I’ve been using my pressure cooker for a long time, but not frequently. It is a Fagor Duo.
So - I’m making turkey stock for Thanksgiving and doing it in the pressure cooker just takes so much less time (and it turns out great).
However this year, my cooker is doing strange things. It essentially isn’t venting out the “valve” on top. That can’t be good, right? Instead it ends up venting out the side of the lid around the gasket . . . . again, can’t be good.
What I’ve tried:
1- vented the pressure, cleaned and reseated the gasket and lid - still happens
2 - removed the vent valve on top (didn’t know I could but youtube had a video) to clean and re-insert - no help
3- tried lowering to pressure #1 (low) instead of #2 - vented out the top valve for a little and then kept leaking out the side gasket
4 - checked gasket for cracks and tears - none
Don’t know what else to try.
Details -
The liquid is below the max fill line (higher than I normally do but about 1" below it)
The little yellow indicator does pop up to show it is under pressure.
It never “releases” through the top valve and eventually I start hearing it blow out the side.
I’ve removed and replaced the lid many times, so it doesn’t seem to be that.
My gut tells me something about how the top pressure valve is seated is the problem but I can’t figure it out. If I push on the back side of the top pressure valve it does release and if I turn the dial to the release setting it does release - so it isn’t blocked, but it doesn’t seem to be venting properly.
I don’t want it to explode but . . . . don’t know what else to try.
I haven’t had a chance (don’t have an extra one around) - the gasket seems soft, pliable, no cracks, etc - but agreed that might have to be my next things to try - I just really wanted to get this stock done this week and freeze it before thanksgiving.
If your gasket looks like there is no wear or damage it should be fine but check it carefully. I remove the screw under the lid to remove the valve and clean it and the area where it’s seated after every couple of uses. It gets really dirty in there. Especially if you do starchy things like beans and pulses. I’m on my second gasket and replaced my first on after maybe 4-5 yrs of use and have been using this for for about as long
Just as a follow-up in case this happens to someone else and the come across this thread . . . .
I did some searching around Fagor’s site and one of the things they suggest as a problem, is having the cooker over-filled. Apparently this somehow results in pressure exiting around the gasket instead of through the pressure valve on top . . .
So, even though I was about 1.5" to 2" below the max fill line, the cooker was essentially all water and a few turkey necks (I was re-doing my first batch of stock because it wasn’t as gelatinous as I wanted - dont ask), I decided to try something.
So today I decided to make chicken wings in my pressure cooker since it is the thing I make semi-regularly that requires the least amount of water. It is essentially 1" of water on the bottom and the wings in the steamer basket. It all worked perfectly and vented normally out the top valve . . . . so it wasn’t the gasket.
Somehow having all that water must have been doing something. I don’t get the physics of why that would happen but given the advice on Fagor’s site and the resulting test I did . . . somehow doing all that stock caused the issue. It is strange because I have used it to make stock before . . . but there you go.
I fill mine halfway if I’m doing lentil or beans, and no more than 2/3 full for everything else. You have to leave enough room for the pressure to build.
