Hi,
I’m cooking dréme brulée in glass jarrs with a cover on a foot.
I made this also some time ago and everything went well…now one of my jarrs expolded (it lost it’s foot);
Closed it to tight probably.
Tried fingertip-closing once, only 3 jarrs left out of 10, not the right methode for me 
Can I fill the bath until right under the cover to prevend this ?
Regards,
Jacky
Can I fill the bath until right under the cover to prevend this ?
Jacky, you can do it but it’s unlikely to prevent your recent sad experience unless you improve your jar covering technique for SV.
Think about what’s happening as you cook.
Water vapour pressure will still want to escape from the jars if you apply sufficient heat.
Are you using just your thumb and forefinger’s tip to close the jar’s covers until you begin to feel resistance? Practice a few times with an empty jar and cover.
I have to ask a question here. Did you bring the water up to temperature and then place the cold jars filled with cold ingredients into the bath?
While there’s always a lot of discussion about’ ‘exploding’ jars due to expanding air that can’t escape, it is far more common to lose them due to thermal shock. Always either preheat the jars or put them into a cold water bath and bring the lot up to temperature.
Excellent point Ember, just as in canning or preserving, you always want to start with hot jars and contents.
Ember, you’re right !
I put the cold jars in the 80 C water. That could be the problem, I didn’t think of that.
Began with hot tapwater from about 56 C.
Next time I pour the water in the bath with the jars already in it
Thanks !
I use a recipe where you heat the cream. I put this into room temp jars so I don’t think the jars are shocked.
The first time I tried it the jars leaked so now I just bring the water up to the bottom of the lids. I generally put racks in the bottom of the container have enough water and yet keep the jars at the right height. One of these days I will be brave and try to submerge them again.
What sort of jars are you using? I’ve never lost a mason jar in the bath yet, though I did finish up cooking in egg soup one day because I over filled a jar.
Fill only to the point where the side straightens for the lid thread. Tighten the lid gently to ‘finger tight’… I’ve been known to tighten them and the slack them off about 5°.
When filling jars it’s a good idea to have them isolated from the cold bench with a towel. If using cold ingredients, pre-warm the jars by putting them in a sink of hot water while you’re doing your mixing.
The smaller jars are less forgiving than the bit ones just due to volume.
Wow. Think horses, not zebras. This is just way too much concern and possible frustration over a dessert dish that is simple and easily prepared in a standard manner - not sous vide. No worrying about leaking or exploding jars. Use this recipe
https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/classic-creme-brulee
and you will have delicious crème brulee, prepared in a standard crème brulee ramekin, ready for the sugar and flame. I always double the recipe, because, well…crème brulee.
Hi @Dru
I guess this is a “To each his own” situation! I took a look at your link and I’ll have to say that preparing crème brulee sous vide is a lot less of a bother, at least for me. It was one of the first things I cooked sous vide, and I’ve made it many times over the past year with never a problem. Mix ingredients, strain into jars and finger tighten lids, place jars in sous vide water before it is fully heated, and cook to completion. Cool and chill when done.
The standard method you’ve provided will work great, it just requires a bit more work and attention. Since the sous vide method is easier and produces an end product that I find just as good sous vide is my preparation method of choice. For me it’s a case of sous vide being the better “tool for the task”.
That said…I’ve never had an exploding jar! For those of you who have had a jar explode - or really worry that you might - @Dru has provided an excellent link that should make you happy! And don’t forget to double the recipe because, as @Dru said…it’s crème brulee!
I’ve made creme brulee using sous vide once. I don’t know where my jars are so I just ordered new jars. I ordered jars with solid lids. I suspect this isn’t going to work. Can someone confirm this for me