commercialcanner wrote:
> Ross, Yes your description is accurate, the volume of steam under
> pressure must be greater than the flow through the orifices. The steam
> supply must be at its peak before steam can be released towards the
> wedge. If working with steam is worrisome, CO2 works nicely too with a
> much reduced flow rate. I may be out of time until Monday. Have a nice
> weekend.CC
>


I don't understand the point of what you are doing. You might as well
just use one of these vacuum devices:

http://foodsaver.jardendirect.com/pr...CatalogID=1004

(and perhaps a heavier duty vacuum pump than a FoodSaver™)

Best regards,
Bob

Bob, Vacuum pumps do not flush airborne contaminants from the headspace
of a food container. Airborne contaminants such as yeast and or mold
spores can remain in the sealed container and possibly contaminant the
food product. Also vacuum systems require a chamber and expertise on
applying a cap with just the right tension as to capture the vacuum and
also the continued tightening of the cap after the vacuum is captured
(room for error). This is even more true when trying to get a
mechanical vacuum seal on a canning jar. Even though it is possible. I
have a homemade vacuum chamber and pump that I use regularly for
experiments. CC

commercialcanner wrote:

> Bob, Vacuum pumps do not flush airborne contaminants from the
> headspace of a food container. Airborne contaminants such as yeast
> and or mold spores can remain in the sealed container and possibly
> contaminant the food product.

Precisely. I don't understand how your system is any better. If you
flush the air out of the jar, mold and bacterial spores will still be
stuck to the underside of the lid, the sides of the jar, and perhaps on
the surface of your food.

> Also vacuum systems require a chamber and expertise on applying a cap
> with just the right tension as to capture the vacuum and also the
> continued tightening of the cap after the vacuum is captured (room
> for error). This is even more true when trying to get a mechanical
> vacuum seal on a canning jar. Even though it is possible. I have a
> homemade vacuum chamber and pump that I use regularly for
> experiments. CC


That device that I linked to takes care of all that. But I don't
recommend using it as a replacement for proper heat treatment because
some of your jars of stuff will mold. Or worse if they are not
sufficiently acidic.

Best regards,
Bob

Bob, It is common in the food packaging industry to use vacuum
packaging. Almost always there is some kind of gas flush being used as
well. If for no other reason than to reduce water vapor pressure within
the chamber. There are some very expensive gas flush vacuum chambers
available, and one could make their own. Try looking up some articles
on water vapor pressure problems in vacuum systems at
www.vaccuumlab.com. Regarding the purging of the cap/lid with the
steam wedge and the interior headspace of the jar this is covered in
the (way too long previous) postings. CC