Steaming Mixture Question?

[GP Crabber]

I have a 62 quart bayou classic pot and was wondering how much water and apple cider vinager I should be adding I want to be shure that I am putting enough so I dont burn the bottom of the pot I dont want to be lifting the top to check every ten min and let all the steam out Thanks also If anyone has this pot how long do you steam yours for I have a 180,000 btu burner

[SteveL]

I have a similar size pot, I put a total of 2 qts liquid, about 1/3 apple cider vinegar and 2/3 water with a full pot of crabs. I turn the burner on high and leave it on high the whole time, and I cook for 25 minutes after I first see steam. If I have less than a full pot I add extra liquid, since lots comes from the crabs during cooking. If in doubt add more rather than less liquid, its bad to go dry during cooking and scortch the crabs.

Also I installed stainless bolts thru the bottom of the steamer basket to raise it up a bit and keep the crabs out of the liquid, if you do that make sure not to raise it too much so that the lid won't fit snugly.

[stingray]

If you ever run into a lid issue, just use a heavy towel. Works fine.

[POLECAT]

In my 60 quart pot I add two 12 ounce cans of cheap beer, two 12 ounce cans of vinegar, and (sometimes*) one 12 ounce can of water. Never more.

The lid is sealed to ensure as little steam escapes as possible. This is accomplished by covering the top of the pot with several sheets of wet newspaper prior to placing the lid on. It's a very tight fit.

With this amount of liquid and the sealed top, steam is generated within 3 minutes. Twenty-five minutes after the flame is lit, it is extinguished; the crabs are done.

I use a jet burner of undetermined BTU output, but it is powerful! I keep the heat intense throughout the steaming period. If the lid is sealed properly, there is always more liquid in the pot after the steaming cycle than what was added previously.

(*) If crabs were caught in dirty water they get a fresh water soak (perhaps several times). If they receive this soaking, there's no need to add the extra 12 ounces of water.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[polarized]

I use, 2 1/2 cups of water and 2 1/2 cups of vinegar. The crabs will add water while they steam ! If you use too much, the bottom layer of crabs get a bath instead of a real steam! 60 qt. pot with a basket inside. Dean

[crow]

1- can beer
1-can vinegar
1- can water

[done workin]

Crow has the ratio I use.

Equal parts of all thre but thebiggest key is you must use


apple cider vinegar

Happy cooking.

[Capt.Nick]

Crab houses steam with live steam..All water..The only benefit that I believe Beer or Vinegar does is keep you from having your house smell like steamed crabs for days.

[Robert Holsapple]

GP, I have the same pot you have. I use roughly 1 1/2 quarts water and about a pint of apple cider vinegar. I get the pot steaming first and then drop in the basket. I steam a bushel for 30 minutes on medium heat. The apple cider vinegar sweetens up the meat. BTw, the lid on the 62 qt Bayou is plenty heavy enough and the basket has a lip on it to give you a couple inches of clearance on the bottom.

[GP Crabber]

Thanks for the info guys going to the GP tommorrow hopefully will try Robert Holsapple mixture tommorrow.

[Ken Brice]

What if you have a 32 qt steamer, would 25 min, still be good time for cooking them??

[SteveL]

Ken,

I have always cooked them for 25 minutes after I first see steam, keeping the heat set on "high" the entire time--that should work for you as long as you have a good heat source.

[Thoroughbred]

Crab houses steam with live steam..All water..The only benefit that I believe Beer or Vinegar does is keep you from having your house smell like steamed crabs for days.

Ditto, if you like fresh lump crab meat bought in a container or crabs bought from a seafood store then you like crabs cooked with nothing but steam (water).

[Mugsmaster]

It all evaporates and doesnt flavor the crabs. But I use one beer, water and a few splashes of vinegar. If you go to a crab house or a seafood store they just use high pressure steam. The flavor comes from the seasonings on your fingers while picking them........

Mark

[Halfshot]

I cook 25 minutes with lid on and 5 with it off...gives wet crabs, if any, some time to dry out and it seems to work very well. The last ten minutes of cook time I add shucked corn on the cob and sprinkle it with old bay...the crowd goes crazy! I will try the newspaper trick for the lid, I use bricks to hold a lot of pressure down on the lid. I also use mostly water with a few "glugs" of apple cider vinegar. I always ice the crabs down either when I catch them or shortly after...keeps all the claws and legs on and easy to layer neatly in the pot, each layer gets a coat of seasoning. When removed from pot I border the tray with corn and neatly fold the claws in the tucked position. Sprinkle my seasoning over the crabs as needed....looks are everything!

[shadordie]

about an inch of water in the bottom and a natty light or two..sprinkle with seasoning and when you take them off throw them in a box and coat them down good with seasoning, shake the crabs around real good, throw another round of seasoning over em. shake em around real good then let them sit about an hour and they are ready to be eaten. I was looking into a bayou cooker? how many crabs does the 62 quart hold???

[chesapeake_angler]

The best way you can cook crabs is like this get a huge plastic bin or your cooler ice fill it up make sure its cold put the crabs in there let them soak they will spit all the sand and crap they breathe out in the water 5 to 10 mins they get cold shock now there ready for the steamer this makes there legs and claws stay on during steaming add too your 2qt liquid contents(water,vinegar,beer 1/3) more is better then less if it burns for a min you got burnt crabs now add your spice and I add rock salt and bay leaves too the water as well on top of the crabs I add a bamboo plate/divider and add shell fish(oysters clams muscles shrimp or red crab snow crab sumtimes and add corn at the top still in the leaves now that sounds good I use vinegar and lemon butter and you wouldnt think cocktail sauce would be good with crabs try this use Ketchup,or preferably tomato sauce or real tomatoes get a habenaro orange pepper and horse radish use habenaro half of one goes along way use a mixer or one of those bullet food processors and chop it up you have just made tiger sauce you can add sweet bbQ also too the mix its hot stuff mixed right its good on everything

[flats cat]

I cook 25 minutes with lid on and 5 with it off...gives wet crabs, if any, some time to dry out and it seems to work very well. The last ten minutes of cook time I add shucked corn on the cob and sprinkle it with old bay...the crowd goes crazy! I will try the newspaper trick for the lid, I use bricks to hold a lot of pressure down on the lid. I also use mostly water with a few "glugs" of apple cider vinegar. I always ice the crabs down either when I catch them or shortly after...keeps all the claws and legs on and easy to layer neatly in the pot, each layer gets a coat of seasoning. When removed from pot I border the tray with corn and neatly fold the claws in the tucked position. Sprinkle my seasoning over the crabs as needed....looks are everything!

Try this sometime. Leave the corn in the husk and save some room at the top of the steamer. Put the corn in on top of the crabs and steam for 20 minutes(from when you have steam about 5 minutes). Best corn ever!!!

[Riptide1947]

I use 8-of the clothespins that have a spring hinge in the middle to clamp my steamer lid tight. I cook mine by starting with the flame on high, for about 10-15-minutes, then adjust the flame to medium for another 40-minutes, this keeps the liquid from wetting the bottom layer of crabs.