Home Freeze Dryer OWNER’S MANUAL The Essential Guide for Every Home Freeze Dryer Owner 1
CONTENTS QUICK SETUP......................................................................................... 4 Vacuum Pump Maintenance Schedule......................................................7 IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS..................................................................... 8 Safety Information......................................................................................... 8 Never Operate the Freeze Dryer if it Appears Damaged.....................
Care + Cleaning................................................................................ 23 Vacuum Pump Maintenance...................................................................... 23 Oil Filtration................................................................................................... 24 Cleaning the Interior and Exterior of Your Freeze Dryer..................25 Cleaning Cautions........................................................................................
FREEZE DRYER QUICK START GUIDE For a video tutorial, go to: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qVrrY7lRjs8 (How to Setup Your Home Freeze Dryer). 1. Once your freeze dryer is unpacked, make certain that the bottom front feet are adjusted such that the unit slopes from front to back (the front of the freeze dryer should be ¼ inch to ½ inch higher than the back). 2. Make sure the rubber gasket is clean both inside and out. Remove gasket and run under water in order to remove lint/dirt.
10. Make sure to close the drain valve on the freeze dryer (located on the left side, toward the back, beneath your freeze dryer). If the drain valve is not closed, there will be a vacuum leak which could damage your vacuum pump, cause an oil spurt, and void the vacuum pump warranty. 11. As described in steps 6-11, it is your responsibility to make sure your door is closed properly, that the drain valve is closed, and that the hose connecting the vacuum pump to the freeze dryer is connected properly.
• Once you are able to see a pressure of 500 or lower, you are ready to start your first batch. Turn off your freeze dryer and open the drain valve. This will release the pressure and allow the door to be opened so that you can begin freeze drying your desired product. Now that the pressure has been released, close the drain valve again (or you will not be able to achieve a vacuum when the freeze dryer is running.
19. Toward the end of the freeze dry cycle, the heaters will stay on for six hours and then the process is complete. The freeze dryer will beep when it is finished. See Figure 3. For additional questions and setup instructions, refer to the detailed Harvest Right Owner’s Manual and User Guide, beginning on page 8. Figure 3 - Freeze Dryer LCD Display Complete message. CHECKLIST: BEFORE EACH BATCH • Drain valve closed • Door clean • Ensure black rubber gasket (door seal) is clean and free of debris.
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS IMPORTANT INFORMATION Read all instructions carefully before using your Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer. Following these instructions will help prevent injuries, damage to the freeze dryer, and will ensure that you have the best possible experience with your freeze dryer. Save these instructions. 1.
• • • • • • dust or foreign matter from the power plug pins. A dirty power plug can increase the risk of fire. Do not block vent air holes. If the air holes are blocked, the freeze dryer could overheat. Never unplug your freeze dryer by pulling on the power cord. Always grip the power plug firmly and pull straight out from the outlet. Pulling on the power cord could cause a fire and/or electric shock.
Although safe, operating your freeze dryer in temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit could affect batch times and have an adverse effect on the condensing unit (freezer). As the temperature rises where your freeze dryer operates, so does the length of time it takes to finish batches of food. This happens because with hotter operating temperatures it is harder to reach the extreme cold required for freeze drying.
A B H C I D e F g What is in the box You should have received the following items: A• Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer with shelving unit f • Owner’s Manual and Guide to Freeze Drying b• Vacuum pump with oil demister g • Food trays c• Vacuum pump oil H • Black insulator door pad d• Power cord I • Oil filter e• Vacuum hose Other materials, not listed here, may have been included.
GENERAL INFORMATION before you begin... 3.1 MAJOR COMPONENTS Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer • Power Switch: Located on the back of the freeze dryer. Depressing the toggle switch to the up position turns the power on. • Vacuum Chamber: This circular chamber includes a shelving unit for the food trays. • Trays: These hold the food items to be freeze dried.
