Maybe I misundertand sous-vide, or I have a fundamental misunderstanding of potential food poisoning issues. I thought sous-vide foodstuffs were cryovac'd in food-grade plastic. If the meat (or whatever) is sealed in plastic, what difference would it make what is (or is not) in the water bath? I thought the only thing that had any culinary effect on the protien was the liquid's temperature, not any additives to the liquid.
I can see how an acidic water bath would inhibit growth OUTSIDE the vac bag, but inside too?
Presumably there is some sort of liquid in the bag as well. The water you are sous-viding in is irrelevant. It's the liquid in the bag, even miniscule amounts, that has to be either completely sterile or with a low enough pH to avoid botulism spores.
Sous-viding without the bag is just poaching.
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