*Sigh*… The moment has finally come, I can no longer avoid it. After a few requests, we are finally going to cover overflows. The reason I’ve been so hesitant is simple: pour-over coffee is a broad subject with enough nuance to easily fill a book, several books in fact, including one written by a Canadian astrophysicist (The Physics of Filter Coffee). . And here I try to cover it in two pages (and no physics qualifications beyond knowing how much drop a #1 RP can hold).
It would be like trying to teach someone all the nuances of trad without being able to demonstrate anything to them, talk to them, ask them where they climb, or even know what type of equipment they are going to use. There’s also no one-size-fits-all when it comes to payout methods (much like there’s no one way to protect a route), so I encourage you to experiment with other recipes as well: check out James Hoffman and Lance Hedrick on YouTube for some great tips. .
– Sule (VL’s resident coffee and gear nerd)
Ideal for:
- Climbers who want another hobby (and enjoy the learning process)
You will need:
- A conical or flat bottom brewer/dripper (there are many options, but the Hario V60 is probably the easiest to find and a good place to start)
- Filter papers (make sure they are designed to fit your coffee maker)
- A coffee grinder (you can use pre-ground, but it spoils the pleasure of composing)
- A kettle (ideally a gooseneck kettle, but there are solutions for normal kettles*)
- A scale (seriously, get one already)
- A timer (don’t be lazy, just use your phone)
MEASURES:
- I would recommend starting by using a ratio of 1:16, so no matter how much coffee you plan to use (let’s say 20g), you should use 16 times as much water (20g x 16 = 320ml d ‘water). Different coffee makers have different capacities, but I would choose between 15 and 25g for this recipe.
Note: Depending on your coffee, you may need to try using higher (1:17) and lower (1:15) ratios to find the sweet spot. - Place your filter paper in the infuser and rinse it with hot water beforehand so the paper sticks to the side, be sure to discard the water afterward. Now put your 20g of coffee into the coffee maker and shake it gently to level the coffee bed. Now tare your scale so that it reads zero.
Note: Carrying grind size is tricky as it changes depending on your grinder and coffee, but start with a size similar to sea salt. - Start your timer and pour in 60g of hot water just below boiling (3 times the weight of your coffee), use a small spoon to gently stir the slurry, trying to saturate all of the dry coffee. Now let it sit and “bloom” for 30 seconds to 2 minutes (start with 30 seconds, then try 1/1.5/2 minutes until you find your sweet spot). Just make sure you keep the kettle hot enough if you flower for 2 minutes.
- Now pour in 50% of your remaining water weight (130ml) until your scale reaches a total of 190g, then take the infuser and swirl it gently to both agitate the coffee and help to flatten the bed.
Note: This pouring pattern uses one bloom (60g) plus two pours (130g + 130g) to reach the total brew weight (320g), but you can also try one bloom plus three or even four pours until you find your sweet spot. - Place your filter paper in the infuser and rinse it with hot water beforehand so the paper sticks to the side, be sure to discard the water afterward. Now put your 20g of coffee into the coffee maker and shake it gently to level the coffee bed. Now tare your scale so that it reads zero.
Note: Even if you have to dial according to the key, tracking time can help you stay on track. I would expect most brews in this recipe to finish between 3 and 5 minutes, but if it finishes outside of that time and still tastes great, don’t worry!
Sour or sour taste?
- Grind more finely (if the infusion time is a little short)
- Longer flowering
- Try a higher ratio such as 1:17 (especially if it’s too concentrated)
- Try three payments instead of two
- Use warmer water
A bitter/astringent/ashy taste?
- Grind more coarsely (if the infusion time is a little long)
- Shorter flowering time
- Try a lower ratio such as 1:15 (especially if it tastes diluted)
- Try fewer pours (you can even try a bloom + pour)
- Use colder water (if it tastes ashy/roasted)
Too muddy?
- Pour less aggressively
- Swirl less aggressively
- Grind more coarsely