Do you think there is any danger putting a thermonator in a pressure cooker to sanitize? the only thing that I was thinking could be a problem might be expansion within the chiller messing things up, but I am no expert so I don’t even know if that concern makes sense…
I don’t think that heating in a pressure cooker would be a problem. The Therminator is all stainless with copper soldering between the plates. The coefficients of expansion should be similar and the thin plates shouldn’t stress the soldering.
Be aware that the rubber tube that covers the sharp plate edge on the one side of the chiller will come off after heating and you’ll have a lethal weapon in your hands. Just be careful and you’ll be alright.
Ditto on the rubber ring.
I use John Palmers’ recommendations on sterilizing in a dry oven. 3 hours at 285F will do it. I put it in the oven on time-bake the night before and it’s sterilized, chilled and ready to go in the morning.
Talked to John Blichmann who said it would be fine but the sticker might fall off (he also noted that it was overkill). I should have mentioned to him that I have a brew sculpture and heated and cooled conical - my whole life in this hobby is overkill!