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Gravity Pike
Feb 8, 2009

I find this discussion incredibly bland and disinteresting.

grabulasa posted:

I know each brew methods have their own pros and extract different nuances from the beans yadayada but I'm gonna make this statement based on my experience:

Clever Coffee Dripper >>Aeropress

There I said it. Might be a personal preference but I'm looking for ppl who share the same sentiment. The CCD just brings out the coffee better compared to the aggressive aero.

I've had a similar experience. I've got a french press, a Clever, and an Aeropress, and Clever is by far my favorite. However, I'm terribly lazy about brewing my coffee - I eyeball amounts of coffee, volumes of water, and don't own a thermometer. I'd be willing to believe that Clever's just harder to screw up than anything else.

That being said, I'd love to hear some of the thread's favorite Aeropress methods, because I'm almost definitely doing it wrong.

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nm
Jan 28, 2008

"I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."
I love the CCD.

That said, anyone use vacuum? It looks so loving cool. I leave the CCD at the office and might consider something to make a cup at home.

that Vai sound
Mar 6, 2011

Gravity Pike posted:

That being said, I'd love to hear some of the thread's favorite Aeropress methods, because I'm almost definitely doing it wrong.
Today I talked to some guys who make a very nice cup of coffee with the Aeropress, and I think I learned what they do. I haven't tried it myself yet, and I may have missed a step or two.

1. They use the DISK filter from Able.
2. They use 25 g of coffee, and grind it fairly fine.
3. They pour 200 degree water into a Buono kettle.
4. First they pour enough water to fill about half the Aeropress and give the mixture a good stir.
5. Soon after they add more water and fill it to near the top.
6. Once that's done, they plunge until the first hiss of air.

I think it took about a minute to do all that. That should result in close to 12 fl oz of coffee.

Edit: I've tried that method now, and while the results didn't end up as good as theirs, it ended up being better than my other attempts. I think they also added water to what got plunged out.

that Vai sound fucked around with this message at 16:51 on Jan 29, 2012

Gaph
May 15, 2007

PhazonLink posted:

That seems to go against the point of the french press, pushing water through the grounds.

You'll still get some resistance as you plunge. The grounds are in contact with the water for the same amount of time, minus a lot of the fine particles that would have ended up in the cup.

mojo1701a
Oct 9, 2008

Oh, yeah. Loud and clear. Emphasis on LOUD!
~ David Lee Roth

I really have to thank you guys. I finally bought my first pound of coffee beans (Ethiopian, in case you're curious) from a local coffee shop and roaster, and I really enjoyed myself. It used to be that I could only enjoy coffee if I put a shot of flavouring (or some other sweetener) in with some cream; now my response whenever a barista asks me if I want "room for cream," my answer is invariably, "Nope. Fill that son-of-a-bitch up."

I still usually order Americanos when I'm out somewhere else (lack of employment prohibits me from owning an espresso machine), but it's nice to know that regular-brewed coffee can actually be good. Especially since the national drink in this country seems to be a double-double from Tim Horton's.

I'm using a hand-grinder I found at home and a French press I initially bought for tea, and I'm getting drat good coffee. The next step is to figure out which coffee I like the most, then learn how to roast it myself, and then buy a lot of those unroasted beans.

Doh004
Apr 22, 2007

Mmmmm Donuts...
I finally had free time this weekend and decided to try out roasting in my tiny apartment. Here's the setup that I got going:



This ended up working really well. None of the smoke was in the kitchen for that long. The fan on the left blew right over the Poppery into the window fan that was sucking the air out. I guess building a computer taught me something about airflow :)

Here's what I got:


I don't know what to classify the roast as. Goons? :shobon:

*edit* They're terrible phone pictures, so the lighting is really wonky in the roast picture.

Doh004 fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Jan 30, 2012

G-III
Mar 4, 2001

Been finally getting my espresso making skills with the Silvia up to snuff but I can't seem to "nail" the right blend of fineness of grind and tamping pressure to get the perfect 25 second 2oz shot. It's always slighty over extracted or slightly underextracted aby about half an oz.

