Coffee Urn Choices

[wnybassman]

I may pick up a stainless coffee urn this year to simplify my bottling. I don't bottle too much at a time, so a 30 cupper would probably do me just fine. I've read here that some don't get as hot as needed while others do. I don't see too many specs with the products online about maximum temperatures they obtain.

What brands/models do you recommend? or avoid?

Thanks

[markct]

i have an older one i use, usualy put the syrup in hot and let it just keep it warm, takes a while to heat it up from cold, i took the thermostat out tho and just put a toggle switch on it and a thermometer port in the side to monitor the temperature. the valve works so much better than the ball valve on my canner that i use it for all my small bottles and little glass, i actualy bought a coffee pot valve from mcmaster carr to put on my canner and see how it works

[Loun]

after getting a chance to see marks setup I went looking for one to use myself. This is what I came up with as the option im going to go with.
http://www.amazon.com/West-Bend-58030-12-30-Automatic/dp/B00008IHA1/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

One of the reviews says it gets coffee temps up to 190. So im hoping I wont have to modify it (taking out the temp sensor). Its cheap so I expect I might end up going through a couple but who knows, it might hold up.

-Lou

[wnybassman]

I ended up buying a coffee urn after the season was over last year. Warmed up water and it got it a little over 180. Should keep just finished syrup hot enough to bottle what I need to bottle if I pour it in there at boiling syrup temps.

So my question now is.........what exactly is the process? I will probably have a cone filter (with prefilters) at the top of the urn and pour finished syrup into it. Should I wait until there is a couple inches or more before turning on the heat? I noticed a fair amount of bubbling/boiling with just the water in the urn, and am trying to avoid that with the syrup in there.

Would anyone like to spell out their process? Thanks.

[Dennis H.]

Yes wait till there is some syrup in there before turning it on. Otherwise you will run the risk of scrotching the syrup.
The syrup will be hot anyway because you will need it hot to run it thru the filter.
Once you get a few inches in the urn then turn it on. Make sure you leave the lid on the urn while it is filtering. You will be amazed how much water will steam out why just sitting there.
Right before bottling the syrup check the denisty once more. Just to be sure because of steaming off while warming up.

Also don't forget to turn it off once the level goes down to an inch or so, don't want to burn that last little bit. It will stay hot any way for that last bit.

[spencer11]

i dont have one that i use but am going to get one. my process will be to draw off the syrup, finish it on a turkey frier with draw off pot i made, then filter into the coffee urn and bottle. i am going to use flat filters.

spencer

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

I looked at the link one of you posted. I think i might get one myself, but i got a question about how its used for the right thing, coffee. Does they have a perculator thing in it or something to make coffee? would any "surgery" and removal of coffee making parts like a water pump have to be removved?
i think im getting one sometime soon, they seem like a good way to can the syrup.

[wnybassman]

Yes wait till there is some syrup in there before turning it on. Otherwise you will run the risk of scrotching the syrup.
The syrup will be hot anyway because you will need it hot to run it thru the filter.
Once you get a few inches in the urn then turn it on. Make sure you leave the lid on the urn while it is filtering. You will be amazed how much water will steam out why just sitting there.
Right before bottling the syrup check the denisty once more. Just to be sure because of steaming off while warming up.

Also don't forget to turn it off once the level goes down to an inch or so, don't want to burn that last little bit. It will stay hot any way for that last bit.

Excellent, that was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

[GramaCindy]

That is how I did it last year, my first. I did however make sure it was stainless steel. I ordered it off of Amazon also, was around 40.00. What I do is just a bit different though. I heat water in the percolator, just like I am making coffee without the insides in of course, all the while I am finishing on the turkey fryer, and heating my bottles. I dump the water, but put some on my lids that are sitting in a bowl, and filter my finished boiling syrup into the coffee pot. I use a candy thermometer to make sure that the water was hot enough, and bottling goes quickly so as not to worry about the syrup not being hot enough. (I don't HEAT the syrup in the pot, that wouldn't be a good idea in my mind. The heating element is on the bottom, and really cranks.)http://www.amazon.com/Cup-Coffee-Urn-Stainless-Steel/dp/B000RVG9D4/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1329215260&sr=1-1

[adk1]

Grama, that coffee Urn didnt get the best reviews that is for sure but cant beat the price. IS the inside of the urn SS or is it just the outside. I would expect that the inside is if you bought it. I will need to get one for this year. Would you get the same one again if you had to?

