Best Steeping Brewer and Brew Technique - Page 4

Coffee preparation techniques besides espresso like pourover.
MWJB
Posts: 429
Joined: 11 years ago

#31: Post by MWJB »

squaremile wrote:If we embrace the Body ------- Clarity continuum, then all of the steeping methods will provide more body and less clarity than the percolation methods which are on the opposing side. French press on the far left, Chemex on the far right. Everything else dotting the other points. All just tradeoffs imho, but I rock the CCD almost exclusively now fwiw.
Sure, but I think there is some overlap, Kone/Hario Cafeor/cloth drip vs CCD & Aeropress for example? You can get better clarity/less body (for comparable TDS) on the CCD by adding the grinds to the water.

Any hints/tips on your method Will? Which CCD are you using (old/new)?

atao
Supporter ♡
Posts: 178
Joined: 17 years ago

#32: Post by atao »

squaremile wrote:If we embrace the Body ------- Clarity continuum, then all of the steeping methods will provide more body and less clarity than the percolation methods which are on the opposing side. French press on the far left, Chemex on the far right. Everything else dotting the other points. All just tradeoffs imho, but I rock the CCD almost exclusively now fwiw.
I'm just not sure ... do you think cupping lacks clarity too? It's as pure of a steeping method as it gets.

MWJB
Posts: 429
Joined: 11 years ago

#33: Post by MWJB replying to atao »

I took what Squaremile said to mean that unfiltered, or less finely filtered steep methods may appear to have more body, due to oils & suspended solids, compared to paper filtered & maybe subsequently less crisp, defined flavours (at a comparable level of extraction)?

I think this is a different thing to "purity" of process, or how unadulterated the beverage is perceived to be. But, I guess it depends on your viewpoint & the beverage in question...is filtering improving the brew, or taking out something that you would otherwise prefer to keep in? That then introduces the different attributes of the filtering medium itself...

Maybe I should have just started with, "I don't know"? :wink:

User avatar
endlesscycles
Posts: 921
Joined: 14 years ago

#34: Post by endlesscycles »

atao wrote:I'm just not sure ... do you think cupping lacks clarity too? It's as pure of a steeping method as it gets.
I've been dumping my 12g/175g cupping bowls into V-60s to clarify.
Yes, it's cleaner on the other side of a filter.
-Marshall Hance
Asheville, NC

MWJB
Posts: 429
Joined: 11 years ago

#35: Post by MWJB replying to endlesscycles »

But what does the V60 paper take out, compared to Chemex, Filtropa, Kalita Wave, Aeropress? I used to secondary filter all my French presses & Sowdens, and each filter...well, filters differently. Chemex was usually closest to 'control'.

squaremile
Posts: 74
Joined: 12 years ago

#36: Post by squaremile »

That continuum is in Scott Rao's 'Everything But Espresso' book, so I took that idea from there. The book has a great colorful graph plotting various methods along the continuum. Here's a previous thread with a chalk drawing of the same image: Is body the enemy of clarity?

My CCD method is pretty straight fwd, and I use the CCD small. 12g of coffee, 206deg water, adjust amount of water based on what I'm aiming for with TDS/Ext, adjust the grind based on whether I'm hitting those numbers. Pour 65g of water in, mix the grounds around until clock hits 30s, pour the rest of the water in by 1m, 5 stirs, cover, start drain at 3:30, end by 4:15.

gt
Posts: 17
Joined: 17 years ago

#37: Post by gt »

another_jim wrote: Also the mechanics of percolating adds a layer of complexity: a recipe for (e.g.) four cups doesn't scale up or down, since the pourover time is increased or reduced, requiring a change of grind as well.
Jim,

I notice this effect. When a certain pour-over batch size is great but not as good when the recipe is doubled, should I grind more coarse to try and match the smaller batch size?

User avatar
another_jim (original poster)
Team HB
Posts: 13871
Joined: 19 years ago

#38: Post by another_jim (original poster) »

As I said before, I'm pour over challenged; so I completely unable to scale percolation recipes. I'm sure those who are good at these techniques will be of more help.
Jim Schulman

User avatar
endlesscycles
Posts: 921
Joined: 14 years ago

#39: Post by endlesscycles »

I do 1 gallon pourovers (240g/4Kg) at the same grind setting I do cuppings (12g/175g) with, and both end up with the same strength brew at the same extraction. Recipes are scale-able.
-Marshall Hance
Asheville, NC

User avatar
another_jim (original poster)
Team HB
Posts: 13871
Joined: 19 years ago

#40: Post by another_jim (original poster) »

The proportions are slightly different: 240/4000 = 0.6; while 12/175 = 0.0686. Trial and error?
Jim Schulman