Raw storage sanity check

[mikeh1998]

I want to make sure that I have my info correct on how to store raws long term let's say for use in 5, 10, 20 years down the line, without spending thousands for special equipment.

* You can use a regular food vacuum sealer, but just double bag (
View: https://youtu.be/Q3dUxKmNIVk?t=22
) to prevent powder from getting sucked in (apparently this can't happen but I didn't risk it)
* Use a regular transparent diamond texture food vacuum bag or an opaque "retort bag"
* Place a food safe oxygen absorber with the raw
* Do not place desiccants with the raw since they are not food safe
* Label the bag along with date of purchase and time it was bagged
* Place the vacuum sealed bag into a decently thick opaque mylar bag (do not need to vacuum seal this bag, just zip it back up or heat seal it)
* Place some oxygen absorbers and desiccants into the mylar bag
* Store away from sunlight at a stable temperature (room temp is fine, around 20-25 degrees Celcius)
* Do not freeze, also refrigeration is unnecessary

Is there anything I got wrong?

If anyone can share their steps or share some science about how long raw testosterone powders last it would be appreciated.

 

[narta]

Store in a coll, dark place with some moisture absorbers.

Good for 10+ years.

 

[mikeh1998]

Store in a coll, dark place with some moisture absorbers.

Good for 10+ years.

What do you use for moisture absorption (I am guessing it is a silica gel packet), and do you have the moisture absorbing packet touching the raw powders?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

When do I snort the flour?

 

[mikeh1998]

When do I snort the flour?

After adding the silica gels

 

[narta]

What do you use for moisture absorption (I am guessing it is a silica gel packet), and do you have the moisture absorbing packet touching the raw powders?

I was doing that. Now it's a single moisture absorber that is used for closets in an airtight container that I store all my raws. Gets the job done and needs maybe replacing every 6 months or so

 

[qadsan]

I always desiccate my raws first for a few days in a vacuum desiccator (bottom filled with desiccant) before vacuum sealing the powder in 4 mil bags, which are then placed into heavier Mylar bags with desiccant before being sealed, then those bags are stored in weather sealed containers on a rack.

Interestingly, I’ll sometimes lose up to 2% of the powder weight after desiccation, but it’s typically 1% or less.

I used to use the glass vaccum desiccators with a little heat under them, but they can sometimes break under vacuum. I’ve switched to a polycarbonate desicator last year and have been very happy with it. They seal great and hold a vacuum all week long without a problem.

 

[HUGE McBIGLARGE]

I’ve been doing this for my oral raws:
-6 months of raws in a bag with an o2 absorber
-vacuum seal it
-shove it in a Mylar bag with another o2 absorber and a silica pack
-attempt to vacuum seal the Mylar bag as best as I can
-stick the Mylar bag, along with any other raws I’ve bagged today, in a big bag, which gets vacuum sealed because why not? Makes storage easier

 

[HUGE McBIGLARGE]

I’ve been doing this for my oral raws:
-6 months of raws in a bag with an o2 absorber
-vacuum seal it
-shove it in a Mylar bag with another o2 absorber and a silica pack
-attempt to vacuum seal the Mylar bag as best as I can
-stick the Mylar bag, along with any other raws I’ve bagged today, in a big bag, which gets vacuum sealed because why not? Makes storage easier

I bagged some raws last night and did something different which worked better.

I put the unsealed Mylar bag into a vacuum bag, vacuum sealed it, and therefore also vacuum sealed the Mylar bag. I then pinched the Mylar bag closed, and then heat sealed the Mylar bag closed while it was still in the vacuum bag.

 

[TedStriker]

I've got a bunch of raws I need to prep for long term storage. My plan is the following:

*Portion into 100g mylar bags for ease of small batch brewing later
*Add a desiccant pack and oxygen absorber to each bag
*Press out as much air as possible and pinch seal
*Heat seal with impulse sealer
*Store in an air tight container

Overkill? Underkill? I have a vacuum sealer, but I figure that would be overkill.

 

[Sampei]

I've got a bunch of raws I need to prep for long term storage. My plan is the following:

*Portion into 100g mylar bags for ease of small batch brewing later
*Add a desiccant pack and oxygen absorber to each bag
*Press out as much air as possible and pinch seal
*Heat seal with impulse sealer
*Store in an air tight container

Overkill? Underkill? I have a vacuum sealer, but I figure that would be overkill.

Vacuum seal it, there are a tons of posts on the correct way of doing this, can't you guys use the search function?

 

[mikeh1998]

I've got a bunch of raws I need to prep for long term storage. My plan is the following:

*Portion into 100g mylar bags for ease of small batch brewing later
*Add a desiccant pack and oxygen absorber to each bag
*Press out as much air as possible and pinch seal
*Heat seal with impulse sealer
*Store in an air tight container

Overkill? Underkill? I have a vacuum sealer, but I figure that would be overkill.

You should probably spend the $50-100 on a vacuum sealer rather than trying to push the air out manually, it really does not work.

 

[TedStriker]

You should probably spend the $50-100 on a vacuum sealer rather than trying to push the air out manually, it really does not work.

Yea as I said, I do have one. More a question of how necessarily it is. If the consensus is to do it, then it shall be done.

 

[sinistral]

Yea as I said, I do have one. More a question of how necessarily it is. If the consensus is to do it, then it shall be done.

No such thing as overkill IMHO if it doesn't cost you anything extra.

 

[xrayphoton13]

New to this here and still learning. Are you placing the oxygen absorber and desiccant in the same bag and touching the raw powder? Or are you sealing the powder in a bag by itself and then placing that bag along with the oxygen absorber and desiccant into a vacuum sealable bag and sealing it like that? I guess it just seems weird to me to have them mixed inside the powder and then you have to fish them out later and lose some powder that's probably stuck to them. or could it possibly a contamination risk?
Thanks in advance for the guidance

 

[mikeh1998]

New to this here and still learning. Are you placing the oxygen absorber and desiccant in the same bag and touching the raw powder? Or are you sealing the powder in a bag by itself and then placing that bag along with the oxygen absorber and desiccant into a vacuum sealable bag and sealing it like that? I guess it just seems weird to me to have them mixed inside the powder and then you have to fish them out later and lose some powder that's probably stuck to them. or could it possibly a contamination risk?
Thanks in advance for the guidance

I just do 1x plastic O2 absorber touching the raw in the bag, then vacuum seal.

I recently found food safe desiccants on amazon where the pouch isn't paper it's a plastic that's not going to tear accidentally.

You can put both in the bag with the powder it's perfectly fine, you can fish them out super easily since they are both plastic.

"Lose some powder that's probably stuck to them" - this is a non-issue, I would be amazed if you managed to lose even 10 mg from this.

 

[mikeh1998]

Yea as I said, I do have one. More a question of how necessarily it is. If the consensus is to do it, then it shall be done.

Hehe my bad. Yeah it (vacuum sealing) is a necessity.

There's so little effort/money required to vacuum seal the bag compared to the reward of not having any air for the powder to react with.

 

[TedStriker]

Awesome thanks for the guidance.

All my stuff is food safe (thanks Amazon) but I think I got too small of Mylar bags. Mentally under-estimated what 100G looks like. Might portion some out smaller for really small brews, haven't decided yet. But I guess thats half the fun right? Aw shit, looks like homebrew calculator is down. Hope thats just temporary.

 

[HUGE McBIGLARGE]

I recently found food safe desiccants

Silica gel is safe to eat

 

[bayleyt]

I've read that dessicants can render oxygen absorbers ineffecetive and should not be used together.

Are oxygen absorbers, or dessicants more appropriate for long term storage or AAS raws?