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Small scale sterilizer for Bottles or jars

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trubertq

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Posted 11 November 2014 - 11:47 AM

Hi all,

 

I have a client looking into producing a bottled product on a small scale ( marinated herring). We are just at the planning stage and I am wondering is there a small scale sterilizer available that could be used to sterilize the jars before filling. At the moment the producer is using a saucepan of boiling water, which is effective but wouldn't be suitable for a more industrial situation...or would it?

 

 

 

Any opinions?


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Mike Green

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Posted 11 November 2014 - 01:57 PM

.......I would personally like a bit of pressure in the mix ! 

 

Possibly a large commercial pressure cooker  -these guys used to do up to a 20 litre ! -(though you would have to find an EU distributor)

 

or a small autoclave  -not recommending that  particular model (or using ebay!!)-just a link to show type/price (£200-400 GBP ish)

 

Mike


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Posted 11 November 2014 - 03:18 PM

I've used this small autoclave.  It is used in supermarkets to steam shrimp fast, so it is dependable.  I used it in a research lab for years, and it was a workhorse.  It requires 240v, 52 amp, which will require special wiring, and it is not as cheap as a glorified pressure cooker, but it works better.  You can find refurbished ones easily.

 

http://www.boothmed....ave-sterilizer/

 

Martha


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Posted 11 November 2014 - 05:57 PM

I've used this small autoclave.  It is used in supermarkets to steam shrimp fast, so it is dependable.  I used it in a research lab for years, and it was a workhorse.  It requires 240v, 52 amp, which will require special wiring, and it is not as cheap as a glorified pressure cooker, but it works better.  You can find refurbished ones easily.

 

http://www.boothmed....ave-sterilizer/

 

Martha

 

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Posted 11 November 2014 - 06:24 PM

 it is not as cheap as a glorified pressure cooker, but it works better.

 

 

 

Martha

Hi Martha,

 

In this particular case, I'm afraid I will have to respectfully disagree with your assessment!

 

The OP describes a small scale operation (currently using a pan of boiling water!)..... a pressure cooker (or even a glorified pressure cooker aka an old fasioned manual autoclave  :lol2:  ) will work very effectively in the described situation...... and at a fraction of the financial outlay & no rewiring  required (which I'm guessing may be key at this stage!!))

 

Kind Regards

 

Mike


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MWidra

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Posted 11 November 2014 - 06:36 PM

Hi Martha,

 

In this particular case, I'm afraid I will have to respectfully disagree with your assessment!

 

The OP describes a small scale operation (currently using a pan of boiling water!)..... a pressure cooker (or even a glorified pressure cooker aka an old fasioned manual autoclave  :lol2:  ) will work very effectively in the described situation...... and at a fraction of the financial outlay & no rewiring  required (which I'm guessing may be key at this stage!!))

 

Kind Regards

 

Mike

Mike, I understand your point.  Yes, they are equally as effective.  But if you are not skilled in the use of these items, they are a nightmare for a safety officer.  Although these were used for many, many years in homes and offices, they also were the source of many second and third degree burns if the operator did not use them correctly or was careless just once. 

 

Here, they have been using one of the glorified pressure cookers for a long time, with no problem, but the worker was careless just once and was out for a month with second degree burns.  In my childhood, my mother had a problem with a pressure cooker and the flying lid just narrowly missed her head.  And she had been using them all her life.

 

The more automatic models, with safety built in, are a lot more expensive, but they are almost accident proof.

 

I wear both hats here, food safety and occupational safety, which is why I would choose the safer route.  I was not here when they selected the pressure cooker to use, but once it dies, I'm going to try to make the powers that be switch to a Market Forge.

 

Martha


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trubertq

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Posted 14 November 2014 - 12:25 PM

I very much doubt that they will want to spend 5k at this stage, so a pressure cooker it will have to be, complete with goggles and a hard hat!

I'm not being careless, regarding operator safety, but I have had electric shocks and steam burns off autoclaves too ( I was a Microbiologist in a past life).

Training is the key.... these things can happen with any piece of kit if not used properly, the trick is to make sure it IS used properly.

 

When I say a small operation I mean a lady in her kitchen operation who wishes to expand her horizons a bit.....I'd love her to have an autoclave... but right now that's not practical.

 

Thanks for all the input guys  :shades:


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MWidra

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Posted 14 November 2014 - 02:20 PM

I very much doubt that they will want to spend 5k at this stage, so a pressure cooker it will have to be, complete with goggles and a hard hat!

I'm not being careless, regarding operator safety, but I have had electric shocks and steam burns off autoclaves too ( I was a Microbiologist in a past life).

Training is the key.... these things can happen with any piece of kit if not used properly, the trick is to make sure it IS used properly.

 

When I say a small operation I mean a lady in her kitchen operation who wishes to expand her horizons a bit.....I'd love her to have an autoclave... but right now that's not practical.

 

Thanks for all the input guys  :shades:

Fair enough.  Maybe I'm scarred from the permanent back injury that my mother sustained dodging the lid (she was so lucky) and seeing lima beans stuck to the ceiling and inside  the CLOSED kitchen cabinets as a child.

 

It's important for her to understand the huge risks (do a risk analysis?) involved with working with very hot steam under moderate pressure.

 

Amazon sells some awesome autoclave gloves, she should get a pair.  They also are wonderful to use to get things out of the oven.  They protect arms up to the elbow.

 

http://www.amazon.co...eywords=clavies

 

Wishing her good luck.

 

Martha


Edited by MWidra, 14 November 2014 - 02:22 PM.

"...everything can be taken from a man but one thing:  the last of the human freedoms--to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."  Viktor E. Frankl

 

"Life's like a movie, write your own ending."  The Muppets


RG3

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Posted 14 November 2014 - 04:44 PM

Hi all,

 

I have a client looking into producing a bottled product on a small scale ( marinated herring). We are just at the planning stage and I am wondering is there a small scale sterilizer available that could be used to sterilize the jars before filling. At the moment the producer is using a saucepan of boiling water, which is effective but wouldn't be suitable for a more industrial situation...or would it?

 

 

 

Any opinions?

This is what I used, not sure how small you needed it.

 

Pelton Crane Validator 8 Autoclave/Sterilizer 8" Diameter x 15" Chamber





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