Yes, I split the end of the tubing lengthwise first in half then turned it a quarter turn and split it again about 1/2 inch. I bent the four ends out perpendicular to the tubing, filing the edges to remove the sharp edges. I used a key ring (just the round part) about one inch in diameter to make the "filter" round having a little more surface area. Cut a piece of cotton cloth about three inches in diameter. Lay the ring on the cloth, set the cut ends of tubing in the middle and tie with string.
I have used this hundreds of times with no broken flasks. If you don't get the stopper down in there good enough the pressure will blow it up to the ceiling. I'm certainly not advocating that anyone build and use this thing, it can be dangerous. I put it together more as an experiment to see how it would work and if the coffee would be good. That's a good trick filling the tube with sand, thanks.
I think copper is fine. Its used in the production of everything. One way to bend the copper easily is to fill it with fine sand and then bend however you want. Old distillers trick.
I have seen that a small stainless steel chain in the bottom of the heated glass will help propagate bubbles and help avoid the glass breaking.
@JacobSijsma I don't own a regular drip filter coffee maker but I have filter coffee at work. I have tried bringing my own fresh ground beans hoping it will be better but no luck. I like the vacuum syphon coffee much better. I'm not sure why it is so much better but it is. I have seen postings about vacuum syphon coffee on the internet but haven't done much reading about it.
I have a glass-top stove and I use a pyrex percolator. To use Pyrex on it you need a metal trivet or else you risk shattering the pyrex--also, you shouldn't move a hot pyrex glass to the cold burner or else you can also shatter due to the instant change from hot to cold. Just turning off the burner should make the coffee flow back into the glass pot.
@kennyt1230 I also have a glass top stove and have no problems using Pyrex on it. And it's not like you are moving the hot Pyrex from the stove into a bucket of ice water, so there's no problem there. People have been cooking with Pyrex for decades. Thanks for your concern.
@chrisfic There is potential for a problem there. People have been cooking with Pyrex for decades and some of those people have disfigured faces now because they opened the oven door, or set the glassware on the stove top. There is always that small chance so be careful.
@kennyt1230 No, what differentiates pyrex from conventional glass is it's ability to withstand rapid temperature change, this is why it's used in labs.
I've found that the rubber stoppers I use are kind of hard and slick when new, so I have to really push it down in the flask hard. After some use they soften up. I've had it blow up to the kitchen ceiling twice with new stoppers, luckily they come straight out and there's nothing holding the other end in the coffee grounds so the containers don't tip over. I tried boiling a new one before using it and it helped a little. I've only had to replace it once in the original coffee maker.
The loop doesn't do anything, I just didn't measure anything and didn't like how far away the two containers were from each other so I put the loop in the tubing to shorten it up. I guess it just adds some character.
Dude, you are a genius. I have tried many vacuum brewers and nearly NONE of them will create a good seal. If you buy an old one on Ebay, the rubber seals are dried and hard. I just spent a frustrating morning trying to get an old corey to work when I broke the funnel to my recently purchased Yama. The Yama didn't work unless I stood there and pressed down on the funnel the whole time so the seal would not break. I am typing this with blistered fingers. As I said, U R A GENIUS.
For Pete's sake, just buy a damn siphon. They aren't that expensive. Certainly not $150. With the featured setup, you don't get to:
-control brew temp
-avoid leaching copper into your coffee
-see any real advantage from the vacuum in terms of more efficient filtration
You might as well put your coffee in a sock, immerse it in hot water then remove the sock when done. You would have more control of the temp and lose no filtration efficiency. Your coffee would be better.
@mrGadlo It was just an experiment. I don't think you have given a siphon much thought. You don't control the temperature of a siphon, it happens according to physics. As far as copper leaching, we drink water that has passed through copper pipes daily so it's not an issue. The real advantages of using this cheep little contraption is the fun of completing a project using the least amount of money, watching it do it's thing and enjoying a cup of coffee that is better than Mr. Coffee.
