# Weight kept not jiggling then canner ran dry! Ugh



## shellybo (Nov 9, 2013)

Hi, maybe it's because I now use an electric stove but my canner ran dry -twice! Two different canners so I know the error was mine, but I don't know what to do.

Here's what happened.

Yesterday I canned 20 lbs of chicken breast and my canner ran dry x2 . I have 2 older metal to metal canners ( like, an All America) that use a weight. I canned about 200 jars with these canners with no problems. Until last night. 

After venting I waited almost a hour and the weight would not jiggle. There was a little steam was coming out of the pressure relief valve and hissing around the weight, but no jiggle. So out of curiosity I touched the weight and it jiggled like crazy - constant with no stopping! This went on and on and on. So I turned down the heat, constant jiggle, turned down heat still crazy jiggling and finally I thought I got it to 1-3 jiggles and then it stops. Then turned it back up BARELY, and constant jiggling again!

I restarted my processing times 3 times since I felt if it wasn't jiggling it had dropped pressure but now wondering if it was over pressure , ( can a weighted guage even go over pressure?), or if the heat was too high so no jiggle? It does have a dial and that was at 11 lbs but I go by the weight. 

I canned chicken for over 2 hours instead of 1hr 15 ( pint 10lbs) since I kept restarting my processing time. Then the canner ran dry. I did another batch in a different canner and it happened again! Ugh. 

Frankly I think it was over processing the entire time. This was about 20 lbs of chicken :-( Do I reprocess it all again or just make sure I heat for at least 15 mins before eating? Has anyone reprocessed chicken? If so how does it taste? Will it be edible or taste like saw dust?

As I'm writing this the one thing I remember is my first batch I had 2 canners running and the one on my front burner ran dry the one on the back burner didn't . I had another batch and moved that to this same burner and it also ran dry- maybe the burner is too hot?

Thanks!


----------



## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

I would probably reprocess it because you don't actually know what was going on as far as the temps. Even though you KNOW it's probably OK. It's chicken and that's something you don't want to waste by wondering about it next winter. Worst case scenario that I can see, is that you have the best chicken stock you ever ate. And you'd probably still get decent chicken salad makings out of the over cooked chicken (mayo makes everything great!). 

I know you are supposed to cook it again when you open it, but if you are wondering about the safety it just takes the fun out of it for me. That's why I'd reprocess.

You probably had something stuck in the vent hole which caused the weight to stay down against the pressure. You may have been lucky to avoid an accident with it. I would take everything apart and clean it and maybe do a load of empty jars to see how it goes.

Good luck! Sure is frustrating to have things like this happen.


----------



## Kristinemomof3 (Sep 17, 2012)

Is there a chance you didn't have the lid sealed correctly (if you have a gasket) maybe it was sealed right?


----------



## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

First thing I would do is start with more water in the canner - a common recommendation when canning things with long processing times. But if it ran dry then all that water had to turn to steam and all that steam had to be escaping somewhere if not out the weight vent and you should have been able to see all that escaping steam. If the weight jiggled when you touched it but not otherwise then I'd check for lime build-up or some other block in the vent tube and the base of the weight. Since it happened with 2 different canners there is clearly some sort of methods used. I can on electricity and even doing meat at 15 lbs. on the highest heat setting I have never had a canner run dry.

Would I reprocess the chicken? Probably not as the further loss of quality outweighs the risk it was under-processed in over 2 hours. But I would clearly mark the jars so I could check the seals regularly and make sure it was very well cooked before eating. Or you couldput it all in freezer containers and freeze it. JMO


----------



## Ellendra (Jul 31, 2013)

Check your weights, mine once got mineral deposits on the inside that interfered with their ability to "jiggle". When that happened, my canner ran dry very easily.

To be honest, that scared me enough that I saved up for one with gauges on it. Although now I'm dealing with the difficulty of keeping the pressure constant. I think I'd prefer one that had both.


----------



## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Ellendra said:


> Check your weights, mine once got mineral deposits on the inside that interfered with their ability to "jiggle". When that happened, my canner ran dry very easily.
> 
> To be honest, that scared me enough that I saved up for one with gauges on it. Although now I'm dealing with the difficulty of keeping the pressure constant. I think I'd prefer one that had both.


Thank I have not had this happen but I have bad water. Something new to check.


----------



## shellybo (Nov 9, 2013)

Jennifer L. said:


> I would probably reprocess it because you don't actually know what was going on as far as the temps. Even though you KNOW it's probably OK. It's chicken and that's something you don't want to waste by wondering about it next winter. Worst case scenario that I can see, is that you have the best chicken stock you ever ate. And you'd probably still get decent chicken salad makings out of the over cooked chicken (mayo makes everything great!).
> 
> I know you are supposed to cook it again when you open it, but if you are wondering about the safety it just takes the fun out of it for me. That's why I'd reprocess.
> 
> ...



