Aeropress - what's your preferred regimen? - Page 4

#31: Post by **Sam21** » May 31st, 2013, 11:31 am

It's about that time to start trying iced aeropress recipes. I've never attempted one before, but here is what I am thinking.

15g/150ml, 2min steep, stir after pour and before plunge. Plunge over 100g of ice. Ultimately, I am brewing at a very high ratio and then diluting the strength down to my preference using ice.

I really am not to clear on how to make minor grind adjustments with a change in ratio. Here is my understanding:

Increased ratio, whether by adding more coffee or using less water will require a finer grind to some extent in order to achieve a similar extraction at the new strength.

Correct?

#32: Post by **innermusic** » June 24th, 2013, 1:45 pm

I've been fairly stuck on these parameters:
20-24g / 200g; 210 degrees, 1:45 - 2:15 minutes. I'd like to alter one parameter, as results are good but not stellar. Has anyone tried lower temps? Lower dose? Lower ratio?

#33: Post by **Eastsideloco** » June 24th, 2013, 3:14 pm

I suspect most people are using a lower strike temperature and a lower brew ratio. If you only wanted to change one factor at a time, I'd start with brew ratio. Your ratio of water to coffee is in the 8:1 to 10:1 range. If you look at the recipes that did well at the most recent Aeropress World Championship, the brew ratios are in the 14:1 to 16:1 range.

#34: Post by **ex trahere** » June 24th, 2013, 7:44 pm

I've never used an Aeropress, but I would agree with Eastsideloco on both the temp and ratio. Although, I do believe the temperature is the more important factor (210 is hot!), as one could always brew at a high ratio and bypass water after the fact.

#35: Post by **Eastsideloco** » June 24th, 2013, 8:20 pm

Right. I'm not sure I believe it, but Scott Rao's book (Everything but Espresso) recommends a strike temperature that is 6 to 8 degrees (Fahrenheit) higher than the target slurry temperature. If you buy that, then 210 degrees could be a valid strike temperature for a 202 degree slurry.

Here's the problem as I see it: When I study the brew processes used by championship baristas, I don't see anyone starting with water temperatures that high. Not even close.

I keep my strike temperature under 203 degrees...

#36: Post by **Netphilosopher** » June 25th, 2013, 7:36 am

Personally, I've found that if you use a strike temperature >204°F, the likelihood of bitter components and off-flavors increases. Just off boil is the worst.

#37: Post by **MWJB** » June 25th, 2013, 9:19 am

Buttercup wrote: One other recipe to try: Right-side-up Aeropress, add 12g Espresso or fine (turkish)grind, add 180g 180°F water. Stir to thoroughly wet all grounds (about 8 seconds-10 seconds). Install plunger and press gently all the way to compact the grounds (every drop is precious). Dilute to desired strength.

Typical produced coffee: approx 165g at 1.65% strength. Adding approximately 50g fresh hot water will dilute to "normal" strength. Alternately, withdraw plunger, add 55g warm water to the already-pressed grounds, and immediately re-press with moderate pressure.

This is a brew that calculates to be near-maximum extraction (usually 25%-28% using the immersion calculation). And while it emphasizes cocoa and dark notes and a muting of fruits/brightness/acidity, it doesn't usually turn out bitter - which is really puzzling to me.

Wouldn't the water retained in grinds then drop the 25-28% gross yield to more like 23-24% in the cup?

On a slight tangent, is the theoretical 30% max yield based on TDS from the dry dose (immersion calculation), or just that which makes it into the cup (as per brewing control chart)?

June 25th, 2013, 10:27 am

The AeroPress ends up with drier ground bed because of the forced percolation.

#39: Post by **MWJB** » June 25th, 2013, 10:54 am

Thanks, that answers my question.

I'd only mention that the Aeropress need not end up with such a low absorbtion rate, I have seen nearer 3g/g by not pressing through to the hiss. Lately, I tend to grind fine & steep inverted at around 55-58g/l in the Aeropress, decide on plunge time by taste, and stop the plunge as the grounds are exposed. I have also been adding the grounds to the brew water already in the AP, I "feel" this can help preserve acidity & clarity somewhat.

#40: Post by **Leterel** » September 13th, 2013, 8:05 am

I'd like to share my brew method, since it seems to deviate somewhat from most others i've seen along the way.

As a disclaimer: i dont have an exact enough scale, nor do i measure my water amount to the g or ml, or the temperature to the 'C, i find i can produce a nice coffee consistently enough for my taste with my method. Anyway i'd not go for scales and exact measurements in the morning at 7 before having a coffee

Inverted, plunger middle of '4' mark
Pre-wet paper filter to get adhesion to basket
One aerobie scoop in the gadget (11 to 14 grams i assume)
Fine'ish grind (3 to 4 stops from zero with the Hario Skerton, moka-pot range)
70 to 100ml water (3-4 dl from rolling boil in a kettle to a room-temperature glass pot, then straight on the grounds until middle of '2' and '3' marks on the side)
Thorough, vigorous, but short stir (this fine grounds will stick in the corners if not pushed out) followed by attaching filter
Pre-plunge inverted until the slurry foam is filtered but the coffee is not running out the sides, and plunging the rest upright catching the pre-plunged goodness in the cup

All in all from contact to cup i'd say 45sec give or take, no waiting around. Seems to me the faster the plunge, the nicer, fruitier the produce. I assume that over-extraction is quick with the fine grind. I mostly go with fruity lightly roasted beans, latest a Nicaragua Pacamara. I find, though that i can use darker roasts as well. The cup seems to catch much of what i smell in the bag, and it works consistently with milk for a cappuccino-type beverage.

I did mostly ristretto type espresso with my rancilio silvia, which i dont have in germany, so this is a replacement of that and prob too intense for most tastes. It's perhaps telling that i've had a friend saying i'm not actually making something they'd call coffee. It's just too far from what he's drank for years in the office trying to find an equilibrium between tremors and a boost

but also not the coffee bar espresso...