Thanks once again Dave. I am so glad love2troll started this thread!

As of today, I wish I had bought 4! ;) Got the canner going on the propane burner, 2 pots of tomato sauce cooking down on the propane grill, the WB canner heating on the large inside burner on the electric stove and jars and lids keeping warm in a big pot on one of the stove small burners.

Need more power!! ;)

Dave

Sounds AWESOME! When I grow up I want to be just like you. Except I will still want to read the manual.lol

Has anyone used a pressure canner on an outdoor electric burner? If so, any advice?

stinkymcgee did you see the thread -- "Portable electric burner for pressure canning" on the harvest forum?

I was hoping to do that same thing but after reading a number of other threads on the subject changed my mind and got the cooktop that ksrogers posted a link to in this thread and others.

As mentioned above, the 3 ring burner sold by Nortern Tool will work well for any outdoor pressure canning. Its got 3 different controls to adjust the heat.

Kind of related. Teflon tape is used to cover the threads of brass fittings as well as many other theaded fittings. Its meant to prevent any siezing of metal threads. Brass threads will get chewed up if not coated with the teflon (no adhesive on it).I wrap about 4 layers on each fittings thread in the direction the threads screw in on. My recently purchased 'Weed Devil' device bought from Northern Tool, also has the optional pilot valve and blast trigger. These options required removing all the threaded fittings from the line to the heat wand, and screwing on the pilot and blast valve between the propane line and the torch. Its ignited with a flint striker and the needle valve on the line can reduce the flame down low so its not always blasting heat. A squeeze on the blasting valve pushes high pressure propane out the end of a 4 foot long wand. I used this today to burn out a lot of weeds that were knee high and taller. I figured the powerful flame would fry any weeds. Oddly, Chickweed needs a LOT of heat, whereas regular crab grass was a bit easier to fry. It took about 4 hours, and it left me with a lot of blackened weeds that should not return soon. If they do its the organic chemical method to kill off the 'stumps' of weeds. Hitting a lot of last years oak leaves with this powerful torch make it start little fires, but they quickly went out due with the moist leaves. This thing is much cheaper than weed klller sprays. Too close to my garden hoses and plastic mulch and they quickly melt.

Does anyone know if I can stack jars when I am pressure canning? There is room for a second layer in my 23 qt Presto but I can't find anything in the directions saying yes you can or don't you dare.

Duh, it's in the instruction book - page 43. You can stack them if you follow directions.

Ok, I have done 2 batches of beans with the stove and Presto 23. For any one else buying the stove be sure to check the level. Mine has one leg that is shorter and had to be shimmed. I don't know if it matters as much with a water bath canner, but the Presto needs to be level.

I ran into the same problem on my second batch as love2trol posted in this thread on Monday, Jan. 28th. When I was pressurizing the canner the flame starting to go lower and lower until it went out. I tried turning it up but it didn't help. It looked like I was running out of gas, but it was a fresh tank, except for what I used for the first batch.

I don't have a clue if this makes any sence, but this is what I did. I tried turned the cooktop on full and tried to relight. Didn't light and there was no smell of propane, so I turned off the cooktop. I then checked the connections, checked to make sure the tank was turned on fully. All that was fine. It was then that I noticed the regulator on the hose was icy cold to the point it had a frosty glaze. I wondered if the line could be frozen so I held regulator in my hands until it warmed up and tried lighting the stove and it started right up. I noticed as the beans were processing that it was getting really cold again and didn't want to have to process them all over again if the gas went out so I kept it warm until the beans were done.

Don't know if that makes any sence or not, just know it was what happened.

