Roast #29: V4 Brewing methods
this feels like summer, brews you make me feel, so alivee
Edits:
- 08/13: Updated rest time findings for all beans, and Gori Gesha recipe
- 08/26: Updated rest time for Lychee
Brew guide for V4.
As usual:
Note that everyone's palate is different. What tastes good to you might taste bad to me. I'm simply sharing brewing methods and brewing strategies that I found to have made coffee taste good to me. Treat what's shared here as suggestions rather than rules.
I'm going to preface one additional point this time around. Treat what’s shared here as a starting point, and then adjust based on your own tasting preferences.
Coffee grinder: EK43 (with old dial)
Coffee filters: Hario V60 Size O2 filters
Brewer: Hario Switch
Kettle: Fellow Stagg EKG
Scale: Weightman Espresso Scale with Timer
Carafe: Fellow Mighty Small Glass Carafe
Refractometer: VST Lab Coffee Refractometer
Several other variables that I kept constant:
The brew temperature was around 92-95C for my testing
The amount of ground used was around 18g
I let the bloom sit for 40-60 seconds
Note — with your V4 order, you should've also received a little baggie that contains some example grounds. The number on the bag will match the grind size suggested below.
Y-05 Lychee Castillo:
General Notes:
This bean is tricky. There would be days where I get something amazing from the bag, and then the next time I brew, I get something that’s a bit off. If you get something off, I’d suggest grinding finer. Remember that with rest, you should also be adjusting your grind size.
Make sure to smell the brew bed. Like the V3's Koji, this bean can emit a very fruity fragrance.
I initially went with a V60 brewer for this bean, but I switched (hehe) over to the switch after discovering the below-suggested recipe. I felt that the V60 was a bit light on the tongue, and the resulting brew needed some depth. I tried adding multiple pours but didn't end up with results as good as the Switch's immersion method.
Grind Notes:
I went with a dial setting of around 8.5. I found that if I went too fine, I lost brightness in the brew.
The recipe:
1. 60mL bloom (for 60 seconds)
2. 240mL immersion pour
3. Drop the brew after 3-4 minutes
Resting Notes:
I found that this bean gets drinkable after 1-2 weeks of rest. I’d suggest grinding finer as you allow more rest.
I’ve noticed that the aromas sometimes get more pronounced with more rest, but I’ve also found that the finish, when cooled, gets more bitter.
Gori Gesha:
General Notes:
What got me to buy this bean was its fruit-like blueberry notes. The aroma of this coffee didn't appeal to me as much as the Lychee, but I'd still give the brew bed a whiff.
I opted to choose the switch again for its immersion ability. I tried dialing in with the V60, but I wasn't able to get the deep fruit notes I wanted.
When drinking, let the brew cool a bit. I found the blueberry/fruit notes really started to get expressed once it cooled to warm-to-room temperature.
Grind Notes:
I went with a dial setting of around 8. I found this helped give the most fruity tones without the brew being too muddy or too light.
The recipe:
1. 60mL bloom (for 60 seconds)
2. 240mL steeped pour
3. Drop the brew after 4+ minutes
Note: I say 4+ minutes since I like the fruit to have some body and depth to it, so I up the steep for this bean.
Resting Notes:
I found that this bean gets drinkable after 7+ days of rest. I’ve found that the longer you rest it for, the deeper the fruit notes get (think stewed fruit).
Immediately after cupping (ie next roast day), I’ve found the brew to be a bit hollow.
This bean is roasted lighter than the others. It wouldn’t be crazy to wait two weeks for this one, given that it’s roasted lighter with less development than the other two.
SL-28:
General Notes:
What attracted me to this bean was its processing and I loved how it had notes of slight tart, slight sour, and a slight amount of funk. Pretty much, a very balanced bean.
I’m super happy I got this one as it helps pull the spectrum of flavors for this round from sweet, and blueberry-like to something more on the sour and tart.
Grind Notes:
I went with a grind size of 8 here. Like the Gesha, I found I wanted a deeper brew with this bean, and going coarse wasn’t cutting it for me.
The recipe:
1. 60mL bloom (for 60 seconds)
2. 240mL steeped pour
3. Drop the brew after 3-4 minutes
Resting Notes:
I found that this bean gets drinkable after 5-7 days of rest. The tartiness and body is there, but both get better with additional rest.
If you got this far, you may have realized that the recipe is the same across all three beans.
I’ve found that that this 60mL/240mL recipe gave me a good enough result, and I didn’t dive too deep into optimizing it. There are a lot of levers that I could pull, but I didn'rt
I hope you are as excited as I am about these beans!
Thank You’s:
Thank you to Maria for always being so willing to help out at my popups! You’ll be seeing her at the upcoming ones.
Thank you to Rachel from typica.jp for sourcing some beans from China for V5! I’m super excited to insert them into the lineup. <3
Thank you Mirza, Edmund, Galonsky, and really anyone who has kept me in mind with regards to my tech job hunt. It’s… a tough market, but I’ll take all the help I can get. <3
Thank you to all of my V4 buyers. Thank you again for trusting me with supplying you with your coffee beans. I’m always humbled by the support of everyone. 🙇