Question Regarding Crock Pot Steeping

[Ov3rDoSe]

I've done my research, and I'm soon to be a convert.
Mini Crock Pot is sitting at the vape station right now, waiting.

An idea struck me after seeing how many people use the 'microwaved dry rice' method..
Instead of water in the crock pot, (it's sharing space with many electronics) could the crock just be filled with some sort of dry medium instead?
I'm thinking those decorative glass beads normally used to fill flower pots.
My theory is that the glass with never 'go bad', and will also be a great conductor of heat.
Plus the added benefit of not having my labels wash right off into a pot full of water.

I'd love to know what the other crock pot users think about this method.

Aside- This is for DIY fresh juice, made in glass bottles.

 

[muranternet]

You can use dry rice or sand in there. It's a decent medium because it's cheap and retains heat pretty well. The only problem I see with glass beads is you get small points of contact on the container instead of a more even coat like you would with rice or sand (or water through a baggie), but it may work. Just make sure you get a thermometer to check on the medium temperature while you go.

 

[Boletus]

For energy efficiency, nothing will beat water, except perhaps fluids that you probably don't want in your kitchen.. It has a very high specific heat capacity, and it's hard to beat the price. Also, a solid medium will be more likely to have hot spots. The convection movement of the water will ensure fairly even temps throughout the crock pot, assuming the bottles aren't touching the sides or bottom of the pot. With glass beads, the heat will travel through the glass more easily than the air between them, so the smaller the beads, the more even the heat will be, but there will still be a heat gradient, with hotter parts around the sides if the crockpot.

With that said, I have no idea how much difference those factors would actually make, so input from those that have tried this will be appreciated. I can see water being a problem if you label the bottles first.

 

[Ov3rDoSe]

Seeing as the beads are cheaper than borscht, I'll just grab some to try out. May even get a few difference sizes to see the difference. I'll post back with the results.
Good call on the hotspots, I was going to check with my meat thermometer anyway, but now I'll be checking several points before juice ever goes in there.

Thank you both! I guess a baggie for my juice in water wouldn't be the worst thing as a fall back..

 

[UntamedRose]

borscht? Beet soup?

 

[muranternet]

If you go with a baggie and water, what I used to do was stick the bottles in the baggie in a line and then suck all the air out, turning it into a cheapo sous-vide for better water contact and minimal air insulation. Not quite enough to save cheap labels (I have been eyeing some weatherproof polyester laser labels which would solve this, but not for every little test vial). You can also use colored rubber bands on the vials when they go in the water; I stole some stitch markers from my wife's knitting bag to mark which vial contained what.

 

[Ov3rDoSe]

borscht? Beet soup?

Correct. It's a Ukrainian thing.

Rubber bands is a great call! If I resort to water I'm using that for sure.
Got me thinking though, I wonder if my labels will even survive the dry medium..the head may just melt the adhesive anyway

I'll run the tests for this tomorrow, and let you all know.

 

[rowdyplace]

Brother P-Touch label maker. Their prices range widely and they use the same label stock. The labels stand up to a hot soaking in CP water as well as UC water...

When I steep store bought juice, I insert each bottle in a small plastic bag and squeeze the air out. Sometimes I put a heavy object on top to keep them submerged.

 

[Ov3rDoSe]

So, 3 dollar stores later and the glass beads I was looking for were nowhere to be found.

I've relegated myself to just using water, and labelling afterwards. Thanks for all the replies though!

 

[Silver5656]

So i have a crockpot and a UC. I first tried the UC but it dissolved all the labels (plastic bottles). Was I supposed to put them in a ziploc first? I will try the crockpot next as the water in the UC gets too hot with the heating element on

 

[muranternet]

So i have a crockpot and a UC. I first tried the UC but it dissolved all the labels (plastic bottles). Was I supposed to put them in a ziploc first? I will try the crockpot next as the water in the UC gets too hot with the heating element on

Yeah the UC will destroy labels (which is a good thing if you DIY labels on glass and want to get rid of them before re-using). Try propping the lid open if your water gets too hot and check it with a meat/candy/oil thermometer.

 

[Mrdaputer]

So, 3 dollar stores later and the glass beads I was looking for were nowhere to be found.

I've relegated myself to just using water, and labelling afterwards. Thanks for all the replies though!

I had sorta tried the glass beads a while back didn't work out too well. Water surrounds the bottles better more even heat.

 

[dannyv45]

I had sorta tried the glass beads a while back didn't work out too well. Water surrounds the bottles better more even heat.

Some have suggested filling with sand. Wonder if anyone tried it and how it worked out.

 

[Exchaner]

I have started using a thermos, and it is doing the job just as effectively as a crock pot - minus the hassles. A cheap one at Walmart will hold the heat for 7 hours. I just tested it for heat loss and it was minimal - only 5 degrees per hour. Twenty seconds in the microwave, and the water went get back up to 150. No wall plug needed, and you can take it with you in the car. If you are concerned about the heat loss, a more efficient unit is available at a higher cost.