I made a post around a week ago that really took off, and figured we are probably going to see a small spike in activity due to the reddit migration, so I thought we could give it another go!
There are always tons of posts about what beans you are brewing, but my question is HOW are you brewing those beans this week? Sticking to the tried and true v60? Pick up a new Orea and still figuring out the best recipe for it? Pulling some particularly sweet shots on your latest beans haul? Let us know below! What’s your brew method of the day/week?
Ditto Ghostx. I also do James Hoffman’s AeroPress recipe. If I’m making for more than myself, I do the AeroPress AeroPress recipe which allows me to distribute the coffee more evenly and it makes a nice, crisp and snappy cup!
I brew in a Chemex!
I like how I can brew for like 3 people at a time or just myself. Now that it’s summer, I’ve been brewing Mexican Chiapas over ice nearly every morning.
Chemex is still one of my favorites. You first enjoy a meal or drink with your eyes, and the Chemex is easily my most beautiful piece of coffee hardware. I just love the classic look of it.
I’ve got a chemex and love iced coffee… Talk to me about this “brewing over ice” method?
Basically you just take some portion of the water in your recipe (I usually do 40%, personally) and replace it with ice. So, you’re effectively brewing a very short ratio, but diluting it to be the same as your normal concentration. Since your extraction will drop, you may need to grind a little finer or do a little more agitation to compensate.
I’m using a small (12 oz) Bodum french press. 1:12 ratio with a 30 second bloom and 4 minute additional steep. The procedure seems to work fine to my tastes but I’m still getting a feel for it since I’ve only used it a half dozen times so far.
I would highly recommend taking a peak at James Hoffmann’s method. I feel it has been the most efficient method in removing that sludge at the bottom of the cup.
So I gave James Hoffmann’s method a shot this morning. I think I prefer the his method (and recipe) from a flavor perspective independent of any silt reduction. From the reduction of silt perspective it was a significant improvement but not silt free. I think I need a larger press since my tiny press makes getting in there with a spoon a bit awkward and I’m probably disturbing the silt in my efforts to get a full mug’s worth. I suspect using a larger press at half capacity would help with both issues.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! If you are looking for a suggestion, I have the Fellow Clara. It’s a bit pricey, but it has been absolutely awesome.
I honestly just love Fellow products, I have yet to be disappointed by anything they’ve made. To be fair though, I know many have been dissatisfied with their Carter line of travel mugs, as many have gotten a roasted garlic smell in the mug that they can’t get rid of. But I’ve currently got 4 of them, and haven’t experienced it once.
That’s a nice looking press. Yet another thing to add to the backlog of coffee toys to potentially buy. :)
I’m really keen to buy a proper machine in the next year or two. Thinking something like the Quick Mill Pippa.
I was doing V60 for a while but Aeropress is my go-to now, even for an instant “coldbrew” in a pinch.
Bodybrew Bod for cold brew. Love it, so easy to use, so easy to clean.
Normally I use a Bialetti 1 cup, but lately I’ve been using a second-hand Irmel moka pot I found. Had to buy a new gasket for it.That’s a beautiful looking machine, I can see why you’d want to get that! I still don’t know which machine I’m going to get, thought I think I want to start with something like the flair 58 and maybe a nanofoamer.
Very much considering going manual for the cost, but also I love the look of the manual espresso machines.
I bought a Bellman that can steam because I didn’t like the foam I got with a nanofoamer. But to be honest it’s a lot of effort for steamed milk and the way it brews coffee is very hit or miss too. Bit of a learning curve.
I use a modified rancilio silvia. It has a PID with the boiler set at 216°F. I also have it moded for pre-infusion. I do a 10 second pre-infusion and a shot time of ~27 seconds. 20 grams in 40 grams out. There is an awesome local roaster, light house roasters, they have a variety of beans to choose from. I’m still learning and chasing that perfect shot.
I’m just more curious than anything, but why do you have the boiler set for 4 degrees above boiling?
It seems to produce a better tasting shot. That also seemed to be a temp that outputs water at around 195 at the grouphead. I am not sure if it is normal to set the boiler temp in that range. I would love to hear what is normal if my temp isn’t. I have also thought that my PID might not be perfectly calibrated.
The coffee shop I go to had these beans that were soaked in cherries before they were roasted or something? I need to read the label again but I’ve been liking them.
Edit: the label says “the seed is left in cherry, sealed in a bin, CO2 buildup creates pressure, this imparts fruity flavors to the seed. The seed is them removed and processed where it dries in cherry”
The coffee cherry is the fleshy fruit portion of coffee that surrounds the bean. Usually removed pretty soon after harvest from my understanding. Sounds like they are using something similar to carbonic maceration, which I usually associate with wine. Sounds yummy!
Hario Switch, using Tetsu Kasuya’s recipe, which works out to be somewhat less fussy for me than James Hoffmann’s one cup V60 recipe.
For iced coffee, it’s Japanese iced coffee all the way, or cold brew with a French press using cheaper beans when I don’t have the energy to brew a pourover.
I’ve been replying on my v60 daily now, never fails to make a good cup! Maybe I’ll make an aeropress once every so often each month for a change.
Recently started making Japanese style iced coffee and that’s been fantastic for the warm weather!
I have also been experimenting with a Flair Neo, but I’ve yet to make something I’m entirely satisfied with.
So as a foreigner who has lived in Japan for 15 years, what is Japanese iced coffee, specifically? Really weak instant coffee with coffee cubes mixed in? I’m not trying to be rude I honestly don’t know
@nikmis But Japan so polite, so clean! Iced Coffee is water and americano type coffee, sometimes espress mixed with water. If you want the good stuff go for the latte one liter cartons with sugar and milk in em. That’s what Richard Sensei drinks (apparently).
