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Jasper
Stranger

Registered: 12/23/17
Posts: 4
Last seen: 5 years, 1 month
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sterilizing at 2200 ft and 15psi
#24875430 - 12/29/17 04:31 AM (7 years, 20 days ago) |
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Something just occurred to me the other day, and I've been trying to find the answer using the search engine here, but I'm even more confused now.
I live about 2200 feet about sea level. I have a pressure cooker that doesn't have a pressure gauge,just weights; 5lb,10lb,15lb.
I've been sterilizing things for a while now using the 15lb weight. I'm a bit of a newbie, all my cakes have come out fine, but the few times I've tries grains I've failed. I'm wondering if I've finally figured out why. Is it because I haven't accounted for the altitude difference?
I've only done a few projects, so no big losses to speak of. But now I want to move to just grains, and I'm afraid the altitude may have me beat.
Some of the things I've read say extra time just won't do it, that only the extra pressure will get it up to the proper temp. Some things I've seen seem to say the problem on really occurs when one gets over 2000 feet, that we're only talking a couple of degrees difference at 2000.
Other thinks I've seen have said to adjust your pressure gauge up to account for the altitude difference, which I can't do of course.
So you see, I'm totally confused. I understand the pressure/temp relationship and all; but this still has me confused.
I'm stuck with this pressure cooker for now, so getting another is out of the question.
What temp are we really looking for to sterilize grains? Can my current pressure cooker do the deed?
Of course I could be making something out of nothing
Anyone with any insight or suggestions? I could really use some help.
Jasper
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Crombie
Cheese Boat Captain



Registered: 11/17/17
Posts: 172
Last seen: 3 years, 10 months
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Re: sterilizing at 2200 ft and 15psi [Re: Jasper]
#24875483 - 12/29/17 05:48 AM (7 years, 19 days ago) |
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You're fine at 2200 feet; that's not considered high altitude. You've got to consider this when the air thins out and there's considerably less oxygen in the air. That's not happening at 2200 feet.
I'm at 3600 feet and have no issues
-------------------- Sailing the seas of cheese!
My beginner journal https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/24845768
Edited by Crombie (12/29/17 05:50 AM)
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Fungus Mountain
Poke-N-Squirt



Registered: 10/16/14
Posts: 1,188
Loc: Front row @ the Freakshow
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Re: sterilizing at 2200 ft and 15psi [Re: Crombie]
#24876504 - 12/29/17 04:49 PM (7 years, 19 days ago) |
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Air pressure at elevation. The following data shows how as altitude increases, atmospheric pressure decreases. So those of us working at elevations above sea level, adjustments to the rocker weight will need to be made.
Altitude (ft.) Air Pressure (psi) Sea Level 14.7 1,000 14.2 2,000 13.7 3,000 13.2 4,000 12.7 5,000 12.2 6,000 11.7 7,000 11.3 8,000 10.9 9,000 10.5 10,000 10.1
-------------------- “Until they became conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.”
― George Orwell, 1984
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
― Albert Einstein
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Jasper
Stranger

Registered: 12/23/17
Posts: 4
Last seen: 5 years, 1 month
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Thanks to both of you for replying.
Fungus Mountain, Forgive me, I'm wearing my dunce cap today and am still a bit confused. From what I gather from the chart, at 2200 ft, I'm not able to get 15psi, is that right? At least without adjustments to the rocker weight? Any suggestions how I would go about that?
What Crombie said is what I've read in a lot of places, but what you've just said I've read in a lot of places too.
I read somewhere that for every 550 feet or so above sea level the boiling point drops 1 degree. So at 2200 feet approximately, boiling point is about 208f. I'm not sure how that translates to the max temp my pressure canner gets up to, but I guess that means not 250f. I do want that 250f, right? Or am I missing something. Those few degrees seem so negligible, but then again what the hell do i know. lol
Another thing I keep running across says cooking longer, at the lesser temp, won't sterilize.
I must be an idiot, I know I'm missing something here, cause all you folks do this at all kinds of altitudes without problems. I guess I just want to understand it, and it keeps nagging at me.
Thanks again and any more input would be appreciated.
J
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Jasper
Stranger

Registered: 12/23/17
Posts: 4
Last seen: 5 years, 1 month
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Re: sterilizing at 2200 ft and 15psi [Re: Jasper]
#24877858 - 12/30/17 01:01 AM (7 years, 19 days ago) |
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Okay,I think I've talked myself off the ledge now. I've gone back and read a bunch of threads (threads I'd read last year when I was just a lurker, but had forgotten), that do mention cooking for longer periods of time. I guess for some reason I wasn't using the right search terms before?
I dunno, I think I just got a splinter under in my skin when I read some article this weak that talked about altitude and psi and blah blah blah. I just got paranoid.
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RockyB
A little more than newb



Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 301
Last seen: 4 years, 2 months
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Re: sterilizing at 2200 ft and 15psi [Re: Jasper]
#24877880 - 12/30/17 01:12 AM (7 years, 19 days ago) |
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So I totally screwed up a batch of WBS by over cooking (or so I thought) it colonized. Some teks say 30 mins, some say 90 mins, some 120 mins. I haven't been doing this long enough to say yields will be different, but I'm sure they'll be there(or surely won't, but not due to your elevation).
If your question is just about being right... My suggestion would be to take some mushrooms and ask yourself why the need to always have the right answer (for me it's about being not good enough).
Edited by RockyB (12/30/17 01:13 AM)
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DoDecaPus
Stranger

Registered: 07/25/17
Posts: 194
Last seen: 3 years, 7 months
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Re: sterilizing at 2200 ft and 15psi [Re: RockyB]
#24877941 - 12/30/17 02:42 AM (7 years, 19 days ago) |
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15 psi is 15 psi.
The whole point of the pressure cooker is that we can get water to a boiling temperature without regard to atmospheric pressure. We create our own pressure, and that raises the boiling point of the water, and in effect the temperature of the water and steam phases.
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DoDecaPus
Stranger

Registered: 07/25/17
Posts: 194
Last seen: 3 years, 7 months
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Re: sterilizing at 2200 ft and 15psi [Re: DoDecaPus]
#24877942 - 12/30/17 02:44 AM (7 years, 19 days ago) |
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Also... about 5200 feet here. I've never taken this into consideration, and have never noticed any problems.
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