# 'Clean' taste of Chemex brews



## whinmoor85 (Jul 4, 2013)

Does anyone else find the taste of coffee from the Chemex to be a little too 'clean'? Especially when compared to the Aeropress.

I brew with the usual 1/16 ratio and the total extraction time is around 3 minutes for 30g coffee/500ml water. I like the Chemex but would like a stronger taste out of it - should I decrease the amount of water used or should I accept that the thick Chemex filters give this taste?

Would a Kone filter give my brew body?

Hope this makes sense, all help appreciated.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

I would normally brew at 30g dose with 500g of water added ( 500 ml )

Try that and you would get a stronger taste ( more solid dissolved in the brew )

16g for 500ml would be a very weak tasting brew , in essence very diluted and perhaps could be described as clean ?

16g into 500ml would be a brew ratio of 1:1.32


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

My advise is not to try a Kone filter with chemex , I've not had much luck getting anything other than an under extracted brew with one


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Whole purpose of Chemex is to provide a clean taste. On the continuum, you have cafetiere at one end and syphon at the other with syphon being the cleanest tasting. Chemex comes in just behind syphon. Aim of pour over is to balance body/mouthfeel against flavour clarity - (unique bean characteristics) so you get both coming through. If you brew stronger, you will lose much in not all the flavour clarity.

You could try upping the dose a little keeping the brew water weight the same and see if you like the results. The Kone filter produces a brighter result in the cup compared to paper filters. Also, try letting the brewed Chemex cool - as it cools, body and flavour clarity changes. This can take a bit of getting used to if you are used to drinking very hot coffee.


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## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

I'm with Martin, double up your dose of coffee to around 30g for 500ml water and see how you get on then.


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## whinmoor85 (Jul 4, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> I would normally brew at 30g dose with 500g of water added ( 500 ml )
> 
> Try that and you would get a stronger taste ( more solid dissolved in the brew )
> 
> ...


You spotted my mistake MrBoots! I should've put 30g, 16 was a mistake.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

whinmoor85 said:


> You spotted my mistake MrBoots! I should've put 30g, 16 was a mistake.


Ok glad to hear that ......









How much do you add for bloom ( water )

Then do you consistently the same pour each time ,

For example I pour 50g water for bloom

Then three pours of 150g each with the same time apart each time

I also keep the water temp up at around 97-98 as I add

This isn't " right " it's just what I can repeat each time ,that gets me to tasty drinks and my grind will be different to yours

Plus at Patrick says chemex is a different " cleaner " taste to aeropress , the two are different brewing methods with different extractions

What's your chemex regime ?


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## whinmoor85 (Jul 4, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> My advise is not to try a Kone filter with chemex , I've not had much luck getting anything other than an under extracted brew with one


That's unfortunate, did changing the grind size not work well?


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## whinmoor85 (Jul 4, 2013)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Whole purpose of Chemex is to provide a clean taste. On the continuum, you have cafetiere at one end and syphon at the other with syphon being the cleanest tasting. Chemex comes in just behind syphon. Aim of pour over is to balance body/mouthfeel against flavour clarity - (unique bean characteristics) so you get both coming through. If you brew stronger, you will lose much in not all the flavour clarity.
> 
> You could try upping the dose a little keeping the brew water weight the same and see if you like the results. The Kone filter produces a brighter result in the cup compared to paper filters. Also, try letting the brewed Chemex cool - as it cools, body and flavour clarity changes. This can take a bit of getting used to if you are used to drinking very hot coffee.


Thanks for that, I noticed that the coffee tasted richer as it cooled down.

I've gone from brewing with a moka pot to an Aeropress and now a Chemex, I think my taste buds will need to get used to tasting coffee with more clarity.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

whinmoor85 said:


> That's unfortunate, did changing the grind size not work well?


I'm just not convinced it's design and how it's meant to be used leads to an even extraction across the bed ..( I've tested a few brews with a refractometer to confirm this ) .

I'm sure it can make drinks given the time and energy to get it right

After more than a few tries I gave up , I found the chemex filter easier to get even extractions across .

So let me re phrase my original answer

" I didn't persevere enough with it to find out if it was any good or not "


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

A Kone will give you more solids in the cup..."body"?...that's a bit subjective, like Patrick, I have found my Kone brews quite bright, but not a million miles different to Aeropress with an able filter.

What ratio do you brew at in the Aeropress? You can go more like 65-70g/l in the Chemex & grind finer if you want more heft.


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## whinmoor85 (Jul 4, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> Ok glad to hear that ......
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My regime is similar to yours but not as systematic:

Water left for a minute or two off boil

60g bloom for 30secs

Slow pour rest of the water for next 2mins

Got a Buono kettle now and it makes pouring a real delight instead of using my regular big spout electric kettle.


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## whinmoor85 (Jul 4, 2013)

MWJB said:


> A Kone will give you more solids in the cup..."body"?...that's a bit subjective, like Patrick, I have found my Kone brews quite bright, but not a million miles different to Aeropress with an able filter.
> 
> What ratio do you brew at in the Aeropress? You can go more like 65-70g/l in the Chemex & grind finer if you want more heft.


I'll give your suggestion a try 70g/l, I ususally brew 15g/220g for the Aeropress so that's probably why I'm used to a 'stronger' cup.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

whinmoor85 said:


> Thanks for that, I noticed that the coffee tasted richer as it cooled down.
> 
> I've gone from brewing with a moka pot to an Aeropress and now a Chemex, I think my taste buds will need to get used to tasting coffee with more clarity.


Does take time to tune in your tastebuds - especially after being conditioned to something like Moka pot but it really is worth persevering. Of all the brew methods, Chemex, IMO, takes some beating.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Plus one on letting the chemex cool. At room temp you really get flavours developing


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

whinmoor85 said:


> Got a Buono kettle now and it makes pouring a real delight instead of using my regular big spout electric kettle.


You can slow down the pour by doing like Boots and adding specific weights of water at prescribed times. Using a big spout kettle can push a brew to weaker than typical because big disturbances of the bed can let brew water bypass the grinds into the cup/carafe.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

I'd go for a higher dose too, 14g to say ~160ml of water will produce a much stronger more rounded cup but still noticeably cleaner than the aeropress. Do allow time for the bloom. If using a lighter roast, drop the water temp to 89-94 or so.

Love my chemex, for me it wins over the aeropress almost every time but it's very personal.


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## whinmoor85 (Jul 4, 2013)

Tried the Chemex out last night with a higer dose of coffee and it definitely tasted muddier this time, going back to that lower dose with better clarity


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

If you are, avoid temptation to drink it hot, body and flavour profile change considerably as the coffee cools.


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## monkey66 (Aug 8, 2014)

I went through the same thing until I changed to a Swiss Gold filter. I suspect it will give you the body/dirt/fullness you are looking for. I use both paper and metal now depending on my mood.

NB - I agree with all the comments about the coffee cooling.


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