# Aeropress



## Taylor The Latte Boy (Dec 9, 2013)

Firstly, sorry for the long and very anal post!

I just cannot seem to get it to taste 'great'!

I just made a coffee on the Rocko Mountain, Ethipoia, which I know is a beautiful bean, although after some changes, the current coffee is nicer and lighter than this mornings efforts, it still feels like it's lacking. The really delicate strawberry fruits are not coming through on aeropress - and I know aeropress doesn't produce as fruity a coffee as chemex or v60, but to have almost none of the strawberry characteristics I experience through the latter brew methods?

Can anyone inspect my procedures and tell me if I'm missing something?


I completely cleaned my Hario hand grinder with hot soapy water, let it steep for a couple hours and rinsed thoroughly and dried.

I put onto the hob a saucepan of bottled, unfortified water (so to use the softest water possible without a water softener or filter), let boil.

While the water is boiling I ground 16 grams of coffee beans (roast date 05/01/15)*

I prepared the aeropress filter by placing the paper filter into the holder and soaking.

I put hot water from the kettle** into the inverted aeropress to warm - I repeated this with my pouring jug - so as to avoid loss of brewing water temperature from conduction (I poured the water from the saucepan into the jug to avoid spilling while pouring into the aeropress).

I emptied the water from the aeropress and the pouring jug and filled the jug with the brewing water from the saucepan

Dumped my ground coffee into the aeropress and poured about 32 ml of water in, gently stirred to allow for full saturation and let bloom for 30 seconds.

Then, I added another 170 ml of water to the brew, for a total of 200 ml of water, and let sit for one minute.

During this one minute wait, I boiled some water in the kettle and warmed my cup, emptied the water from the cup.

Then stirred the brew approximately 10 times and attached the aeropress filter, I put the cup on top, flipped and pressed down until the hissing noise and stopped.


* I used to get a bad 'tinny' smell from the bottom chamber of the hand grinder, the portion that collects the ground coffee, this is why I cleaned it with hot soapy water and rinsed etc. the smell was gone but once I ground the beans, I could smell it again in the chamber. Is the energy produced from the friction of the burrs burning my coffee as it grinds? It smells like a cheap instant coffee with a tinny aromatic. Far from how it smells when I grind it in the electric grinders at work, or just whole in the bag!

** I didn't want to use the kettle for the brewing water, I have boiled the kettle prior to this brew and measured the temperature with a thermometer and it only read 70-75 celsius - immediately after boiling. Turns out it was the thermometer that was broken, I measured the clearly boiling water in the pan and still only said 70 celsius. I still think the water on the hob gets hotter than water in my kettle.

Note: I used this same exact method this morning with the exception of the saucepan, I boiled the water in the kettle. The brew I made with water from the saucepan tasted better. At least that has been cleared up, but still not getting the results I expect. Must it be the grinder?


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## Taylor The Latte Boy (Dec 9, 2013)

My wife is wondering why I'm in a mood.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

80g/l...1 min steep, would you expect good results from a French press in this time? I suspect you're underextracting, which is why the brews are generic.

Inverted you can grind much finer than you probably think.

If you want quicker brews try non inverted with a fine drip grind.

Aeropress can give brews with good clarity, inverted add water then coffee. Non inverted, don't worry about dripping, plunge slow...even allow it to drip then plunge to get the remaining water through. Either way I'd be reducing your dose.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Some kettles & pans will taint the water if left to reach a rolling boil, maybe try heating to just hot enough with a new thermometer, or try glass/lined pan/kettle. I'd assume these were the suspects for a metalic taste before the grinder.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Can you get access to a refractometer?


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

What kind of grind are you using?

As MWJB says you'll need to grind fine to get results from this short brew time. I'd suggest bringing forward the agitation to much earlier in the process - try stirring just after you get all the water in. This should quicken the extraction. You'll need to experiment to find the ideal amount of stirring though.


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## Taylor The Latte Boy (Dec 9, 2013)

MWJB said:


> 80g/l...1 min steep, would you expect good results from a French press in this time? I suspect you're underextracting, which is why the brews are generic.
> 
> Inverted you can grind much finer than you probably think.
> 
> ...