Not sure if that comes with a high pressure regulator or the low pressure type used on most gas grills. In some cases a propane tank that is not full, but less than half full, may also frost up. I have a weed burner with a high pressure regulator and its been working quite well. The reason is I don't have the high pressure gas turned on all the time. Instead, it has an added flame control option with a seperate needle valve that allows me to control the flame way down to a small 'pilot light' flame. The option has a handle that once squeezed, it switches to high prresure, blasing a foot long blow torch like flame. It may be that your ambient temperature is bit cooler than normal. Usually you don't see iceing much when the area temperature is above 75 degrees. If its cooler and high humidity as well, that can cause iceing. It isn't something that would normally get inside gas lines however, but might be the cause the loss of gas, due to the fact that these high pressure regulators have a large round diaphram inside that can get frozen, only becuase it may be made of rubber. Suggest that you don't have all fully open burners, or try and use the device in a warmer outsde temperature. If all else fails, contact Northern Tool and expain the issue to them.

Never had this problem with mine but then our air temps are in the 90's daily while using it. Did you do the adjustment required on each of the burners? Adjust the opening on the back of each knob to get as much blue flame as possible.

More importantly the tank should NOT be turned on all the way. It needs to be only cracked open 1/2 turn. All the way open forces too much gas into the regulator. If the problem continues after making that change then you have a bad regulator diaphragm.

Dave

It was humid and in the low 70s. I was only using the center burner and that was only about half on. I just never heard of it happening to anyone else.

Now that makes me wonder. I have never used our BBQ. It is my husbands baby. A couple of days before I canned he was BBQing and "ran out of gas" and had to switch out tanks. When I took it to be filled I could hear some swishing around in the bottom of the tank and thought that was odd. I wonder now if the regulator froze instead of him being out of gas. The gauge said it wasn't empty, but we figured that it wasn't accurate.

I will take your suggestion though and call Northern Tool. Just to make sure that there isn't a problem with their regulators.

Thanks Ken

I just called Northern Tool who contacted the manufacturer of the hose/regulator for a 3 way conversation. He asked if I had used it more than once and I had. What he said to do was to turn it off at the propane tank and let the gas left in the hose burn off before turning off the stove.

What I had done was turned it off at the cook top and then turned off the tank, because it was going to be a while before the 2nd batch. Then when I went back I turned on the tank then the burner. It lit fine but after a few minutes it went out.

I didn't know that you were only supposed to turn the tank on half way either Dave. I read the instructions on the tank and it didn't say anything. I guess you are supposed to be born knowing all this stuff. Geeze.

One more thing about the newer propane tanks (about 10 years now) is the shutoff valve which now has a built in 'over pressure valve' that engages should a hose connection break, the valve should automatically shut off the supply if it sees too much propane exiting at once. When I shut my BBQ down, the burners are left on, while the tank is shut off. I can hear the flames makng a 'pop' and I know that there is no more gas, so the BBQ burners get shut off then.

I guess you are supposed to be born knowing all this stuff. Geeze.

No, it just assumes that you have had some experience in cooking with gas. Either a stove or a grill or something similar. ;)

But you don't turn the tank on 1/2 way either - just 1/2 turn of the tank nozzle. All you want is some gas, not ALL the gas. ;)

As to what the call to Northern told you - they were just placating you as it makes no difference if you leave the tank turned on between batches or not. It doesn't hurt to do what they said but it won't solve the problem wither.

What I had done was turned it off at the cook top and then turned off the tank, because it was going to be a while before the 2nd batch. Then when I went back I turned on the tank then the burner. It lit fine but after a few minutes it went out.

Normally what you did is fine and is the normal way to do it. The fact that it went out on you means (1) a breeze blew out the flame or (2) air somehow got into the hose line between the stove and tank which means there is a non-pressurized leak somewhere in the system. You need to check all your fittings to make sure they are not leaking and that the hose itself is not leaking. You can check them all with soapy water with the system pressurized.

Dave

Dave, I forgot to answer your prior question. Yes I did the adjustments just as you told me before for each burner.

And even though I am doing the canning on sheltered 3 sided porch I built a 3 sided wind screen. I am as positive as I can be that it didn't blow out as it very slowly lowered. I saw it doing that and tried turning it up, but it didn't matter. It kept slowing going down until it went out.

