Oxygen absorbers and plastic buckets

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Oxygen absorbers and plastic buckets

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

Sounds like a myth to me.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

The eating through the bucket bit or all of it, Bok?

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

Well, it depends on what the reason is that O2 absorbers don't work. If it's because the plastic is porous, then that would nullify dry ice as well. And I flat out don't believe the "eating through the bottom" story. But hey, I've been wrong before.

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

If you buy pre-packed buckets from some professional preparedness companies, they have a mylar bag sealed inside the bucket. Which sounds great, right? A few weeks ago we were discussing dry pack canning in RS, and a woman in my ward said that everything that she had canned in mylar pouches had an off flavor to it, to the point that they couldn't stand to eat it.

FWIW...

arbilad · Head Chef

The point of the co2, as I understand it, is to push the air out of the bucket. You leave the lid slightly open for the air to get out as the dry ice melts. You then seal the bucket, sealing the co2 gas in there. There's a slight overpressure so it helps to keep air out.
That's my imperfect understanding of it. I did help someone once to seal buckets with co2. I believe that Walton Feed, in addition to using mylar lining, also packs their super pail buckets with nitrogen, probably for the same reason.

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

I've heard the same thing about mylar, bok. My SIL said all of her drypacked flour was the same though. Everything she baked with it tasted old and stale. Still beats starving, though.

mirkwood · Senior Bucketkeeper

I use 02 absorbers and you need lids with the rubber gaskets or you won't get a true airtight seal. Also you put the 02 absorbers at the top after you fill the buckets.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

This is what I found on the church website about the buckets: http://providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/96278_PlasticBucketStorageInstructions_v4_pdf.pdf

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

Well there you go. I still would like to see an explanation of why the O2 absorbers are ineffective.

NRA · Veteran Member

This is the same method that I've used. I sure hope it's right?

mirkwood wrote:

I use 02 absorbers and you need lids with the rubber gaskets or you won't get a true airtight seal. Also you put the 02 absorbers at the top after you fill the buckets.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

All I know is the the folks at the cannery and the church website say this is a no go. I do wish there was a bit more explanation as to why, though, like Bok.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Ok, near as I can gather, even with gaskets, though buckets aren't airtight. (That's what they are saying, I think.) So the reason they say to not use the absorbers is that they won't do any good as more air gets in. So, they say to use dry ice instead because it will kill off the bugs (eggs, whatever) that are in there with your grain. And then it won't matter if air gets in and the buckets will still seal tightly enough to keep new bugs out. Does that sound reasonable to anyone else?

arbilad · Head Chef

Plastic is not an oxygen barrier. With a #10 can, if you put an oxygen absorber in there no new air gets in, because the metal can stops it. With a plastic bucket, air will seep back in. The oxygen absorber will create lower pressure in the bucket, and the air will seep slowly back in through the plastic walls of the bucket to equalize pressure. That's why it's recommended to use dry ice or nitrogen when packing with buckets. Since the pressure in the bucket is equal to or higher than the outside pressure, there is no tendency for the oxygen to seep back in.
The co2 kills the bugs simply by asphyxiation, unless I'm mistaken. There's no oxygen for them to breathe, and they die.

mirkwood · Senior Bucketkeeper

Hmmmm....I may have to revisit my buckets.

Euphrasie · Senior Bucketkeeper

I don't know about mylar tasting because I haven't opened any of my bags yet. But my flour from #10 cans tastes off. Maybe it's just the aging of flour. Or do other things from mylar taste funny?

Dyany · Senior Member

Thanks for the info on the plastic buckets; that's good to know!

And as to off flavors -- I hate the taste of sugar or flour from #10 cans. I've stopped storing either thing that way. (However, wheat from #10 cans doesn't seem to bother me).