Coffee failure- Oh no

[Jim]

My Cory pot got stuck in the "up" position. Too fine a grind you think? Or did I loose the vacuum. The gasket is pretty stiff.

 

[chainfire]

I had to google search cory pots to see what they were & now I must have one. Dang B&B always teaching me about cool things.

 

[Bertilak]

My Cory pot got stuck in the "up" position. Too fine a grind you think? Or did I loose the vacuum. The gasket is pretty stiff.

Can't answer your question and my advice is a little late for you now, but maybe next time this happens...

Get a cool wet washcloth and hold it around the lower bowl. That will cool and condense the vapor creating more downward suction.

I have and until recently used a vacuum pot (Yama) but gave up on it because I could not get consistent results.

... when she was good, she was very, very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

[Jim]

Can't answer your question and my advice is a little late for you now, but maybe next time this happens...

Get a cool wet washcloth and hold it around the lower bowl. That will cool and condense the vapor creating more downward suction.

I have and until recently used a vacuum pot (Yama) but gave up on it because I could not get consistent results.

I saved it by pouring it through a filtercone, not terrible.
I was thinking of picking up a Yama 40 oz, since they are so inexpensive and I have a cory rod already. The cory pot gaskets are not available. I was going to mold one from food safe silicone but the cost would be more than the Yama complete.

 

[The Nid Hog]

Yama is very nice. I also have a Bodum that I snatched at a 50% sale at my friendly neighborhood coffee shop. It's produced a consistently good cup for the last two years.

 

[Jim]

Yama is very nice. I also have a Bodum that I snatched at a 50% sale at my friendly neighborhood coffee shop. It's produced a consistently good cup for the last two years.

Chris, do you use the cloth filter or the rod?

 

[SiBurning]

Sorry to hear. These vacuum pots do need to be handled and watched carefully. Could be a different roast or a more or less oily coffee gives you a different grind, and that makes more dust than it can handle. I have the 5 cup yama stovetop with cloth filter, and a fine drip grind isn't a problem. Stopping it from bubbling too much ruining the coffee is the main challenge. The cloth filter produces a surprisingly clean cup--wasn't expecting that.

 

[Jim]

In hind sight I am pretty sure I lost the vacuum that sucks it back down into the pot. I have had some nice cups from it in the past.

 

[Chevyguy]

Jim,
The cloth filter works great and it will last along time. Easy maintenence, basically just rinse it out and let it air dry. When it starts looking really coffee stained you can bleach it with oxyclean. I really like my five cup yama.

Clayton

 

[Jasonian]

Siphon stalls can be due to user error a lot of times.

If there hasn't been enough time to evacuate enough of the gas (air + water vapor) in the lower chamber, you won't get enough of a vacuum to suck the coffee back down.

I would be hesitant to use the cloth method. It works well for smaller volume (10oz) japanese vac-pots, but I'd be concerned about glass breakage with higher volume older brewers (like Cory).

It is possible that it is the grind, and the Cory glass filter rod is notorious for causing occasional stalls (it seems that it can, at times, filter a little too well).

 

[Jim]

I have to face facts that my gasket is shot, I am going to get a new brewer next time I order from SM.

 

[Jasonian]

I'm sorry to hear that, Jim.

Cory siphons are classic. What are you looking at getting?

 

[Jim]

More than likely the Yama I would think.

Any thoughts one way or the other?

 

[The Nid Hog]

Chris, do you use the cloth filter or the rod?

I have the Bodum right now and I use the springloaded plastic stopper that comes with it. I've never tried the Yama with the cloth filter.

 

[joshmpdx]

is it feasible to put the glass bottom (Bodum version) directly onto the gas flame?

 

[e d o]

All vac pots can go directly on flame (turn the heat down once the water goes up-top). If the brew gets stuck up north, your grind is probably too fine although these pots work better with a fine burr grind. I prefer glass rods to the cloth covered discs. Silex rods suck. Corys are OK (the "New" cory rod is a slight improvement on the original) and Cona's, particularly the older/bigger ones are the best. For a good first pot I recommend a Silex narrow neck. If your buying one on eBay, a good question to ask is the gasket soft or hard and cracked. I use a Cona daily with home roasted beans from Sweet Marias. A cup at my place is hard to beat.
Beware these two sites might start a CPAD (coffee pot acquisition disorder).
http://www.baharris.org/coffee/VacuumCoffeePots.htm
http://oldcoffeeroasters.com/vacpots.htm

 

[The Nid Hog]

is it feasible to put the glass bottom (Bodum version) directly onto the gas flame?

Sure. I make coffee every day on the gas burner on my stove with the Bodum. It works just fine. Once in a while I use the spirit lamp--holiday, snow day, etc. Honestly I think that the stove top brew is better.

 

[Monkeyboy]

I have the yama 3 cup brewer with the burner and love it. The cloth filter for me tasted funky no matter how I kept it clean or what I did to it. I got a cory rod and it works beautifully.

My 3 cup with cory or 5 cup with kona rods have never stalled for me. A friend of mine with a blade grinder does have occasional stalls with a rod.

 

[joshmpdx]

Sure. I make coffee every day on the gas burner on my stove with the Bodum. It works just fine. Once in a while I use the spirit lamp--holiday, snow day, etc. Honestly I think that the stove top brew is better.

Thank you, do you find that a diffuser is necessary?

id like to put the glass directly on the flame and am not sure where to start with the recommended diffuser.

 

[Jim]

I am under the impression that the diffuser is for electric stoves.