# Hoffmann’s V60 1 Cup recipe



## Zephyp (Mar 1, 2017)

James Hoffmann has uploaded a new video with a recipe dedicated to smaller brews with the V60. Most complaints about his first “Ultimate” recipe was that people found it didn’t work that well for smaller brews, so here we are.






The recipe is divided into bloom and four pours. Details in the video or video description.

He uses a rather lot of water for the bloom (3.33x coffee weight) and let it sit for 45 seconds, with a swirl. There’s also a swirl at the end.

The most curious to me was a comment in the video on preheating the V60. He recommends a plastic dripper due to the thermal properties, but also says that when they compared a preheated brew to a non-preheated, they didn’t detect any difference in the TDS, but the taste was “night and day”. He elaborates with: “less sweet, more acidic, less enjoyable overall”. I couldn’t find an explanation for what kind of preheating he is talking about here. They detected a significant change in bloom temperature with preheating, but no difference once they started the main pours.










What I’m interested to know is what you people have experienced concerning preheating. I’ve been wetting the paper with the brew water, but only enough to get it wet. I don’t know how much preheating you have to do for it to cause the difference they found.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

I don't generally bother with rinsing/preheating, I mostly use the plastic V60's, but after watching James' video, I had a crack at brewing 2 cups simultaneously - 1 rinsed & preheated (250ml of boiling water poured through the brewer into a jug water level just above the base of the brewer), the other not.

My coffee cups are 7oz/210ml so I went with 5 pours of 40g, 13.8g dose & his timings from the video. My grind was too fine, the cups came out at 22.7% & 22.8% EY (the same EY to all intents & purposes), but to my surprise the preheated cup was more intense flavour-wise, despite measuring a tad weaker (this is because the non rinsed/preheated paper absorbs more beverage and so is stronger at the same EY).

I tried another preheated brew at a coarser grind after this (20.4% EY), but this one was not as intense as my other typical brews with this coffee. I'll give his new method a few more cracks, as it needs a bit of dialling in (none of the 3 cups are up to par with my regular brews as yet).

A great shame that he seems unwilling to make any grind recommendations beyond images & vague descriptions ("medium fine"), it would save a lot of time.


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## Zephyp (Mar 1, 2017)

Thanks, Mark. If you try preheating with your normal method, I'd be interested to hear your findings. What does your regular method look like these days for 240/250g V60?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Zephyp said:


> Thanks, Mark. If you try preheating with your normal method, I'd be interested to hear your findings. What does your regular method look like these days for 240/250g V60?


Still doing 7 pours of 30g every 20s (each pour taking 10s) at 12% 400 Kruve. (13.8g to 210g)

But also been using the Hario Drip Assist at a coarser grind (9% at 400 Kruve) 7 pours of 30g every 30s, first 3 in the centre, last 4 in the ring. 

Less frequently, at the same grind size, 18.0g dose & 8 pours of 33g every 30s to 270g total. Also at 9% 400 Kruve.

Got a Mugen recently, bloom twice the dose weight, then split the remainder into 3 equal parts, all pours at 30s intervals (12% 400 Kruve, 13.8g to 210g).


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## Zephyp (Mar 1, 2017)

You wrote in the other topic:


> When you have significant standing liquid above the bed, pour gently straight down the middle. Only pour in spirals early in the brew or when the liquid has all but drained.


Last I remember, you were doing the last 1-2 pours down the middle. I got standing water pretty much after the first pour after bloom to the last. This made me think of the Drip Assist, which eliminate a lot of the agitation. I bought one, but been too busy to find time for testing.

What's your impression of the Drip Assist so far?

I haven't looked too closely at the Mugen, just that a selling point was single pour. Is the design of the cone the only difference that makes it drain slower? Does it yield any different results from the V60? My motivation for experimenting is mostly to improve the taste or consistency of my brews.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Overall, I'd say that whether using the V60, with or without Drip Assist, or Mugen, the differences are more about faff factor & convenience. A bit less input/care needed for Drip Assist in terms of where to pour/how much agitation.

I do find the Drip Assist is giving brews with a little less detectable silt throughout, but with direct pouring the silt seems most evident in the first few sips before the brew then cleans up OK and a little silt/mouthfeel isn't off putting to me. Overall, my preference for each is about the same, consistency isn't an issue with any of the methods/brewers.

I haven't yet experienced a ball-park brew with one pour, without a bloom, using the Mugen (Tetsu Kasuya's recipes seem to make a very different drink to what I recognise as coffee). As well as the lack of ridges, the hole is smaller, the flow more restricted. It acts more like a Melitta brewer. It produces a very similar brew to the 7 pour V60 method, just with fewer & larger pours.

In short, there isn't a significant reason to change, I'm fairly lazy and do like the Drip Assist mostly because of a little less input/concentration required.


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## Zephyp (Mar 1, 2017)

That's what I was expecting. With someone of your experience and skill level, you can get great results with anything, but for most, I can see the appeal of making it easier to consistently brew good coffee. Certainly does for me, which is why the Drip Assist is interesting. Today, I can make pretty consistently good brews with a V60, but it doesn't hurt if I can be even more consistent or not have to be as concentrated. I don't have a desire to make things more difficult than necessary. The downside is needing another piece of equipment in the kitchen, and it's made for a V60 02.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Another simultaneous 2x plastic 01 brews today, 1 preheated, one not, again the cup from the preheated brewer was more intense, the cold brewer a little washed out. Not subtle in difference but not enough to elevate the score I gave both cups, the cups had similar flavour profile, but like I said, more intensity & vibrancy from the preheated brewer.

Preheat achieved by 250ml of boiling water poured over the brewer & filter paper in Pyrex 1L glass jug (also holds an 02 brewer), brewer removed and excess water shaken off just before brew water hit boil.


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