A method of sterilizing a load, comprising: removing moisture from the load by: (a) placing the load into a sterilization chamber; (b) reducing (42, 62) the pressure within the sterilization chamber, at a first rate to a first predetermined pressure, to increase the rate of evaporation of moisture from the load; (c) monitoring (44, 46, 48, 64, 66) over a predetermined period of time the increase in the quantity of vapor within the sterilization chamber resulting from evaporation of moisture from the load to determine whether the load is too wet to efficiently dry or dry enough to sterilize and after said monitoring over a predetermined period of time and after making such a determination, abort (49, 65) if the load is too wet to dry efficiently, or proceed to step if the load is dry enough to sterilize (50, 70), and otherwise, reduce the pressure within the sterilization chamber at a second, slower rate while monitoring changes in the quantity of vapor within the sterilization chamber; (d) admitting (54, 71) gas into the sterilization chamber; and (e) repeating steps (b) - (d); sterilizing (50, 70) the load in the sterilization chamber, after it is sufficiently dry, via vapor sterilization. removing moisture from the load by: (a) placing the load into a sterilization chamber; (b) reducing (42, 62) the pressure within the sterilization chamber, at a first rate to a first predetermined pressure, to increase the rate of evaporation of moisture from the load; (c) monitoring (44, 46, 48, 64, 66) over a predetermined period of time the increase in the quantity of vapor within the sterilization chamber resulting from evaporation of moisture from the load to determine whether the load is too wet to efficiently dry or dry enough to sterilize and after said monitoring over a predetermined period of time and after making such a determination, abort (49, 65) if the load is too wet to dry efficiently, or proceed to step if the load is dry enough to sterilize (50, 70), and otherwise, reduce the pressure within the sterilization chamber at a second, slower rate while monitoring changes in the quantity of vapor within the sterilization chamber; (d) admitting (54, 71) gas into the sterilization chamber; and (e) repeating steps (b) - (d); (a) placing the load into a sterilization chamber; (b) reducing (42, 62) the pressure within the sterilization chamber, at a first rate to a first predetermined pressure, to increase the rate of evaporation of moisture from the load; (c) monitoring (44, 46, 48, 64, 66) over a predetermined period of time the increase in the quantity of vapor within the sterilization chamber resulting from evaporation of moisture from the load to determine whether the load is too wet to efficiently dry or dry enough to sterilize and after said monitoring over a predetermined period of time and after making such a determination, abort (49, 65) if the load is too wet to dry efficiently, or proceed to step if the load is dry enough to sterilize (50, 70), and otherwise, reduce the pressure within the sterilization chamber at a second, slower rate while monitoring changes in the quantity of vapor within the sterilization chamber; (d) admitting (54, 71) gas into the sterilization chamber; and (e) repeating steps (b) - (d); sterilizing (50, 70) the load in the sterilization chamber, after it is sufficiently dry, via vapor sterilization.