Yes. I've never done it with BWB, but I have done it often with a PC. You'd need a second rack to place between the two levels.

In the BWB, due to the activity of the water, you have to be sure the jars are stable and of course that they're still covered by the recommended inches of water.

Carol

I've done it in a BWB.

As Carol says, you need a second rack, and it's all more stable if all the jars on the bottom are the same height (I have several brands of jars of slightly different shapes & sizes).

But there's no particular danger. I think if the jars weren't all the same height and the top layer was a bit skewed the worst that would happen is one would tip over and you might get a bit of seepage.

Zabby

ceresone, I have three racks for my 22 qt pressure canner. I normally do things (like tuna) in wide mouth pints and do two layers of jars with a rack on the bottom, one in between layers of jars. My neighbor has a gazillion 10 oz jars she has acquired from the nearby oyster cannery - when I've taken my canner next door to help her with things, we do three layers of her sized jars.

Not that I'm the generous neighbor :) She taught me to can - now that she has turned 80, I help her.

Can we use round cookie-cooling racks between, or a hand towel, if we don't own another p/c rack??
Thanks,
Glad

Sure.

Carol

Don't forget the dash of white vinegar in the boiling water. It helps to reduce the white calcium buildup.

Okay, this is news to me (but what isn't, LOL!). We can use cookie racks or hand towels in lieu of racks? Is that just between layers, or on the bottom also?

Thanks!

House Mouse

The bottom needs to have at least 1/2 inch of space between the pot and the bottom of the jars. This helps to distribute the heat and prevent jars from thermal shock and cracking. The seperation above (between) a stacked set of jars is also to help distribute the heat, and if the rack holds the top set of jars they can easily be removed from the pot. Also keep in mind the actual HEIGHT of the two jars when stacked. The top most jar MUST have at least 2 inches of water ABOVE it, so your pot needs to be quite deep if your processing quart jars with two jars stacked on top of each other, as well as having the required spacing.

You can use a towel on the bottom of the pot. It's messy and the towel may tend to float until the jars are put on it, but it is do-able. I have used it as an emergency fix.

However, you might find a 99 cent cake rack is a lot easier. Check dollar stores, GoodWill or even loaners from neighbors. Also pressure canner racks work great for boiling water batch. They don't cost much and can be found in greater diameters anywhere pressure canner supplies are sold.

Carol