Freeze Dryer Oil Pump Quandary

I’m just now finishing up my 40th batch of freeze drying with my Harvest Right freeze dryer, and I’m still loving it. 🙂

However, I have the Premier Oil Pump, which needs to have the oil changed every 20-25 uses, and I’ve been in a state of quandary as to how to manage the oil related to it.

My First Oil Change

After my first 20 batches of freeze drying goodness, I did my initial oil change. That was back in February, and I didn’t know exactly what I was doing or even why.

I just followed the directions that came with the machine, coupled with whatever information I could find online regarding the handling of the oil, which was hard to come by.

(I’m not a part of any social media groups, so I don’t have a pool of freeze dryer users to turn to like many who operate in those circles might have.)

I drained the oil into the filtering pitcher which came with the machine when I purchased it. And then I refilled the pump with fresh new oil, which also came with the machine, and left the pitcher to filter.

I stored the pitcher containing the filtered oil in a cabinet under the machine, which is where it has sat until today.

Now, I’m at the point of getting ready to change the oil again (after the current cycle finishes, while the pump is still warm), and I’m unsure about what to do next.

Second Oil Change: Now What?

My most pressing question was What do I fill the pump with: the filtered oil or fresh new oil? (And secondly, How do I know if my filtered oil is re-usable?)

So, I began to look online again for answers. In my search I found the following, which I thought was helpful & informative:

(This video talks about cleaning out the demister, which I’m not feeling the need to address at this point. I’ll have to investigate that later on.)

After discussing the dilemma with my husband, I’ve decided to go ahead and store the already filtered oil for future use, which I’ve determined is clean & clear enough to be re-used.

When I empty what’s in the pump now, I’ll replenish it with brand new oil and again, filter the used oil to store for the future.

I figure, use the fresh stuff now while I can easily get it and have the filtered stuff on hand for when getting it new may not be so easy. (Thank you to my husband for that little tip.)

(I still don’t know how often I’ll be able to re-use the used, filtered oil, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.)

DIY Oil Filter

In my online search for information surrounding filtering freeze dryer oil, I found the following video helpful in establishing a filtration process in conjunction with creating your own oil filter for future use.

I’m not sure how long my current oil filter will last, but I think this DIY project using cheap toilet paper & a coffee filter may be suitable when the time comes to replace it.

I’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I am continuing to tap into this super-easy food preservation method as often as I can, and for as long as I can. So far, so good. 🙂