It's quite a fine grind I'm using, the grind size is based off of blue bottles website and the method is - well I don't usually do inverted - but based off of... lots of sources; blue bottle, stumptown and world aeropress champions. They all use or recommend similar ratios and brew times. I used to do 45 second bloom, 1 minute brew and 30 second press (with the same ratios). That was a longer brew time than today's but as you put it, was quite generic.

I noticed in the link in your sig, you recommend 10g to 167g water, which is 59g/l. Do you still recommend this? I may try that tomorrow morning. The metallic smell comes after grinding the beans, comes from the glass collector. Nothing to do with the water. I think I will try a slightly courser grind to try reduce heat in the burrs, or maybe just grinding slower may help. I'm buying a new thermometer tomorrow, and maybe a new kettle. I'm brewing blind at the moment in regards to temperature - but definitely some improvements today boiling in a pan as opposed to the kettle (which is quite old/used) and warming all equipment before use.

No chance of getting my hands on a refractometer. Below is roughly what I use, picture is taken from blue bottle.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Have you tried different water?


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## jkb89 (Dec 10, 2014)

Whilst I'm a complete noob on such matters, I did make what I consider to be an excellent aeropress the other day, and have been able to repeat it atleast once! It eluded me this morning, but that's probably because I was half asleep and messed something up.

Quite a fine grind (similar looking to your pic), 18g of hasbean ES ilusion, 30ml water just off the boil, stir, 210ml to fill aeropress (inverted), leave for 2 mins followed by a slow press. Topped up 1/2 & 1/2 with water.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Taylor The Latte Boy said:


> It's quite a fine grind I'm using, the grind size is based off of blue bottles website and the method is - well I don't usually do inverted - but based off of... lots of sources; blue bottle, stumptown and world aeropress champions. They all use or recommend similar ratios and brew times. I used to do 45 second bloom, 1 minute brew and 30 second press (with the same ratios). That was a longer brew time than today's but as you put it, was quite generic.
> 
> I noticed in the link in your sig, you recommend 10g to 167g water, which is 59g/l. Do you still recommend this? I may try that tomorrow morning. The metallic smell comes after grinding the beans, comes from the glass collector. Nothing to do with the water. I think I will try a slightly courser grind to try reduce heat in the burrs, or maybe just grinding slower may help. I'm buying a new thermometer tomorrow, and maybe a new kettle. I'm brewing blind at the moment in regards to temperature - but definitely some improvements today boiling in a pan as opposed to the kettle (which is quite old/used) and warming all equipment before use.
> 
> No chance of getting my hands on a refractometer. Below is roughly what I use, picture is taken from blue bottle.


Which actual recipe are you following? Each one will give a ball-park to that recipe result, mixing & matching factors from more than one might confuse matters, you don't always (ever?) know grind setting, nor are able to repeat it.

Yes, the 10g to 167g method is one of the most consistent I have found with the Aeropress, you leave a little in the brewer so in effect the brew ratio goes up a tad. You could also do 10g to 162/163g and just press through to the hiss, saves a second pair of scales. It gives a fair body, for more clarity I steep finer & longer (30mins) inverted.

If Bluebottle are using a different grinder to you, the size of the particles isn't going to compare exactly. If you are underextracting & you go coarser, you will underextract more.


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## jkb89 (Dec 10, 2014)

MWJB said:


> It gives a fair body, for more clarity I steep finer & longer (*30mins*) inverted.


30 minutes? :-O


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

jkb89 said:


> 30 minutes? :-O


Loves a long brew does mwjb


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## Taylor The Latte Boy (Dec 9, 2013)

Scotford said:


> Have you tried different water?





MWJB said:


> Which actual recipe are you following? Each one will give a ball-park to that recipe result, mixing & matching factors from more than one might confuse matters, you don't always (ever?) know grind setting, nor are able to repeat it.
> 
> Yes, the 10g to 167g method is one of the most consistent I have found with the Aeropress, you leave a little in the brewer so in effect the brew ratio goes up a tad. You could also do 10g to 162/163g and just press through to the hiss, saves a second pair of scales. It gives a fair body, for more clarity I steep finer & longer (30mins) inverted.
> 
> If Bluebottle are using a different grinder to you, the size of the particles isn't going to compare exactly. If you are underextracting & you go coarser, you will underextract more.


