# Making a make do brew? V60



## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Hi guys,

New to the forum and as all, have ideas of grandeur then realise im not a millionaire and cant even buy a good grinder lol

So with this in mind ive opted for a v60 02

Ive seen various methods, championship winning methods, 'ultimate' methods ?

But im going to be limited to grind size, ive seen james hoffman vid on getting the best from a blade grinder, i have a delonghi kg47 so im going to be getting a course grind id presume,

With this in mind would something like the 4:6 method be better suited to that grind?

Cheers jake


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Hi Jake,

If your grind is very coarse, you might want to do more pours than 6. On the other hand, you might want to start with a very basic & play with grind to see what you can get?

I'd start with maybe dividing your brew water amount into 3, or 4, pour in fast spirals every 40s (each pour taking 10s). After the 2nd pour, pour through the sieve, or a strainer to break up the stream & reduce agitation. Always use the same weight of coffee & water (1:15 ratio to start with).

Toughest thing is going to be repeating grind. Maybe aim for a certain % weight of grinds that pass through the sieve, after regrinding the boulders (E.g. start with 20g of beans & grind/regrind until you get say 15g? Don't know if these exact % will work, just an illustration).

Honestly, given that you need scales, pouring kettle, it seems odd that the grinder is the weak link in your set up. No chance of going up to the KG79 burr grinder, or a Rhino hand grinder?

Until you start grinding & get an idea of what you can do with that grinder, I wouldn't get too attached to any particular pour method. V60 is not very self regulating, so grind needs to be the same size each time to present resistance to the pour & the pour must be repeatable.


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Thanks,

Yeah im open to jumping to a better grinder, for sure.

Id already got the grinder sadly, jumping the gun.

I dont even have my beans yet, im just preparing.

Ive been put off going for a hand grinder a tad, as i thought id have to spend into the 100s the delonghi was a 10 ebay bargin lol.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Cuprajake said:


> Ive been put off going for a hand grinder a tad, as i thought id have to spend into the 100s the delonghi was a 10 ebay bargin lol.


 You'll be able to make at least some tasty cups, even if you continue as described. The difference in grind quality is more like the difference between tasty & very tasty/cleaner.

I have 2 blade grinders that make nice coffee, the both use a mesh to limit large particles, you'll just be doing this bit by hand...just you'll be spending as much time sifting as grinding & wasting some coffee 

Cheap burr grinders like the KG79 & Rhino/Hario/Porlex benefit from having some form of set gap, to limit large particles as you grind. Sure, there are 'better' grinders, but those mentioned don't exclude you from getting a ball-park result.


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## V70 (Apr 2, 2020)

Hi,

If you are getting a lot of fines in your grind try rubbing on a kitchen roll to remove them.

I've tried the 4:6 method and it can help in avoiding over extraction but I think I get tastier results with Scott Rao's instructions.

However unlike Scott I use water around 92C(leave 2mins after boiling if you don't have a thermometer) instead of just off the boil, might help avoid overextraction if your grind isn't perfectly uniform.

If things don't improve try to invest in a Hario Mini Mill Slim hand grinder, also try using Volvic or Tesco Ashbeck water to see if it makes a difference.

Good luck


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Thanks

I'm actually still collecting bits so not got my v60,

I do have my kettle so im guna do timed pours haha sad i know but saves wasting beans
View attachment 37603
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View attachment 37606


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

V70 said:


> However unlike Scott I use water around 92C(leave 2mins after boiling if you don't have a thermometer) instead of just off the boil, might help avoid overextraction if your grind isn't perfectly uniform.


 There's either, no such thing as 'perfectly uniform' grinds, or, all grinds are 'perfectly uniform' 

Adequately uniform is good enough for high extractions (22-23% with a Porlex & a very soluble coffee), without over extracting. Under-extraction is the more common malfunction.


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## V70 (Apr 2, 2020)

MWJB said:


> Adequately uniform is good enough for high extractions (22-23% with a Porlex & a very soluble coffee), without over extracting. Under-extraction is the more common malfunction.


 hope you're right, otherwise it's a slippery slope towards the acquisition of an ek43 just to avoid those fines?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

V70 said:


> hope you're right, otherwise it's a slippery slope towards the acquisition of an ek43 just to avoid those fines?


 You need a certain amount of small particles to control flow in percolation, it's the boulders that are less with an EK-43.


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## V70 (Apr 2, 2020)

Cuprajake said:


> Thanks
> 
> I'm actually still collecting bits so not got my v60,
> 
> ...


 Nice grinder. Looks like you've got a great set up once the v60 arrives.

Let us know how your brew turns out!


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Yeah will do thanks


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## V70 (Apr 2, 2020)

MWJB said:


> You need a certain amount of small particles to control flow in percolation, it's the boulders that are less with an EK-43.


 Good posts on your wordpress on this subject and extraction in general. Will give your recipe a go ?


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Thats what im starting with aswell, alot have had success with it from reading the forum


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