How you can make a better pour over coffee

How you can make a better pour over coffee

Specialty  coffee is one of the most incredible side of coffee, specially when you brew it with manual brewing and better if its pour over. Pour over has been embraced by the specialty coffee scene in recent years and there is much discussion about the best techniques and tools to use. But the filter method isn’t just for competitions and specialty coffee shops. At heart, it’s a straightforward way to make a delicious cup of coffee. Whether you’re a new home barewer or a seasoned barista, drip coffee can work for you. Take a look at this comprehensive guide to brewing pour over coffee.

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The pour over method involves pouring hot water through coffee grounds in a filter. The water way  through the coffee and filter into a mug. Pour over is also known as filter coffee or drip coffee, although these terms also include batch brewers. What sets pour over apart is that it is made by hand-pouring the water over the coffee. So you may hear it called hand brewing or manual brewing.

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Pour over accentuates intricate flavors when compared to other brewing methods, because of the shape and the material of filter,  This makes it a popular choice for single origin coffees, since it allows the flavors and aromas to shine.

Good filter coffee is clean, clear, and consistent. This is because the water is allowed to extract coffee oils and fragrances in its own consistent time and at its own pressure. The filter then catches a lot of oils, leading to a clean cupAnd because this is an infusion method, it is a little more efficient at extracting coffee solubles than immersion techniques such as the French press. Immersion methods cause the water to become saturated, whereas pour overs use a constant supply of fresh water.all infusion methods (including espresso) run the risk of channeling, where a stream of water finds an easy route around the ground coffee. This happens when there are clumps of coffee or the grounds are unevenly distributed, and it means that some of the coffee doesn’t get extracted. So it’s important that baristas learns how to pour in a way that evenly immerses the grounds in water.Because it is difficult to replicate a method precisely every time, some café owners and brewers prefer to use SCA-approved batch brewers instead. These machines bring automation to the method and can have more consistent results than a hand pour. We need some equipment for make the best cup of coffee easy : •     Brewing Devices, •    Filters, •       Scales, •       Scales, •       Kettles

It may seem like there is an unending amount of options for pour over equipment, but you don’t need to invest in all of it. You can start with a simple device and some filters and then add more equipment as you choose.

Brewing Devices

A dripper is simply the piece of equipment that holds the coffee filter and grounds coffee. The V60, Kalita Wave are popular choices. All three sit on top of the cup or carafe and they may seem interchangeable.The Chemex is another popular option with its own design features that impact the cup. The advantage of using any one of these devices is that they are widely available, simple to use, and have filters made specifically for their design.

Filters

Barista tip: you should always rinse your filter before you brew! This rinses out the paper taste and dust and warms up your brewer. You may think that the filter is the least controversial part of brewing, but there is even some debate here. Specific filters are designed to fit different devices and allow efficient extraction. The Chemex uses paper filters that are 20–30% heavier than other filters, which the manufacturers say retain more of the suspended oils during the brewing process. Some claim that paper filters create an undesirable papery taste, particularly if they are bleached. To avoid this, rinse your filter before using it. Cloth filters have been around for a long time and some people prefer them because they don’t affect flavor and have a smaller environmental impact than paper.

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Scales

but if you want to create consistently good coffee, they are. Its important to know exactly how much of each you used in a good (or bad) brew can allow you to replicate the recipe or tweak it for even better results.

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Kettles

Electric kettel, stove-top, or a batch water heater is up to you but look into the reviews of specific kettles and keep a thermometer handy to keep an eye on the temperature.

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Roast Profile

Because the pour over method works well to highlight subtle flavor notes and aromas, you may want to choose a light roast. Beans that are roasted to this profile are the brightest, with the most acidic flavors. Chad says “Light roasts showcase the most authentic quality of the coffee.”Of course, you can go medium or even dark if you prefer, but this brewing method is complementary to subtle flavors.

