How to use a pressure cooker

[crazymonkey15]

Okay, so there was a little washer underneath the pressure weight on my cooker. I took that off and it seemed to be rocking normally. What's that washer for?

[Bugeater]

Does your cooker have a temperature or pressure gauge? If so, what was the pressure or temperature? If it was over 20 psi or 250°, you had the heat too high and the excess pressure was blowing the weight right off. After removing the washer, the steam couldn't lift the weight high enough to blow it off the stem. I always turn the heat down a bit once pressure begins to build. You only need it high enough to keep steam continuously flowing without violently bouncing the weight. If the pressure gets too high you will blow the safety plug which will result in a boiling geyser splashing off the ceiling.

[rico567]

Those new to pressure cookers probably need to look for a manual on their use....They are sold as household appliances, but as a pressure vessel, are significantly different than most other such products. Here's Presto's manual for their pressure cookers:

http://www.gopresto.com/downloads/instr ... /01264.pdf

This is rather like a thread the other day, in which someone was grappling with using a microscope to do yeast counts....and this person had obviously never used a microscope before, and was really frustrated. This is in the same category, and some reading up or one-on-one instruction is the best course.

[crazymonkey15]

Thanks Bug,

My cooker does not have a pressure or temp gauge. I work at a University and took the jars to the science department and had them autoclaved. The ones that had also gone through my pressure cooker were much darker at then end of the process than the ones that just went through the autoclave.

My best guess is that my pressure cooker got them hotter than the autoclave and darkened the wort inside. But that's just my guess.

And it was when I removed that washer that the weight rocked normally. I think it didn't have any where to go side-to-side with the washer in place. When I removed it, the weight was able to actually "rock" instead of being forced to shoot up.

[SoCal Surfer]

ha ha! I used to work in a lab at a university and would autoclave all of my s--t. You are a lucky man. I wish I had that thing still. I also wish I could play with that electron microscope and that mass spec. If I knew more back then, I'd be a brew genius. But I did do my starters in the same fridge as my E. coli cultures.

[dogismycopilot]

I tried this yesterday, for the first time. Used 6.25 lb of 2-row, and undershot my OG significantly. I ended up canning 12 quarts and 3 pints of 1.028 wort. I know 1.040 is ideal, so does anyone know how this will affect my starters, and if I need to increase starter volume to grow an appropriate amount of yeast?

BTW, I mashed low, thinking a more fermentable wort would be better. Am I right, or would some non-fermentable dextrines help the yeast in any way?

Thanks

[snowcapt]

Isn't that 13.5 QTS?

[dogismycopilot]

Yeah. It's also 3 3/8 gallons.

I meant 12 quart jars and 3 pint jars.