Clever Dripper Ratio Help

#1: Post by **ncarlber** » March 31st, 2016, 10:57 am

Just started brewing at home with clever. Have a burr grinder but struggling with my ratios as well as extraction....coffee ends up tasting almost sour and has no real notes. I've been doing 25 g of coffee with 350 g water.

#2: Post by **drgary** » March 31st, 2016, 11:20 am

Per the Sweet Maria's brew chart, you should have 22 gm coffee to 12 oz/360 mL water and steep for four minutes. The brew ratio seems close. Are you steeping long enough, brewing hot enough for the coffee, grinding appropriate coarseness for steep?

http://legacy.sweetmarias.com/grind.brew.php

#3: Post by **Jofari** » March 31st, 2016, 6:10 pm

For what it's worth, I use 26 grams of coffee and 400 grams of water when brewing with my Clever

#4: Post by **sdoxx** » March 31st, 2016, 6:36 pm

That ratio sounds good to me. I approximate Sweet Maria's ratio. Minor variations still taste fine. You could try a coffee with more body. Are you grinding pretty coarse? If you grind too fine that 4 minute steep time will be too long.

#5: Post by **RobertL** » March 31st, 2016, 7:04 pm

I would try less coffee. You're at a 14:1 ratio which could be too stong for your taste. Without tasting the cup we are really just guessing. You're going to have to experiment and taste until you find what you like. Adjust one variable (ratio, grind, steep time, water temp) at a time until you find what you like. I find the clever to be pretty forgiving so it shouldn't take too much to get a decent cup.

#6: Post by **drgary** » March 31st, 2016, 7:09 pm

At this point with my grind dialed in I do two AeroPress scoops of beans to a mug of water and steep 3 1/2 minutes, only adjusting temperature to suit that coffee. It's quick and easy.

#7: Post by **borisblank** » March 31st, 2016, 8:13 pm

Just remember to include drawdown time in total steep time - 3:30 to 4 minutes steep means starting the drawdown at or just before 3 minutes post-bloom.

March 31st, 2016, 8:40 pm

There really isn't any reason for a bloom phase on a Clever Dripper. That phase is an immersion brew. If you're leaving a bloom floating on top, that's just coffee that's not extracting well. Stirring the bloom into the water will help the extraction of the grounds more thoroughly.

#9: Post by **borisblank** » March 31st, 2016, 9:36 pm

Some folks stir, others bloom, wait then vigorously pour to agitate. I'm in the latter camp.

In either case, recommended steep times usually do include the drawdown.

#10: Post by **frank828** » April 1st, 2016, 12:54 am

What's your total steep+draw down time?

I'd aim for about 3-4 minutes total. Note that different grinders will do very different things during the draw down. I've seen that grinders that dont create as many fines will draw down considerably faster. I'd increase the steep time in that case.

If sour(maybe a bit light on flavor as well?) is all you get, i'd try grinding finer. First adjustment, grind a LOT finer. Then tweak from there(bitter, astringent now? grind a bit coarser.)

If it's a light roasted coffee, that 14:1 ratio should be fine.