Old All American Canner
ekgrows
11 years ago
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2ajsmama
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Conversion of 'All American - 25X sterilizer' to 'pressure canner
Comments (37)Ok, I had to chime in as I repair autoclaves for a living. With the RIGHT autoclave, sterility, safety, and flavor can be maximized. I have two Pelton Crane OCRs (10in diameter chamber,) one Midmark M9 (9in diameter chamber,) and one Tuttnauer 2540m (10in diameter chamber.) Of all the units I have used, the older Pelton Crane units seem to be the most viable for home canning, as I personally use them for this task. This autoclave uses a bellows to allow air in the chamber to be displaced by steam as the chamber heats up. It has a safety valve which will open in an over-pressure condition, usually at either 35 or 40 PSI. The analog temperature control is fully adjustable, regulated by a chamber steam temp sensor and TRIAC circuit. If you are worried about gauge accuracy, remember that there is a direct correlation between steam pressure and temperature. (See attached picture for a chart listing correlation points between temperature and pressure.) As long as the temp and pressure gauges correlate, it should be accurate. If you have doubts, a max register lag thermometer can be used to confirm the max temperature. If the max temp displayed on the thermometer matches what was shown on the gauge, and the temp and pressure gauges correlate, there is nothing to worry about. (If you are not running back to back cycles. More on this later.) When I am canning (or sterilizing liquid growth media or IV fluids) in it, I just run it at a lower temp for liquids, and only partially vent it at the end of the cycle to allow the water at the bottom of the chamber to exit. After the venting sound switches from water to steam bubbling through the condenser tube in the water reservoir, I allow the pressure to get down to about 5 PSI before closing the valve and allowing the unit to cool down naturally before opening the door. This will allow the pressure in the jars to come down some, and prevent exploding. This is mainly an issue if you are running cycles above 252F. For reference, pressure canning is usually done at 240F / 10.5 PSI, which is EASILY achievable in an autoclave. Lastly, when using an autoclave, you MUST remember to allow the unit to cool down enough for the bellows for it to open the chamber air vent valve. Failure to do this will cause air in the chamber to not be displaced by steam, leaving a space in the autoclave that DID NOT get up to temperature. -Adam Nash...See MoreAll American Pressure Canner on Sale
Comments (6)I have the 941 which is 41 quarts. I love it. the bigger the better. fewer batches to process. I bought it new 25 years ago and it still is like new. However, I recently purchased a new electric stove with a ceramic top. Not sure yet if it can take the weight of a full 941. It is fairly heavy with 19 quart jars inside....See MoreCan You Add a Weight Gauge To An Old All-American Pressure Canner
Comments (2)Looks a bit corroded! The threads that screw into the lid are tapered pipe threads. The Presto weights sit on a tube that has a bevel at the top and a wide groove on the side. Yours looks like the top part flips to the side and holds the part on below that. You can contact All American and see if they have a 'retro fit' for a weighted gauge for your old model. If so, it may replace all the way down to the threaded area. If thats the case, be sure to use teflon tape on the threads to give it a tight seal. Teflon tape is used in the plumbing industry and is a great way to keep threaded fittings air and water tight....See MoreWhat Size All-American Pressure Canner Should I Buy?
Comments (9)A smaller canner will come up to pressure and drop down faster. However, any canner that can hold 4 quart jars is big enough to safely meet current standards. AFAIK, the Mirro 12-quart is the smallest that will achieve that. Stacking jars won't make any difference, so if you have just enough jars for one layer I wouldn't fiddle with stacking. I have the All-American 21.5. It's a great canner. Be aware (as I discovered) that not all pints can be stacked. If you look at Ball pints versus Kerr pints you'll see a difference in height. I have both kinds of jars and if I want to do two layers in that canner I have to think about which jars I prepare because two layers of tall pints won't work. My old Presto, on the other hand, no problem because it's taller and narrower. Don't get me wrong. I love my All-American, but if you're routinely stacking jars you might consider an even bigger size. If you only occasionally stack jars or think you might, then the additional cost might not be worth it to you, especially if you have shorter Kerr pint jars. Carol...See Moreekgrows
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