Vacpots, Q's and A's

[BoldJava]

Two more pots under my belt, both with VERY long draw down - 5+ min after removed from heat.  Creates a bitter brew.  

Only thing I observe that's different from what I read is that, while under heat I get some bubbling (not "dancing") in the top.  Can't turn it down further as it is on my smallest (gas) burner at its lowest setting.  Not sure what to try next.

Two variables from yesterday's success:  
(1)  gas vs electric (mine) but find that hard to believe would make that kind of difference
(2)  your bean

We were working with a city plus/full city bean yesterday.  The occasional stall that I get comes with an oily bean.  Were you working with a Vienna or darker bean?

B|Java

[pm]

Anyone have any luck with electric vacpots?

[peter]

Anyone have any luck with electric vacpots?

Yes, the Bodum Santos I used for a while made a more than acceptable cup.

[Steve7]

Even more confused now...

Threw the last few beans of the roast in my grinder this morning. Chucked the lot into a one cup French press (estimate a decent spoonfull). Just under 4min steep.

Best cup of coffee by a mile. All the taste/body, none of the fust or biterness.

Guess the variable isn't roast level. Must be the time/temp in the vacpot?? Time to roast up a couple of batches and start again. I really need my 10lbs of El Sal to come so I can keep working the same bean and nail this. Has to be timing... mind you, CAN you overheat the water in the top of a vacpot or will the physics of it not let you? My gas burner is quite fierce!

[BoldJava]

 Chucked the lot into a one cup French press (estimate a decent spoonfull). Just under 4min steep.

Best cup of coffee by a mile. All the taste/body, none of the fust or biterness. Has to be timing... mind you, CAN you overheat the water in the top of a vacpot or will the physics of it not let you? My gas burner is quite fierce!

No it doesn't have to be the timing.  I would suggest re-reading the instruction sheet re: stove settings that I attached in an earlier post in the distribution thread.  I know you said you the trashman got your earlier one.  Why overheat?  Keep the bugger low man.

If you are getting a great cup with a press pot, go out on the street and peddle the Yama to some unsuspecting fellow.   Tell him it is the easiest prep for American coffee he will ever find <grins>.

B|Java

[Steve7]

I think I over heated trying to shift more water north.

To be honest, I though the water temp in the top would be stable whatever the base temp.... I guess the top chamber's water temperature can be affected, then?

I most likely boiled the brew, hence the heaviness? 225g of La Margarite Honey up next, after a rest!

[Tommy]

I would suggest re-reading the instruction sheet re: stove settings

[Tommy]

It does seem many over complicate this process.

Remember, people without computers were brewing coffee with vacpots before most of us were born.

And there is trepidation among some of us to reach the second crack early in our roasting adventure. It's a scary world. Face your fears. They will grow more JBM!

Tommy

[J.Jirehs Roaster]

It does seem many over complicate this process.

Remember, people without computers were brewing coffee with vacpots before most of us were born.

And there is trepidation among some of us to reach the second crack early in our roasting adventure. It's a scary world. Face your fears. They will grow more JBM!

Tommy

my biggest problem with vac-pots, plants in pots, and a good rue (just to name a few) is patience (or my lack of it) I set the pot just over 50% power on my gas stove and wait for a lot of little bubbles in the bottom... then I put the top on and wait for th water to come up and start its little percolate... then its time for the coffee to go in... stove timer on 2 minutes... then pull it of the heat  (my Tanzania cup of hope is pretty tasty this morning)

[bobvilax2000]

Keeping in mind that I like a long... relaxed... morning...beforeIgotowork...

I fill my pot and put it on the stove at the low setting that I would brew at. In the meantime I eat. By the time I come back the water is just kind of bubbling, probably right at 195-200. When I attach the upper globe and temp it, it's right around 195. I then brew as B|J recommends. Dump the grounds in, dunk away, pull off heat at two minutes with a minute or so pull down.

The key for me has been to watch the temp before you put the upper globe on and definitely watch the stove setting. Experiment without coffee and take the temp.

I got a stall this morning. 

- -Barrett

[Steve7]

I boil the water in a kettle before I add it.
It is bubbling as soon as it is on the stove...

I'll hold back a bit and try a slower ramp of heat.

[peter]

I boil the water in a kettle before I add it.
It is bubbling as soon as it is on the stove...

I'll hold back a bit and try a slower ramp of heat.

Good plan man.  If you load too much heat into the water it'll burn the coffee while it brews.  And listen to the rod and the gurgling when the water or coffee is on top.  The rod should not be dancing, and the coffee should be gently rolling like a light simmer. 

Once you put the coffee in, set a timer for 2min.  That's a good time to either just kill the heat or take the pot off the burner.  I'll take mine off at 2min. and have a 1min.30sec. draw-down.  Yumminess.

[Steve7]

Think I stewed the coffee.

I'm certain I did. The rod wasn't dancing, it was body popping!

[J.Jirehs Roaster]

Think I stewed the coffee.

I'm certain I did. The rod wasn't dancing, it was body popping!

LOL... nice  (lower dah heat or get a heavier Cory)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg3k2WGbjyI&feature=related[/youtube]

[RenoB]

Two more pots under my belt, both with VERY long draw down - 5+ min after removed from heat.  Creates a bitter brew.  

Only thing I observe that's different from what I read is that, while under heat I get some bubbling (not "dancing") in the top.  Can't turn it down further as it is on my smallest (gas) burner at its lowest setting.  Not sure what to try next.

Two variables from yesterday's success:  
(1)  gas vs electric (mine) but find that hard to believe would make that kind of difference
(2)  your bean

We were working with a city plus/full city bean yesterday.  The occasional stall that I get comes with an oily bean.  Were you working with a Vienna or darker bean?

B|Java

After a week of quality time with my new Yama VacPot (I am unemployed and brewing 3 pots a day!), I concur that it was my roast.  I took a serious look at my roasting technique and realized I was roasting everything to full city+ to vienna.  So I spent some time roasting throughout the week, adjusting my roast to city+ and these beans, ground on the same setting of my Krupps that Dave & I used initially, ran through the VacPot with cory rod just fine.

The final note to add is that I am using the eight cup VacPot and draw down does take two to two and a half minutes.  Do I understand correctly that the draw down time Dave achieves of one to one and a quarter minute is for the five cup?

Kudos to B|Yoda, I'm good to go!