So far I have only used tap water unfiltered and Highland bottled water. I saw improvements when I used Highland bottled water, however I did change other variables for the first time so cannot say for sure it was the change in water that affected the end result. This morning I used tap water again - I had no bottled water left - boiled the water through the kettle but used a brew recipe and methods recommended by MWJB. The end result? Every characteristic about the coffee was better! The colour was brighter, aromatics were richer, and the taste was sweeter! I have to say I was skeptical at first with so many sources recommending a larger brew ratio, but this beat them hands down.

I still don't have a working thermometer and still using the same old kettle, which both will be fixed today. Once those are sorted and I buy some more bottled water, I think things will be improving still! I couldn't follow the instructions exactly because I don't have a brew stand, it was difficult to measure how much coffee I was plunging into the cup and how much was left in the aeropress. Wife permitting, I will be buying a v60 brew set with brew stand and scales.

MWJB, I can't thank you enough.


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## Taylor The Latte Boy (Dec 9, 2013)

One more thing I forgot to mention, I used 1.6 times less coffee today which significantly shortened grinding time. That tinny smell while was still there was significantly reduced. I ground the coffee slower but kept the grind size the same. No-to-very little bitter, tinny, instant coffee like smell. I actually got the strawberry aromatics from the coffee in its ground state. One small step for Taylor the latte boy, one giant leap in his understanding and practice of brewed coffee.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

You've not been going like the clappers with your handgrinder have you? Maybe its burrs aren't all that cut out for 20000rpm.


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## CallumT (Aug 23, 2013)

Probably the highland water doesn't help total residue values of 350 mg / ltr.

Who roasted the coffee, and when was it roasted?


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

As a 'go-to' here is my latest recipe for med roast brews in the AP:

Invert, warm with boiling water, probe handy

14g pour-over grind type

Pour warming water back into pouring jug, add more from kettle until at 93degc

Dump coffee, tare scales

50g, start timer

Quick stir to saturate grounds

30sec bloom

ensure water still at 93

Add 180g water, making sure to mix all grounds

Add rinsed and warmed filter, re-vert AP over cup

2min steep

15 second plunge.

I get pretty good results across the board with this method. Lighter roasts I tend to use 30g less water to the same amount of grounds though.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I'm sure I could improve my Aeropress technique but at work as I dont measure weight or temp.

My technique is:-

Grind close to the finest setting on my Baratza.

Use the inverted method, wet paper

dose approx 14-15g

pour water straight from the kettle (tap water) fill up to nearly the top

wait 10-15 secs

stir with paddle 10 times

wait another 45 secs.

fix cap, push out air

invert and push down straight away this. this usually takes about 20-25 secs.

I seem to get some good results with this.

Although I always think I could be doing something better but haven't the time at work.

Sowden's is easy if I'm prepared to wait.


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## Beanosaurus (Jun 4, 2014)

Scotford said:


> You've not been going like the clappers with your handgrinder have you? Maybe its burrs aren't all that cut out for 20000rpm.


Are you enquiring from experience??


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Beanosaurus said:


> Are you enquiring from experience??


Funny...

yes


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## Beanosaurus (Jun 4, 2014)

Should probably chuck this in here, the Aeropress App is bloody brilliant its a worthy download for anyone experimenting or getting to grips with one.


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## Finley (Oct 19, 2014)

Beanosaurus said:


> Should probably chuck this in here, the Aeropress App is bloody brilliant its a worthy download for anyone experimenting or getting to grips with one.


Agree with this, fantastic app


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## AussieEx (Jul 10, 2013)

Finley said:


> Agree with this, fantastic app


Aww shucks. A mate of mine told me to get it too. I didn't want to spend more on a low-tech work coffee solution, the aim of which was to be able to have coffee at work (I don't count whatever they call that stuff that comes out of the Bravilor Bonamat). I figured 'how hard can it be?'. A couple of weeks later hanging around on here and I now need:

- Another grinder

- Another set of scales

- Another kettle

- Another thermometer (well I guess I can use the milk steaming one since the Temp Tags made that obsolete)

- Another timing device

- Another app


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## Finley (Oct 19, 2014)

AussieExpat said:


> Aww shucks. A mate of mine told me to get it too. I didn't want to spend more on a low-tech work coffee solution, the aim of which was to be able to have coffee at work (I don't count whatever they call that stuff that comes out of the Bravilor Bonamat). I figured 'how hard can it be?'. A couple of weeks later hanging around on here and I now need:
> 
> - Another grinder
> 
> ...










know that feeling ha! I never even drank coffee before visiting here!


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