Did anyone see what brewing method Sarah Anderson used in the final of the US Brewers Cup Championship?

In the regional round, she used a hybrid brewing method with a 5-minute immersion stage, based on the coffee cupping model, followed by a paper filtration stage:

http://sprudgelive.com/?p=243

You can do the same thing with a Clever Coffee Dripper, of course. But rather than clutter my coffee corner with another brewer, I've employed a two-stage brewing process like this at home using gear that I have on hand, like a 3-cup french press pot and a V60:



http://www.coffeebos.com/paper-filtered ... n-brewing/

This is similar to the method Anderson used to win Southwest Regional Brewers Cup Championship. However, she extended the cupping analogy by skimming the top of the brewing vessel using spoons, then clarifying the cup by decanting it through a paper filter.

That skimming step seems to make a noticeable difference in the cup. Since the bloom is so satisfying to watch, it never occurred to me to skim that residue off. But if it gets in the way of cupping the coffee, it stands to reason it's not doing your cup any favors.

Yes, she used the same approach in the finals. I've enjoyed hybrid methods before, but never tried them with a skimming step. I'll be curious to see if I can taste any difference.

Could you make a video for us?

I gave it a shot today and it tasted ... exactly like a Clever brew of the same coffee. Which makes sense, given that the residue would be filtered out by the grounds in the Clever. Since the clever is cheap, and much less fuss, I'd recommend that most people who want to get a similar result just go with that. But I suppose this is a workable solution for someone who wants to avoid owning that extra piece of gear.

I recommend the CD to just about anyone who wants a great cup at home without the fussiness of Chemex and V60 etc., which are all great but require a lot more attention to technique.

There's a video of the routine here (skip ahead to the 3 hour and 19 minute mark):

http://sprudgelive.com/?p=243

Conceptually, one difference between this method and a CCD-besides the skimming step-is that you wind up decanting the finished brew rather than letting it draw down through a bed of grounds. That seems like a minor detail. But when you are trying to stand out in a field of excellent baristas (and coffees), that difference may be meaningful.