# Questions about my All American canner.



## Sherry in Iowa (Jan 10, 2010)

Well, the old Mirro wore out and I bought an All American 921. I love it..but I do have some questions. I think I was so used to the Mirro for so darned many years that using something new and different makes me a wee bit nervous.

It seems like I have trouble trying to regulate the jiggle. I use a gas stove and try to take it down slowly. As long as the pressure gauge is still up and it is hissing..not jiggling..am I still okay?

Also..when I turn it off..I wait until the pressure goes all the way down on the gauge. It takes quite a while. Then I start to remove the jiggler and there is always pressure..is that normal? I don't want to make it all the way through the canning process and lose liquid at the end. It has set for 2 hours and still had pressure. The Mirro didn't do that..

Thanks so much!


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

Have you checked to see if there is a blockage in the hole for the weight? I've never had the problems you describe with mine and I have the 921 as well and I've been using my 921 for 10 years... Yeah, wow. This is my tenth summer with it.

I've never had it go 2 hours to cool down. Like you, I wait until the pressure gauge drops and then I usually add a few more minutes before removing the weight. It's usually because I get busy doing something else while the canner is cooling.

I would make sure there isn't a blockage. Otherwise, I wouldn't have any idea what is wrong. I've never had that problem.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I'm thinking blockage also. My AA 921 will cool down in about 30-45 minutes, but I wait a full hour.

After my burn on my arm after tightening some tattler lids (see this post), I'm going to change my routine to waiting 30 minutes (or when the gauge reads zero), remove the weight and unscrew the bolts on the lid, then wait an additional 10 minutes to remove the jars.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Ummmmm......Sounds like blockage to me, also. I can't think of another thing that would cause the problem.

I have tried to rush my AA's....Take it from me... don't. You will lose all the fulid in the jars....not maybe.

I finally resisted and allow to to fall to zero for about 30 minutes.

Check the hole under the weight... run a toothpick thru it. Make sure you see a lot of daylight thru it....Good Luck!!


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## Sherry in Iowa (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks guys..but I have checked and cleaned the hole. Last night the gauge was all the way down..it had set for 2 hours with a double green bean load..and I still got a little "puff" of pressure when I took the weight off.

I did not lose liquid on the beans..but it's a constant worry that I will.

I never hear my jars "click" like I did when I took them out of the Mirro. It's because they are in my canner for so darned long..lol. 

I must say that I love the AA..I just get tired of trying to outguess the pressure after it is shut down.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Sherry - Just let it cool waaaay down. You will get a new routine. I don't even think about it now... I just allow it to cool.....We get along fine now!!!


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## Sherry in Iowa (Jan 10, 2010)

LOL Texas! I am letting it set from 1-2 hours..but I still get a wee bit of a puff of pressure when I take it off. My own personal gauge is that if the liquid doesn't leave..I'm doing it right. What do you think?

I have canned for so many years..that I honestly think it became automatic with me. But changing canners after that long..well..I think it has me on my toes..lol. I enjoy canning, but I don't enjoy being nervous at the end of a run. 

I sure do appreciate all the info all of you can give me. I feel like a newbie to canning with this thing. BUT...I do love it. I love not worrying about the gasket, it's heavy duty and I am still glad that I bought it.

Thanks a heap~


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## Marianne (Feb 22, 2009)

Sherry, I have a new AA after using Mirro for so many years. I love it. I also have that last little "puff" of pressure on releasing the lid- just a small one like a tiny puff of breath.. No blockages, either. I've decided it's a normal thing, all's good.


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## Sherry in Iowa (Jan 10, 2010)

Marianne said:


> Sherry, I have a new AA after using Mirro for so many years. I love it. I also have that last little "puff" of pressure on releasing the lid- just a small one like a tiny puff of breath.. No blockages, either. I've decided it's a normal thing, all's good.


THANK YOU! Oh Marianne..thank you so much. You were a Mirro user and switched..so you know exactly what I am talking about. You cannot know how much better I feel now..seriously. I have tomato sauce on the stove now and was not looking forward to jarring it up and canning it because I thought I must surely be doing something wrong.j

I do love the All American..but the Mirro was just like an old friend..

I hope you have a great canning season..mine just got a whole lot less frustrating and I'm going to enjoy it again..all thanks to this board of folks and you, Marianne.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Sherry - I felt the same way( newbie).....after a lifetime of canning. Seemed like I didn't know a thing!!

Hope your tomato sauce is wonderful!

BTW - Are you canning on electric or gas? There may be some risidual "hangover" heat, from an electrical element......Just thinking...

I used my AA today.... no puff at all.


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## Sherry in Iowa (Jan 10, 2010)

Texasdirtdigger~I so appreciate your post. My tomato sauce turned out just ducky and it did have a little puffer at the end again..but no harm no foul. Oh, I use gas, just switched over last year. Ya know..now that you brought it up..in years past..I always picked my canner up and moved it off of the burner..I was using electric at the time. But this canner is heavy and I just turn the gas burner off and leave it there. The stove top is hot though..maybe that's what is keeping the pressure up a wee bit? Now you have me thinking..I will move it the next time and see what happens.

Maybe the more I use it..the less puffing there will be! 

Thanks for being so helpful and encouraging!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Sherry - When I got my first AA, I had an electric stove top. I had a time lifting the thing, especially, when it was double loaded. I can vaguely remember, pretty much the same thing happening......I attributied to.... just getting used to the AA. I now think part of it was the hang over heat.

I have natural gas now......no problems at all.....beats me!

Glad things are going well and you are forgeing ahead!!


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## happydog (May 7, 2008)

I've just switched from a presto to the 921 and mine also makes that little puff when I take off the weight. I let it cool down to zero, then no matter if I wait an extra 10 minutes or a half hour it still gives that last little puff. I guess it's normal then.


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## Simply Sharon (Feb 6, 2010)

I also use the AA 921 and yep.... I get that last little bit of pressure when the gauge reads zero.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I was wondering about this. I follow Jackie Clay's canning instructions, she says to tap the weight a few times to get rid of that last little bit of pressure when the dial gets to zero. I've noticed that sometimes there is no puff left and other times I could tap it for an hour! I think it has to do with what's in the canner. A big load of beans seems to take forever to get all the pressure out. Sometimes I lose a little fluid, other times none, but they all seal well so far!


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## TDNEAL (Aug 25, 2013)

I have 2 AA 921 canners that are 1-3 years old
. .they have the old "Mirro" jiggler and the pressure gauges. LOVE THEM!! I can on a gas range, so the pressure comes up fast and goes down fairly fast. As far as the pressure puffing out when the gauge says the pressure is down. . I think that it depends on the tooling of the canners. My first canner does not do that at all, ever. The newest canner does it all of the time, but I have noticed that the lid fits on a bit tighter. It also pops as it is coming up to pressure. .sounds like a jar popping. . scared me the first time it did that, but am used to it now. As far as waiting longer to take off the jiggler. . tried that. . .doesn't matter. . just the nature of the canner. Don't worry about it.


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