3.2 FREEZE DRYER ASSEMBLY 1. Wait 24 hours before running your freeze dryer in order to facilitate proper settling within the refrigerator condensing unit. Waiting 24 hours will allow the oil in the condensing unit to settle so that the freeze dryer can get cold enough. 2. The ideal location for operating your freeze dryer is a cool, dry, clean location. Operating your freeze dryer in temperatures higher than 75 degrees Fahrenheit may cause cycle times to take longer. 6.
10. Ensure that the acrylic door makes contact with the rubber gasket by examining the door in the fully closed position. You will see a thin line around the gasket as it presses up against the door. For the first couple batches, when the pump turns on, make sure the door fully seals around the gasket. If you have problems completing this step, call Harvest Right Customer Support at 1-800-865-5584 for assistance. 11. You are now ready to load freeze drying material onto trays.
prevent oil from spurting out of the vacuum pump and creating a mess.) Once the freeze dryer recognizes that most of the moisture is removed from the material, the “Final Dry” (see image on page 16, Figure 8) cycle will then remain on for the default time or a customized time if the settings were adjusted at the beginning of the process. When the process is complete an audible signal will be heard and the display will read “Complete”.
moisture in the material you are freeze drying, simply press “More Dry Time” and allow the freeze dryer to finish drying. Otherwise, you can remove the trays, ensure drain hose is properly placed for draining, and press “Defrost”. 19. Immediately package your freeze dried material properly so that it doesn’t rehydrate with the natural humidity in the air. When packaging food, you can use cans, Mylar bags, and bottles. Always use an appropriate oxygen absorber. 20.
Press “Start Custom” to begin your custom batch. You will then be reminded to “Please close drain valve”. The word “Freezing…” will be displayed on the touch screen. 3.4 WHY FREEZE DRY? The Best Preservation Method: Freeze-dried foods are more stable than dehydrated foods because of the very low temperature environment of the drying process (freeze drying). Freeze-dried foods do not need the sugars or salts used in the bottling and canning processes.
its own right, given that some 870 million people suffer from chronic malnourishment. (Brad Plumer, Washington Post) “But it’s not just simply the food that’s going to waste: think about all the wasted energy, water, chemicals and labor that went into producing, transporting and storing what is ultimately just left to rot.” (Andrew Gunther, Huffington Post) Use your Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer to save money, cut down on waste, and respect the environment. 3.
SETUP OVERVIEW 1. Place the freeze dryer on a flat, 4. Connect vacuum pump plug into clean, dry surface. Adjust the feet, if necessary, so that all four are firmly on the table, cabinet, cart or floor. The front two feet should be adjusted ½” to ¼” taller than the two rear feet. the freeze dryer receptacle. 2. Make sure a plug outlet is available within three-five feet of the freeze dryer base. 6. Follow Section 6 of this manual to ensure that you have a closed system. 5.
OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW 5.1 MAIN POINTS OF OPERATION 1. Gather all of the ingredients. 2. Prepare your food to be freeze dried. 5. When water is added to the food, it is restored to its original fresh flavor, aroma, texture, and appearance! 5.3 PACKAGING AND STORING FREEZE3. Load the freeze dryer, making sure DRIED FOODS that the food is spread evenly across the shelves. Load foods that are similar size/depth in order to assure optimal freeze-drying conditions. 4. Turn the freeze dryer on. 5.
reduce the freeze time in the freeze dryer by approximately 1 hour – 1.5 hours. Food that is pre-frozen should go into a cold chamber; Run the freeze cycle for 30 minutes before taking food out of the freezer and putting it in the freeze dryer. There are three main processes that occur during freeze drying: listed above) is impossible because the vacuum tightly seals the door to the freeze dry machine. In order to open the door, turn off the vacuum pump and open the drain valve to vent the vacuum chamber.