Are there any good guides to fine tuning one's tamping technique?

G-III fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Jan 30, 2012

Cyril Sneer
Aug 8, 2004

Life would be simple in the forest except for Cyril Sneer. And his life would be simple except for The Raccoons.

Gaph posted:

I skimmed the thread but didn't see any mention 'skimming' for french presses? Brew as usual but before the plunge use two spoons to skim the cake of coffee grounds and foam that collect at the top. Then plunge as usual. Makes a much cleaner cup, dramatically cuts down on the sludge.

http://www.jimseven.com/2008/11/13/french-press-technique/

I just watched that video and they are using what seems to me to be an extremely coarse grind for a french press.

Being new to french press, could someone give me an idea on what the proper grind size is? I've been going much finer than in that clip.

Lord Dekks
Jan 24, 2005

Bit of a weird question here, but anyone else have acid reflux or something similar? If so how do you find different brewing methods affect you? I absolutely love french press, even compared to espresso, but find that more than a mugful can sometimes be a little harsh on my stomach after, presumably because more of the oils and sludge gets in your cup.

I don't have any such problems with Filter coffee, but doesn't taste quite as rich/flavourful. If anyone else is like me, how do you find the Aeropress or something like the clever coffee dripper?

Also, I know its a hard thing to quantify, but how does the taste from a Aeropress compare to a pourover, versus a french press? I used to like doing a Moka pot once in a while to make a poor mans Americano style drink, is the Aeropress similar in flavour?

30 Goddamned Dicks
Sep 8, 2010

I will leave you to flounder in your cesspool of primeval soup, you sad, lonely, little cowards.
Fun Shoe

Lord Dekks posted:

Bit of a weird question here, but anyone else have acid reflux or something similar? If so how do you find different brewing methods affect you? I absolutely love french press, even compared to espresso, but find that more than a mugful can sometimes be a little harsh on my stomach after, presumably because more of the oils and sludge gets in your cup.

I don't have any such problems with Filter coffee, but doesn't taste quite as rich/flavourful. If anyone else is like me, how do you find the Aeropress or something like the clever coffee dripper?

Also, I know its a hard thing to quantify, but how does the taste from a Aeropress compare to a pourover, versus a french press? I used to like doing a Moka pot once in a while to make a poor mans Americano style drink, is the Aeropress similar in flavour?

I too had terrible heartburn with French press, and it's lightened up a lot since going to pour-over.

Flavor between French press and pour over is... well French press is Strong As Hell whereas pour over is more Oh Hey This Is Good Coffee. Like the difference between a slightly over toasted piece of bread and a perfectly toasted piece of bread.

Jmcrofts
Jan 7, 2008

just chillin' in the club
Lipstick Apathy

Lord Dekks posted:

Bit of a weird question here, but anyone else have acid reflux or something similar? If so how do you find different brewing methods affect you? I absolutely love french press, even compared to espresso, but find that more than a mugful can sometimes be a little harsh on my stomach after, presumably because more of the oils and sludge gets in your cup.

I don't have any such problems with Filter coffee, but doesn't taste quite as rich/flavourful. If anyone else is like me, how do you find the Aeropress or something like the clever coffee dripper?

Also, I know its a hard thing to quantify, but how does the taste from a Aeropress compare to a pourover, versus a french press? I used to like doing a Moka pot once in a while to make a poor mans Americano style drink, is the Aeropress similar in flavour?

I've heard that cold brewing with something like the Toddy Pot is about a million times easier on your stomach, and far less likely to cause heartburn than hot brewing. But then there's the whole waiting 24 hours for it to brew thing.

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004

Cyril Sneer posted:

I just watched that video and they are using what seems to me to be an extremely coarse grind for a french press.

Being new to french press, could someone give me an idea on what the proper grind size is? I've been going much finer than in that clip.

You want to use something just a bit coarser than what you would for drip coffee, something in the medium-coarse range. Anything finer and you're going to get even more sediment and it will over-extract, anything coarser and you won't extract enough.


