# James Roasters Yirgacheffe - nice, but tempremental



## rgoodcoffee (May 25, 2016)

Hi all,

just finished a bag of the James Roasters Yirgacheffe. I struggled to get this bean to really work for me, even with the recommended recipe (from Peter James himself) of 12g into 200g of water with a 2 minute brew.

I personally found that it worked better with about 13-13.5g of coffee with 200g of water, 2 minute brew time. Water just off the boil. This gave a nice acidity and also a good body. It may well just be my lack of experience with why I struggled with this bean, but It was lovely when it worked!

I've got one of his Rwandan's on order next, very excited!


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## unoll (Jan 22, 2014)

what didn't you like about it? How were you brewing it?


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## rgoodcoffee (May 25, 2016)

Sorry i should have said - Aeropress. I just couldn't get much complexity out of it, apart from using that final recipe, it tasted quite 'flat' a lot of the time.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

rgoodcoffee said:


> Sorry i should have said - Aeropress. I just couldn't get much complexity out of it, apart from using that final recipe, it tasted quite 'flat' a lot of the time.


2 min is a very short brew time. Adding more to the dose won't develop the flavour, it'll just make the flat taste stronger.


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## Jez H (Apr 4, 2015)

I'm grinding finer than usual, for Aeropress, brewing for 3 mins & loving it. Not quite as good as the Rwandan Natural One Roast though, which was exceptional!


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## rgoodcoffee (May 25, 2016)

Shows how much I know! That's interesting though, thanks! So I should leave it a bit longer to develop the flavour?



MWJB said:


> 2 min is a very short brew time. Adding more to the dose won't develop the flavour, it'll just make the flat taste stronger.


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## rgoodcoffee (May 25, 2016)

Most likely my bad technique! What ratio are you using... Weights etc? I've got one of their Rwandans on order which I'm excited about











Jez H said:


> I'm grinding finer than usual, for Aeropress, brewing for 3 mins & loving it. Not quite as good as the Rwandan Natural One Roast though, which was exceptional!


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

rgoodcoffee said:


> Shows how much I know! That's interesting though, thanks! So I should leave it a bit longer to develop the flavour?


You can leave it as long as you dare  5 min might be enough, but if it's still hot enough after 20 or more try that too.

Inspired by the Ground Control batch brewer, I have been breaking my brews into 5x 30 second steeps. 9.5g coffee, add 35g water, swirl, press after 30s, add 35g steep 30s, press & repeat until 175g. Takes a bit over 5min, but getting some tasty brews.


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

I've been doing something similar with the V60 using 4 to 5 pours letting the bed dry each time. Results in a very sweet brew.

Is the water temp the same on each addition?

Does the ground control batch brewer re-incorporate the brew in each cycle?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Step21 said:


> I've been doing something similar with the V60 using 4 to 5 pours letting the bed dry each time. Results in a very sweet brew.
> 
> Is the water temp the same on each addition?
> 
> Does the ground control batch brewer re-incorporate the brew in each cycle?


I start at boiling in a Hario electric, I don't reheat.

No, from what I can gather, the Ground Control steeps & agitates, then siphons off the brew through a filter, then adds new brew water to the drained bed, repeats 3-6 times. so a 4litre batch brew would be 4x1litre brews, new water each litre, but same dose. I'm not getting as high extractions as they have reported (~26%), but brews around 22-23%EY (drip mode) have been really good...if a little prone to giving me jitters (hence keeping the dose down).


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

Why drip mode if you are using an AP?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Step21 said:


> Why drip mode if you are using an AP?


Just because that was the method they (GC) measured their EY by, Scott Rao pointed out that this method leaves very weak slurry in the bed akin to a drip brew, works out about 25% in immersion mode, which usually takes me about half an hour the typical way.


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

Thanks. Very interesting and very expensive bit of kit from the little I've read about it.

Think I'll a similar experiment with the Bonavita.

What strikes me is that it goes against the oft quoted "never let the coffee bed dry out" mantra. Another coffee myth strikes the dust?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Step21 said:


> Thanks. Very interesting and very expensive bit of kit from the little I've read about it.
> 
> Think I'll a similar experiment with the Bonavita.
> 
> What strikes me is that it goes against the oft quoted "never let the coffee bed dry out" mantra. Another coffee myth strikes the dust?


With this method, letting the bed dry out doesn't take much time & allows a new extraction phase. I don't think there's any harm in doing it with drip...the brew basically stops when flow stops, but it can make timing a brew tricky until dialled in.

I think the Bonavita could work well, but it would make a bigger brew than I'd want, draw down is a bit slow with so little water to coffee. I did a similar thing a few years back with an older Clever, bloomed, then added & drained 50g at a time, it was a clunky way to break up a drip brew & measure portions of the output. Odd thing was, when I summed all the parts & measurements I had good tasting brews at ~22-23%EY. I had assumed back then that I messed up the math, now I'm not so sure?


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## Elcee (Feb 16, 2017)

Step21 said:


> I've been doing something similar with the V60 using 4 to 5 pours letting the bed dry each time. Results in a very sweet brew.
> 
> Is the water temp the same on each addition?
> 
> Does the ground control batch brewer re-incorporate the brew in each cycle?


What pour amounts and timings do you use for this?


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

Elcee said:


> What pour amounts and timings do you use for this?


I'm brewing 225g water. So a careful "dribble" bloom with 15g (using 12.75g coffee) for 90 sec then pour 60g, 50g, 50g, 50g. Or if going for 5 pours, initial 50g, followed by four 40g pours. Timing wise i leave next pour until i see the top of the bed drying out which gets longer with each successive pour. I'm using a low turbulence pour via the AP lid. No stirring. I give the brewer a shake to settle at bloom stage. Not using a standard V60 brewer but the Biarro AltoAir. Using white dutch V60 size 2 papers. Brew can take up to 5 mins (inc 90s bloom). Temp wise the water is at 98C for the first 2 pours then declining.


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

MWJB said:


> With this method, letting the bed dry out doesn't take much time & allows a new extraction phase. I don't think there's any harm in doing it with drip...the brew basically stops when flow stops, but it can make timing a brew tricky until dialled in.
> 
> I think the Bonavita could work well, but it would make a bigger brew than I'd want, draw down is a bit slow with so little water to coffee. I did a similar thing a few years back with an older Clever, bloomed, then added & drained 50g at a time, it was a clunky way to break up a drip brew & measure portions of the output. Odd thing was, when I summed all the parts & measurements I had good tasting brews at ~22-23%EY. I had assumed back then that I messed up the math, now I'm not so sure?


I just tried a Bonavita brew using 12.71g/225g water. Drip grind. Poured 3 times 50g then a final 75g. Added water via pouring into AP lid and gently swirling brewer after each addition. After each pour leave for 30s, open valve, then pour next instalment when bed dryed out.

So EY came in at 23.16%. Very tasty. Excellent sweetness and fruitiness. Tasted more like a 30min steep but not quite as "soft" if that makes sense. Boy, did it have some caffeine kick! Still shaking! Couldn't handle too many of these... I think your calcs were spot on.

Very promising. I'll give it a try with some other coffees. As you say, difficult to cut down the size of the brew with Clever/Bonavita.


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## mrbagel (Mar 1, 2016)

I often find the aeropress muddies flavours more than the v60, especially with something like an Ethiopian. V60 12 to 200, simple Matt Perger but without the stirring (I also find this muddles flavours and weakens florals) - this usually does the trick with even pours and minimal agitation .


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