@chrisfic I brew coffee using a siphon every day. I roast my own coffee, so I use the siphon to get the most out of the beans. Increasing the heat to the boil chamber will create a more vigorous boil and raise the heat in the steep chamber. The rate of leaching for metals is temp dependent. This is why you should boil water instead of using it from the tap. If you have kids, this is very important. I am glad you had fun, but your health and better coffee is worth the $36 for a siphon from Amazon
@chrisfic actually, the pipes are normally no more in copper. Heavy copper leaked in beverage are only bad for gastric reason. Have a little copper in a beverage is good for health, I think a coffee/day like that would be good for you. But don't forget to wash the copper tube because the coffee's acidity will corrode it, and this, is bad for health. If copper pipe never hurt anyone it is because there was no acid coffee in it !
@hitachi088 perhaps the sock is not great, but safer than leeching copper. The claim that copper is good for you is totally unfounded and irresponsible. Vitamin manufacturers have started removing copper from multi-vitamins due to early results of research that shows problems.
I've just finished making my own coffee maker with a ton of improvements over the original vacuum siphon design. Adjustable brewing time, faster water transfer, ideal water temperature as a result, and no need for filters, all achieved with nothing more than the flasks, stoppers, and tubing. I'll post it on Youtube in a few weeks. I also used Teflon tubing after feeling unsafe about the copper.
@elShoggotho United Nuclear has cheap borosilicate lab glass. They have 500 ml Erlenmeyer flasks for $5 plus shipping. That's pretty cheap. I have some Erlenmeyer flasks and beakers I got from them. Once I get some copper tubing and stoppers I am going to try this.
Luckily, I run a few laboratories, so I will be trying this later with some flasks when no one is around. I also have some very high quality Teflon tubing that runs a few hundred dollars for a small roll. Melting point is over 340 degrees C, so no worries about melting. Tell you what, research any potential health effects of using such tubing for drinking hot liquids, and I'll mail you some if you're curious. I'd like to see a video of you using it.
Out of curiosity, does the copper affect the taste of the coffee? I would think the acid in the coffee would corrode the inside of the copper pipe and add a different taste to the coffee in the long run.
The heated molecules in the flask containing the water expand and push the water through the copper tube into the glass of coffee grounds (notice the rubber stopper on the flask). When the flask is empty, move it off the heat source causing the molecules to cool which makes them contract sucking the coffee through the filter back into the flask.
It's a bit of t-shirt material. I flared out the end of the tubing for more surface area, I tied it on with a piece of string. I use it every day and only had to replace the filter material one time in about a year.
Yes, I split the end of the tubing lengthwise first in half then turned it a quarter turn and split it again about 1/2 inch. I bent the four ends out perpendicular to the tubing, filing the edges to remove the sharp edges. I used a key ring (just the round part) about one inch in diameter to make the "filter" round having a little more surface area. Cut a piece of cotton cloth about three inches in diameter. Lay the ring on the cloth, set the cut ends of tubing in the middle and tie with string.
chrisfic 1 month ago
do you have a filter of any sort?
jmcshane3317 1 month ago
Comment removed
theowlsgo 3 months ago
I have used this hundreds of times with no broken flasks. If you don't get the stopper down in there good enough the pressure will blow it up to the ceiling. I'm certainly not advocating that anyone build and use this thing, it can be dangerous. I put it together more as an experiment to see how it would work and if the coffee would be good. That's a good trick filling the tube with sand, thanks.
chrisfic 3 months ago
I think copper is fine. Its used in the production of everything. One way to bend the copper easily is to fill it with fine sand and then bend however you want. Old distillers trick.
I have seen that a small stainless steel chain in the bottom of the heated glass will help propagate bubbles and help avoid the glass breaking.
bluesquidny 3 months ago
Impressive, how does the coffee compare to filter coffee ?
