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Bad Bean Brews: The Siphon Pot

Happy International Coffee Day! I hope everyone had an opportunity to enjoy a fantastic cup of coffee. Also, I wanted to briefly mention that today's article is the 100th article in 100 days! Therefore, it's finally time to drop some siphon pot science.

I've been wanting to do this article for some time now, but I haven't used my siphon pot in nearly a year. So, this morning I pulled it from the shelf, cleaned it up, and brewed a couple cups of siphon coffee. While it may not have been the best cup I've enjoyed, the technique I used was a good starting point for further experimentation and produced a cup with a lot of complexity and French press like body.

The brewer I use is the Bodum Santos Vacuum Pot, now called the Pebo. It's a relatively simple device that consists of three main parts: the lower glass vessel called the jug, the upper glass vessel called the funnel, and the plastic filter. When assembled, the funnel connects to the jug via a glass siphon tube and a rubber stopper. I like this device because of its simplicity, but also because it can sit directly on a stovetop burner. There is no need to invest in a small portable burner.

So now for some science. Let me start by mentioning that I don't like the name vacuum pot, it's so misleading. This is a siphon pot...yes, there is a difference. When you read about or hear people describe the vacuum pot they always talk about the draw down process being driven by a vacuum that is formed in the jug as the device is removed from the heat. Here's the real story.

The jug is filled with water and placed on a heat source. Before the water begins to boil, the funnel is attached to the jug snuggly to provide an airtight seal. As the water temperature increases, the vapor pressure in the jug increases. Eventually, the pressure in the lower jug exceeds the atmospheric pressure and the water is pushed up the siphon tube into the upper funnel. At this point the coffee grounds are added and the brew begins. A small amount of water and steam will remain in the jug throughout the brew. This water plays an important role in the process because it supports the column of water in the upper funnel.

Once the brew is finished, the entire device is removed from the heat. Without a heat source the water temperature in the jug cools and the vapor condenses, dropping the vapor pressure. The pressure in the jug can no longer support the brewed coffee and it is the combination of atmospheric pressure and gravity that push the coffee back down into the jug.

As you can see, there is no suction or pulling during the process. The mechanism driving the water from the jug into the funnel and then back down into the jug is a difference in pressure causing the fluid to be pushed. Siphons work by pushing a fluid through a tube, and that's exactly what's going on for this particular brew method.

I mentioned earlier that this was my first brew in quite some time, but the result wasn't half bad. It's a great starting point for some further experimentation so I thought I'd share it.

Brew Ratio

Brew ratio: 15 - 1, 600ml water and 40 grams of coffee

Grid size: Medium-Fine (6 ticks on the Breville Smart Grinder)

Water temperature: 190F

Brew time: 0:10 stir, 2:30 brew, 1:00 draw down

Steps

Ground 40 grams of coffee medium-fine.

Boil a little more than 600ml of water in a kettle.

Pour 600ml of water from the kettle into the jug and place it on a burner.

Attach the filter to the funnel and attach the funnel to the jug. Make sure it is sealed.

Put the lid on the funnel.

As all the water is pushed into the funnel, remove the lid and add the ground coffee.

Stir the ground coffee ensuring it is fully saturated then replace the lid.

Turn down the heat slightly to maintain temperature.

Let the coffee brew for 2:30.

Near the end of the brew, stir the grounds one last time.

Remove the siphon pot from the heat source.

Draw down should take less than 1:00 minute.

Notes

I'm hooked. The only reason the siphon pot sat on my shelf so long is because it's a pain to clean. I'm excited to start experimenting again.

The result of this brew was a cup of coffee that sat somewhere between a V60 and a KONE brew. There is no paper filter here, so you get a lot of the full bodied feel of a KONE or French press, but without any bitterness or overpowering acidity. It lacks the sweetness of a V60, but retains a lot of the complexity you can achieve from something like a Kalita that allows for a more even extraction.

I elected to start out with the standard 15-1 brew ratio. Why not? I use it for almost everything else and it's been good to me so far. If anything, I may consider decreasing it slightly to account for the water that's left behind in the jug during the brew process.

Everyone has a different technique when it comes to the siphon pot. With every different technique comes a slightly different grind size and brew time. A good place to start is something I'm familiar with, pour over specs. For this brew I used a V60 grind setting while shooting for a 2:30 brew time. To be honest, it wasn't a bad first guess.

Boiling the water in a kettle reduces the amount of time the siphon pot has to sit on the heat source. Also, boiling the water and then transferring it to the jug allowed me to measure the amount of water I was using. It's always nice to add a little consistency to the equation where you can.

The most challenging part of the entire process, besides cleaning, is maintaining an appropriate brew temperature. It may just be more of a problem with the Santos due to it's large volume. What I found was the water began to enter the funnel early. A quick measurement of the water temperature in the funnel revealed 160F! Way too low to brew. It may have been because I was using a low heat setting, so I cranked it up and put on the lid. Taking a second measurement I noticed the water temperature had increased to 190F. Putting the lid on not only allowed the water temperature to rise to the desired brew temperature, but also prevented the water vapor to escape. After adding the ground coffee and giving it a quick stir, the lid went back on to help retain the temperature throughout the brew cycle.

The draw down should be quick, smooth, then violent near the end. Total time for the brew was 3:30, right where I like my pour over times to be. Despite the draw down leaving a nearly dry bed of coffee grounds, the siphon pot is still a pain to clean. Have fun with that.

