Just remembered that week I had 3 perfect pour overs in a row

Last Tuesday I was working a double and managed to dial in a Ethiopian natural with this exact bloom timing at 30 seconds that gave me this jammy sweetness I've never gotten before. For like 3 days straight every cup came out perfect, no channeling, no bitterness, just pure berry flavors. Has anyone else had a streak like that where everything just clicked for no obvious reason?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_torres447d ago

30 seconds for the bloom is actually kinda long for a natural Ethiopian. Most naturals I've worked with at that roast level bloom faster, like 20 seconds tops, because the fruit layer on the bean makes it more porous and water absorbs quicker. If you stretched it to 30 seconds you might have been over-extracting the sugars a bit, getting that jammy hit but losing some of the acidity that makes naturals pop. I've messed up enough pours to know that sweet spot is tricky. When it works three times in a row though, that's pure luck or you just happened to nail the grind size and water temp that day. Don't change anything if it's working for you, but try 20-25 seconds next time and see if you get more clarity too.

keith9007d ago

That 20 second bloom tip is solid. I've been using a 25 second bloom on a natural Yirgacheffe for months and the difference in clarity is night and day. The trick for me was dropping the water temp to 198F instead of 205F. Keeps the fruit forward notes without turning it into a jam bomb. Three consistent cups in a row is a win no matter how you slice it. Stick with whatever routine got you there, but definitely try pulling the bloom back a bit.

mark4367d ago

Funny you mention that @keith900, because it's the same kind of thing I see with my buddy who restores old cars. He'll spend hours tweaking the carburetor jets a quarter turn at a time, chasing a perfect idle, and then one day it just works. That feeling of nailing it three times in a row is like hitting three green lights on the way to work. Feels like you finally cracked the code, but really you just dialed in a couple small variables the right way. That 20 second bloom thing makes a lot of sense when you think about how water just wants to find the path of least resistance through anything. Same reason a dry lawn soaks up water way slower than a already damp one.