# Chemex and the ek43



## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Split form the hausgrind thread for clarity ....

If you've over extracted( using a Chemex ) can you 'fix' it simply by watering down a bit?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Have a Hausgrind and use it for Chemex and V60 when I'm away. Grind is pretty coarse for Chemex as filters are much thicker than V60s. My setting, for Chemex, is one and three quarters from zero. I use a VST refractometer to check extraction yields and fine tune the grind for different beans. Refractometer takes out all the guesswork - if you haven't got access to one, try this.
> 
> Use the ratio of 1:17. Rather than just grind a bit coarser - try this experiment. Use 25grms of beans with 425grms of water - should give you approx 360grms of brewed coffee. Decant exactly equal amounts into three cups. Add 5% warm water to one cup and 10% to the second and leave the third as it is. Then taste test the three repeatedly as the brewed coffees cool. The flavour profile changes as coffee cools and is often most pronounced when lukewarm. See if the flavour profile is present and/or more pronounced in any of the three cups. If you find the either of the diluted cups taste better, your grind is too fine and you're over extracting which is very easy to do. Bringing down the coffee's extraction yield to a level where you can get the flavour profile whilst retaining decent body/mouthfeel often requires fine tuning.


I tried this out this morning as Chemex has been a bit lacklustre recently. Did Boots method which I assume is the same as yours.

NICARAGUA FINCA LIMONCILLO NATURAL RED PACAMARA 'ELEGANT'

25g coffee

425g water

40g bloom for 40 secs

Three pours of roughly 130ml each

Ground at 6 o'clock on the EK

Took 5 mins 30 to draw down which is about the same as usual but tasted a bit better - previous technique was more small pours. The 10% was far too watery, think the undiluted might have been the best actually. Shouldn't have used quite as much water either as my Chemex is the wee one and it tops out about 400ml but this is a step in the right direction. Getting the funk but with more clarity than usual


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

You do swirl the liquid in the Chemex before pouring ?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

jeebsy - would say five and a half minutes is way too long for 425ml - should be under four.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

The Systemic Kid said:


> jeebsy - would say five and a half minutes is way too long for 425ml - should be under four.


Mine hit 5 mins last night. Was fine ..was goddam tasty actually

Perhaps speed up the pour a little ?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Struggle to get chemex to come in under 5 mins usually and don't think I get the best from it.

I'll need to reduce water slightly to account for size of chemex (350ml maybe) but will stick broadly with that recipe and coarsen up.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Mine was ek not hausgrind BTW though


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

If your dial was a clock what time would you be grinding at? I use ek for everything too


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

This morning:

20.5g of Costa Rica Finca La Cumbre ground at €19

350g of water

35g bloom for about 40 secs

3 pours of about 105g each

Took longer than yesterday. Go figure.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

And taste wise ? Over cooked ?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Bit meh. Drinkable but not really hitting tastes notes.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

jeebsy said:


> Bit meh. Drinkable but not really hitting tastes notes.


Bitter ish ? Over extracted ?

Pouring in circles , how long is it taking you to do each split pour ?

At what point When are you adding water in each time ?

When are you drinking it ( how long after ..)


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> Mine hit 5 mins last night. Was fine ..was goddam tasty actually
> 
> Perhaps speed up the pour a little ?


If it ain't broke, don't fix it - only adjust if it doesn't meet your taste expectations.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

jeebsy said:


> Bit meh. Drinkable but not really hitting tastes notes.


If it's not hitting the taste notes, highly likely it's over-extracted especially if it took longer to drip through. Suggest you go coarser. On the coffee burrs, I was on max coarsest setting for a Costa Rican bean.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

The Systemic Kid said:


> If it ain't broke, don't fix it - only adjust if it doesn't meet your taste expectations.


It is broke though..............


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> Bitter ish ? Over extracted ?
> 
> Pouring in circles , how long is it taking you to do each split pour ?
> 
> ...


Not bitter, just not clear, indistinct

Pouring takes quite a while, have a flow restrictor in the kettle

Adding water when the last pour starts nearing the bed

Drinking it once it's fairly cool


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> It is broke though..............


Mine's almost on the scraphead


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

jeebsy said:


> Mine's almost on the scraphead


Need a refractometer .........


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I'll just pop to the corner shop and get one


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

jeebsy said:


> I'll just pop to the corner shop and get one


If there on 2 for 1 get me one too


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

jeebsy said:


> Not bitter, just not clear, indistinct
> 
> Pouring takes quite a while, have a flow restrictor in the kettle
> 
> ...


Perhaps add the next portion of brew water before the level in the brewer gets too low? As the water level drops, there's less mass of water acting on the bed, flow slows and the water extracts more than it dilutes. Try and keep a reasonably consistent level in the brewer & have it just drain out at the end.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I'll be having a break from botching up DIY jobs soon so will try that out, cheers


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

View attachment 8245


NICARAGUA FINCA LIMONCILLO NATURAL RED PACAMARA 'ELEGANT'

20.5g coffee, ground at coarsest setting on EK

350g of water

35g bloom for about 40 secs

3 pours of about 105g each, first at 40 secs, second at 1.30, third at 2.30, keeping level reasonably high

The water drained from the bed at 4 mins bang on. Much better. Funky without being stewed


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Excellent.......be good to keep this thread going for Chemex recipes as a lot of stuff can get lost in the goes up to 11 thread ....

Glad to hear more tasty


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## Nimble Motionists (Oct 22, 2012)

Slightly off the topic of the thread but in-line with the title - had my first EK brew at NTP in Manchester - V60 of an El Salvador. Easily the best brewed coffee I've ever had - very envious of all these EKs paired with Chemexes - mine is currently having to put up with a Hario Slim - my grind particle size ranges from flour to chunks the size of a grain of rice!


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## Geordie Boy (Nov 26, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> Excellent.......be good to keep this thread going for Chemex recipes as a lot of stuff can get lost in the goes up to 11 thread ....


You're not wrong there, I'm trying to work my way through 1,700 posts!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Took my 'flow restrictor' (folded up Aeropress filter) out to see what difference it made. Pours were a bit more aggressive/ out of control but at 35 mins past the hour using the clock face scale extraction was ~45 secs to a minute faster. Finca Argentina - think it's a bit under given it took about 3.30 but best in a while, flavours are more pronounced than usual

If I can go finer and still keep the time about right then should hopefully be able to draw out more sweetness.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Reneged on my promise of a low caffeine evening - finca la ilusion - ground at 15 on the irish dial - 20g in, 340g water, took 4.30ish. Much, much tastier, sweeter, juicier. Almost mouth watering like a Haribo.


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