ConradJacob Senior Member Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 6 Location: NYC Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Silvia Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: Cory Roaster: modified Poppery II
Posted Mon Oct 13, 2008, 9:06am Subject: Large vac pot, small brew solution
I just got a 8 cup Cory vac pot and have so far, filling to the 4 cup mark, brewed watery coffee for my wife and I. I read a post, on alt.coffee I think, about extending the bottom tube lower in the bowl with plastic tubing for when you want to brew less than a full pot. This does not seem like a good idea. My probably not better idea is to partially displace some of the excess water left at the bottom below the syphon with marbles. I bought a bag of brilliant blue glass stones from a garden store (clear was not an option). I tested with a coffee-less run and all seemed to go as planned. Is this a brilliant idea or am I an idiot? (of course I'll have to be careful not to drink a marble - that would prove the later)
Posted Mon Oct 13, 2008, 11:22am Subject: Re: Large vac pot, small brew solution
Two concerns:
Heat cracking: be sure they don't crack apart or craze during heating. Heating thin flat glass is different from heating a sphere, and they might drop pieces of themselves into your cup. Then you'd be drinking the marbles when you didn't even realize it!
Heavy metals: sometimes various metals are used to color glass, like lead, chromium, arsenic, or cobalt. These might leach out, especially in an acidic coffee brew.
Instead of marbles, you might try glass pebbles. These might be easier to get as clear and a little more stable in the bottom, though the heavy-metal issues might still be present.
ConradJacob Senior Member Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 6 Location: NYC Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Silvia Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: Cory Roaster: modified Poppery II
Posted Mon Oct 13, 2008, 2:09pm Subject: Re: Large vac pot, small brew solution
I knew some foul chemicals went in to coloring - lead, chromium, arsenic - nice. (my hope was that these stones have been thoroughly tested in fishtanks).
BellaJava Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2002 Posts: 416 Location: Jacksonville, FL Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Livia 90 Auto Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: Silex, Cory, Hellem, Cona,... Drip: Chemex Roaster: Alp, FR+, HWG
Posted Sun Oct 26, 2008, 9:58am Subject: Re: Large vac pot, small brew solution
Best bet is to buy a smaller vacpot. Lowering the water level with anything not 100% food safe is probably not the best practice and extending the siphon can increase your chances of cracking the lower pot, especially if you're using gas. If the flames lick up past the water line you'll likely crack or shatter the pot. Cory made several smaller models as well as Silex.
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