POUR OVER TIPS
Ratio: for this pour-over recipe we are using a 1:16.5 ratio. This means for every gram of ground coffee we are using, we will multiply that by 16.5 to determine how much water we are using for the recipe. We have found that this ratio gives us the perfect balance of body and strength while highlighting the flavor nuances of the coffee.
Grind size: Aim for a medium grind size. For us at the roastery on our commercial burr grinder, we grind anywhere between the 6-8 grind settings. Achieving the right grind setting may take some tweaking but that is the fun part about coffee, experimenting, tasting, and adjusting.
Total brew time: The goal time of our brew is between 3-3:30. If your coffee finishes faster than this, you might experience a slightly under-extracted coffee and may want to go finer in grind size. If your coffee exceeds the 3:30 brew time you may experience a slightly over-extracted coffee and may want to go a little courser in grind size. Ultimately, it is up to your personal preference and what flavors you want to achieve from your brew.
Brewing materials: Kalita Wave, paper filters Fellow kettle or any kettle that can be set to temp, timer (your phone works great for this), and a scale. Oh, and your scientist cap because we are getting experimental!
Recipe: We use 20 grams of ground coffee and 330 grams of water. This will yield around 280 grams of coffee. For this recipe, we use the Kalita Wave 185. This version is slightly bigger than the counterpart, Kalita Wave 155. Knowing this is important because if your brewer is a single cup brewer then you will have to adjust the amount of coffee and water to fit your brewer size.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Weigh out 22g of coffee (we will only use 20 grams). The 22 grams is for grinder retention, and if you have a sieve, you can shake your ground coffee through that to remove any small particles. Removing small particles can help to add clarity to your cup but this is not necessary to achieve a tasty cup.
2. Pre-heat water to 198º F. We have found that a lower water temp helps to bring out brighter, juicier flavors in the coffee and helps avoid the possibility of over-extracting the coffee, resulting in a bitter taste.
3. Pre-wet filter with hot water. After rinsing dump out water.
4. Once the water has reached the desired temperature, place the 20 grams of coffee into the brewer and shake slightly to flatten the bed of coffee. Tare your scale to read 0 before moving on to the next step.
5. With a steady soft pour, start in the center of the coffee bed and move out towards the outer edges in a circular motion to fully saturate the bed of coffee. We are trying to pour 60 grams in about 15 seconds, and we will allow it to bloom until it hits the 30-45-second mark.
6. Add 90 more grams of water following the same steady circular pour as our bloom. Once we have added the 90 grams our scale should read 150 grams. Let the water drip through for about 10-15 seconds, allowing the coffee to extract a little bit but not allowing all of the water to flow through the bed of coffee. Your time should be around the 1:05 mark before moving on to the next step
7. Add 90 grams to equal 240 grams, pouring at the same rate as we have in the previous pours this should take us about 15-20 seconds, or around the 1:25 mark. We will allow this the draw through a little before doing our fourth and final pour at the 1:40 mark.
8. Pour the remaining 90 grams of water to get to the 330-gram goal and allow it to drip through fully from there. Following the same circular pour pattern, we want to be sure we are reaching the parameter of the coffee filter to loosen up any grounds that may be stuck on the filter. This final pour should be done in 10-15 seconds, or around the 2-minute mark.
9. While you are waiting for the brew to fully filter through the grounds, you can preheat your favorite mug with hot water so that your coffee goes into a warm glass once you pour it. You can also have a plate, cup, or paper towel ready to place the Kalita Wave on once the brew is finished. Remember, your pour-over should be done between 3-3:30!
10. Remove the brewer from the top of your vessel. Swirl the vessel that the coffee was brewed in to bring all the different parts of the extraction together.
11. Dump out the water you used to preheat your favorite mug, pour coffee, and enjoy!
