Videocast #2 – French Press Technique from James Hoffmann on Vimeo.

Syphon, Intelligentsia from Department of the 4th Dimension on Vimeo.

How to Brew a Good Cup of Coffee from Ben Helfen on Vimeo.

Brewing at home lets coffee lovers control many variables that affect flavor is a great article for those wanting to improve the taste of coffee they prepare in the home by switching to manual brewing. Manual brewing allows for more control over the process, which can result in a better tasting cup of coffee. This article provides a basic summary of the variables that manual brewing allows you to control.

One note regarding the grinding section of this article. The time description for grinding implies that one is using a whirly-blade type grinder. If at all possible, use a burr grinder. A burr grinder will provide the best grind. Whirly-blade grinders are the type where a blade spins like helicopter blade and essentially chops the beans in little bits. The longer you hold the button the smaller it chops the pieces. This type of grinder produces inconsistencies in the grind size, which leads to underextraction and overextraction and ultimately affects the taste of coffee. To acheive really good tasting coffee, a burr grinder is essential. For more information on grinding, follow this link.

Tampabay.com recently published several articles on coffee. Learn the lingo of coffee tasting is a great article that I wanted to quickly blog about because it offers some basic descriptions on tasting coffee. These fundamentals are easy to read and when utilized will allow a novice to begin to discern the differences – sometimes vast and other times subtle – between varietals. I have summarized some of the main points below. For the full article, follow this link.

Coffee is assessed much like wine and below are some of the attributes.

• aroma – how intense and pleasurable is the smell?
• acidity – not about how it feels in your stomach or sourness; bright dry sensation that brings the coffee to life.
• body – sensation of weight – how it feels on the tongue
• varietals and place of origin – provides clues to their flavors.
• finish – the after taste and sensations left after swallowing.

First, I had to be properly caffeinated, so I decided that I’d pull myself a double of Hairbender and make a cappa for my wife. I dosed 18grams of the hairbender and pulled 2oz in 22secs. My espresso machine is a FrancisFrancis X5 and not being PID’d, I just have to trust that the boiler is heating the water to the right temp. I don’t follow the lights on the machine to tell me when the water is ready. Rather, I let it heat up for 15mins. Previous experiments have already told me that the temp is hot enough, I just can’t dial it in to a precise temp – say i want to pull a shot at 197F instead of 199F – tough luck for me, I just have to go with what the boiler gives me unless I feel like temp surfing – a method by which one flips the steam switch to heat the boiler up even more, then pulls blank shots to cool to a certain temp. Nonetheless, I was pleased with the pulls this morning. The coloring was beautiful with amazing tiger striping as it poured. Nice head of crema sitting on top. The espresso was delicious – sweet, chocolatey and of course a hint of citrus sitting in there. My wife enjoyed her cappa so much that I joined her and made a cappa for myself – that’s 4 shots of espresso for me to start the day.

Now, for redemption of the Ethiopina Wondo. I used 44 grams and heated the water to 200F. Initially, I bring the water to a boil, then I pre-wet the filter and pour out the excess water from the pre-wetting. I start the grinder, grinding at the last moment to keep it as fresh as possible, and in the meantime take temps using a K-type thermocouple. At 200F, I pour in just enough to prewet the grounds and let it form a head on the coffee. Then I pour in just enough to cover the grounds. As the coffee is brewing, I keep the water temp at 200F and keep pouring in just enough to keep the level above the grounds. When the coffee reaches the “bump” on the front of brewer I’m done. Voila! Some delicious brew this morning. The bitterness was gone and the coffee was delicious.

Tomorrow I will try a ristretto style shot with the Hairbender. I’m going to updose from 18grams to 22grams and stop the shot at 20 secs and see if I can get an even sweeter shot.

Today, i brewed some using my Aeropress. Water temp was 195F via a K-type thermocouple, and I used a fine grid somewhere between an auto-drip and espresso. Dosage was two scoop fulls (didn’t weigh it this morning, but found this amount to be ideal with Intelligentsia’s Ethiopian Yirgacheffe). I poured the water in, stirred for 10sec, let it sit for 10sec, and then pressed for 10 secs. It was a bit flat in the cup and had a slightly burnt flavor. As it cooled however, some citrus notes were there. I was disappointed to say the least. My wife immediately noticed it in her cup as well and commented.

I have yet to make up my mind whether to alter the variables – is it grind size and/or amount, water temp, brew time? Was it due to the two week old roast date? – or just maybe, just maybe this is one for the chemex pot. I find Stumptown coffee on a whole to be delicious and I’m gonna chalk this one up to an off day. I think I’ll try it in the chemex tomorrow.

I was introduced to the Chemex through cupping and coffee & food pairing classes I have been taking at Intelligentsia’s NYC Training Lab in Soho. I was immediately amazed at how refreshing the coffee tasted. It was sediment free and had a crispness and clarity about the coffee, which I had never really experienced before. For me, it elevated brew coffee into the same stratosphere in which I had placed espresso – well, not quite, but I now hold drip in much higher regard than previously. If you have never had coffee brewed in a Chemex pot, the best way I can describe it is to say it brews a very pure and clean cup bursting with flavors. This brew method removes a lot of the acid that normally creates a sour taste in coffee. The Chemex does more than just brew a delicious pot of coffee – it is also considered a work of art and is part of MoMA’s collection. As I cruise around to various coffee shops, I am starting to see more and more Chemex brewers. People are talking about the Chemex and aware of it’s revival on the coffee scene.

Not everyone likes it or appreciates its revival. Check out this post here on coffeed.com. I can say that my wife doesn’t like it either. She groans when I brew a pot because she’d rather have me pull shots and steam milk for her cappuccino, or brew a French Press if I’m making drip. She likes the body of the Press. It has a heavier and grittier feel on tongue, and brings out some of the deeper notes of the coffee. The Chemex has been growing on her though, and I think it won’t be too long before she takes more of a liking to the Chemex when we brew drip coffee.

If you’ve never tried a Chemex, I highly recommend you do. They are very inexpensive, ~$30. Instructions on using one can be found here. Make sure you use freshly roasted beans, grind right before brewing, and use the specially designed Chemex filters. The end result will be one of the most delicious tasting cups of coffee you’ve ever had in your life AND you will have a new piece of artwork in the home.