Pour-overs are supposed to be straightforward: just heat, filter, water and beans. But it’s complicated. To make a decent cup, you have to get all the ingredients right. You can’t guess; most newbies does with a spoon. That makes your coffee spotty. Instead, get precise by measuring in grams, not volume estimates. Then you can consciousely control the taste, not by chance.
That means you have flexibility when it comes to brewing. How much water are you going to put through? What’s the right amount of coffee for the amount of water? Every bean are different and so is everyone’s preference. A general range is one part coffee to fifteen or seventeen parts water. That’s like a dial; it will adjust the body of what you’re drinking: More coffee to water = heavier texture. Using more water for your coffee provide clarity and more distinct aromas. Right/wrong isn’t something we’re thinking here, we’re talking preference.
How to Make Better Pour-Over Coffee
Besides the numbers, there’s also the roast level. As we’ve discussed, a light roast is harder and denser then a dark roast. This is why a light roast require a longer brew time and hotter water. On the other hand, a dark roast releases its flavors rapidly, potentially too rapidly if you’re aggressive with parameters designed for a lighter roast: Ash in your mug, anyone?
You can see in the infographic how each dripper handles this variable. For instance, a Chemex have thicker filters that catch oils, leading to a cleaner body no matter what ratio. On the other hand, a V60 is quicker and more aggressive; so you have to carefuly manage your pour speed and grind size or risk getting some channelling.
“The other thing most people don’t think about is the bloom,” he says. “You add a little bit of hot water and let it sit; then you pour the rest on top. What happens is you’re releasing the carbon dioxide that was trapped during roasting. When you brew without blooming, the gas will push away the brewing water, creating inconsistent extractions. The result: sour pockets next to bitter pockets of extraction. Thirty seconds make a big difference in consistency.”
Accuracy: Equipment matters, but it’s not everything. Flow-rate is regulated by a gooseneck kettle, ensuring that all grounds is saturated evenly. You use a digital scale to eliminate guesswork (allowing exact repeat brewing). But if you’re just starting out, don’t waste your money on fancy equipment. Your main focus should of fresh beans and grind size. Even if your ratio is precise, stale beans will be flat. Inconsistent grinds results in a combination of under- and over- extracted chunks and dust.
Learning is a process that includes troubleshooting. Is your coffee coming out too bitter? Chances are it’s been extracted for too long. Adjust by grinding more coarsely or backing off on brew temp. Does it come out too sour, or watery? You’re not extracting enough, time to adjust accordingly: grind finer or pour slower.
Eventually, manual brewing forces you to taste things intentionally; it makes you see coffee less as a tool used in the background and more as something crafted for intentional consumption. And once you get an idea of how all these variables work together, that chart can be looked at as a jumping off point to experiment instead of a hard and fast rule book. Before long you’ll discover what your own unique sweet spot is between bright and bold. The one where each cup are tailored to your exact liking.