A CLOSED SYSTEM 6.1 WHAT IS A CLOSED SYSTEM? As previously described, in order to freeze dry food, your machine will use a vacuum pump that removes the air and creates a vacuum environment. In order to achieve adequate vacuum pressure, it is VERY IMPORTANT to ensure that all valves are closed tightly. If there is a leak somewhere in the system, the freeze drying process will not occur.
CARE AND CLEANING 7.1 VACUUM PUMP MAINTENANCE Oil based vacuum pumps are ideal for freeze drying due to their increased performance with sublimation. We recommend you change your oil after every batch in order to ensure high performance. Harvest Right has chosen a vacuum pump that lives up to its build quality and lifespan: See page 7, Vacuum Pump Maintenance Schedule, for recommended oil change.
Oil Filtration Using the oil filter provided to you is a great way to save money, preserve the life of your vacuum pump, allow your freeze dryer to perform as efficient as possible, and be more eco friendly. Filtering the oil is quick and easy, but will aid the performance of your freeze dryer. Changing the oil between each batch is required by the vacuum pump company for warranty purposes.
7.2 CLEANING THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF YOUR FREEZE DRYER Interior: Clean the vacuum chamber and shelves with a mild detergent and then wipe dry with a soft cloth. You can remove shelves for a more thorough cleaning. In order to remove the shelves, you will need to take off the black rubber gasket that the door seals against. Pull the red locking mechanism towards the back of the plug. Once the red tab is unlocked, press the black tab down and pull the two pieces apart.
YOUR FIRST BATCH 8.1 FINAL CHECK 8.2 START SIMPLE When running your freeze dryer for the first time (and every time) it is important to do a final check in order to assure that your food will freeze dry properly and optimally. When using your freeze dryer the first few times, it will be tempting to freeze dry many different foods at the same time. It will also be tempting to make these items extra thick because you want to create amazing freeze-dried food. Check the following: 1.
TROUBLESHOOTING 9.1 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Why has the freeze dryer been running for over 46 hours and the process is not complete? There are a number of factors that can contribute to longer cycle times. Some of which may be a combination of the following: 1. Some foods are more challenging to freeze dry than others. Because of their cellular structure and moisture content, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, and other foods/meals with high amounts of liquid will take longer to freeze dry.
We had oil spurt out of our vacuum pump, what is happening? 1. It is likely that there is a large leak in your system. This can happen if the drain valve is accidentally left open, the door isn’t clean/aligned properly, the door seal isn’t clean, or the vacuum hose is not completely tight on both ends. It can also occur if all of the caps/fittings on the pump aren’t tight. These are the most common reasons for an oil spurt. 2.
the thickest piece. If it is cold or wet in the middle, there may be a bit of moisture left in the food, and it should be put through the vacuumdry cycle one more time. While rare, this may occasionally happen. In sum: Sometimes the trays will be warm, sometimes they will be cold. This depends on when the food is taken out. Either way, the food will be dry. I packaged my food and it was very dry when it came out, but now it is not dry. Why? 1. Properly packaging the food is vital.
WARRANTY 1 year Limited Warranty Harvest Right warrants its freeze dryer and accessories against defects in materials and workmanship, under normal use, maintenance and service for 1 year. The warranty covers components that, in the sole opinion of Harvest Right, are defective. The following are not included in the freeze dryer warranty coverage: 1. Normal wear and tear, adjustments, and damage from cleaning. 2.
Plan Details During the warranty period Harvest Right will replace defective freeze dryer components and ship them directly to a customer location, freight prepaid. The replacement parts retain the remaining warranty of the original freeze dryer purchased components. A return label may be included with the shipment so the non-working parts can be returned prepaid. NOTE: You must return all required defective parts to Harvest Right within 30 days to avoid a charge for the components. c.
FREEZE DRY TIMES The following page shows a list of popular foods and their approximate freeze, dry, and total batch times. Because portion size, thickness, water content, quantity, and cellular structure of food are all different, this grid is meant to be used only as a reference for approximate batch times. When the food is very dense, or pieces are large, it may require extra freeze time and/or dry time.
