Well, I had a disastrous stall just now.
Although nobody was injured—thank goodness—my new pot exploded ...do NOT, under any circumstance, ever ever EVER try to circumvent the stall with a cool towel wrap...The stall probably had to do with too much stirring, since the ground was the same as my previous two vacpot brews...
Paul, thanks for the post.
All, please read the instruction sheet that is provided with all pots I distribute. In those I offer these suggestions:
1) Do not stir. Stirring separates the fines from the grinds and those fines clog the Cory filter and cause stalls. Instead, push the grounds down the side, saturating the grind, without stirring. (Vienna and darker roasts - showing oils - tend to stall more than lighter roasts). If you must stir, use the cloth filter, not a glass rod.
2) Be very careful about even a drop of water on the pot. After filling the pot, form a habit of wiping the bottom and sides of the pot to remove all traces of moisture. This helps avoid stress on the glass as heat is applied. I am compulsive about this.
As Paul humbly notes, don't use cool, wet cloths as a method of expedite draw down. If your unit stalls, just leave it sit off the burner, and self cool, during which it will self-draw down. At most, you will lose 70 grams of coffee.
B|Java