JacobSijsma 4 months ago
@JacobSijsma I don't own a regular drip filter coffee maker but I have filter coffee at work. I have tried bringing my own fresh ground beans hoping it will be better but no luck. I like the vacuum syphon coffee much better. I'm not sure why it is so much better but it is. I have seen postings about vacuum syphon coffee on the internet but haven't done much reading about it.
chrisfic 4 months ago
I have a glass-top stove and I use a pyrex percolator. To use Pyrex on it you need a metal trivet or else you risk shattering the pyrex--also, you shouldn't move a hot pyrex glass to the cold burner or else you can also shatter due to the instant change from hot to cold. Just turning off the burner should make the coffee flow back into the glass pot.
kennyt1230 6 months ago
@kennyt1230 I also have a glass top stove and have no problems using Pyrex on it. And it's not like you are moving the hot Pyrex from the stove into a bucket of ice water, so there's no problem there. People have been cooking with Pyrex for decades. Thanks for your concern.
chrisfic 6 months ago
@chrisfic There is potential for a problem there. People have been cooking with Pyrex for decades and some of those people have disfigured faces now because they opened the oven door, or set the glassware on the stove top. There is always that small chance so be careful.
BelialAndar 4 months ago
@kennyt1230 No, what differentiates pyrex from conventional glass is it's ability to withstand rapid temperature change, this is why it's used in labs.
PieXNinja 4 months ago
I've found that the rubber stoppers I use are kind of hard and slick when new, so I have to really push it down in the flask hard. After some use they soften up. I've had it blow up to the kitchen ceiling twice with new stoppers, luckily they come straight out and there's nothing holding the other end in the coffee grounds so the containers don't tip over. I tried boiling a new one before using it and it helped a little. I've only had to replace it once in the original coffee maker.
chrisfic 8 months ago
The loop doesn't do anything, I just didn't measure anything and didn't like how far away the two containers were from each other so I put the loop in the tubing to shorten it up. I guess it just adds some character.
chrisfic 8 months ago
Dude, you are a genius. I have tried many vacuum brewers and nearly NONE of them will create a good seal. If you buy an old one on Ebay, the rubber seals are dried and hard. I just spent a frustrating morning trying to get an old corey to work when I broke the funnel to my recently purchased Yama. The Yama didn't work unless I stood there and pressed down on the funnel the whole time so the seal would not break. I am typing this with blistered fingers. As I said, U R A GENIUS.
kccustomuph 8 months ago
what did you use for the filter?
renegadepoptard 9 months ago
@renegadepoptard I used a piece of cotton cloth tied around the end of the tube.
chrisfic 9 months ago
Comment removed
mrGadlo 10 months ago
For Pete's sake, just buy a damn siphon. They aren't that expensive. Certainly not $150. With the featured setup, you don't get to:
-control brew temp
-avoid leaching copper into your coffee
-see any real advantage from the vacuum in terms of more efficient filtration
You might as well put your coffee in a sock, immerse it in hot water then remove the sock when done. You would have more control of the temp and lose no filtration efficiency. Your coffee would be better.
mrGadlo 10 months ago
@mrGadlo It was just an experiment. I don't think you have given a siphon much thought. You don't control the temperature of a siphon, it happens according to physics. As far as copper leaching, we drink water that has passed through copper pipes daily so it's not an issue. The real advantages of using this cheep little contraption is the fun of completing a project using the least amount of money, watching it do it's thing and enjoying a cup of coffee that is better than Mr. Coffee.
chrisfic 9 months ago 4
@chrisfic I brew coffee using a siphon every day. I roast my own coffee, so I use the siphon to get the most out of the beans. Increasing the heat to the boil chamber will create a more vigorous boil and raise the heat in the steep chamber. The rate of leaching for metals is temp dependent. This is why you should boil water instead of using it from the tap. If you have kids, this is very important. I am glad you had fun, but your health and better coffee is worth the $36 for a siphon from Amazon
mrGadlo 9 months ago
Comment removed
Krinogen 7 months ago
@chrisfic actually, the pipes are normally no more in copper. Heavy copper leaked in beverage are only bad for gastric reason. Have a little copper in a beverage is good for health, I think a coffee/day like that would be good for you. But don't forget to wash the copper tube because the coffee's acidity will corrode it, and this, is bad for health. If copper pipe never hurt anyone it is because there was no acid coffee in it !
