anyone using a pressure cooker "autoclave"?

If so can you walk me through the process.
How do I know what can be autoclaved?
Have you ever used it with a propane burner?

Depends on your type, I fill mine to above the water line, put the contents in and seal it up, put 15 lbs of weight on it and start to heat it up until it starts the weight rocking, lower heat and wait 10 minutes, remove from heat, and wait till presure valve releases to open.

I'm not sure but glass, metal, and some plastic. If you’re not sure ask I'm sure someone has tried it before.

No, mine has a warning not to use with propane burner.

So if I shouldn't use propane could I use a 120v hotplate?

Yea, a hotplate should work, just so you can turn down the heat once you reach pressure so it doesn't build up faster than it can release it.

I use propane ALL the time. Heat is heat. Why does it matter if it's fire or electric?

IDK why it matters but its DOES My pressure canner says and I quote "DO NOT USE A OUTDOOR PROPANE BURNER. It says it just like that. I think there serious.

When I use mine I do 11-15 pounds for 30 minutes and it works great. I leave my agar out for a week to see if anything grows and it hasn't yet. I use mason jars with aluminum covers to hold what ever I need cleaned. Tubes, Tools, Agar, ETC...

i use an all american. i use it on propane all the time. sometimes i use it just to heat water. the only thing i sterilize are mason jars/tops for yeast washing.

I use mine on my gas stove. It takes a little longer but works well. I have used it for sterilization and for canning wort for starters.

I use a real autoclave. :rockin: The only thing that I have found to not be autoclavable are plastic racking tubes (I tested a piece of a broken one). I keep meaning to test a White labs yeast vial - I think that will fail. A few things get soft and can become deformed like carboy caps, and many tubings. This is fine as long as they are cooled carefully (no kinks or weight on them). Kegs autoclave just fine!

pjj2ba said:

I use a real autoclave. :rockin: The only thing that I have found to not be autoclavable are plastic racking tubes (I tested a piece of a broken one). I keep meaning to test a White labs yeast vial - I think that will fail. A few things get soft and can become deformed like carboy caps, and many tubings. This is fine as long as they are cooled carefully (no kinks or weight on them). Kegs autoclave just fine!

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That sounds like a freaking huge autoclave! Ever autoclave a carboy?

pjj2ba said:

I use a real autoclave. :rockin: The only thing that I have found to not be autoclavable are plastic racking tubes (I tested a piece of a broken one). I keep meaning to test a White labs yeast vial - I think that will fail. A few things get soft and can become deformed like carboy caps, and many tubings. This is fine as long as they are cooled carefully (no kinks or weight on them). Kegs autoclave just fine!

Click to expand...

White labs vials are PETE so I am guessing they are not autoclavable.

They are 2 liter soda bottle blanks and those get pretty soft under my hottest tap water (140 maybe?).

conpewter said:

That sounds like a freaking huge autoclave! Ever autoclave a carboy?

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I wouldn't say they are huge. Pretty standard lab size. I could probably fit 4 cornies inside on their side with room to spare.

I doubt a carboy would make it. I think one would have to fill it up half way with water to minimze any thermal shock when cooling. With all of that water, you'd have to run a longer cycle and other people actually need to use them for work.

the White labs yeast vials turn opaque, but do not deform.

since nobody answered the complete question;

objective: maintain 250*F for 30 minutes to come as CLOSE to sterile as attainable at home.

put an inch plus water in bottom (dry=RUINED!! equipment)
insert beakers/flasks/etc
heat until steam begins escaping
maintain open vent 10 minutes (to clear headspace of non-steam)
close petcock/insert weight
maintain 15 psi (250F) 30 minutes
power down, DO NOT touch anything until pressure NATURALLY equalizes (for me about 30mins)

NOW "STERILE"

I have been using a baby bottle sterilizer that you put in the microwave for yeast vials and what not. works great and is cheap. Plus we had one laying around we do not use anymore. just can;t use it with metal.

Hmmm I guess I thought autoclaves were desktop items.

Yeah I figure a carboy would be weakened or broken by the thermal shock. I suppose a stainless fermenter would be the only one you could easily sterilize in an autoclave then.

jfkriege said:

I use mine on my gas stove. It takes a little longer but works well. I have used it for sterilization and for canning wort for starters.

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Tell me how you can your wort for starters.

Thx

Tell me how you can your wort for starters.

Thx

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Create the wort (I do a batch of extract it is a little older and I dont want to use it any more for beer; I know people who just do an all grain batch with 2-row) that is about 1.040. In stead of cooling it after boiling for 30 minutes, place it in the quart jars. Put lids on and run at 15lbs for 30 minutes. Let things equalize and put them on your shelf in a cool dark place.

Then just use them whenever you need. I usually dust off and flame the top and then open and pour into a flask. Works great.

So are you guys using hotplates or kitchen stoves? The info that came with it said not to use a propane burner.

I am using my gas stove and adjusting it to keep the pressure at its proper levels.

I assume the instructions keep you from using the propane burner because of the amount of heat you can put in in a very short time.

How much water do you need for canning?

jfkriege said:

Create the wort (I do a batch of extract it is a little older and I dont want to use it any more for beer; I know people who just do an all grain batch with 2-row) that is about 1.040. In stead of cooling it after boiling for 30 minutes, place it in the quart jars. Put lids on and run at 15lbs for 30 minutes. Let things equalize and put them on your shelf in a cool dark place.

Then just use them whenever you need. I usually dust off and flame the top and then open and pour into a flask. Works great.

Click to expand...

If you can starters with all-grain do you even need to boil after mash-out. You'll be sterilizing the wort in the pressure cooker anyway so you would be boiling twice.

I bring it up to boiling so the canner reaches temperature and pressure faster. There ends up being about 2 gallons in there at any point, and I have a lot more power going into the kettle than I do the canner. It is more of a patience thing.

Joshua

jdieter said:

If you can starters with all-grain do you even need to boil after mash-out. You'll be sterilizing the wort in the pressure cooker anyway so you would be boiling twice.

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I got break material from extract. If doing all grain I would think you would get even more. I plan on boiling and cold crashing and then settling my wort to draw off the break next time I try canning. That's me though.

I get break material in the bottom of the bottles as well. I just dont care about it.

If you really wanted, you could just filter it through a strainer with a towel / paper towel in it and you will get very clear wort into the jars.

The break material wont hurt anything, though.

Most pressure cookers are aluminum. Over a big propane burner, you could actually melt the pressure cooker. If it happens to be under pressure when it does get soft, you've just created a grenade. Hot flying shrapnel of molten metal and broken glass from inside.

If you happen to have a stainless one, you could go for it, but it still might cause problems if you get it too hot.

A friend works in a lab and offered to autoclave my yeast vials. But then she warned they'd smell like culture broth forever.

An autoclave big enough for 4 kegs? What industry are you in that uses a clave that big?

B

I am not sure if you are responding to my post, but the number above was 2 gallons, not 20. I have an 8 quart pressure canner. Pretty standard.

Also, I would never use the canner on my propane burner. I only use it on my gas stove. I also watch it quite closely to maintain 15psi pressure.

Joshua