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

Boy half a zone difference make you guys so far ahead ~ just as George (ego45) reminded me! BB just flashed her virginal gown yesterday ~ 1 so far! QF opened tons on Pops' Day ~ so thrilled & tho both Orig ES did each a quick one, our gloomy/rainy/storm days interrupted the momentum ~ got everyone in a napsy mood & clusters are still just that! Today sun did show up ~ hopefully shake everyone up! Oh but Blue Frost Serrata even in his *dip 'n dot* stage is already giving hints on the trio of colors ~ blue, lavender, pinks & loaded! T&S1 ~ that came frost bitten, is the most advanced w/ all sorts of new canes & clusters - ready to flash soon ~ in the most ideal site, the hole I prep'd last Fall. I clipped all the blooms she came in to speed up these new ones! T&S2 & T&S3 are doing fine w/ new canes & new cluster finials tho nowhere close to T&S1's #s Luis - to answer our musings on extra sun exposure ~ definitely affects bloom colors IMO based on observations on these 3 T&S planted in 3 diff exposures ~ then again I'm also considering soil diff in their 3 sites! Sorry ~ for long chit-chat! Follow ups later. OK?!

I'm sorry for the loss of your dear friend. "Suddenly" is a terrible shock, and more rare today with modern medicine and (hopefully) better eating habits. DH's father collapsed at 55; got up to use the bathroom early one morning and died of a heart attack. He was overweight and a smoker, but his last physical was OK. A favorite uncle of mine fit the same pattern. "Indigestion" one evening became a fatal heart attack at 56. The fit father of 4-year-old twins came off duty as a Chicago cop; locked up his gun; took off his uniform; laid down for a nap with one of the twins curled up beside him...and died in his sleep. He was 38. All hearts do stop. My mother found my grandmother, 93, fully dressed, sitting in her favorite bedroom chair, waiting to go downstairs for breakfast. Mom 'missed her' by about an hour. Does everyone here know CPR? This thread might encourage us to learn.

Sue, I have the Viking Mega Quilter and Inspira Frame and I love it. We got it just before the New Generation Frames were coming out, so the whole setup was just under $2000. It can be set up at half width or full (120") which is where I have left it. It will do a king size--but I've never made one that big. I have done queen size with no problems and have gone as small as about 1 yard (for a purse) As the others have said, on bigger quilts you have to plan ahead for the smaller quilting area or simply turn it around. I read many postings on home quilting forums about different problems and was determined to not be frustrated with the learning curve. And I can honestly say the problems were absolutely minimal and I was hooked from the get-go. I'm still not a "pro" by any means, but I sure am enjoying it. Linda