Krinogen 7 months ago
@mrGadlo already tried the sock method, not so good.
hitachi088 6 months ago
@hitachi088 perhaps the sock is not great, but safer than leeching copper. The claim that copper is good for you is totally unfounded and irresponsible. Vitamin manufacturers have started removing copper from multi-vitamins due to early results of research that shows problems.
mrGadlo 6 months ago
I've just finished making my own coffee maker with a ton of improvements over the original vacuum siphon design. Adjustable brewing time, faster water transfer, ideal water temperature as a result, and no need for filters, all achieved with nothing more than the flasks, stoppers, and tubing. I'll post it on Youtube in a few weeks. I also used Teflon tubing after feeling unsafe about the copper.
baguazhang2 1 year ago
Thanks for making this vid. I will have to try this out with the lab glass I have :D
purplemutantas 1 year ago
@elShoggotho United Nuclear has cheap borosilicate lab glass. They have 500 ml Erlenmeyer flasks for $5 plus shipping. That's pretty cheap. I have some Erlenmeyer flasks and beakers I got from them. Once I get some copper tubing and stoppers I am going to try this.
purplemutantas 1 year ago
@elShoggotho If you're having trouble bending tubing, you're doing it wrong...
The trick is to support the sidewalls of the tube to keep it from collapsing flat.
So if you build a jig with a slot with the width the diameter of the tube, you can
just shove the tubing in, and crank. Look at the pipe benders they sell at home
improvement stores for EMT tubing, to see how it works.
goedjn 1 year ago
I think it would but I stick the filter end up to the faucet and force water through it before every use, it only takes a few seconds.
chrisfic 1 year ago
@chrisfic
Luckily, I run a few laboratories, so I will be trying this later with some flasks when no one is around. I also have some very high quality Teflon tubing that runs a few hundred dollars for a small roll. Melting point is over 340 degrees C, so no worries about melting. Tell you what, research any potential health effects of using such tubing for drinking hot liquids, and I'll mail you some if you're curious. I'd like to see a video of you using it.
baguazhang2 1 year ago
Out of curiosity, does the copper affect the taste of the coffee? I would think the acid in the coffee would corrode the inside of the copper pipe and add a different taste to the coffee in the long run.
sumdude4 1 year ago
@elShoggotho
You can buy erlenmeyer flasks online with a rubber stopper for about $3.00. Use copper tubing, it bends really easy by hand.
chrisfic 1 year ago
Clever stuff, clever stuff!
This looks superbly easy, and I'm going to make one.
Thanks a bunch for putting this up!
Acrimonius1408 1 year ago
How do you create the vacuum?
NOENTROBCAP 1 year ago
The heated molecules in the flask containing the water expand and push the water through the copper tube into the glass of coffee grounds (notice the rubber stopper on the flask). When the flask is empty, move it off the heat source causing the molecules to cool which makes them contract sucking the coffee through the filter back into the flask.
chrisfic 1 year ago
@chrisfic what does the loop de loop part of the tube do?
moonshadow112358 9 months ago
It's a bit of t-shirt material. I flared out the end of the tubing for more surface area, I tied it on with a piece of string. I use it every day and only had to replace the filter material one time in about a year.
chrisfic 1 year ago
What did you use for a filter and how is it installed?
flutteringby444 1 year ago
Coffee Nerd! =)
Nice work.
georgem21275 2 years ago