Steam under some pressure is a compressed gas, as it is released to
open atmosphere it expands,as it is directed into the headspace of an
acidified food product and it's corresponding lid or cap it will purge
or displace the present air and airborne contaminants. The recondensing
steam within the headspace of a now capped jar will leave a partial
vacuum. Atmospheric pressure will press the lid/cap towards the vacuum,
thus sealing the jar. Best described the apparatus in the shape of a
wedge allows for steam at 17psi(the source of which could be a small
pressure canner)simultaneously to be directed toward the lid/cap and
the headspace of the jarred, acidified food product. The lid and the
jar with the present steam environment are brought together
simultaneously by hand across the apparatus, capturing steam. In the
case of a home canning lid, as it slides on to the jar evenly against
rim and held tight for a second, a seal will be produced. The seal is
really the secondary effect. The main effect is a more thoughly purged
container of air and airborne contaminants. This process being without
food contaminants forced out of a jar over the rim, as is common in the
expelling air method through a semi-tightened lid or cap. This method
would be most beneficial to fruit
sauces/preserves/conserves/jams/jellies/fruit spreads. Yes, for home
canning the method needs more testing, however all new ideas have to
introduced somewhere and many times an improved method can be found. CC

commercialcanner wrote:

(snip)

Y'know, my sales-pitch-o-meter has been ringing faintly ever since the
"group members to test" but it's been getting louder the past couple of
messages.

B/

Brian , sarcasm set aside, by the amount of information already
provided one could create the beginning of a prototype for themselves.
CC

commercialcanner wrote:
> Brian , sarcasm set aside, by the amount of information already
> provided one could create the beginning of a prototype for themselves.

Really? And tell me just how one could create the beginning of a
prototype for themselves? Does the prototype not already exist? What are
you using, if there has been no prototype as yet?

Originally, I developed the apparatus and method from necessity. I have
canned under FDA license using our apparatus and method for 3 Years.
The apparatus was tested for a year earlier yet. Well over a million
commercial jars of jam have been produced this very way. I do not refer
to the units that I have as prototypes because for my purpose they are
complete. I have 11 units with a 12th being in Mexico with a friend. CC

"commercialcanner" > wrote:

Snip

> Best described the apparatus in the shape of a
>wedge allows for steam at 17psi(the source of which could be a small
>pressure canner)

I'm no engineer but, I don't think you have any concept of the energy
required to maintain a steady flow of steam at 17 psi. It certainly
isn't from a "small pressure canner" on a home kitchen stove.
Just as an aside, how did you happen to arrive at exactly 17 psi? Why
not 16 or 18?

>simultaneously to be directed toward the lid/cap and
>the headspace of the jarred, acidified food product. The lid and the
>jar with the present steam environment are brought together
>simultaneously by hand across the apparatus, capturing steam.
>In the case of a home canning lid, as it slides on to the jar evenly against
>rim and held tight for a second, a seal will be produced.

Are you actually suggesting that someone, run a canning jar and lid
through a jet of steam, exiting some kind of orifice at 17 psi, and,
to do it "by hand"? Have you ever seen what high pressure steam does
to human flesh?
Are you trying to drum up business for the burn unit at the local
hospital?

More snippage

>Yes, for home canning the method needs more testing

There's the understatement of the year.

> however all new ideas have to
>introduced somewhere and many times an improved method can be found. CC

OK, Rube. But, I won't be the one experimenting with this particular
bit of lunacy.

Ross
To email, remove the "obvious" from my address.

