New steamer

[Weber]

I have always used the same process for steaming my crabs.

Recently my steamer pot developed a hole in it, so I made a new steamer out of a keg.

I have not steamed my first batch of crabs yet, but while making it I thought of a few things.

One thing was, this pot is bigger. So I will probably need to change my steaming mixture.

I'm in uncharted waters, that I haven't been in a while.....

So, I figure maybe add another beer and an extra splash of vinegar, not to big of deal.

Then I heard of some others adding butter to the steaming mixture. I never thought of that before.

So, I was wonder what else does everyone use for their steaming mixture?

I'm a simple guy with my, I have been using 2 beers minus a few swigs while I'm pouring, and a 3 second splash of vinegar. Layer and season the crabs, pretty simple and taste great everytime.

What do you do, and if you are using a Keg, how much?

[Feddog82]

I use a regular 2 piece black steamer.  It fits about 12-16 crabs per pot.  I normally use 1 beer (whatever flavor we were drinking on the boat that day), 1 beer can full of water (normally spring water), and 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, layer crabs while coating with J.O. #2 seasoning.  Even though these measurments are crude they are just guesstimates.  I just pour some of this and some of that until it looks or feels good.  But it's close.

[captaincrab55]

This topic has been beat to death before...     IMO,    Drink the beer, save the vinegar and season the crabs as you remove them after steaming...    BTW,   save the butter for lobster...

Enjoy

[dfran]

I've been using a SS beer 1/2 since 1980. I've tried beer, beer and vinegar, water, water and vinegar  now I just use water. People eating them couldn't notice any difference in the flavor. I put enough water in to fill the concave bottom of the barrell for the first steam. As you continue to steam you will need to dip some water out, because it will get too high in the keg from the water coming out of the crabs. I put in a layer of crabs and spice them, repeat until full.

[Weber]

Well I tried out the new Keg steamer, I gave her a test run just to see how well she will steam up.

Since this pot is much bigger then my old one, I doubled my mixture.  I used only water for the test run.

I installed a temp gage in the lid, something I didn't have in my old pot.

Well, she worked good until it steamed all the water out of the pot and started to burn the bottom!

I had doubled the mixture and still burned the pot.

Maybe it was cause the test run was with water and not beer and vinegar.  Old pot never lost the liquid so quick....

Now that I have a temp gauge,  what temp should I try to maintain in the pot?

[dfran]

You don't need to be concerned with the temp. you want steam, remember you're making a steamer not an oven, the water won't get any hotter than steam. I haven't used beer in over 15 years and I've never run out of water. After the second batch I need to dip out about a pint to keep the level down in the steamer.

[jack1747]

I have had allot of crab pots in my life.  I started putting 2" of liquid in the pot regardless of how big or small they were.  Gave plenty of heat to keep the steam rolling.  Never burned a pot dry since then.  25 minutes....... 

[Weber]

Well, I gave her a second test run using my normal mixture of beer and vinegar but doubled it, ran it for a full steam cycle and still had plenty of liquid in the pot.

[captaincrab55]

Well I tried out the new Keg steamer, I gave her a test run just to see how well she will steam up.

Since this pot is much bigger then my old one, I doubled my mixture.  I used only water for the test run.

I installed a temp gage in the lid, something I didn't have in my old pot.

Well, she worked good until it steamed all the water out of the pot and started to burn the bottom!

I had doubled the mixture and still burned the pot.

Maybe it was cause the test run was with water and not beer and vinegar.  Old pot never lost the liquid so quick....

Now that I have a temp gauge,  what temp should I try to maintain in the pot?

Sounds like you lid doesn't fit tight enough...

[Weber]

That was my thought as well, but I had no water dripping down the sides or steam coming out. 

So it must be sealing good enough.

[captaincrab55]

That was my thought as well, but I had no water dripping down the sides or steam coming out. 

So it must be sealing good enough.

If Steam or Water didn't come out, the pot would still have water in it....

[dfran]

Were there crabs in the pot or were you just making steam?

