I've read the Drew Beechum article and heard him talk about pressure cooking wort for starts on the experimental brew podcast. I have a fagor duo 8 qt pressure cooker, which was a best buy choice by america's test kitchen for a stove top pressure cooker. in their book 'pressure cooker perfection' they note that while it preforms well, it falls short of the 250 degree F target that is mentioned in the article about pressure cooking wort, only hitting 246 degree F. i was wondering if it would still be safe to use for canning wort even though it does not hit 250 degree F. i had thought about doubling the boil time to compensate for this lower peak temp but wasn't sure if that would work to kill all nasties i don't want in there. i figure that it's only reasonable for some temperature variation to happen across different kitchens, environments, pressure cookers, etc anyways so not sure how big a deal the 4 degrees would make. my biggest concern from canning wort that people have talked about is big, bad, botulism, which i'd like to avoid.
pressure cooker canned wort temp question
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Is it advertised as good for canning? I've learned from my adventures with sous vide that longer time at a lower temp does not equal even a brief time at a higher temp.
That being said, it's only 4 degrees. Your geographic location/elevation might make more of a difference in the max temperature reached. Also, consider that many foods with high sugar content or acidity can be safely canned at only boiling temps. My wife cans apple butter every year with zero problems.
I think there is a little slip built into the pressure canning tables. It's probably fine. I do canned wort for extra long too, just in case...
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Speaking from the standpoint of being a chef for 20 years what I can tell you is that a pressure cooker is not the same as a pressure canner.. Pressure cookers heat and cool very rapidly and are rarely about to hold the necessary pressure for safe canning...
I personally would not recommend using a cooker for jarring/canning.
If you don't mind investing a bit... Granite wear has huge canners for less than $100..
I personally would not recommend using a cooker for jarring/canning.
If you don't mind investing a bit... Granite wear has huge canners for less than $100..
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About to hold the pressure should say able to hold pressure
My pressure cooker reaches the same pressure as my canner, and cools down as slowly as long as I don't vent it. But there are 2 good reasons to use the canner anyway: it has a pressure gauge so you can be SURE about the temperature, and it is FLIPPING HUGE.
How many jars can I fit in my cooker? Not many and they are small. 4x pint jars maybe? But I can do 4x 2 qt jars at once in my canner... plus giant batches of pressure cooked food if I need to. Glad I have it.
How many jars can I fit in my cooker? Not many and they are small. 4x pint jars maybe? But I can do 4x 2 qt jars at once in my canner... plus giant batches of pressure cooked food if I need to. Glad I have it.
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Indeed some cookers can function as canners but not all. Will the jars seal? Probably.. Will they be safe? Hopefully.. I can a lot of chicken and some beef so I'm always overly cautious about what I do and how I do it...
After having to renew my sanitation license so many times the paranoia has definitely got a hold of me. But I'd rather be paranoid than deal with food poisoning.....
After having to renew my sanitation license so many times the paranoia has definitely got a hold of me. But I'd rather be paranoid than deal with food poisoning.....
The more you learn about food safety, the more you worry, that's for sure! And once in a while we do hear a horror story about a family wiped out by botulism.
In another pressure canning thread someone posted a link to a scientific paper that evaluated cookers vs canners for sterilizing and the results were very encouraging. Still, the tiny jars that fit in my cooker are pointless, imho. I'd need to use at least half my cooker's jar capacity for a typical starter volume, at which point I'm not even saving effort over making a starter by boiling.
I got this canner and have been very pleased with it. I'd encourage anyone who makes starters to start canning, it's a great convenience.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KWZEERC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
In another pressure canning thread someone posted a link to a scientific paper that evaluated cookers vs canners for sterilizing and the results were very encouraging. Still, the tiny jars that fit in my cooker are pointless, imho. I'd need to use at least half my cooker's jar capacity for a typical starter volume, at which point I'm not even saving effort over making a starter by boiling.
I got this canner and have been very pleased with it. I'd encourage anyone who makes starters to start canning, it's a great convenience.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KWZEERC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
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That's a good deal. My granite ware costs about 20 more and the capacity seems to be the same...
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If you are able to find that article let me know? Pm or post here?
I'd love to read it..
I'd love to read it..
I'll try to find it later, on mobile right now. 
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No problem... Thanks.
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If the instructions included with the device mention canning/jarring.... That's fine...
If they do not.... Then once again... I wouldn't do it.. Time will not compensate for improper pressure during canning.
If they do not.... Then once again... I wouldn't do it.. Time will not compensate for improper pressure during canning.
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It may be sterile when it's complete but if done improperly it will not stay that way...