The steam temperature at 17psi is right around 250F, and the steam flow
is less than 8lbs per hour if the unit remains in an open position.
250F steam at 17psi with a flow rate of less than 8lbs of steam (water)
per hour, 2 inches away is luke warm. The unit is designed that when
the cap/lid is on the top surface with steam holes designed for average
cap size and the jar slides directly underneath the wedge where further
steam holes arranged for the average jar diameter, there is very little
steam leakage. With one hand on the filled container and the other hand
on the lid, we slide the jar under the wedge with around 1/4" clearence
simultaneously with placing the lid/cap on the uppersurface of the
wedge, then slide the jar back out from underneath the wedge and the
lid/cap slides down the wedge for a smooth connection away from the
unit. It takes of about five minutes of practice with empty jars or
jars with cold water to get the hang of it. The energy needs in wattage
for sustaining the canner 15 quart less than 1/2 full (2 hours) is
easily met at 17psi on a normal electric stove 1500 watt burner. This
is partly how the 17psi was determined. The past two years of home
canning experiments has proved this to be a high enough pressure
without being dangerously hot. In our food facility we run the canner
pressure around 24psi. This takes more BTU's and we use powerful gas
burners to maintain temperature and flow rate. I would like to say that
the folks who have tested the method and apparatus for themselves are
simple home canners without any technical experience in this area. The
original thought to develope this method and apparatus centered how to
allow a steam or other gas environment to be captured between the
lid/cap and the food container in a safe and consistent manner.
The idea on the wedge which is made out of stainless steel as mentioned
above came to me in a dream. I never had to make another adjustment or
fine tune the idea since that time. When I hired a welder to make my
first unit I gave him a simple drawing to follow. The same drawing has
been used for all the following models that have been made since that
time. As our little company was in great need of help at that time, it
was by prayer that help was sent. If you wish to call the help "lunacy"
that is not my concern. I remain thankful to this very day. CC

I presume the steam from your generator is fed by some sort of a pipe
which terminates in your wedge . This wedge has holes in it to allow
the steam to enter the space between lid and jar contents, in other
words, it is open to atmosphere. I'd like to know how you maintain 17
psig in a pressure vessel that is open to atmosphere.
If I was to bring my pressure canner up to 15 psig and then lift off
the weight there would be an immediate gusher of high pressure steam
and violently boiling water that would certainly be a lot more than
lukewarm at a distance of 2 inches. In fact, I wouldn't hold my hand 2
inches above the vent on my pressure canner during the required vent
period before canning even begins.
Conversely, if I was to leave the weight off the canner vent, place
the canner on one of my propane stove's burners (14K Btu/hr input),
with the burner turned up full, I don't believe that I could raise the
pressure inside the canner anywhere near 17 psig, no matter how hard I
prayed.
I am very mechanically inclined. I love to tinker and I have made all
sorts of handy gadgets, some mechanical, some electrical/electronic
and sometimes a combination. I've done considerable experimentation
with heating a brewing mash and boiling wort via direct injection of
steam as well as experimenting with superheated steam. If I learned
nothing else, I learned that steam under pressure is not something the
average Susie Homemaker wants to be fooling with.
Much as I love to tinker, I'll continue to can using pressure canning
for low acid foods and the BWB method for the appropriate products.

Ross.

"commercialcanner" > wrote:

>The steam temperature at 17psi is right around 250F, and the steam flow
>is less than 8lbs per hour if the unit remains in an open position.
>250F steam at 17psi with a flow rate of less than 8lbs of steam (water)
>per hour, 2 inches away is luke warm. The unit is designed that when
>the cap/lid is on the top surface with steam holes designed for average
>cap size and the jar slides directly underneath the wedge where further
>steam holes arranged for the average jar diameter, there is very little
>steam leakage. With one hand on the filled container and the other hand
>on the lid, we slide the jar under the wedge with around 1/4" clearence
>simultaneously with placing the lid/cap on the uppersurface of the
>wedge, then slide the jar back out from underneath the wedge and the
>lid/cap slides down the wedge for a smooth connection away from the
>unit. It takes of about five minutes of practice with empty jars or
>jars with cold water to get the hang of it. The energy needs in wattage
>for sustaining the canner 15 quart less than 1/2 full (2 hours) is
>easily met at 17psi on a normal electric stove 1500 watt burner. This
>is partly how the 17psi was determined. The past two years of home
>canning experiments has proved this to be a high enough pressure
>without being dangerously hot. In our food facility we run the canner
>pressure around 24psi. This takes more BTU's and we use powerful gas
>burners to maintain temperature and flow rate. I would like to say that
>the folks who have tested the method and apparatus for themselves are
>simple home canners without any technical experience in this area. The
>original thought to develope this method and apparatus centered how to
>allow a steam or other gas environment to be captured between the
>lid/cap and the food container in a safe and consistent manner.
>The idea on the wedge which is made out of stainless steel as mentioned
>above came to me in a dream. I never had to make another adjustment or
>fine tune the idea since that time. When I hired a welder to make my
>first unit I gave him a simple drawing to follow. The same drawing has
>been used for all the following models that have been made since that
>time. As our little company was in great need of help at that time, it
>was by prayer that help was sent. If you wish to call the help "lunacy"
>that is not my concern. I remain thankful to this very day. CC

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

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