# How to get flavours from aeropress?



## Benjijames28 (Mar 29, 2017)

So I've got aeropress and a feldgrind, using beans from foundry.

I've been trying to use the method foundry suggest.

I'm struggling to get any sort of flavour notes from the coffee.

I also tried a long 12 minute brew today and it was vile, very acidic.

Where to go next?


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

What exactly are you doing?

Edit to add: I meant what weight of coffee, temperature of water and weight, stirring when exactly, and everything?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

presumably it was one of the african coffees ? do you like african coffee , have you enjoyed them before ?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Benjijames28 said:


> So I've got aeropress and a feldgrind, using beans from foundry.
> 
> I've been trying to use the method foundry suggest.
> 
> ...


Grind finer, steep longer (20min), 55g/l.


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## nufc1 (May 11, 2015)

A common mistake when using the Aeropress is grinding too coarse. Try grinding finer (a little coarser than espresso) and compare to the previous result.

As MrBoots mentioned, African coffees can be more acidic, and can be perceived even more so if underextracting due to a coarse grind

MWJB beat me to it


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## Benjijames28 (Mar 29, 2017)

I've been using around 14 to 15g, using Ethiopian coffees. I will book kettle and let it sit for 2 minutes, then pour in 30g of water, stir for 20 seconds, then pour pretty much to top of aeropress which takes it to about 240g total weight. I will then put cap on with pre soaked filter, push down to release any air inside the aeropress. I will then leave it around a minute before plunging.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Don't bloom, don't wait after the kettle has boiled. Both of these will reduce or drop the evenness of extraction. You don't need to stir for more than a couple of strokes when filling (maybe do a NSEW), this will wet all the coffee satisfactorily.


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## Hibbsy (Jan 8, 2017)

As others have said, grind finer. I aim for 60g/L but don't do a long steep. Just off boil, pour in, Wait 2.5min and push down til you hear air then stop. What I do daily at work.


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## sm808 (Jul 18, 2017)

Folowing on from the same question, can I ask whether there is a particular variable that its best to change when you're trying to find the sweet spot with a new coffee (again specifically for the aeropress)? Should i generally keep all things equal apart from grind as a starting point for example or perhaps alter brew time first? cheers


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

You shouldn't need to change anything once dialled in, only the ratio if you want to make the brews stronger/weaker.


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## Benjijames28 (Mar 29, 2017)

In morning I will grind finer and see how I get on. The first few coffees I made were pretty nice but there was a distinct lack of flavour. It wasn't sour or bitter. It was drinkable but no flavours were jumping out at me.

I'm visiting their cafe again tomorrow and will try and buy a Colombian to try.


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## sm808 (Jul 18, 2017)

ok that makes it simpler then! thanks for the reply


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

Benjijames28 said:


> In morning I will grind finer and see how I get on. The first few coffees I made were pretty nice but there was a distinct lack of flavour. It wasn't sour or bitter. It was drinkable but no flavours were jumping out at me.
> 
> I'm visiting their cafe again tomorrow and will try and buy a Colombian to try.


Do ask their thoughts as well - I'm sure they'll be happy to help and sometimes it's easier to talk through in person.


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## Rakesh (Jun 3, 2017)

Benjijames28 said:


> In morning I will grind finer and see how I get on. The first few coffees I made were pretty nice but there was a distinct lack of flavour. It wasn't sour or bitter. It was drinkable but no flavours were jumping out at me.
> 
> I'm visiting their cafe again tomorrow and will try and buy a Colombian to try.


I personally find flavours to be more delicate in brewed, for example, if notes on the bag say black tea or grapefruit they usually arent going taste exactly like black tea of grapefruit, it's more of a 'this flavour reminds me of...' .

Similar to what others have said, when I use my aeropress I use the inverted method and go for a very fine grind just coarser than espresso and use water just of the boil, slow pour and a few stirs. I then allow it to brew for about 15min, flip and press as fast or slow as you want, instead of stopping at the hiss, I stop when the bed of grounds are just visible. I find the longer you brew, the drink increases in sweetness but also in acidity.

Personally, I find brewed isn't really as sensitive to grind as espresso, once you find a generally good grind setting i just leave it constant and alter brew time and agitation. Sometimes I alter grind if I have a bean that I cant find an acceptable brew time with but this is fairly rare when using the AP


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## Timpo (Jul 17, 2015)

I disagree with the long Brew times. Mostly based on my experience of ordering an aeropress from places like FCP in Bristol and Colonna & Smalls in Bath, they are done very quickly and are full of flavour. I am still messing about with my exact method at home. Mostly I go for the following -

inverted method, 15g coffee, water at 90-93 degrees, 200g water brew for 2mins, 30second plunge.

If anything I would play with grind.


