A question for you vac brewers out there. How long should it take once you turn off the heat (after the water has made the trip to the upper vessel) for the coffee to return to the bottom?
Should it slowly filter down or be sucked back down by vacuum created by the cooling air in the lower vessel?
Having never used one before, I am not sure what to expect or how to gauge the quality of the seal. It seems like a good fit and the gasket seems to be in mint condition but I am afraid to apply to much pressure when seating the upper vessel for fear of breaking it.
Thanks,
Edward

Don't press down. Turn slightly to obtain seal. Make sure rod is
perpendicular to the water not on an angle. Water should seep down during
brewing process 5 to 10 min for a full pot.

http://members.cox.net/fullcity/BodumVac/when it's working well mine takes 2 minutes...
At 03:55 PM 7/29/2004 -0700, you wrote:
<Snip>
turn off the heat (after the water has made the trip to the upper vessel)
for the coffee to return to the bottom?
<Snip>
the cooling air in the lower vessel?
<Snip>
the quality of the seal. It seems like a good fit and the gasket seems to
be in mint condition but I am afraid to apply to much pressure when seating
the upper vessel for fear of breaking it.
<Snip>
unsvbscribes) go tohttp://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettings<Snip>

At 4:32 PM -0700 7/29/04, Johnny Kent wrote:
<Snip>
Cool web page!
On the return trip does it seem like its seeping down or like its being sucked down? I've read both types of account and can't tell if people are using different words to describe the same thing or if different pots (or different qualities of gasket seal) yield different results.
Thx,
Edward

Using a Yama , it takes about 30 to 40 seconds to go to the bottom after I
remove it from the heat.
RK

I aim for a total brew time of about 4 minutes, from
the point when all of the coffee is wet until all the
brewed coffee has descended to the carafe. I think the
trip south alone takes about 2 minutes.
--- Johnny Kent  wrote:
<Snip>http://lists.sweetmarias.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast<Snip>http://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettings<Snip>">http://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettings<Snip>http://lists.sweetmarias.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast<Snip>http://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettings<Snip>
Do you Yahoo!?
New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

Initially, it's sucked down about half way pt it drips. Never got 2 min on a
full pot on mine get 2 min with a 6 cup load. I'm at sea level if that makes
a difference

If your rig is working properly, it is certainly being
drawn down as the pressure equalizes, but it takes a
little while -- it doen't all whoosh down in a couple
of seconds. If that happens, you forgot to grind the
beans first :-). 
--- Edward Spiegel  wrote:
<Snip>http://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettings<Snip>">http://lists.sweetmarias.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast<Snip>http://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettings<Snip>
Do you Yahoo!?
Express yourself with Y! Messenger! Free. Download now. http://messenger.yahoo.com

At 04:50 PM 7/29/2004 -0700, you wrote:
<Snip>
sucked down? I've read both types of account and can't tell if people are
using different words to describe the same thing or if different pots (or
different qualities of gasket seal) yield different results.
<Snip>
You're welcome, I put it there just for you so enjoy it while you can ;-)
Sorry some of the lighting's not the best. Ain't photoshop automation
wonderful though?
BTW I reset the timer just as it started to come south so the picture
before that shows the time from it going all north to when it just started
south. With the 47 secs earlier (image Vac-h) being when the pot was taken
off the heat.
fwiw, when it stalls, as it does sometimes with some beans and some grinds,
there is quite a vacuum and it's hard to remove the top. So I'd say that
it's being sucked down though it sure looks as if it's seeping sometimes.

At 5:10 PM -0700 7/29/04, Andy Thomas wrote:
<Snip>
You have to grind the beans first?
I'll try that next time :)

<Snip>
With my Silex pot it takes about 2 minutes for the trip south.  The
brewed coffee is returned mostly by the force of the vacuum formed by
the cooling lower unit.  When I brew I hear/see bubbles in the lower pot
after all the coffee has been pulled down and the vacuum continues to do
its work.
If it is taking much more time than that, take a look at your grind, it
might be a bit too fine.  I grind a bit more coarse than for regular
drip coffee.  You also want to make sure you are using a good grade burr
grinder, anything else can add too much 'powder' to the ground coffee,
potentially causing both filter rod clogging and a 'dirty' cup of
coffee.  
FWIW - All of my experience is with Silex brand units with spring
retained filter rods...
--Dave #364

I use a stainless vacuum brewer. When the bottom cools it creates a good
pressure differential. The brew ends with a definitive sucking noise.
Glass is a poor thermal conductor. I am wondering if that inhibits or
enhances the vacuum effect?

Insignificant.  Yes, PV=nRT, but vac brewers are made of all kinds of 
materials and seem on the macro scale to work the same.
Sometime around 08:28 AM 7/30/2004, Tom Ulmer typed:
<Snip>
--
John Nanci 
AlChemist at large
Zen Roasting , Blending & Espresso pulling by Gestalthttp://www.dreamsandbones.net/blog/http://www.chocolatealchemy.com/

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
Are you certain?
-- Rick  
From: AlChemist John
Yes, PV=nRT.

Yes, I am certain of the equation.  I am not certain of the application.  why?
Sometime around 02:54 PM 8/2/2004, Rick Farris typed:
<Snip>
--
John Nanci 
AlChemist at large
Zen Roasting , Blending & Espresso pulling by Gestalthttp://www.dreamsandbones.net/blog/http://www.chocolatealchemy.com/