BREWING AT HOME

Coffee can taste different depending on the brew method. There are a few general parameters that will ensure you are making quality extractions.

A burr grinder, whether it be hand crank or electric, makes a significant difference in cup quality.

Water is a crucial component of brewing. Your water should be free of odor, chlorine, and be neither too hard or too soft. If you are lucky enough to live in Ypsilanti or Detroit, MI, your tap water is fine for brewing, but can be improved by using a carbon filter.

Pour Over - Hario V60

The V60 offers total control over your brew and a nuanced cup. A fun thing about this method is that you can taste distinct differences brew to brew when using different recipes. This is a great way to brew coffee and a beautiful morning ritual.

What you’ll need:

23g coffee freshly ground to the coarseness of sea salt
350g water
Kettle 
Scale
V60 dripper
V60 filter

 Brew Method:

1. Wet coffee filter, dispose of rinse water and add ground coffee.

2. Place assembly on the scale and zero it out.

3. Bloom coffee and start timer, allow your coffee to bloom for 30 seconds. Blooming is done by adding double the amount of water to the dry dose of coffee; so in this case 46g of water. Blooming allows the CO2 stored in your coffee to be released and helps you extract the coffee more evenly.

4. Pour slowly into the middle of the coffee bed in small circles, pour until scale reads 150g.

5. Allow the coffee to drain, but not completely.

6. Pour another 75g of water so that the scale reads 225g.

7. Allow coffee slurry to drain but not completely.

8. Pour another 75g of water so the scale reads 300g.

9. Allow coffee slurry to drain, but not completely.

10. Pour another 50g of water so the scale reads 350g.

11. Wait for your coffee to stop dripping, swirl the coffee to mix all 3 layers of the brew, and enjoy your beautiful cup of coffee.

Chemex 8 Cup

The Chemex coffee brewer is wonderful pour over method especially if you are serving more than yourself. The Chemex is both a brewer and a server, and a Chemex filter offers a thicker filter to absorb more oils and sediment yielding a clean and defined cup.

What you’ll need:

  55g of coffee

  770g of water

  Chemex brewer

  Chemex bonded filter

  Scale with timer preferably

  Bamboo paddle or spoon

Brew Method:

1. Weigh out 55g of coffee and grind it to a coarser drip grind

2. Rinse filter to eliminate any paper taste and pour out rinse water, and add ground coffee

3. Add 110g of water to the coffee and allow it to bloom for 45 sec

4. Show bloom

5. Add an additional 200g of water to break the bloom and stir with bamboo paddle or spoon to ensure all coffee is saturated.

6. Add water slowly until your coffee slurry reaches the top. Pour steadily and circularly into the middle of the bed keeping the coffee high until you reach 770g

7. A flat coffee bed is a sign of a great extraction. Swirl the coffee in the Chemex to mix all phases of the brew, and enjoy your beautiful cup of coffee.

Total brew time should be between 4 - 6 minutes depending on your preferences. Shorter brew times tend to yield brighter, juicier brews with quicker finishes. Longer brew times offer deeper flavors, sweetness, and long finishes. We recommend you adjust your grind and use your personal preferences to determine a grind and brew time that work best for you.

French Press

What you’ll need:

  60g of coffee

  600g of water

  French Press

  A scale with a timer

  Bamboo paddle or spoon

Brew Method:

1. Add 60g of coarsely ground coffee to the french press; place the french press on the scale and zero out the scale.

2. Add 120g of water, fresh off the boil, and start your timer. This initial infusion of water will allow your coffee to bloom. Bloom for 30 seconds

3. Stir the grounds to ensure even saturation and add the rest of your water,480g.

4. Gently place the lid and plunger on the french press, dont press yet, wait untill your timer reads 4 minutes.

5. Once you have been brewing for 4 minutes take the french press off the scale and place onto a counter top. Gently press the filter down, slowly and evenly. If you find its hard to press coarsen your grind and if you find little resistance while pressing fine up your grind.

6. Serve or decant immediately and enjoy your delicious full bodied coffee

Aeropress

The inverted Aeropress offers a strong cup of concentrated coffee that can be brewed quickly and watered down to taste. It is easy to brew, clean and usually serves one person.

What you’ll need:

14g of finely ground coffee
210g of water
Aeropress
Aeropress Filter
Kettle
A scale with a timer
Bamboo paddle or spoon

Brew Method:

1. Pre-wet aeropress filter in filter cap

2. Add ground coffee to the inverted aeropress, put it on the scale, and zero it out.

3. Add 30g of water to bloom the coffee and start the timer; agitate with paddle to saturate all coffee

4. Pouring steadily add the remaining 180g of water, give the coffee a stir and put on the filter cap.

5. Let the coffee brew until you reach a total time of 1:30, then with a cup over the filter cap, invert the Areopress and press down until all coffee has been pushed through the filter ending around 2 minutes in total brew time.

6. Remove Aeropress, taste, add water until desired flavor is achieved, serve.