Moogies, is the canner or pressure canning new to you? Have you read through the manual? It sounds like you may be comparing it to a water bath process.

I don't have the All American (my larger canners are vintage Mirro) but the jar capacity with the second rack and layer is for pressure canning - the jars don't need to be covered with water for that processing. Approx 3" or as described in your manual should be plenty of water for even those things you are processing longest, like fish/meat.

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - canner operation

Sorry but you are confusing pressure canning with BWB canning. Very different things.

In pressure canning water does NOT cover the jars. That is only in BWB canning.

Your model will pressure can a double layer of jars with no problems with the manual's instructions of 3-4 inches of water added. It will NOT BWB can a double layer of jars.

Dave

I have a 921 and PC two layers of jars all the time, but it's a bit of a tight squeeze and works better with Kerr pints, which are shorter than the Ball jars.

Carol

Thanks for your replies - I've now learned that I mistakenly used BWB instead of canning instructions. I'm so glad to know that I can stack the jars on a rack and do 17 pints!

readinglady - thanks for the tip about the Kerr jars - good to know. :)

Another tip if you're planning to do a big batch and stack pints is to line up the pints and check that the heights match up. I have 50 years' worth of Ball and Kerr pints purchased in different batches over the years. Even within the same brand heights of jars will sometimes differ depending upon the manufacturing run.

I want to make sure the jars are level so I can put a rack over them and not have tipping or rocking.

Carol

Carol, I've been canning for years too, and I want to Thank you so much for that information about the jars not always being the same size! I have always wondered at this problem myself, and now I know I'm not crazy.
Never even dawned on me that, that was the reason! duh...

Although the manual does not specify, the 19 pints would have to be narrow-mouth. It's impossible to fit in 19 wide-mouth pints.

Carol

Carol, how many wide mouth jars should the 921 canner hold?

I can get 14 wide mouth pints in my 921 double stacked. I haven't tried narrow pints. I'm confused how you stack an odd number of jars in 2 layers. You can fit 9 on the bottom and 10 on the top? I like the wide mouths because I can get my hand inside for cleaning, but if I could process more, it might be worth it to use a brush to clean them.

I got 16 wide mouth in my 921.