# Optimising brew set up/paper choice



## Marmottefarcie (May 13, 2018)

The rest of the family prefers my brewed coffee to my efforts at espresso so I'd like to improve my brewing protocol.

I started out with a plastic V60 (02) funnel and a variety of V60 papers (bleached and unbleached).

Unfortunately, the V60 funnel was dropped so I have substituted a Kinto SCS 04 4 cup dripper funnel.

The Niche is set to approx the left hand hinge and I'm using a thermostatic kettle that produces water at 5º increments from 80º upwards. At the moment I am pouring at either 95º or just boiled. I have got a gooseneck but I am not going to add that into the process until I am consistent with the rest of the set up.

I have been following MWJB's suggestions regarding bloom, pulsed pours etc.

I am using a ratio of about 16:230 with a variety of beans (e.g. Rave Colombia Suarez or Signature blend).

I enjoy the results in terms of taste but wondered if I should be considering other papers/drippers to improve consistency?

Would using a Kalitta Wave +/- Kalitta papers give a better result considering that I am inexperienced with brewing).


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Kalita Wave 185 with white papers will make it possible for you to bloom, add rest of water in one go & get fairly reasonable consistency.

If you use the gooseneck kettle, it won't make any difference which paper filter brewer you use - V60, Melitta, Kalita Wave all work equally well. Consistency is down to you, doing everything the same each time.

Really your choice might come down to which papers are easiest to get & your brewing regime. For example, when you make multiple cups, how many do you make and do you make them simultaneously or consecutively.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Kalitta wave filters wont make a better brew, just a different one.

v60 is probably the most forgiving of the pour over methods.

Chemex is cleaner, but again I wouldnt say it's easier in terms of consistency than a v60. Again the filter changes the taste ( cleaner )

Try a few cafes and see if they have other methods on and see if you enjoy them.

But If you are enjoying the coffee you make, enjoy it.


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

I would incorporate the gooseneck straight away. It should help with consistency and really is pretty essential for reducing over agitation in the pours.

If you like the taste of V60 then stick with it. It sounds like you are using beans that are on the dark side for pourover (nothing wrong with that) but lower temperature is said to be possibly beneficial for those types of roasts. You could try and set the kettle to 90 or even 85C and see if it makes a positive difference.

Quite a high ratio you are using. Is that to get a "strong" cup?


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## Marmottefarcie (May 13, 2018)

Step21 said:


> Quite a high ratio you are using. Is that to get a "strong" cup?


It isn't a deliberate attempt to get a "strong" taste - I read all the different recipes I could find and that ratio seemed to be about the average of other people's suggestions.

My drinks have cold milk added and I am trying to end up with a mug containing between 250-350mls.

If you think a lower ratio would be better, I can alter the dose and see how it tastes.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Didn't even notice that you didn't have a gooseneck.

That's will be the biggest thing that will deliver consistency if added.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Marmottefarcie said:


> It isn't a deliberate attempt to get a "strong" taste - I read all the different recipes I could find and that ratio seemed to be about the average of other people's suggestions.
> 
> My drinks have cold milk added and I am trying to end up with a mug containing between 250-350mls.
> 
> If you think a lower ratio would be better, I can alter the dose and see how it tastes.


230 is a good number to aim for in brew water, easily divisible & tuneable especially if you tweak to 233g (bloom 33g, then pulses of 33g, or 66g are very intuitive as all pulses end in #33, #66 or #00). I think 14 to 15g of dose would be more typical, but I don't add milk & 70g/L should still be easily extractable.


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

Marmottefarcie said:


> It isn't a deliberate attempt to get a "strong" taste - I read all the different recipes I could find and that ratio seemed to be about the average of other people's suggestions.
> 
> My drinks have cold milk added and I am trying to end up with a mug containing between 250-350mls.
> 
> If you think a lower ratio would be better, I can alter the dose and see how it tastes.


Better is subjective. Simply pointing out that 60g/l is more of a standard starting point. Nothing wrong with 70g/l. If you like it don't change it. I don't add milk to coffee, so have no idea how that will alter taste other than perhaps add some sweetness.

Sounds like a big brewer size (04) for a single cup. What size of filters are you using? If there is a lot of distance to the coffee bed from where you are pouring the gooseneck will be beneficial.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

FWIW here is how I brew 1 mug with V60, Melitta (& WM Bartleet 3 hole Melitta style brewer) & Kalita 185, gooseneck kettle, same weights & grind setting (original Feldgrind 2+4 to 2+7, Lido E @ 19) for all...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oMz78eSyBxN1k_om8Omz-W_YC0zABKWQdMfJDCEK9r0/edit?usp=sharing


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