I checked and rechecked all the fittings before I started for leaks and it was fine. I used the plumbers tape as you said as well.

The only thing that makes sence to us is that the line froze. I turned all the burners on and tried to light it again and nothing. No smell of propane either. After I warmed the regulator in my hands I was able to light it without any problem. Then when running I felt it get colder and sat there keeping it warm until I finished the batch (because I was afraid it would go out and I would have to start over).

I still think that how much to turn on the tank should be on the tank for safety. Propane is not some thing one should have to guess how to use and everybody has a first time. I understand the overkill these days in having to label everything, but some how I don't think how to safely use a highly explosive gas is in the same league as having to warn people that the take out coffee is hot. (My frustration with this is not directed at you Dave.) It was annoying enough to have to put together and figure out how to put together and use a gas appliance without a manual/instructions. Then no instructions on the tank about how much to turn it on. I have a personal reason for getting bent over this. The nephew of my cousin was nearly burned to death in a propane fire. Not pretty.

My husband has been using the grill for many years and this was the first he had ever heard that you don't turn it on fully either and he is a very smart man.

I will find out I guess tomorrow as I am going to try to make pickles. I'll give it a half turn and see what happens.
Thanks again.

It will all sort itself out. Just takes some experimenting sometimes. Soon you'll be a pro. ;)

Some of us old fogies grew up cooking on wood stoves and then with gas long before we had any electricity so we learned these things as we grew. But I agree with you that more "how-to" instructions on some things would be a good deal.

I aways laugh when I recall the weekend we had all the grandkids staying with us and a storm took down the power lines for 3 days. No well pump so no water except what we store and no lights. They got a real kick out of the kerosene lamps, no baths, the outdoor latrine, and cooking on the old wood stove but couldn't understand why no TV. ;)

Dave

As mentioned, most any newer propane tanks have a built in saftey valve. If too much gas is expelled at one time it will shut down the gas flow. This would OBVIOSULY be very necessary if someone forgot to tighten fittings going to the tank, or the hose spilt open. You can also add a quick connect adapter to the end of the regulator so its a little further away from the shut off valve. All propane tanks now have the original inside left handed thread, as well as a courser outer thread for the quicker removal of gas lines.

Made relish yesterday. I couldn't run even the center burner alone on high without the regulator icing up and when it iced over the flame turned orange and no amount of adjusting made a difference. It also sputtered with bursts of larger orange flames. Ever had that happen?

No, never had that happen. No sputtering. No bursts of orange flame. No icing. Sorry but I think you have a bad regulator or something is wrong with the tank.

Dave

Thanks, I will try switching tanks and if that doesn't work get another regulator.

OK, I switched tanks to one filled at another place and got a new regulator. I no longer have a problem with the regulator freezing and the flame going out, but I still can't regulate the flame. The right side I can get blue, the left side, at best, is blue and orange and the center, forget it. Blue and orange with bursts of higher orange. The bottom of the canner was nearly covered with soot.

After trying to can today I called Northern Tool and they said they will replace it, but it is on back order until DECEMBER. I asked if there was anyone I could speak with that might be able to tell me a way to fix it and she said no, the manufacturer is in China, of course.

Sometimes living up to my "handle" is really hard to do. I would dearly love to see this thing go airborn just before landing in the middle of the pond, but not before beating it with a sledge hammer.

Alright, so what now? I have the coleman stove and am able to get quite a large pot up to a rolling boil, but it runs on the little tanks of gas. Is there some kind of adapter that would allow me to use the regulator for the other stove on it so that I can use a bigger tank?

I tried to water bath relish today, I couldn't get the stove down to a gentle boil. It boiled so furiously that the jars are covered with what looks like a mineral film. I can run my finger over the lids and sides and it comes off somewhat. Looking at them it seems like they sealed, but will they be safe? There still is liquid in them.

There are still alot of things I would like to put up and time and vegetables are a wasting. The remaining space in my freezer is spoken for. If you have any suggestions how to overcome this stove problem I would be very appreciative!