Doh004 posted:

Here's what I got:


I don't know what to classify the roast as. Goons? :shobon:

*edit* They're terrible phone pictures, so the lighting is really wonky in the roast picture.

It's not that easy to tell a roast by a picture, largely because with the variance in the beans not every bean looks the same at certain roasts. The best way to tell roasts is by listening when you're roasting. I'm not sure how much you read on roasting beforehand, but there are two main stages of roasting, first crack and second crack. These are the two distinct times where you'll hear the beans making small cracking or popping sounds. Once the roast has gotten completely through the first crack and very few beans are making that sound, you're at a city roast. Once you've gone just a bit past that you hit city+ and just a bit further is full city. Just as you're starting to hear the beginning of the second crack is when you hit full city. Once you start to hear the second crack is when you're at a full city+. Lastly when you get to the tail end of second crack is when you hit a vienna roast.

How long these take with your method is sort of trial and error. If you want to really get a good idea. Roast a batch all the way through second crack and get an idea of when each stage is in terms of time. This will really help you gauge what roast you're at when you're in the harder to discern stages between the two cracks.

rockcity fucked around with this message at 17:17 on Jan 30, 2012

that Vai sound
Mar 6, 2011
I've been trying out the Bonmac dripper with these filters. The filter seems to block the hole a bit too much, because the coffee will build up between the sides of the dripper and the filter. I'm folding the edges as instructed on the website, but that hasn't helped. Is that normal or is there something I could try to correct that?

Doh004
Apr 22, 2007

Mmmmm Donuts...

rockcity posted:

How long these take with your method is sort of trial and error. If you want to really get a good idea. Roast a batch all the way through second crack and get an idea of when each stage is in terms of time. This will really help you gauge what roast you're at when you're in the harder to discern stages between the two cracks.

Yeah, I'd read up a lot on it before hand. I'd say the moment I started hearing the second crack I pulled them out. It's been tough though because my Poppery's times change alot when it's the first/second/third roast of the session and it's really warmed up. I kept a log of all the details, so I may be drinking lovely coffee for a while until I get it right.

Gaph
May 15, 2007

Cyril Sneer posted:

I just watched that video and they are using what seems to me to be an extremely coarse grind for a french press.

Being new to french press, could someone give me an idea on what the proper grind size is? I've been going much finer than in that clip.



I try and grind to about this size. Small, even shards that still retain the structure of the bean. Going further you'd get more of a consistent grittiness. I'm experimenting with a little bit finer grind than what I'd normally do though.

Doh004
Apr 22, 2007

Mmmmm Donuts...
Is this infrared thermometer worth getting in regards to coffee roasting?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16896268001&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-96-268-001-_-Product

I have a Newegg giftcard burning in my pocket I feel like getting the temperature instead of just eyeballing would allow me to be much more systematic when roasting coffee. I would of course still learn what the right color is, but this could help, right?

Doh004 fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Jan 30, 2012

Steve Yun
Aug 7, 2003
I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.
Soiled Meat
It might, but just be aware that if you're gonna try to take the temperature through the window in the oven door, you'll be getting the temp of the glass on the outside of the oven door, not the beans behind it.

If you're using another roasting device and have line of sight with your beans then youre good.

I would say get it anyways because it's handy for so many other cooking applications

Doh004
Apr 22, 2007

Mmmmm Donuts...

Steve Yun posted:

It might, but just be aware that if you're gonna try to take the temperature through the window in the oven door, you'll be getting the temp of the glass on the outside of the oven door, not the beans behind it.

If you're using another roasting device and have line of sight with your beans then youre good.

I would say get it anyways because it's handy for so many other cooking applications

Nope, using a Poppery which has a top I can take off.

Cyril Sneer
Aug 8, 2004

Life would be simple in the forest except for Cyril Sneer. And his life would be simple except for The Raccoons.

Gaph posted:



I try and grind to about this size. Small, even shards that still retain the structure of the bean. Going further you'd get more of a consistent grittiness. I'm experimenting with a little bit finer grind than what I'd normally do though.

Cool. I started grinding just a pinch finer than this and I think its hitting the sweet spot.