FOOD FREEZING TIME DRYING TIME TOTAL BATCH TIME Apple Wedges* 9 7 24-28 hrs Asparagus** 9 7 20-24 hrs Avocados 9 7 25-26 hrs Bananas 9 7 25-27 hrs Beef 9 7 22-26 hrs Blueberries (and the like)+ 12 12 48-52 hrs Broccoli 9 7 24-28 hrs Cheese (shredded) 9 7 20-25 hrs Corn 9 7 24-28 hrs Ice Cream Sandwiches 12 12 42-49 hrs Grapes 12 12 46-52 hrs Ground Beef 9 7 26-30 hrs Ham 9 7 22-28 hrs Kale 9 7 20-23 hrs Lasagna 10 12 36-48 hrs Milk 9 7 24-30
TOUCH SCREEN INDEX Home Screen • This is the home screen for the freeze dryer. • In the top right corner you will see a clock, by pushing the clock you can skip to the next cycle (this is true on any screen). • Below the clock is the date. • Below the date is an elapsed timer. • Vx.x.x represents the version of software you have loaded onto your freeze dryer. Version changes. Please Close Drain Valve • By pushing “Start” on the main screen you are taken to this screen.
• The blue clock signifies we are in the freezing mode. • Beneath the clock is the date and the elapsed timer (how long the freeze has been going). Be sure to keep an eye on this elapsed timer if you are looking to track a total batch time. This information can be helpful in diagnosing problems as well. Drying • Once the freeze time has elapsed, it enters the first of two “Drying” modes. The clock is red to signify drying mode. Below the clock reads “>2500mTorr”.
Final Dry • Once the vacuum pressure has gone to 500mT and stayed under 500mT for one hour, or the 30 hours has passed, it will immediately enter the “Final Drying Stage”. Process Complete • This screen instructs you to “Open drain valve to vent” (located on the left hand side of the machine) and check the food. If the food is completely dry, it can be removed from the freeze dryer.
Please Close Drain Valve • If “More Dry Time” is selected, you will be prompted to “Please close drain valve”. Vacuum Pump Cooling • It may be necessary to allow the vacuum pump to cool down for a brief period of time (one hour). The reason for the pump cooling period is that the pump and oil are hot. If the pump is immediately turned on, it will spray oil out of the exhaust. Additional Final Dry • After the pump cool down period you can now enter the additional “Final Dry” period.
Process Complete • After the “Final Dry” period, you are once again prompted to check the food. As before, you can select “No Defrost” (food is done and the machine will NOT defrost the ice inside the machine), “More Dry Time” (food is not done and needs additional dry time), “Defrost” (food is done and the machine will use the heaters on the shelving unit to melt the ice in the machine). Defrosting • When defrosting the machine, wait the allotted 2 hour default time.
CURRENT JOB TEMPerature SETTINGS • From the “Current Job Temperature Settings” screen you can adjust the hottest temperature the heaters can go. Most users will NOT HAVE A NEED to adjust this temperature. 125 degrees is the preset temperature. • To permanently change the settings, push the upper righthand corner of this screen. • To save any changes, press “Done”. current job Adjust Time • To increase or decrease the freezing and drying times, press “Current Job Adjust Time” in the customize menu.
Small Batch Cycle • This screen appears when the freeze dryer wants to speed through the freezing and drying cycles too fast. Essentially the computer is telling the machine to slow down; nothing will freeze dry as fast as the machine is trying to. This occurs with low moisture foods and smaller batches, hence the name “Small Batch Cycles.” Writing Log Files to USB • This screen appears during the boot up process. While the freeze dryer is running it records data.
Previous Job Not Completed • This screen appears if the freeze dryer loses power during a batch. This can happen from a power outage, the machine being unplugged, turning the switch off on the machine. • Pressing “Cancel” will return you to the home screen. • Pressing “Proceed” will return the freeze dryer to the point where the process was interrupted.
NOTES 42 HarvestRight.
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