# Sous vide overcooking



## sander2231 (Sep 4, 2020)

Hi i got a sous vide recently and i have been trying to cook perfect steaks and stuff, but when i follow instructions from the joule app ( i dont have a joule but the app is usefull) it overcooks it just now i made hamburgers and i put them for 15 minutes on 56 degrees (celcius) and there was just a little bit of pink and the rest was well done and overcooked. wich saddens me because i had the impression that you could bassically "set it and forget it" but for the last few days it hasn't been the case, im going to try steak again tommorow at 50c for 30 minutes to see if my timing is just very off or if it is my circulator.
i hope some of you could help me with this problem because it has been bothering me alot to be honest.

thank you in advance 

ps sorry for puncuation i'm not really one for that stuff


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## taxlady (Sep 4, 2020)

Welcome to the forum Sander.

That sounds like it should be the right temperature for rare beef, with lots of red / pink. Do you have a good thermometer to check the temperature of the water? Maybe it's warmer than it says.


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## sander2231 (Sep 4, 2020)

I will try to get a digital thermometer I have an analog one that said it's about 3 degrees higher or something but analog could always be kinda inaccurate


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## taxlady (Sep 4, 2020)

sander2231 said:


> I will try to get a digital thermometer I have an analog one that said it's about 3 degrees higher or something but analog could always be kinda inaccurate



Sounds like a good idea. An instant read, digital thermometer is very useful in cooking and grilling. 

I have a Thermapen and I use it all the time. My husband grilled hamburgers outside today and used it to know when the burgers were safe. Do you have to worry about that where you live?


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## Andy M. (Sep 4, 2020)

You might have an issue with the circulator.

Here is a photo of a burger I cooked to about the same temp with an ANOVA circulator then seared in a hot skillet.




You can see it's uniformly cooked from edge to edge as SV is supposed to do. 50ºC should give you a very rare burger.

Just a thought. How long did you sear the exterior after taking it out of the SV bath?


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## pepperhead212 (Sep 4, 2020)

Welcome to the forum!

I  can't help you with the SV, but if you have one of those old dial analog thermometers that goes down to freezing, you can check its accuracy by filling a cup with ice and a little water, and stir the ice with the thermometer - it should go down to 0° C, or 32° F.  If it's not at the freezing point, you know it's off, and if the thermometer has one of those nuts under the dial, you can adjust it, up or down; otherwise, just remember the number it's off by.  If  the thermometer doesn't go down to freezing, you can check it at the freezing point, though that's not as easy, as your elevation will change that.

Good luck with your steak!


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## sander2231 (Sep 5, 2020)

taxlady said:


> Sounds like a good idea. An instant read, digital thermometer is very useful in cooking and grilling.
> 
> I have a Thermapen and I use it all the time. My husband grilled hamburgers outside today and used it to know when the burgers were safe. Do you have to worry about that where you live?



It depends where you buy the meat. for example whenever you buy meat in the grocery store it should be well done because it is often a blend between pork and beef ( they tell you on the package its mixed dont worry) you can buy full beef blends but those are more expensive , and if you order from a bucher like one that has its own cows and stuff, that meat you can eat raw! .
i will try to find a thermapen nearby to try it out if it worked well for you


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## sander2231 (Sep 5, 2020)

Andy M. said:


> You might have an issue with the circulator.
> 
> Here is a photo of a burger I cooked to about the same temp with an ANOVA circulator then seared in a hot skillet.
> 
> ...



i am deffinitly aiming for a very rare burger. i forgot to mention that my last few steaks were in for about 2 hours because i thought lthe thickness did not matter but apperently it did.

i seared the outside at a very high temp for about 2 minutes each side until brown with a bit of butter and rosemary and used that to baste it.
i dont know if the basting causes the steaks to go even more well done?
also i let the steaks rest out of the hot pan for about 5 minutes.


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## sander2231 (Sep 5, 2020)

pepperhead212 said:


> Welcome to the forum!
> 
> I  can't help you with the SV, but if you have one of those old dial analog thermometers that goes down to freezing, you can check its accuracy by filling a cup with ice and a little water, and stir the ice with the thermometer - it should go down to 0° C, or 32° F.  If it's not at the freezing point, you know it's off, and if the thermometer has one of those nuts under the dial, you can adjust it, up or down; otherwise, just remember the number it's off by.  If  the thermometer doesn't go down to freezing, you can check it at the freezing point, though that's not as easy, as your elevation will change that.
> 
> Good luck with your steak!




I will try that thank you!


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## Andy M. (Sep 5, 2020)

sander2231 said:


> i am deffinitly aiming for a *very rare* burger. i forgot to mention that my last few steaks were in for about 2 hours because i thought lthe thickness did not matter but apperently it did.
> 
> i seared the outside at a very high temp for about 2 minutes each side until brown with a bit of butter and rosemary and used that to baste it.
> i dont know if the basting causes the steaks to go even more well done?
> also i let the steaks rest out of the hot pan for about 5 minutes.



How long you cook the meat, after it passes the minimum time, will not effect the degree of doneness. If you cook it for too long it will change the texture.

If you want VERY RARE, set your circulator for 49ºC (120ºF). Process the burgers at that temperature for the designated time. Remove the burger from the water and let it rest for 15-30 minutes. While the burger is resting, heat a skillet to super hot. Then pat the burger dry, add some oil to the pan. When the oil starts to smoke, add the burger and sear it for no more than one minute. Turn the burger over (and set it down in a different part of the pan) to cook for no more than one minute.

One note: thinner burgers or steaks cook faster so the searing process is especially difficult. With a thin burger or steak, the searing can overcook the interior of the meat.


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## Souschef (Sep 7, 2020)

*Timing ruler*

Dear Sander,
Please go to this site and buy a timing ruler. Click on the equipment tab to find it. The sous vide time is a function of thickness and geometry. The ruler makes it easy, and it is not that expensive,

http://amazingfoodmadeeasy.com


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Sep 9, 2020)

I'm right there on the brink of asking Santa to bring me
a Sous Vide set up.
I've been seeing more and more YouTube videos on the
topic and I see that the price of the "Outboard Motor"
it self has really come down in price.

I'm considering this model:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07898VZN9/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

What do you all think?
Which one do you own and use and love?


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## Andy M. (Sep 9, 2020)

Kaneohegirlinaz said:


> ...I'm considering this model:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07898VZN9/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
> 
> ...




You should definitely get one. During the Holiday shopping season, you will see them on sale a lot. A couple fo years ago I got an Anova Nano for $69 on Amazon.

It's fun to play with and SV chicken breast is the best. You can experiment with all kinds of foods.


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