# Basic help needed working a drip brewer



## rob177palmer (Feb 14, 2017)

Have just arrived at our rented holiday cottage for the next week to find this beauty:










First brew is actually rather nice!

70g per litre of Django Coocamu, ground at 2.6 on my aeropress.

Lovely and delicate flavours from a bean I know well and have only used as espresso previously.

The flow through the filter was good. the water level didn't rise too high - I think I might try tightening the grind slightly for the morning - setting 2.2 maybe? I'd like to achieve a slightly heavier mouthfeel.

Here is the brew slurry. What do you think?










To me it looks like the hot water has been injected too fast? I wonder if I should stir the slurry whilst the machine is pumping the water?

OR, do I just not worry about "getting the best" from this machine, and let it do its thing?

I'm only here a week but have been pleasantly surprised with the quality of the coffee and wondering, if I can master this, maybe there is a place for a drip machine next to my lever at home?!

Thanks guys


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

1L water will be injected at the rate it is, the grind fineness will determine brew time & extraction.

It just looks like the water was delivered mostly in a central point. As the grounds aren't spread all up the walls of the brewer, the slurry level must have stayed quite low. If the grind was fine enough to get a tasty extraction, it must have held back the water enough to properly wet the dose.

I'd expect 70g/L to be a bit more than 'delicate', so sure try a little finer & maybe 64g/L?

I wouldn't start futzing with it unless brew quality drops off.


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## rob177palmer (Feb 14, 2017)

Haha - fair point - my "delicate" is in comparison to a 1:2 espresso from the same beans!

I suppose the high tide mark is shown by the staining on the filter paper. The machine did pulse, maybe a cup of water then paused before the next.

I'll try adjusting dose and tightening the grind and see where I get to tomorrow morning.

Thank you


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## the_partisan (Feb 29, 2016)

You could try stirring in the beginning, and also once in the end (just the surface), though it doesn't look like you had issues with high and dry grounds. Is that a Melitta style cone?


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## rob177palmer (Feb 14, 2017)

the_partisan said:


> You could try stirring in the beginning, and also once in the end (just the surface), though it doesn't look like you had issues with high and dry grounds. Is that a Melitta style cone?


I actually did try this and I think better results this morning.

Dosed 66 g/l and ground at 2.1 on the Aergrind this morning.










Much better body but interestingly the water level nearly overflowed whilst brewing. From the look of the slurry noticeably finer fines.

Also a subtle but strange flavour in the mug, so going to grind at 2.3 next time and see if that works better.

All round, already a much better cup than I had expected from the machine


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

rob177palmer said:


> From the look of the slurry noticeably finer fines.


You set the grinder finer, so the big bits got smaller, so did the little bits and you would have more of them under say 500um. The grind quality didn't change between 2+6 & 2+1.


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## rob177palmer (Feb 14, 2017)

MWJB said:


> You set the grinder finer, so the big bits got smaller, so did the little bits and you would have more of them under say 500um. The grind quality didn't change between 2+6 & 2+1.


Agree - the distribution curve moved finer, so I now have more finer fines.

Looking at the slurry and he fact it alarmist overflowed, I think the fines were too fine so inhibiting flow.

Hopefully between the two settings should nail it. Need a trip the next village today for more filter papers tho or we'll have an issue tomorrow morning!!


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