PainBreak
Jun 9, 2001

Anderron Shi posted:

Got a pound of Ethiopian Sidamo tonight, just roasted yesterday! No more Starbucks for me.

Did you order it online, or can you find it locally? Was it dry process, or wet process? To what stage did you roast it?

Ethiopia Sidama Aleta Wondo Special Prep is far and away my favorite single origin. Sweet Maria's is out of it now, so I'm drat glad I ordered a bunch. Taken to just barely the end of first crack, it's heavenly combination of chocolate and blueberries. Being excited about how awesome the coffee is, and how consistently I can achieve this roast makes it easier to get up in the morning than the caffeine content itself... But, since I didn't roast the piss out of it, the caffeine content is higher, as well! :science:

Metanaut
Oct 9, 2006

Honey it's tight like that.
College Slice

Gravity Pike posted:

That being said, I'd love to hear some of the thread's favorite Aeropress methods, because I'm almost definitely doing it wrong.

Every time I try some fancy upside down technique with my Aero the result is terrible. I don't understand why people make up this stuff.

I've never had any problem with the manufacturers method, so I should really stop listening to people who think they know better. They actually researched this stuff, they don't suggest it just to gently caress with you.

If you still end up with a bad cup, you're probably using too coarse or fine ground. It has to be a little bit finer than for drip.

that Vai sound
Mar 6, 2011

Gaph posted:



I try and grind to about this size. Small, even shards that still retain the structure of the bean. Going further you'd get more of a consistent grittiness. I'm experimenting with a little bit finer grind than what I'd normally do though.
What grinder are you using? I seem to get a lot more fines than that.

Doh004
Apr 22, 2007

Mmmmm Donuts...

Doh004 posted:

Here's what I got:


I don't know what to classify the roast as. Goons? :shobon:

I made a pot of this, this morning! I was surprised to find that I think I actually over-roasted these beans. I'm always scared that I'm going to underroast them and end up getting thin dirt water. It still tasted pretty drat good, but it could be better!

These were Columbian Supremo beans which I take should be lighter roasted. I have my log back at home. I think I'll try roasting the next batch and pulling them 30-45 seconds earlier. Last time, I pulled them about 15 seconds into the start of the second crack.

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004

Doh004 posted:

I made a pot of this, this morning! I was surprised to find that I think I actually over-roasted these beans. I'm always scared that I'm going to underroast them and end up getting thin dirt water. It still tasted pretty drat good, but it could be better!

These were Columbian Supremo beans which I take should be lighter roasted. I have my log back at home. I think I'll try roasting the next batch and pulling them 30-45 seconds earlier. Last time, I pulled them about 15 seconds into the start of the second crack.

Try doing it again just a little beyond first crack so you can get an idea of two roasts pretty far apart on the spectrum. I like doing small batches at different roast levels and trying them to find out the sweet spot for the beans. Sweet Maria's usually tells you suggested roasts on the labels which is nice too.

Gaph
May 15, 2007

that Vai sound posted:

What grinder are you using? I seem to get a lot more fines than that.

Afraid it's not my picture, I'm using a blade grinder. But I have been getting pretty good results. I grind a 1/4 cup of beans at a time, about 50-60 pulses. The fines clump up around the sides and underneath the blade. As long as I dump the grounds out without agitation, the fines cling to the grinder. When measured back out I still get a full 1/4 cup of grounds, despite the loss. Before I would knock the grinder around to collect as much as I could, a sure way to get a sludgy cup.

Starks
Sep 24, 2006

So I just got a batch of guatemalan coffee from my local roaster and it says on the bag that the roast date was yesterday (When I bought it). However when I make it using my normal french press method there is almost no bloom, and this is freshly ground like a minute before making it. Is this normal sometimes or did I get ripped off by a fake roasting date? Could it be something wrong with the way I'm making it?

E: I should also mention that it tastes fine to me, but I rarely drink south american coffee and never this specific type so I'm not sure I'd be able to tell it was stale in any case.

