Brewing with a Cona

[phil]

I've been using vac pots for ages, but I've only recently started using Conas.

I've noticed something about the Conas in comparison to the Bodum Santos - the Conas take a whole lot longer to drain for the same grind. It also seems quite easy to disturb the filter rod either when the coffee finishes going up into the top bowl, or when stirring the grounds after that has happened to ensure that the grounds are not just floating on the top.

The time taken to drain with my current grind is around 2 minutes for a full charge in the "D" size. It takes around a minute for a full charge in the "B" size, so the behaviour is consistent. However, if I manage to knock the glass rod when stirring or something, draining can take a lot longer.

A simple solution would seem to be to make the grind coarser - but it already seems quite coarse (although I admit it is the grind I developed for the Santos).

Comments from other Cona users, particularly ones who have other vac pots too, would be most welcome.

A perplexed Phil

[pault]

haven't used mine for a while and never really thought about the timing issue on the way down-I just waited for it to come down once I'd taken it off the heat (by the way - how long do you leave it on the heat for once all the waters gone up?)

stupid question - but will having a towel/oven mitt under the bottom to place it on when you take it off the heat make a difference?

[phil]

I aim to have a total brewing time of around four minutes. This includes the time taken to drain. Currently this means that I have to take the brewer off the heat at around two minutes, but there is some variability which is a reason for concern - things like accidentally knocking the rod can make quite a bit of difference, and also the rod can be disturbed if the heat isn't turned down soon enough and the residual water in the bottom part boils violently.

When I take the pot off the heat, I stand it on the wire stand that came with the Santos. This should allow a good compromise between losing heat and therefore causing a vacuum effect in the bottom bowl and not breaking the bowl though thermal shock.

[pault]

Phil

what amout of coffee do you use with your Cona? the instructions say 25g per 500ml dont they?

do you prefer more or less? I've found my Bodum-Electronic seems to prefer about 30ml per 500ml

cheers,

Paul.

[phil]

I use the SCAA recommended amount of 7.25 grammes per 4oz, which when converted to sensible and consistent units is basically 64g/l.

**Update**

I've found much greater consistency if I just give the pot a quick blast of heat before starting the draining part of the brewing cycle. I know people recommend a blast of heat to unlock a stuck pot, but I don't like that idea if you have to do it once draining has started as you'd be boiling the coffee. However, for a pot that hasn't yet started drainng this technique seems to be working well and for the moment I'm getting consistent and sensible brewing times.

[pault]

sorry to be so thick, but to clarify - just before you take the pot off the stove to drain w/o heat -you give it the heat blast? A few seconds?

cheers,

Paul.

[phil]

Pretty much, yes. I turn the pot down to the lowest heat possible during early brewing so the brew doesn't bubble violently - I think this leads to oxidation and it's one of the reasons I don't like the electric pots. Then just before I take the pot off the heat, I turn the heat up to full for maybe 20 seconds (to allow for the fact that the heat diffuser will cause a lag effect) and then take the pot off the heat and put it on the stand.

So far I'm getting good and consistent draining.

[pault]

great - thanks

when I stop slobering over the Spazio I might actually dust off the Cona and walk the talk

[Steve]

So that wont be any time soon then Paul

Steve
still slobering too

[pault]

nope not anytime soon - I reached up for the Cona the other day and I could have sworn the Spazio glared at me as if to say ...

"Feeling lucky? Asking yourself how many shots did he make? Make my day punk!..."

[pault]

apologies my ability to convert between metric and imperial is lousy - so for the bijou 1 pint Cona am I right in thinking ... fill it to an inch under the top of the neck and then use 32g of ground coffee?

also - is the roasting advice similar for the Cona as you gave for the Cafetiere i.e. beans you'd normally take into 2nd you stop just after 1st??

cheers,

Paul.

[matts]

apologies my ability to convert between metric and imperial is lousy - so for the bijou 1 pint Cona am I right in thinking ... fill it to an inch under the top of the neck and then use 32g of ground coffee?

Yup that's the ballpark. I usually use my espresso scooper which is 7g ish, so 4 scoops into the grinder =28 + a little half scoop to finish. With some coffees you can even be a little more heavy handed with the dosage, nothing worse than weak vac pot IMHO.

Cheers
Matt

[pault]

just used the Cona B with 32g of coffee for 500ml - timing it from when all the water has travelled up into the brewing vessel I let it bubble gently for 2mins I then took it off and it drained completely in 40 seconds

tasted good - but the drainage time too quick??

[pault]

should have finished the mug before I said it tasted okay - bottom half full of mush - need to grind much coarser me thinks for next time ...

[matts]

tasted good - but the drainage time too quick??

Not really, a bit long if anything. Once you've decided the 'up time' is over you want the suck down asap I think. I get a bit concerned about over extraction if 'up time' + 'suck down' time is more than 3 minutes or thereabouts for the grind I generally use, usually I'd go for about 2:30 up time and suck down by 3 mins.

Interesting you had so much sediment, that Mazzer not all it's cracked up to be eh...

Cheers
Matt