Take the burner and your tank and regulator to any nearby propane gas supplier - lots of names so don't know what ones are in your area. They can adjust the burner for you and check all your connections for a small fee.

It honestly is quite easy to do - a small crescent wrench slowly turning the brass nuts on the back of the 2 side handles while the flames are on full blast until they are as blue as possible - some orange is ok.

Once the two sides are properly adjusted the center is automatically adjusted - note it has no adjustment nut on the back. But if you have never had any experience with propane burners it may difficult for you.

Yes there are regulators that will allow a Coleman stove to run off larger tanks. You should be able to find one at a propane supplier, hardware store, or from Coleman itself.

If you have never cooked with gas even a gas stove, then learning to adjust the burners will take some practice as it is quite different from cooking with electricity. Many prefer it over cooking with electricity. But it can be done - the knobs on this burner allow for very infintesimal flame adjustments. Same with Coleman stoves.

The "mineral film" you are seeing is from your water - the minerals that are in it. They pose no risk, the food is safe, and they easily wipe off. Add a splash of vinegar to your water in the canner to eliminate them.

Dave

PS: the carbon deposits on the bottom of the pans washes off easily. Using a lower flame reduces the carbon deposits.

Carbon deposit is caused by the orange flame.. Check each burner hole with a drill bit suitable to fit snugly into each hole. Sometimes, even though these are cast iron, they can differ in hold size. do NOT open holes, but use a drill to verify that every hole in every burner is the same. The air mix control also may need a bit of checking out. Yes, they do make adaptors that convert the small propane tank threads over to a regular 20 pound tank hose. Just be be sure that your NOT using a high pressure regulator on the camp stove! Northern has the regulator, hose, and adapter too. Your water is hard, with high calcium and minerals. Add a tablespoon or two of white vinegar to the boiling water pot. This will eliminiate the white coatings.

Dave, my stove has 3 adjustment nuts on the underneath. What I had been doing was adjusting one side then the middle then the other side. After what you said I tried doing the 2 sides then the middle and that helped some.

I adjusted in minute amounts and waited before adjusting either way til I got it as best as I could. There are still bursts of orange flame, on one side and the middle, but they aren't quite as bad. If the middle on is on high the orange is there all the time plus bursts and no amount of adjusting in either direction stops it, but it is better now when it is on 3 quarters so that should help with the soot and controling the heat.

Ken, I checked the hole size and 6 or 7 were smaller than the rest. The regulator I am using is the one from Northern sold as an accesory to the stove.

The center brass handle on mine is harder to turn on and I realized if I push down on the center of it while turning fixed the problem. I wonder if that was the problem with popcornhill's handle that broke?

I will add the vinegar and try again tomorrow.

As for the rest sometimes having MS really blows. Things that I could figure out with great ease and really simple things come really hard for me now. I have had spells bad enough that I couldn't find my way home, because I couldn't remember where I lived. Then there are days like yesterday........... That is what makes me really scared to can. I guess I will right everything down step by step and follow that each time. It will make it less stressful.

Thanks again for your help. Couldn't do it without you. I still wish one of you would come over for the summer. I won't make you eat what I can. lol

If the smaller holes you see are the same ones that are producing the orange flames, they may be 'starving' a little. Unless they are at either end of teh burner where the gas comes in. I think the burner uses a high pressure regulator, compared to a regular regulator used on most gas grills.

The entire center burner produces fairly high orange flame and there is only one hole that is too small, it isn't as bad when set at 3 quarters on.

The smaller holes aren't at either end either, just randomly spread out.

I just went and dug out the packaging for the regulator and it says: Regulator with soft nose P.O.L and handwheel x 3/8" female flare. Connects low pressure propane appliances to a 20 lb. cylinder.