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Grind Size

The size of your grounds affects the rate of extraction. Pour over is a an infusion method, which means that the coffee and water are in contact for a shorter amount of time than in an immersion method, but longer than in an espresso. So you want the coffee to have enough surface area to extract before the water filters through into the cup, but not so much that they under-extract and produce a bitter brew.What this means is that you should start with a medium grind size and then evaluate your cup and tweak it as needed. If it’s a little watery or sour, try a finer grind. If it’s bitter and lacking sweet notes, try going a little coarser. And invest in a quality grinder to make sure your coffee particles are all ground to the same size. Lower-quality grinders may produce inconsistently ground coffee and a lot of “fines”. These tiny fragments of coffee extract very quickly and can throw your cup off. “We use finely ground, not coarse,The advantage of the fine grind size is that you increase the body and aroma of the coffee. And if you are going to make a fast extraction, you’re also going to get the sweetness and the cleanliness that you want in the cup.”

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What Ratio of Coffee to Water Should You Use?

You’ll see a lot of different suggested ratios out there, but 1litter water and 55-60gr coffee (1g of coffee to 16g of water) is a generally accepted good starting point. Make some brews with this measurement but adjust factors that affect extraction, such as grind size and water temperature, one at a time until you find a recipe that works for you. Then, try changing the ratio of coffee to water. If your brew tastes watery or weak, add more coffee without changing other factors and evaluate whether it tastes better. If you find your cup too intense, consider reducing the amount of coffee. But remember to keep track of what you’re changing so you can replicate your perfect brew when you find it.And don’t forget about the water. Tap water can contain minerals and contaminants that affect flavor, so use filtered water.

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Which Pouring Technique Is Best?

Avoid watching too many videos on technique when you first start to brew with the pour over method. It can quickly get overwhelming. Instead, start out simple. Be consistent in how your pour and learn how to use blooming, pulse pouring, and agitation to achieve even extraction. Many people pour in concentric circles, which helps the barista maintain a consistent flow of water. You can work your way up to more detailed methods or break all the rules when you’re more familiar with the basics.

The Bloom

The bloom is the quick bubbling up of water that happens when you first pour. It is caused by the degassing of carbon dioxide that is built up in the roasting process. Light roasts and fresh coffee are likely to produce a big bloom because they usually contain more gases. Carbon dioxide can prevent even extraction because it repels water, and the disturbed grounds can sit at different heights. So let the gases escape and improve your chances of a consistent extraction. Gently pour twice the measure of coffee in water over the grounds. So, if you have a 15 g dose of coffee, pour 30 ml of water. Then wait 30 to 45 seconds until the bloom has ended and the grounds have settled. Don’t make wrong decision ,

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Pulse Pouring & Continuous Pouring

Pulse pouring means using multiple pours of specific amounts of water. You can experiment with the volume of water and number of pours. This technique help prevent channeling or grounds rising up the side of the filter. It also gently disrupts the grinds, causing them to move about and creating more even contact with the water. It’s an alternative to continuous pouring, which is when the barista pours the water at as constant of a flow rate as possible without stopping. Continuous pouring aims to keep the flow and saturation as even as possible, whereas pulse pouring is intentionally varied. You can use pouring technique as another variable to consider when adapting your recipe. Different types of pours will have different effects on extraction and therefore have different impacts on your brew.

Agitation

This is simply mild disturbance of the coffee grounds during the brew process. There are many ways to agitate coffee, including stirring or swirling the brew. Agitation disperses grounds that can be left “high and dry” on the filter by channeling. It also breaks up any dry clumps inside the bed of coffee. By making sure all grounds are saturated, agitation aids even extraction. Pour over coffee can be a great way to make your daily cup and it doesn’t have to be complicated. By understanding these key topics, you’re well prepared to make a decent brew and have the tools to tweak it until it becomes a great one.

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Saeed Abdinasab

Saeed Abdinasab

Coffee Instructor (AST) & (Q)

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