Pressure cooker size?

[disasterbrew]

I'm looking into canning wort for starters. Any suggestions for what size/brand I should get (or avoid)? Any process suggestions? Is the effort worth it?

[PSUHomebrewer]

Your best option would try and find one that works on an outside burner. A pressure cooker is basically the same as an autoclave so you could sterilize anything for brewing, not just for wort storage. Though if all you will be using it for is culture tubes, funnels, and pipettes then it depends on the pipette, but something in the 1-1.5gal should work. Another thing that will help is a small rack to keep the items out of the water since it's the steam that does the sterilizing.

[Bugeater]

I've been doing canning of various stuff for more than 20 years. Obviously the size depends on what you are going to be doing. The smaller pressure pans in the 4-6 quart size are great for cooking beans and other meal stuff. For doing any kind of canning for preservation needs a much bigger size to make it worth the trouble to make a volume big enough to be practical.

The best sizes for canning wort (or vegetables, chicken, etc) are either a 16 or 20 quart size. A 16 quart size will hold 7 quart jars of wort. This will allow you to can a 5 gallon batch of wort in about 3 batches. The total amount of time to mash, batch sparge and can this much will take about the same amount of time as a long brew day but depending on how often you brew, you won't need to make up any starter wort for 6-12 months. I've kept wort this way up to 18 months with no problems. I have always run out before going longer.

Wayne

[Cliff]

Any suggestions for what size/brand I should get (or avoid)? Any process suggestions? Is the effort worth it?

Best on the planet is the "All American" brand pressure canner.
I got the # 921 because I do a fair bit of canning of lots of things.
They have a metal to metal seal, use the most reliable mechanism for pressure ( a weight) and you get multiple weight settings , and have a pretty accurate analog temp' and pressure gauge.

When using a pressure canner you absolutely gotta let the thing cool naturally and slowly before letting the steam out or taking off the weight or else the contents of the jars will (not may - - will) experience an extreme moment of auto-nucleation and your contents will boil over and out of the jars.

[disasterbrew]

Thanks for the reply guys. Hopefully I can find a good used one.

[dshepard]

I have been using one of these for years http://www.amazon.com/Presto-23-Quart-Aluminum-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B0000BYCFU Sometimes they can be found at yard sales, although I bought mine new.

I have been eyeballing one of the "All American" cookers for a while, but still haven't got over the price, some day!!

[disasterbrew]

So, do you do chill the wort before canning, or do you transfer hot wort to the jars and pressure cooker directly from there? What about break material? Do you hop the starter wort at all (doesn't seem like you'd need to)?

[mb2696]

So, do you do chill the wort before canning, or do you transfer hot wort to the jars and pressure cooker directly from there? What about break material? Do you hop the starter wort at all (doesn't seem like you'd need to)?

I've done both ways, either way works. As far as break, I found that even after cooling the wort and separating from the cold break, more break material forms during the canning (from higher temp?), so i don't care anymore and just put it all in. By the time it cools, you can decant off the break material in the bottom of the jar. I do not hop mine either.

I've been using the same model as dshepard for a few years too. I bought it new as well, but it pays itself off pretty quickly if you make a lot of starters (compared to DME cost). Plus, no more effort/waiting to cool your starter wort!

IMO, if you want it to be worth it you should go as big as possible. I do 3 dozen quarts per run, so I only have to make starter wort about once a year.