I want to sous vide a small amount of food on occasion so filling up the stock pot I use for bigger amounts, seems excessive. Can I safely use say a jug which would mean there’s no water flowing under the base of the PC?
I usually have the base of my PC either on or very close to the bottom of my container. There isn’t any water directed down, so I don’t see how that would impact your performance in a negative way.
Just make sure you’re between the min and max levels for water level when cooking (if you’re close to the minimum level, you’ll need to be extra careful that the level doesn’t diminish during your cook due to evaporation) - counter this by covering the container (lid or cling wrap) or potentially topping up the water level - small amounts to not cause significant changes in your cooking temperature.