No never-give-up, my problem was when I laid it on it's side while putting the legs on. Did not realize I was laying it on the handle. I got it together, went through the bubble test, and ended up with good blue flame all around. I got the old grill cleaned up, repainted, and it works great as a stand for the new burner. All I am waiting on now is for my green beans to grow up. Hope you had a good summer.......DT

Hope you had a good summer too. Glad your stove worked out for you too.

My 23 qt Presto Canner jsut arrived today. The first thing I saw was a picture of my propane outdoor burner with a (don't use this) symbol on it. Great!! Logged on to Garden Web and found this thread. Good news, Northern sells a propane burner that will work. Bad news, burner that will work no longer available now that I need one. Has anyone seen any other burners out there that will do the same thing? My kitchen stove does not have enough head room or sturdy enough burners (electric range) for a canner. That's why I have been doing the BWB on the propane burner outside. Any other options besides boxing up my new canner and sending it back?

Is the problem just with the Presto Pressure canner? Does the All American have this problem also? If I switch mine out for another brand will I be able to use it without have to begin a whole other project of figuring out how too heat it. Sorry,This is just very frustrating.

All of them make the same claim Bob - that is what started this thread. ;)

It is just one of those company cover your a** things. There is no problem with using the Presto on the propane burner. 100 quarts of stuff done this summer and it's still going strong.

Yes, other burners are available at many sources - Cabelas, Bass Pro, even Walmart all sell the turkey fryer burners and i linked another source below. You just have to dig through Google a bit. But the one you have is probably ok too.

- but the problem with most we have discussed is they have one control knob and less BTU so get as many BTU's as you can afford.

Meanwhile just use it one you have. Likely it will do just fine.

Dave

Northern is just out of stock, due to the high demand. I think they may start offering the 3 ring type again, maybe in mid November or later. I have not seen any other type that offers the 3 ring burners. The pressure canners can vary in height, but al must accomodate at least the height of a quart jar and the rack at the bottom of canner, as well as a domed cover with more added height for the pressure control and dial. Basically you need a burner that can offer a very fast/high BTU, then to be able to control the heat down to a very low flame for a simmer. High pressure burners (and their regulators) are great for Woks and stir fry, but are difficult to control for simmering and very low heat.

My burner is 16,000 BTU's. I set the burner up last night to see how low I could control the flame. The lowest flame level I could achieve had a tendency to try and go out and that was with no wind. The burner has a pretty good windshield though. I may try to put a 1/4" thick piece of aluminum between the burner and the pot and see if that helps although I suspect it will create excessive hysteresis making it difficult if not impossible to control. I would like to get one of those burners from Northern if and when they ever restock. How much were they?

I had the same problem - I have a two-burner Camp Chef stove (I think each burner is 30,000 BTU's). After attempting to can tomatoes (it's too hot; it's too cold; it's NEVER just right), I was ready to pitch the stove AND the pressure canner AND the tomatoes (what few dregs were left in the quart jars after all the siphoning :-(

I bought what Camp Chef calls their Wok Ring, so I can turn up the burner enough so it doesn't go out, but the canner is raised up about two inches off the flame. Works perfectly (for me anyway).

The ring is 10" in diameter, so one of my stock pots is just a wee bit too small. But my larger stock pot and my canner both are very stable sitting on top of the ring.

Yes, a thick aluminium plate will give a more even heat on the bottom, and if bigger than the pot, it will dissipate a bit of the excess heat. You may also want to consider making a wind shield to protect the flame from getting blown out. The Northern Tool 3 ring burner unit usually runs about $50 or less. Check eBay, they may have a used one from another source.

A source for a possible outdoor propane burner that claims to offer total control over the heat, as well as a wind screen.

The stove from Northern in the pictures posted on July 29th by Dave,(and originally found by Ken) is finally back in stock! The one I bought in the summer was defective and my new one is in route. Woo Hoo.