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I'm not willing to say you are wrong... I don't know the equipment he is using well enough to judge..
https://foodsafetywithjaybee.blogspot.com/2012/03/bacteria-in-canned-food.html?m=1
That's a good link with a short explanation about canning safety which then gives me a question....
Mash pH should be around 5.5...but....what about acidulating the wort to below 4.6 to guarantee safety? That small of an amount added to a 5 gallon batch shouldn't cause many if any problems with the batch?
https://foodsafetywithjaybee.blogspot.com/2012/03/bacteria-in-canned-food.html?m=1
That's a good link with a short explanation about canning safety which then gives me a question....
Mash pH should be around 5.5...but....what about acidulating the wort to below 4.6 to guarantee safety? That small of an amount added to a 5 gallon batch shouldn't cause many if any problems with the batch?
imasickboy
Drinkasaurus extraordinarius
The main reason for canning wort is for starters, so it usually gets decanted and pitched. Acidifying it shouldn't be an issue. However, there's no reason not to play it safe and just do it properly, IMO. I like not dying, so I pressure can, every time.
My pressure canner: https://smile.amazon.com/Presto-01781-23-Quart-Pressure-Canner
It can handle 7 quart jars at once, or 18 pint jars at once.
$70
Bonus tip: If you can 1.080-1.090 wort in quart jars, you can add 1 quart to a 2L flask, and top up to 2L with bottled water to achieve a ~1.040 starter.
My pressure canner: https://smile.amazon.com/Presto-01781-23-Quart-Pressure-Canner
It can handle 7 quart jars at once, or 18 pint jars at once.
$70
Bonus tip: If you can 1.080-1.090 wort in quart jars, you can add 1 quart to a 2L flask, and top up to 2L with bottled water to achieve a ~1.040 starter.
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I'm saying acidify to guarantee no chance of botulism.... Under 4.6 and botulism is unable to grow..
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That way even if something went wrong and the wort was not properly canned.... It would still be safe.
This is my exact process, right down to your choice of canners...
Nebraskan
Assoc. Winemaker
Nice little overview of the canning process link: https://www.gopresto.com/recipes/canning/ I have canned a lot of vegetables. 15 psi for the most part and at least 20 minutes at that temp. If you have a pressure cooker, or canner that can get to your 15 psi, your internal temp is very high, and is not as affected by elevation as is merely boiling water. YOU control the pressure and hence the pressure inside is always at 15 PSI (or what ever you set it at) even though outside barometric pressure in higher elevations is lower than would be with no pressure.
I would not sweat 4 degrees. Usually time and temp is the criteria. Increase time a bit.
I would not sweat 4 degrees. Usually time and temp is the criteria. Increase time a bit.
OP
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domdom
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thanks for the input. think i'm gonna use my last xmas amazon gift card and go for a pressure canner.
for the models with gauges on them, do you need to need to get them calibrated regularly? thought i read that they need to be tested and calibrated every so often.
for the models with gauges on them, do you need to need to get them calibrated regularly? thought i read that they need to be tested and calibrated every so often.
I have a Presto and the directions for low acid foods say 15 PSI for 15 min. I was under the impression that 240f was the magic number to stay above. You could also buy Imperial Organic Yeast which comes with 200 billion cells and not make a starter.
I think the manual states to have it tested once a year. It also states that most county extension offices will test them. I haven't had mine tested yet, after 2 years...
Edited to add: I have the Presto 23 Quart Canner.
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imasickboy
Drinkasaurus extraordinarius
If you're using a pressure cooker with a weighted gauge, you don't need the actual pressure gauge to be accurate. The Presto 23 comes with a 15 lb weighted gauge. You can buy a variable weight separately: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HMBVQ8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
The variable weight one is useful for when you might want to can foods which require 10 PSI, (which is most of them).
The variable weight one is useful for when you might want to can foods which require 10 PSI, (which is most of them).
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domdom
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Follow up:
bought a presto pressure canner. tested it this evening and can't seem to get the needle on the gauge to 15psi exactly, can only get just under without the weight going crazy. is this close enough?
bought a presto pressure canner. tested it this evening and can't seem to get the needle on the gauge to 15psi exactly, can only get just under without the weight going crazy. is this close enough?
Stick a quarter on top of the weight?
imasickboy
Drinkasaurus extraordinarius
Trust the weight, not the gauge. The gauges are recommended to be tested and calibrated yearly, no matter what brand pressure canner you have. The weights are all the same. The only thing I might question is your altitude, but if you are indeed in St. Louis, you should be fine without altitude correction.
