Pour-over brewing: difference in Colombian vs Ethiopian coffees

Coffee preparation techniques besides espresso like pourover.
Acavia
Posts: 689
Joined: 4 years ago

#1: Post by Acavia »

I mostly drink Ethiopian coffees, and I mostly use a V60 brewing around 22 to 25 grams of coffee. Ethiopian coffee is pretty much always good. Even the first brew of a new coffee will be good - I usually do not have to change much in proceeding brews. Also, Central American coffees and Peruvian coffees are often good although dialing-in might take longer. I have not had Brazilian coffee so not sure on it, but Colombian has never really been good the few times I have tried it. Its okay but normally more traditional coffee taste to me - flat, not sweet, not bright, basically dull coffee not much different from what I would expect from coffee provided for free in a waiting room.

I normally brew with either a one pour method, Hoffmann V60, or a two stage pour, Vibrant coffee's recommended V60 method. Pour at 209F and keep it at that temperature. I grind fairly fine, probably finer than average for V60. Note: Colombian drains much faster than Ethiopian for me, so I grind it even more fine.

Should I be brewing it differently, or is it probably just the situation that Colombian is what it is and does contrast lack the qualities I like in those other coffees. If brew differently, what is recommended? Lower temperature, different grind?

Sugssugi
Posts: 32
Joined: 3 years ago

#2: Post by Sugssugi »

First off they are both quite different in tastes and they might require different ways to brew with pourover. I myself also love ethiopian beans because they are mainly fruity and floral. Really bright too. Colombian coffee on the other hand tastes slightly more earthy, smoky, chocolatey and not as bright.

Colombian beans drain much faster than ethiopian beans and you grind finer so its good. However, single pour method does not work well for most colombian beans because I feel that their beans is less soluble. You need to implement more agitation if you are to brew colombian.

I suggest doing multiple pours of at least three including blooming. Pour really slow at around 5g/s as well. Use at least 91deg/c (195deg/f for you maybe). Medium grind. Use around 1:15 ratio. I use 15g with 230ml water. 30-100-100. Adjust according to your dose. Let me know if you try this out and if it tastes better. Cheers!

Edit: if you want the easier way, maybe you can try grind finer. Aim for at least 2:45 for your dose.

Acavia (original poster)
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#3: Post by Acavia (original poster) replying to Sugssugi »

Thanks. I did a cupping today - 4 minutes then stirred crust. It was little richer, maybe more smooth, but tasted very similar to the brews, even had a slight ash taste. I then made a finer grind brew, and it tasted even closer to cupping. I froze the rest of the coffee. I might try hybrid immersion with Hario Switch on rest of it when I brew it in future.

coopachris
Posts: 30
Joined: 3 years ago

#4: Post by coopachris »

Acavia wrote: I might try hybrid immersion with Hario Switch on rest of it when I brew it in future.
Nice choice. In my experience, immersion methods tend to produce better cups with Colombian. Like the other poster stated, Colombians require greater contact with water to extract the soluble material. I have even had good luck with flat bottom brewers like the Kalita Wave.

Sugssugi
Posts: 32
Joined: 3 years ago

#5: Post by Sugssugi »

I never tried using hybrid immersion before so I don't know. But it sounds like a good idea. I tend to fix my extraction rate by adjusting to finer grind and higher temp. It always works for me. May I know which colombian beans you are brewing now? And the roast date too. Might give a clearer picture.

Acavia (original poster)
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Joined: 4 years ago

#6: Post by Acavia (original poster) »

Sugssugi wrote: May I know which colombian beans you are brewing now? And the roast date too. Might give a clearer picture.
https://amayacoffee.com/collections/cof ... r-pillimue

Roasted Monday, 1-4-21.