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

I'm a heathen. I use my aeropress when I want high speed zero hassle. I stick with whatever the espresso grind is for the bean. I don't even weigh the water. Weigh beans, whack in aeropress, add enough water to stir, stir once top up. Wait 2-15minutes (two toddlers at home) press slowly, drink.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Interesting. I'd been thinking of getting an AP to take to work (wherever that may be) but I didn't think it would work with espresso grind which is all I can do until my Aergrind turns up. I know people have been saying *just coarser than* espresso but do you think I'd get away with it straight out of my E37s?


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## salty (Mar 7, 2017)

hotmetal said:


> Interesting. I'd been thinking of getting an AP to take to work (wherever that may be) but I didn't think it would work with espresso grind which is all I can do until my Aergrind turns up. I know people have been saying *just coarser than* espresso but do you think I'd get away with it straight out of my E37s?


Definitely. I'm sure it'll be better than any of the alternatives


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

I am sorry to sound dense . . . But how do you keep it hot if it's been steeping for 15 minutes or longer? It's ages since I used an a/p but I can't recall leaving it long at all.

It reminds me of a funny little story (which I will post in the Muppetry thread sometime).


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

So will the filter paper pull out the fines reasonably even from espresso grind? I don't want a really silty brew.

I realise it's not ideal which is why I backed the Aergrind which also comes with a metal filter disc for the AP. Sorry for the thread hijack but it caught my eye as I'm mentally gearing up for my first adventures in making anything other than espresso or cold brew. I've had some cracking V60s when out but I'm not ready for gooseneck kettles and long steeps at work cos I work on client sites. I'd get away with a set of scales and use of their kettle, so soon I'll be asking lots of noob questions about Aeropress. Ironically, it was meeting a forum member at work who was using an Aeropress that got me started on this forum. I was intrigued by his AP and we got chatting, then he told me about CFUK.


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## Elcee (Feb 16, 2017)

MildredM said:


> I am sorry to sound dense . . . But how do you keep it hot if it's been steeping for 15 minutes or longer? It's ages since I used an a/p but I can't recall leaving it long at all.
> 
> It reminds me of a funny little story (which I will post in the Muppetry thread sometime).


I'm not sure how hot you mean but when I do longer brew times, the temperature of the coffee stays warm enough to be slightly to hot to drink. With shorter brew times I need to let it cool anyway before drinking.


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## Elcee (Feb 16, 2017)

Timpo said:


> I disagree with the long Brew times. Mostly based on my experience of ordering an aeropress from places like FCP in Bristol and Colonna & Smalls in Bath, they are done very quickly and are full of flavour. I am still messing about with my exact method at home. Mostly I go for the following -
> 
> inverted method, 15g coffee, water at 90-93 degrees, 200g water brew for 2mins, 30second plunge.
> 
> If anything I would play with grind.


Just wondering, have you tried longer brew times?

Coffee shops are going to favour methods with quick preparation times to speed up customer turnaround time.


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## nufc1 (May 11, 2015)

MildredM said:


> I am sorry to sound dense . . . But how do you keep it hot if it's been steeping for 15 minutes or longer? It's ages since I used an a/p but I can't recall leaving it long at all.
> 
> It reminds me of a funny little story (which I will post in the Muppetry thread sometime).


The plastic of the Aeropress is quite a good insulator so even after 15 mins, the temp is still >65C


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## salty (Mar 7, 2017)

Elcee said:


> I'm not sure how hot you mean but when I do longer brew times, the temperature of the coffee stays warm enough to be slightly to hot to drink. With shorter brew times I need to let it cool anyway before drinking.


Totally agree. I've been experimenting with 15-20 min for french press and aeropress (after a stir at 4 mins along the lines of the James Hoffman method for FP) and find its at a perfect temp if I started with boiling water.


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## foundrycoffeeroasters.com (Jun 19, 2014)

I suspect that grinding finer is probably the best place to start. I would suggest going quite a bit finer, try to find dryness/bitterness and then just ease back (coarser) from there until you hit something you like.

You may also need to consider where your strength preference lies - with our recipe we tend to use 14-15g doses as this is how we like the body/mouthfeel to be in the cup, so it fits with our preference.

Play around with it, I will often drop the dose after finding something I like just because it will reduce the body (usually) and push the extraction at the same time so I get to see if there is more to be had from the bean.

We don't actually use the aeropress in the cafe but the recipe has been developed to reflect how we use the device, which is usually to knock up a quick brew in the morning.

My own sense is that the aeropress is really very forgiving and as long as you've got the grind more or less right, it's easy to produce brew after brew with little effort.

If it's a hand grinder you're using, why not drop into the cafe with it and your aeropress. If you come at a quiet time (10-11 or 3-4 maybe) then we'd be happy to spend a bit of time helping you to get it sorted.


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

hotmetal said:


> So will the filter paper pull out the fines reasonably even from espresso grind? I don't want a really silty brew.
> 
> I realise it's not ideal which is why I backed the Aergrind which also comes with a metal filter disc for the AP.


You will get more silt from a metal filter than the paper ones.