[GramaCindy]

adk1, it worked perfectly for what i used it for….basically heating water to 185*, dumping that and adding my finished syrup to bottle. I only used it 4 times for 4 boils. No problems so far. And comparing that price, even TWO of them, sure beats the cost of a bottler. And yes, it is ALL stainless!, thin but stainless.

[adk1]

Nice. I might ahve to get one pretty quick here! THat is the last item! wonder if I can find that at Wally world.

[NH/Pete]

GramaCindy do you use a cone filter inside the 30 cup coffee urn?

Trying to decide if its large enough.

[spencer11]

i just ordered the one that was in the link to amazon today. i will let everybody know what i like and dont like about it and try and get some pucs up when im using it. and i plan on using a flat filter i bought over the coffee urn, possibly building a filter rack.

spencer

[wnybassman]

I used my 30 cup urn for the first time today, and bottled a little over 2 gallons at once with it. As suggested, I put water in it and ran it through its brewing cycle with it plugged into an extension cord. Once it got the warming cycle, and without unplugging I dumped the water and attached filters to the top. I forwent the orlon and just used three prefilters. My flat piece of orlon was kind of unmanageable and I was just bulk packing in quart canning jars anyway. I'm not sure if I'll use the orlon the next time either. I was pretty impressed on how clear it came out even down to the last jar with just the prefilters. Urn kept the syrup at 193 at the hottest and by the time I got to the last jar I was running 184 or so, but the probe wasn't deep anymore either. The spigot is the nuts!! I can't wait to fill smaller jars and jugs, it will really simplify that!

I was nervous about using it the first time, but can't wait to use it again now.

[GramaCindy]

GramaCindy do you use a cone filter inside the 30 cup coffee urn?

Trying to decide if its large enough.

Sorry for the delayed answer. I use a flat filter and several prefilters, or just several prefilters in a stainless colander that fits perfectly on top of the pot.

[NH/Pete]

Sorry for the delayed answer. I use a flat filter and several prefilters, or just several prefilters in a stainless colander that fits perfectly on top of the pot.

Thanks for getting back to me. I have cone filters so it may not be deep enough.

[adk1]

I guess I better get something pretty soon, I dont have anything to bottle in yet

[GramaCindy]

Thanks for getting back to me. I have cone filters so it may not be deep enough.
You could have the cone filter ABOVE the pot with just the bottom over the top into the pot. Someone posted a pic on here some time ago…Wooden strips essentially, holding up a cone filter by the "straps"

[adk1]

I just ordered this coffee urn. Although it wasent that bad filling the quart bottles using a glass measuring cup, I only had to fill three of them! Also, I will be able to bottle in the saphouse rather than bringing up to the house..

[wnybassman]

I used mine for the second time today, and it really is the cats rear end. I only had a little less than a gallon and a half to bottle, but bottled mainly in 8, 12 and a few 16 ounce bottles, both glass and plastic. I did the glass first then finished with the plastic. Smooth smooth smooth!

[adk1]

Good to hear. I just got mine yesterday. cleaned it all out etc. Will fill it with water today and turn it one. Use my thermometer to check what the temp gets up to. I would imagine they are all alittle different.

[wnybassman]

Use my thermometer to check what the temp gets up to.

I tested mine last year and I don't remember what it got up too. Doesn't really matter. I use mine right on the stove (in the house) and use a Pyrex cup to ladle the still nearly boiling syrup into the filters on the top. So it's piping hot going in, so any additional heat it creates will keep it well above 180º as long as I need it there. Seems like yesterday it held nearly constant at 190º until it got down to the last pint or so, then started to drop. I think mainly due to the probe not in the syrup much at that point. One thing I want to try and do it customize my prefilters to fit the top better. So far I have not used my wool filter with this set-up, just 3 or 4 stacked prefilters and the glass bottles are looking great.


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