I cook beans in a pressure canner and avoid the clog-up-the-vent
problem by putting the beans and water in a separate bowl, and then
lowering the whole bowl, beans and all, into the canner. I have a
stainless steel bowl that originally was used as a container for milking
goats (of all things!) that I have recycled for this purpose. It
doesn't need a lid (if you picture a double boiler, it'll help you get
the idea). Anyway, it's a tip I learned a couple years ago off this
mailing list and it works great.
Beans don't boil over and nothing ever gets clogged. I cook them at 15
pounds pressure for whatever I think they need--more for bigger beans
(sometimes as long as an hour), less for smaller ones. I've found the
older the beans are, the longer they take too.
Sally
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