Vacuum Pans
When processing jams, jellies and other concentrations (such as chicken broth), Lee Industries vacuum pans are used extensively. Under vacuum conditions, products can evaporate at lower temperatures, and avoid the damage caused by higher temperature boiling.
Processing Insights
Lee Industries Vacuum Pan Styles
Vacuum pan capacities range from 10 gallons through 1,000 gallons with larger sizes available upon request. They are available with hemispherical conventional jackets or in dished/coned/pitched bottom Uniflow jackets. Lee’s Uniflow jackets can be installed to the cylindrical section of the hemispherical vessels to give additional heat transfer surface. Total systems for processing, from initial engineering to final start-up, are available from Lee Industries.
All Lee Vacuum Pans Feature:
- #4 finish inside and outside
- Sanitary flanged rims
- Various certifications such as ASME and USDA
Outlet Features:
- Exclusive Lee designs permit shorter outlet fitting
Support Features:
- Stainless steel pipe legs
Vacuum Pan Uses
- Vacuum pans can be used with the Lee Tri-Mix™ Turbo-Shear™ to quickly draw powders or hard-to-wet products through the bottom outlet and directly into the high-speed mixer head
- Vessels with agitators can be fabricated for vacuum processing for deaeration, cooling, temperature control or other processing advantages
- Portable vessels can be equipped with vacuum capabilities for use in deaeration or product transfer
- Lee’s Uniflow vacuum systems allow processing from cooking to cooling to be done in one vessel. These systems have been used for such products as:
- Jams
- Jellies
- Broths
- Stews
- Chili
- Gravy
- Cream sauces
- Soups
- Tomato sauces
- Cosmetics
- Lotions
- Pharmaceuticals
- Jams
- Vacuum processing can also be done in our kettles and tanks.
Vacuum Pan Options & Accessories
While the style of vacuum pan you choose will have its own set of features, you also have the opportunity to choose from a few other options.
Instrumentation
Temperature recording and control can play a critical role in your processing technique. Our temperature sensing or control instruments can ensure you yield the desired results in heat transfer vessels. We offer:
- A wide variety of temperature sensing control and recording instruments
- Probe-type sensors for open kettles
- Stainless steel flush-mounted sensors for scraper blade agitator installations
Electropolishing and Finishing
We recognize the demand for high-quality, durable, ultra-sanitary finishes. We provide world-class mechanical finishes and can also provide electropolish finishes on all of our parts and products.
Vacuum Pan Customizations
A typical total jam and jelly system would include premix kettles, a vacuum pan with vacuum precondenser, vapor piping and often a final standardization vessel. All of the equipment is sized, designed and supplied by Lee Industries to fit your specific processing requirements.
Some available processing accessories include:
Internal Booster Coil
- Sanitary stainless steel booster coil added to vacuum pan
- Provides additional heat transfer area for increased evaporation
- Increases rolling/mixing action
Instream Refractometer
Samplers
- Spoon Sampler
- Designed to easily remove small quantities of product during vacuum processing
- Product Sampler
- Designed using fluid transfer USDA/3A standard inline ball valves
- Easily remove larger quantities of product during vacuum processing
Precondenser and Vacuum Pump
- Shell and tube exchanger is a standard carbon steel
- Cast iron water bonnets and tubes (available in stainless steel for essence recovery)
- Vacuum pump is cast iron
- Furnished with base, coupling, coupling guard and silencer
- Standard electrics are 230/460 volt, 60 cycle, 3 phase, TEFC