# CCD - grind size / timing / method - opinions please



## Brewdog (Jun 29, 2014)

I'm hoping for your opinions on my clever coffee dropper method. I've been testing my new rhino hand grinder.

I've got my grinder set on 3 click from closed (which is half a turn) and the grind looks like this:









The brew method I'm using is at the moment for a large mug or 2 smaller cups is

1. Rinse filter with water off the boil

2. 400g of water in

3. Add 26g of coffee

4. Stir then brew for 2 mins

5. Stir again then immediately start to drain

6. Was aiming to drain in 90 - 120 seconds

The filter looked like this afterwards:









I used a Monsoon malabar this morning from Coffeebeanshop


----------



## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Main thing - what did it taste like? If it tasted good, stick with it. You could try tweaking the grind either way and keeping the other variables constant to see what affect that has on the taste.


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

How did it taste?

3 clicks seems about right on my Rhino, though your grind looks quite coarse? If too fine you'll see particles in the finished brew, may still taste a bit muddy at a click coarser than that.

I prefer much longer brew times (10-30mins), I just dunk & wet the coffee on the surface of the water & don't dig in & stir. Don't worry too much about draw down times, it's just a function of grind size.


----------



## Brewdog (Jun 29, 2014)

It was quite a decent brew but maybe lacking a little in body. Would I be better brewing for a bit longer or going a click finer?


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Longer certainly, finer maybe.

Bear in mind it's a paper filtered brew & the bed itself acts as additional filtration, so for the same TDS as French press or Chemex, it'll often have a thinner body. Once you get the flavour spot on via grind & time you might tweak brew ratio up a little?


----------



## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

MWJB said:


> Bear in mind it's a paper filtered brew & the bed itself acts as additional filtration, so for the same TDS as French press or Chemex, it'll often have a thinner body. Once you get the flavour spot on via grind & time you might tweak brew ratio up a little?


I'm interested in that, why is it more so than chemex, is that because it'll likely settle more (if you don't let it draw down too early)?


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Basically, yes. The Chemex extracts earliest output first, any oils/non dissolved solids (not much, admittedly, compared to a non filtered brew) will be first into the cup, in the very concentrated early output, also the grinds are still churning about & degassing in the early part of a drip brew. After steeping for a few minutes in the Clever, most of the grinds will have settle into the bed, adding to the overall filtration. The oils in the Clever brew will also float largely, being the last bit out of the brewer, or trapped in the grounds bed in the retained liquid.

Brewdog has the earlier Clever with a very small gap under the grinds bed, the newer Clever still does a bit of drip brewing, especially if you bloom slowly, because it has a much larger well under the filter, this can give you a slug of very concentrated output trapped under the filter.


----------



## Brewdog (Jun 29, 2014)

I've been persevering and having some good results - I went a click finer for a couple of brews but preferred it on the 3 clicks . I'm liking the rhino though. Going to order up some lighter beans to try in the CCD.

I did come in from work and have an espresso and a flat white today though!


----------

