose longer would have been smart.
Ok, maybe. Mine seems fine. I don't work for the company.
@@CountryLivingExperience no, I know. I was just commenting in hopes that the company reads these.
Ah, I understand.
I just received my freeze dryer yesterday and have the bread burn going now. My manual said to do a 15 min cool down prior to putting the trays in or until the temp was down to 32 degrees. It took several more minutes than that to reach 32 degrees. Is this an issue and do I put the trays in after 15 minutes no matter what the temperature is showing on the screen? I appreciate your videos very much.
It should count down from 15 minutes on that first cycle to cool down. I always put mine in after that because it indicates the cool down cycle is over. I haven't paid attention to what temp it was at that point.
Is it too loud to keep on main floor in house?
That really depends on you. I don’t think they are very loud.
Do you need a dedicated outlet ? I wondering because that would add anther 1000 to the cost for me.
No need for a dedicated outlet.
Great video! Can you tell me how long the compressor hose is? Could it sit under the unit?
Thanks.
It is 3ft long. As long as the pump gets proper ventilation, it can sit anywhere.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thank you
Great video, we are hooking our large one up now.
Thank you. You will love it for sure.
@Country Living Experience: A Homesteading Journey Ours wasn't free, but we are using grant money to pay for half of ours.
Nice!
How loud is the machine when running a cycle? Curious cause I live in an apartment and don’t want to disturb the neighbors with a loud pump running all night.
The pump is moderately loud but not that bad. I think it would be fine in an apartment.
We are setting ours up, how much heat comes off the pump????? Cant wait to freeze Dry some Peeps n some Meat for long term storage....
Awesome! The pump puts out a lot of heat. I would keep it in the coolest room possible or add a window air conditioner.
One more question. Do you get smoke coming out the top of your premier pump around the top.
Yes. It’s not smoke though. That is the oil demister. In certain conditions the pump mists out some oil. Totally normal.
Every video I've seen, the unit is waist high.
Aside from need to be at least a few inches off the ground so it can drain @ defrost, does it have to be _that_ high off the ground? Just got ours and it is *HEEEEEEEAVY...* 😅😭🙈
Thank you for the very clear set up instructions, cheers!
In my opinion it is easier to have it higher but if you can't lift it then low is fine as long as it drains properly.
Cool, thank you. 👍 Even though I'm sure the response may vary due to the water content of the food you're freeze drying, but about how much water drains out per batch? Do you ever reach near a full 5 gallon bucket or no? Thanks~
@@akbt2 It is only about 1 to 1.5 gallons per load on the medium sized freeze dryer.
when do i open the drain valve. says void pump warranty if leave open but how will it drain if i dont open. i have oil free pump if that matters.
Only open it to drain the defrosted water after the entire cycle is done. The screen on the machine will prompt you to close it or open it at the proper times.
Is the plugin cord a normal 3 prong or is one prong flat requiring a different outlet?
It is 3 prong.
Can the pump set under the freeze dryer or does it have to set next to it
It can sit underneath as long as there is enough airspace for it to cool off.
Does the pump create exhaust
Not at all
I paid Harvest Right over 20 weeks ago for a machine.... I am still waiting for the product, my concerns are they are ignoring my emails as to when I can expect delivery or anything reason for the delay. At this time I feel like I have been scammed
Did you call them? They are usually about 8 to 12 weeks to deliver since demand is so high. They may be selling even more now. I waited a while. Give them a call.
My pressure was at 35300 mTorr is mine off ?
Pressure during the freeze drying portion of the process should be less than 500mTor
Where did you get the metal table the freeze dryer is sitting on.
From Amazon. This is the one......amzn.to/3zoaT6C