How we do pour over

Introduction

In this article we cover how we do pour over in our cafe.

This is a guide, so feel free to tweak this recipe based on your equipment.

We use a water to Coffee ratio of 1:15, meaning for every 1 part water, you add 15 parts of water. This allows you to scale effectively.  For example, 15g of coffee will use 225g of water, and 20g of coffee would use 300g of water.

Method

We use a three pour method in a Hario V60. The timing specified in our recipe is a guide to set your grind size. If it runs too fast, grind finer. If it runs too slowly, grind coarser.

1. Add 15% of 92 degree C water, wait 45 seconds.
2. Add 50% of the total water and wait until drained, usually between 1:45-2:00.
3. Add the final 35% of the water, fully draining the brewer by the 3-minute mark.

The first pour is to ‘bloom’ the coffee. This saturates the coffee, allowing gas to escape.

The second pour brings the water level inside the brewer as high as possible. This has two effects: firstly, it minimises the chance of the brew clogging (choking) as the fine particles that cause this are caught on the side of the brewer. The second purpose is to bring brightness and clarity to the cup.

The third and final pour aids in balancing out the flavours established in the second pour while further developing the body of the coffee.

Example Brew:

Here is an example brew using specific weights as an example:

Dose: 20g Coarsely Ground Coffee
Water: 300g at 92 degrees C

1. 50g bloom, wait 45 seconds.
2. Add 150g, wait until fully drained.
3. Add 100g, fully drained by 3 minutes.