[Weber]

If Steam or Water didn't come out, the pot would still have water in it....

There was steam but no water in the bottom....

[Weber]

Were there crabs in the pot or were you just making steam?

test run just had some veggies in there...

[Weber]

The second test run I had beer and vinegar instead of water, it worked fine....

[dfran]

test run just had some veggies in there...

The reason I asked is the crabs are full of water and as they steam the water comes out and adds to the water you have in the steamer. Thats why I said after 2 batches I need to remove water from the steamer, it accumulates and ends up being higher than the rack I use to keep the crabs out of the water. Iput about 2" in the bottom like Jack said and I've never had any trouble. Good luck, I'm sure you'll get it figured out.

[Weber]

The reason I asked is the crabs are full of water and as they steam the water comes out and adds to the water you have in the steamer. Thats why I said after 2 batches I need to remove water from the steamer, it accumulates and ends up being higher than the rack I use to keep the crabs out of the water. Iput about 2" in the bottom like Jack said and I've never had any trouble. Good luck, I'm sure you'll get it figured out.

Yup, just hope I don't ruin a bushel of crabs trying to figure it out.

I will just have to keep an eye on it the first few times.

[mdjohn]

crabs wil add to the liquid ---- even more if you rinse them off or soak them in ice water 

at death, the crabs bowels and the bladder release adding that to the mix 

think of that, the next time you take that seasoning off the crab with your finger and stick it in your mouth, Yummy 

[dfran]

crabs wil add to the liquid ---- even more if you rinse them off or soak them in ice water 

at death, the crabs bowels and the bladder release adding that to the mix 

think of that, the next time you take that seasoning off the crab with your finger and stick it in your mouth, Yummy 

I put my crabs in a tub of ice water before they go in the steamer. Thanks for the insight mdjohn.....greatly appreciated

[Crab A Lot]

crabs wil add to the liquid ---- even more if you rinse them off or soak them in ice water 

at death, the crabs bowels and the bladder release adding that to the mix 

think of that, the next time you take that seasoning off the crab with your finger and stick it in your mouth, Yummy 

Didn't your mother tell you before you die you will eat a peck of dirt,just think a least the crabs are steamed and they are sterilized,yum,yum

[mdjohn]

Didn't your mother tell you before you die you will eat a peck of dirt,just think a least the crabs are steamed and they are sterilized,yum,yum

was talking to a guy at DNR one time about clams and oysters and cooking to sterilize them -

His comeback was cooking/sterilizeation doesn't do a [dang] thing about pollutants, chemicals and other nasties in the critters  

his point was that you're drinking the water, the critter came out of and stay away from sewage spills  

Would you drink the water, it came out of - even if it were boiled ? 

[Crab A Lot]

was talking to a guy at DNR one time about clams and oysters and cooking to sterilize them -

His comeback was cooking/sterilizeation doesn't do a [dang] thing about pollutants, chemicals and other nasties in the critters  

his point was that you're drinking the water, the critter came out of and stay away from sewage spills  

Would you drink the water, it came out of - even if it were boiled ? 

You didn't state sewage spills in your first post,of course any one in their right mind would stay away from a sewage spill until it cleared up.we are not taking about boiling but steaming,water boils at 212 degrees F water steams at 230 degrees F,that what surgeons use to sterilize their instruments.
Haven't heard of anyone dieing from eating steamed crabs yet,but if I would have to drink the sewage water I would find a way to distill it 

[dfran]

Did I miss something??? How did we go from steaming crabs to drinking sewage

[mdjohn]

I'm going to have to try " clean before you cook " - never done it before....
it makes a lot of sense to get rid of a lot of nasties and to rinse out the bodies

I don't know but we'll see after I try it

It's more work for the cooker but we'll see 

[captaincrab55]

I'm going to have to try " clean before you cook " - never done it before....
it makes a lot of sense to get rid of a lot of nasties and to rinse out the bodies

I don't know but we'll see after I try it

It's more work for the cooker but we'll see 

mdjohn,   Next you'll be moving to PA!......