Hey, thats good to hear. I was not even seeing it listed anymore at Northern, and thought it might have been discontinued after all this time. Its good to know that its back again. I still have never seen such a designed anywhere else, so lets hope it stays around a while this time. Thanks for letting us know and the heads up. Here's the link

Well, I finally got my 3 ring stove from Northern today. It really is a nice unit. I put it together and took it out side to hook it up to my propane tank to see how it worked. Of course the connection on the Northern stove is much smaller than the connection on my propane tank. Do these stoves use some other propane bottle than any other propane stove? Now that I have waited since September to get this stove, what kind of headache am I in for to make it actually produce fire? It comes with no hose or regulator. The three valves should take the place of the regulator right? Is there some special hose adapters I can get to hook it up? My other table top stove had the same size fitting as the 17 lb tank. This stove, having such a small fitting makes me suspicious that there is bad news looming on the horizon for me and my new stove. Any help from those of you who have one of these stoves would be much appreciated. Thanks

If you are referring to the type fitting on residential propane tanks, yes they are diffirent. The fitting supplied with these burners is the standard type used on the small 20 pound propane tanks used on outdoor gas grills. I suspect that the burner you have is missing its hose and regulator. You MUST use a regulator on these burners as they are not designed for full high pressure from a 20 pound propane tank. Suggest that you check with Northern Tool, the company that sells these does NOT include the regulator and hose, and has them identified as accessories in the same web page. See below link and click on ACCESSORIES to see the info on hose and regulator

Thanks, I'll call them tomorrow and see if they have any in stock. I should have known it wouldn't be as easy as waiting 6 months for it to come in and then just going to the store and picking it up. :).

According to the link I provided, if you click on the ACCESSORIES tab at the middle of the page, it shows the hose and regulator at $29, and also gives a catalog number for these items, as well as ordering info. IT does say IN STOCK, so there would be no need to call, unless you don't have a20 pound propane tank. These are available at most major hardware stores and also BJs and Costco. Simply find a place where you bring the tanks to an they fill them.

I bought a weed burner last summer from Northern and its a good thing that I checked, as I also needed a propane tank cart and a special accessory valve that allows the flame to burn at a low rate (acts like a pilot light), then when I squeeze a tab valve it goes into high pressure mode until I release the tab and then reverts back to the low flame. Much better than starting with a sparker every time I need the high flame.

It just caught me by surprise that the hose and regulator setup would be different than my other stove. They are almost identical except for the 3 valve manifold.

I had to pull the photos from this post as it is about to max out in size and number of posts and required loading time.

But if anyone needs them I can re-post them in a new thread. Just let me know or start a new thread and I will add them. It's time to let this one go. ;)

snappy bob - for future ref. every propane powered appliance needs its own tank pressure regulator that is set to the appliance's specific pressure tolerance. The pressure tolerance on your gas grill is much higher than this burner would tolerate.

Dave

That's why the regulator should be sold with the appliance. Now I have to go out and buy a propane regulator and I don't know what the tolerance for this appliance is.

THE PROPANE REGULATOR SOLD BY NORTHERN FOR THIS 3 RING BURNER IS LIST AS THE ACCESSORY WITH THE HOSE. THE CATALOG NUMBER IS LISTED ON THE ACCESSORIES TAB :

Mr. Heater LP Kit For Propane Stoves, Model# F273071 NORTHERN TOOL CATALOG NUMBER- 330972

Why are you ignoring my replies? I posted the proper information before. Finding a 'suitable' regulator may not give you the right thing. Stay with the type NT recommends. The regularor and hose are the WHOLE ACCESSORY KIT as pictured on the ACCESSORY web page. Some people may not want this connected to a propane tank and may have a regular gas line outside or inside that can accept a burner like this. Thats the main reason they don't supply the regulator and hose. If you have further complaints about this issue, why not call and send a note to Northern about the issue.

Here is the NT link for the proper hose and regulator for the 3 ring burner.

Sorry Rogers, I didn't mean to send your mood into such a tail spin. Perhaps you should ingnore my posts in the future since they seem to irritate you so. Anyway I have appreciated yours and everyone elses replies just the same.

bump to save as about to fall off the forum