The Instructions in the box describe how the inventor uses his which is with an espresso grind to make a strong concentrate for americano. You need a bit more effort to force down the plunger the finer the grind.


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## the_partisan (Feb 29, 2016)

Also make sure you're using good water for coffee brewing. Hard water can make the brew taste very flat and dull. I can recommend this video for Aeropress:


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## Microlot (Jun 22, 2017)

Good orientation is Mr. Wendelboe´s Video


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## donblacc (Jul 23, 2017)

Interesting stuff with these long time guides,it seems I've been brewing wrong all this time! Usually use a fine-medium grind, water just off boil. Bloom with 50g water for 30 seconds,then top up to 250g, stir a couple times. Let brew for 2:30 before flipping and pressing.

Am I crazy?

.....well, we're all a bit crazy aren't we?


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## foundrycoffeeroasters.com (Jun 19, 2014)

donblacc said:


> Interesting stuff with these long time guides,it seems I've been brewing wrong all this time! Usually use a fine-medium grind, water just off boil. Bloom with 50g water for 30 seconds,then top up to 250g, stir a couple times. Let brew for 2:30 before flipping and pressing.
> 
> Am I crazy?
> 
> .....well, we're all a bit crazy aren't we?


The exact recipe you use isn't particularly important. Quicker recipes just need a finer grind to get the same level of extraction occurring within the shorter time frame. Longer recipes are likely to be more forgiving so if you have the time, go for it!


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## Timpo (Jul 17, 2015)

I have, mostly when I forgot about it, or someone entered the office and I have had to leave it. I wouldn't choose to do it. I would again have to disagree, the two shops I mentioned would not favour quick prep over a good brew.


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

Timpo said:


> I have, mostly when I forgotin about it, or someone entered the office and I have had to leave it. I wouldn't choose to do it. I would again have to disagree, the two shops I mentioned would not favour quick prep over a good brew.


I've had some very weak and watery AP's from cafes so you are lucky to have found some good ones.

You use a brew ratio of 75g/l which will result in strong coffee and a lowish extraction. Longer brews circa 20 mins can use brew ratios of around 55g/l and give medium strength but higher extractions. These will be quite different in taste and mouthfeel.


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## Timpo (Jul 17, 2015)

I'll give it a go shortly and report back.


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## donblacc (Jul 23, 2017)

foundrycoffeeroasters.com said:


> The exact recipe you use isn't particularly important. Quicker recipes just need a finer grind to get the same level of extraction occurring within the shorter time frame. Longer recipes are likely to be more forgiving so if you have the time, go for it!


this morning I had some time on my hands, so I took your advice.....WOW! Explosions of flavour that I have never experience with aeropress. Albeit a little burnt tasting, but with some adjustments I'm sure this can be changed.

Gratitude!


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## salty (Mar 7, 2017)

What difference does the type of water used make to the final product? Any advantage in using bottled over tap water passed through a brita filter and if so, is there a stand-out brand to go for?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Volvic is the datum for bottled water, some like that with a mix of Waitrose WE Stretton Hills, or Stretton Hills on its own, I like Deeside for brewed (water heated in a kettle not a boiler). Whether they offer an improvement depends on what your tap water is like to start with. Bottled water is just water in a bottle, tap water comes out of the tap, they are both very variable. Too much bicarbonate may flatten off the acidity in your coffee.

Getting your recipe down with reasonable water is more important than a perfect water. Water is great for fine tuning & certainly makes a difference in flavour, but it's not a magic bullet.


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

salty said:


> What difference does the type of water used make to the final product? Any advantage in using bottled over tap water passed through a brita filter and if so, is there a stand-out brand to go for?


Do you have an analysis of your tap water from your water company? I'm assuming it's hard if you are using a Brita.

Unfortunately there is no stand out single bottled water solution. Going by the labels WE Stretton Hills ought to be but tastewise I don't like it.

I'd agree that Deeside is probably the best bet if you don't want to get into mixing. It favours acidity over body. Volvic is the other way round favouring body over acidity but seems to be the accepted norm. Try both on the same coffee and notice the difference.

By mixing different bottled waters you can get water nearer to a 2:1 hardness:alkalinity ratio which is suggested to be better for coffee. Whether it is depends on your personal taste v hassle ratio. Call it fine tuning or a waste of time.


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## salty (Mar 7, 2017)

Thanks for this. Yes I'm in east Devon where we are considered to be medium hard - well the water is anyway, hence the Brita. Have to say that I'm actually pretty happy with the brews I'm getting on V60 and aeropress using the water out of the Brita jug but I may experiment a bit with the Volvic, Deeside and Stretton and see if I can tell the difference.


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

Medium hard seems to be in the range 140 to 210 ppm. A Brita filter should approximately half this to 70 to 105 which is a good range for coffee. I'd be surprised if you preferred the bottled. You'll probably notice quite a difference especially with the Deeside. Be interesting to hear your opinion after you've tried them. Make sure it's the same coffee and all other variables are the same.


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