Thank you Jennifer, I might opt to reprocess since the thought of possibly eating something with bot toxin , even if I kill it by reheating scares we. Who knows maybe it will still be edible  taste wise


----------



## shellybo (Nov 9, 2013)

arrocks said:


> First thing I would do is start with more water in the canner - a common recommendation when canning things with long processing times. But if it ran dry then all that water had to turn to steam and all that steam had to be escaping somewhere if not out the weight vent and you should have been able to see all that escaping steam. If the weight jiggled when you touched it but not otherwise then I'd check for lime build-up or some other block in the vent tube and the base of the weight. Since it happened with 2 different canners there is clearly some sort of methods used. I can on electricity and even doing meat at 15 lbs. on the highest heat setting I have never had a canner run dry.
> 
> Would I reprocess the chicken? Probably not as the further loss of quality outweighs the risk it was under-processed in over 2 hours. But I would clearly mark the jars so I could check the seals regularly and make sure it was very well cooked before eating. Or you couldput it all in freezer containers and freeze it. JMO



Thank you arrocks, I never even thought of build up in the weight. I checked the vent before processinf and it was clear . Plan to reprocess since kinda scared about eating it, even if I reheat it. If will be interesting to see how it taste afterwards. Maybe it will be the most tender chicken ever, or mush. Yet hopefully the proten nutrional value will remain.


----------



## shellybo (Nov 9, 2013)

Ellendra said:


> Check your weights, mine once got mineral deposits on the inside that interfered with their ability to "jiggle". When that happened, my canner ran dry very easily.
> 
> To be honest, that scared me enough that I saved up for one with gauges on it. Although now I'm dealing with the difficulty of keeping the pressure constant. I think I'd prefer one that had both.



Thank You Ellendra, I bet this is the cause! I get terrible film if I forget to add vinegar to my canner.


----------



## shellybo (Nov 9, 2013)

Kristinemomof3 said:


> Is there a chance you didn't have the lid sealed correctly (if you have a gasket) maybe it was sealed right?



Kristinemomof3, Thank you. I believe all of the knobs were tight.


----------



## shellybo (Nov 9, 2013)

on second thought I will mark each jar and store them separate from my other can goods. I will keep an eye out for broken seals, bubbling etc. If all looks well , I will only use this chicken in soups, chowders etc since I typically cook that for a half hour or more.


----------



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Ellendra said:


> Check your weights, mine once got mineral deposits on the inside that interfered with their ability to "jiggle". When that happened, my canner ran dry very easily.
> 
> To be honest, that scared me enough that I saved up for one with gauges on it. Although now I'm dealing with the difficulty of keeping the pressure constant. I think I'd prefer one that had both.


I have two canners and normally run both at the same time. Both have a gauge and a jiggler.


----------



## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

soak your weight in vinager and clean the stem with vinager as well . this helps dissolve the minerial build up from your water , sounds like this is letting all your water steam away and preventing your canner from working properly , if steam is comeing from your plug there is to much pressre building up in the canner as this is a safety vent . is your gauge working correctly ? in many older canners they don't ; get it checked and replaced if needed


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

A few weeks ago, I had a problem with the jiggler similiar to what you describe. Turns out that the stem that the weight sits on had somehow come loose. I tightened it with a pair of pliers and it's been good since.


----------



## shellybo (Nov 9, 2013)

Thank you everyone! I soaked the weight in vinegar and baking soda since it did look a bit cruddy. I think another problem is this electric stove and the fact that I had it venting on high. I usually vent on the same temp I can ( med to low) at and don't even have to adjust the dial. It usually takes longer but that's what I used to do. Yet this time I suddenly put it on high ( since I think that's what I'm suppose to do). I let it vent until it was almost whisling  Yet then putting on the weight and turning it down my canner rebelled. What a nightmare! Now I have to keep a close watch on those jars- I've marked them and will keep the separate from my other canned goods.


----------



## shellybo (Nov 9, 2013)

Update - canner no longer running dry! I cleaned my weight and now add 1 extra quart of water to be safe. I now know what temp is best for my canner on this electric stove ( I'm used to a gas stove) and its higher than I thought it would be. I vent and keep it at medium (5), or a little bit lower and get a consistent 1-4 wiggles of the weight per minute. 

Thanks again everyone for your help!


----------



## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

> and get a consistent 1-4 wiggles of the weight per minute


Depending on the brand of the canner that could be too few wiggles/jiggles and the food would be under-processed. For example, AA canners call for 3-6 jiggles per minute minimum, Mirro 3-4, and Presto is supposed to slowly rock constantly when at pressure. The weights are machined differently for each brand. So would recommend you increase your heat a bit to increase the weight movement.


----------



## Ellendra (Jul 31, 2013)

Awesome! Glad you got it working!!!


----------