Starks fucked around with this message at 20:19 on Feb 2, 2012

Godlessdonut
Sep 13, 2005

Starks posted:

So I just got a batch of guatemalan coffee from my local roaster and it says on the bag that the roast date was yesterday (When I bought it). However when I make it using my normal french press method there is almost no bloom, and this is freshly ground like a minute before making it. Is this normal sometimes or did I get ripped off by a fake roasting date? Could it be something wrong with the way I'm making it?

E: I should also mention that it tastes fine to me, but I rarely drink south american coffee and never this specific type so I'm not sure I'd be able to tell it was stale in any case.

From my experience with stuff I've roasted, anything that's 1-2 days old will have a LOT of bloom. I don't know what's up with your roaster, but it sounds like your beans are 2+ weeks old.

that Vai sound
Mar 6, 2011

Starks posted:

So I just got a batch of guatemalan coffee from my local roaster and it says on the bag that the roast date was yesterday (When I bought it).
What if they meant Jan 2nd instead of Feb 1st?

Bob_McBob
Mar 24, 2007
Day-old fresh ground coffee should be bloomy as hell. I sometimes have to actually adjust my grind for freshly roasted beans because it the bloom makes it overextract a little.

Invisible Handjob
Apr 7, 2002

by FactsAreUseless
Any for Vietnamese coffee in this thread? I guess the semi necessity of the condensed milk ruins it for a lot of purists, but it's still my favorite way to drink coffee.

Starks
Sep 24, 2006

that Vai sound posted:

What if they meant Jan 2nd instead of Feb 1st?

Nah, it says "Feb. 01 12" right on the package, and I doubt it was Feb 12 2001. This is a place that advertises how they only sell coffee roasted within 1-2 days. After trying another brew I'm pretty convinced the coffee is stale.

This is kind of weird since they have a really good reputation and seem like they get a lot of business so I doubt they ripped me off intentionally. I think they might have just made a mistake somehow so I will go back tomorrow and see what they say, they have a 30 day return policy according to their website (which seems ridiculous) so it hopefully won't be a problem.

Bob_McBob
Mar 24, 2007

Invisible Handjob posted:

Any for Vietnamese coffee in this thread? I guess the semi necessity of the condensed milk ruins it for a lot of purists, but it's still my favorite way to drink coffee.

I have a Vietnamese coffee filter I get out and use sometimes. It's great for a treat, but a little unhealthy for everyday consumption. For iced coffee in the summer I'm a lot more likely to do cold brew.

digital penitence
Jan 3, 2008

Nevermind.

digital penitence fucked around with this message at 23:07 on Feb 4, 2012

Lolcano Eruption
Oct 29, 2007
Volcano of LOL.
Can anyone recommend a cold-brew coffee system that is somewhat larger than the Toddy?

qutius
Apr 2, 2003
NO PARTIES

Lolcano Eruption posted:

Can anyone recommend a cold-brew coffee system that is somewhat larger than the Toddy?

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but whenever I make up a batch of cold brew, I just use a big mason jar or two. They seal well, are easy to store and are cheap IMO.

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004

qutius posted:

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but whenever I make up a batch of cold brew, I just use a big mason jar or two. They seal well, are easy to store and are cheap IMO.

Yeah, I'm not sure what you're looking for here. You can cold brew in any container that holds liquid, you just need to strain it. I just make batches in my french press and use that to strain it.

Bob_McBob
Mar 24, 2007
I always paper filter cold brew, because grit in iced coffee is nasty.

Gravity Pike
Feb 8, 2009

I find this discussion incredibly bland and disinteresting.
Yeah, I just dump 1/3 cup coffee in a mason jar, fill it with water, and stick it in the fridge for 12 hours. When it's done, I just stick a filter in my Mr. Coffee and dump it directly in. Gets nice and filtered, and is nearly zero effort on my part. Plus, it's pretty dang hard to screw up!

Lolcano Eruption
Oct 29, 2007
Volcano of LOL.
Hmm..there is a giant Bodum french press made for iced coffee. I think I'll go with that.

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Astronaut Jones
Oct 18, 2007
Destination Moon


I'm a big fan of my Toddy for iced coffee, but I also have done it countless times in my press.

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