Sugssugi
Posts: 32
Joined: 3 years ago

#7: Post by Sugssugi replying to Acavia »

Good coffee! Maybe thats how the coffee should taste like. Let us know about your next brew with the hybrid switch. I might want to purchase and try it out as well hahaha.

jmotzi
Posts: 121
Joined: 4 years ago

#8: Post by jmotzi »

I have been purchasing nearly every month from three different roasters (Sey, Elixr, Brandywine) since last summer. I've had various Columbia coffees from all of them and various Ethiopian coffees from two of the three. I've had some wonderful and not so wonderful versions of each. I agree with others that the flavor profiles of the Columbia and Ethiopia coffees in general are quite different, but the difference between the multiple varieties of each can also be quite different. Also the difference between roasters can also be quite significant.
Sugssugi wrote:...Let us know about your next brew with the hybrid switch. I might want to purchase and try it out as well...
Until yesterday I did not have a Hario Switch, but here is how I have been doing immersion/percolation without one: I perform the immersion phase by adding 60g water to 15g coffee in a 5-Ounce Stainless Steel Bell Creamer, 150 ml. (Actually I don't know why it's named 5-ounce or 150 mL because it only holds 115 mL when filled to the brim. But whatever - it's the perfect size pitcher for me.) I give it a good stir to make sure the coffee is fully suspended and let it steep for about 45 seconds. Then stir again to resuspend and transfer to the pre-rinsed V60 Size 02 (I am using the unbleached boxed filters), give it a swirl and then complete the pour in the usual way by adding water to the desired ratio, swirl/stir etc. I enjoy a more concentrated brew so I do ~1:10 (185g total water to 15 g coffee yielding 150-160mL mL in the cup) and the TDS is typically 2.1 - 2.3% . And yes, I grind finer than most folks for pourover.

I tried the Switch this morning for the first time but I did not enjoy the results as much as the method above. I need further work on my Switch technique before making final conclusions.

JM
LMWDP #662

Sugssugi
Posts: 32
Joined: 3 years ago

#9: Post by Sugssugi »

jmotzi wrote:Until yesterday I did not have a Hario Switch, but here is how I have been doing immersion/percolation without one: I perform the immersion phase by adding 60g water to 15g coffee in a 5-Ounce Stainless Steel Bell Creamer, 150 ml. (Actually I don't know why it's named 5-ounce or 150 mL because it only holds 115 mL when filled to the brim. But whatever - it's the perfect size pitcher for me.) I give it a good stir to make sure the coffee is fully suspended and let it steep for about 45 seconds. Then stir again to resuspend and transfer to the pre-rinsed V60 Size 02 (I am using the unbleached boxed filters), give it a swirl and then complete the pour in the usual way by adding water to the desired ratio, swirl/stir etc. I enjoy a more concentrated brew so I do ~1:10 (185g total water to 15 g coffee yielding 150-160mL mL in the cup) and the TDS is typically 2.1 - 2.3% . And yes, I grind finer than most folks for pourover.

I tried the Switch this morning for the first time but I did not enjoy the results as much as the method above. I need further work on my Switch technique before making final conclusions.

JM
If it has 15g of coffee in it, it makes sense to have 115ml of water. Well anyway, I always thought the hario switch is only useful during the blooming phase as it retains more water so the grounds are more likely to be better saturated. Its why I never thought of getting one until this thread. Never really think of using it to get more extraction (maybe because I never had problems with extraction).

I like my coffee a little bit light but there are times where I feel its a little too light and decides to extract more. Maybe by using the switch I can achieve same or even better way of extracting more from the beans. Taste wise as well. It might have different taste. Anyone who can confirm this? And do people who use the switch just want to get more extraction out of their beans? Chime in please haha

jmotzi
Posts: 121
Joined: 4 years ago

#10: Post by jmotzi »

Sugssugi wrote:...Maybe by using the switch I can achieve same or even better way of extracting more from the beans. Taste wise as well. It might have different taste....
Yes that is my experience so far - different taste.

I suppose there are three ways of using the Switch:

1. Add the the coffee in the standard way in the cone, then add the first portion of water for blooming. After blooming, release the valve and continue with the pour as usual. This I think is what you were suggesting?

2. Add the coffee in the standard way and then add all of the water. Stir and let steep, then release the valve allowing the entire contents to drip through. This is way stated in the instructions.

3. Add all of the water first, then add the coffee, stir and steep. After steeping, release the valve allowing the entire contents to drip through. This is the way JH recommended in a video about the Clever Dripper.

#3 is the one I am experimenting with now. After that I likely will try #1 which I will guess is the best.

JM
LMWDP #662

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