Black as midnight on on moonless night
– Special Agent Dale Cooper
I haven’t posted anything about coffee in a while. If I’m being honest I haven’t posted much of anything in a while. That doesn’t mean I’ve not been making and drinking coffee though. Because I have. Let me share with you what I’ve been enjoying doing lately.
Most days my first cup is pretty early. Yeah, I’ve heard some rubbish about delaying your first cup until after breakfast (if you go in for such things) or mid morning. Madness I say. Utter madness. I’m up and about rummaging around and getting into trouble before 0400 most days. Earlier on really good days. So coffee is a crack of dawn, or before thing for me. And speaking of the rising sun, there really isn’t anything new under the sun (or moon in some cases). What I do isn’t really very special, but it makes a passable cuppa for a duffer like me.
My kit and method for this is simple, because who doesn’t like simple.
Frustra fit per plura, quod fieri potest per pauciora
– William of Ockham
My brewing method is pour over. I use a classic ceramic Hario V60 and Hario filters. I have a bonavita pour over kettle. My grinder is an inexpensive Capresso Infinity Conical Burr. I also have a brand new Kitchen Aid dual platform scale, that I am not very happy with.*
First up is grinding the beans. I use 15 grams of beans, ground sort of medium to fine. My grinder is certainly not zero retention, so I have to put in a little over 15 to get 15 out. This depends a bit on the roast of the beans, and how clean the grinder is. I don’t mist the beans beforehand, but I am considering to start doing so. Grinders, especially good ones are pricey. I’m on the hunt.
Over years of brewing coffee, I have found that temperature consistency is vital—not only for the water but for every component in the system. To maintain thermal stability, I preheat both the V60 and the cup. Because ceramic has a higher thermal mass than plastic, it requires more thorough preheating to prevent heat loss during extraction. I work efficiently… (read fast) during this process to preserve as much heat as possible. I also pre-rinse the filter with hot water to remove any potential paper taste, a step that is particularly important for unbleached filters. To ensure the highest quality brew, I use authentic Japanese Hario filters rather than generic alternatives.
From this point, I follow the pulse method popularized by James Hoffmann. I place 15 grams of coffee into the filter, create a small indentation in the center of the grounds, and pour in 50 grams of hot water. Gently swirl the slurry and allow it to bloom for approximately 45 seconds.
The ideal water temperature depends largely on the roast profile of your beans: use boiling water (100°C) for light roasts, 90–95°C for medium roasts, and 80–85°C for dark roasts. Water quality is also essential; since coffee is 98% water, using filtered water ensures the best possible flavor. Make sure your kettle is sufficiently filled; you will need 250 grams of water to achieve the optimal ratio for your 15 grams of ground coffee.
After the 45 second bloom I will add water pouring in a slow circular motion, up to 100 grams within the next 15 seconds. And before the smart asses out there ask… it doesn’t matter if it’s clockwise or widdershins. Then pause for about 10 seconds. This is the ‘pulsing’. In the next 10 seconds or so, add another 50 grams of water. Pause for 10. Add another 50. Pause for 10. Then a final add of 50 grams to reach (if you’ve been counting) 250 grams. Now I gently swirl the contents and wait for the water to filter through.
That’s it. Enjoy your cup whilst it’s warm. Clean up later.
There has been a lot of numbers in this hasn’t there? At the end of the day (or hopefully the beginning), don’t get too hung up on exact grams and seconds. If you get as close as you can you won’t go far wrong. Feel free to play around a bit as well. Everyone has their personal preferences.
It may also seem like there are a lot of details. Whilst some are more important than others, there is an accumulated effect. The devil is always in the details.
Coffee beans themselves and roast types are highly personal choice. There is no best type or roast. Part of the journey is finding new coffees to try and experiment with. That being said… as of late I’ve had some great cups from…
Little Victories
BKG
*So… i figured out what the deal here is. The scale wouldn’t keep the same weight displayed. It would creep up by several grams. Turns out (I think) it is a thermal effect of the hot water transferred through the cup and the base of the scale to the load cell. Putting an insulating pad on the scales seems to have solved the issue.**
** I still was unhappy with the scale. Great for baking, I’m sure. Coffee not so much. So, I broke into the piggy bank yet again, and got a nice coffee specific scale. Stay tuned and I’ll write it up once I’ve put it through its paces a bit.