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Bad Bean Brews: Able Brewing KONE

The KONE filter by Able Brewing is a reusable coffee filter for the Chemex made of stainless steel. If you look closely you'll notice that there are thousands of tiny machined holes allowing coffee to drip through. While the price tag may be a bit steep, I can say without a doubt that it's worth every penny.

Able Brewing started with one thing in mind, design and manufacture the highest quality reusable coffee brewing equipment right in the USA. Not only do they manufacture the KONE filter, but also the reusable DISK filter for the AeroPress and a number of accessories for both the Chemex and AeroPress. One of the more interesting products they sell is their own KONE Brewing System, a previous Kickstarter turned product that's a natural extension of the KONE filter.

Since I've started using the KONE to brew coffee on the weekends, I no longer use the proprietary Chemex natural bonded paper filters. The switch from paper to stainless steel also meant some adjustments had to be made to my brew technique. The following is my preferred way of making coffee with the KONE filter.

Brew

Brew ratio: 15 - 1, 600ml water and 40 grams of coffee

Grid size: Medium-Coarse (3 ticks on the Breville Smart Grinder)

Water temperature: 195F

Brew time: 0:30 bloom, 3:00 pour

Device: Chemex

Steps

Ground 40 grams of coffee medium-coarse.

Use boiled water to warm the KONE filter.

Place KONE in Chemex and fill with 40 grams fresh ground coffee.

Pour 80ml of 195F water over the ground coffee.

Let the coffee bloom for 0:30 seconds.

Slowly pour water in a clockwise motion about the center of the brew bed.

Stop the pour when the scale reads 600 grams. In the end a total of 600 grams of water was poured over 3:30 minutes.

Let the water flow through the filter for an additional 1:00 minute.

After the brew completes, immediately discard grounds and rinse KONE filter.

Notes

I enjoy brewing with the KONE as it highlights the darker, more bittersweet aromatics of a particular coffee. As I've mentioned before, the stainless steel filter allows many of the oils that get trapped by a paper filter to enhance the brew, producing something between a Kalita and a French Press. You'll still be able to lock in the nuances of a pour over while achieving that dark, full bodied mouthfeel of a French Press.

No tricks here, using the standard 15-1 brew ratio. Not only is it a good starting point for dialing in a new technique, but works wonders for almost all the pour over methods I've encountered. On occasion I may go to 10-1 for a light roast in the Hario V60, but that's crazy talk when dealing with a filter like the KONE, unless you like drinking something with the consistency of sand.

The grind size is somewhere between a French Press and a traditional Chemex. I lean closer to a Chemex medium-coarse grind setting, occasionally moving more toward the coarse side depending on the coffee. Because of the holes in the filter you don't want to go too fine. The coarse grind not only provides for the optimal extraction time for the amount of coffee I brew, but minimal sediment in my cup.

I've been using 195F water for a lot of my brews lately. What I've discovered is that the slightly lower water temperature dampens out the bitter notes in some coffees. This is especially important with the KONE as it's producing something with more body than the V60 or Kalita.

It can be a challenge to achieve a three minute brew time by controlling grind size alone. Therefore, you have to focus more on the pour. In previous posts I've mentioned two different pour techniques, the continuous pour and the pulse pour. The pulse pour is necessary when brewing with the Kalita and the flat bottom dripper geometry. However, with the KONE I use a combination of both techniques. I'll generally pour until I hit 200ml, wait, pour until 400ml, wait, then do a final pour to 600ml and wait for the final drip through. This helps to draw out the brew time.

Lastly, whatever you do, do not wash the grounds off the sides of the KONE filter. This is the number one rule when using the KONE. If you watch most people brew, they pretty much pour straight down into the center. The KONE is designed to float in the Chemex, so if water is poured on the sides of the filter it will seep through the holes and right into the cup. Not only will pouring along the sides dilute the brew, but in the process some of the coffee will underextract and the result will be an inconsistent cup of coffee. I pour in a circular pattern about the diameter of a quarter and end with a pour right down the center.

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Bad Bean Brews: AeroPress

What coffee maker is made by a toy company, looks like a plunger, and has a cult following? The AeroPress of course.

The AeroPress is by far one of the most interesting coffee makers I've encountered. Designed by Aerobie, a toy company who's claim to fame is the flying ring (no seriously, that thing flies forever), the AeroPress is an immersion style coffee brewer made of durable plastic. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how I came across this thing. But I did and I don't regret it.

The first thing to do is throw out the instruction booklet that comes with the AeroPress, it's worthless. The recipes in there are too weak. Next, ditch the filters. While the paper filters are ok, if you find the right recipe, you're much better off purchasing the DISK filter by Able Brewing. I have both the standard and fine versions. I prefer the standard filter. The fine is a bit like the paper filters. Also, if you like to travel, grab the Travel Cap. You can cap the plunger and pack enough roasted coffee for a week.

I've mentioned recipes a couple times already. What are AeroPress recipes? It turns out there are a lot of ways to brew coffee with the AeroPress. There's even a World AeroPress Championship where people battle it out with their preferred recipes. To put it simply, you can brew traditional or inverted. Basically, you can do a traditional immersion style brew with the chamber sitting on top of the cup, or inverted with the plunger in the chamber flipped upside down. A lot of people prefer inverted because the coffee doesn't drip through the filter into the cup during the immersion process. My favorite recipe calls for the traditional approach.

The following is my preferred recipe when brewing coffee with the AeroPress. It's a rehash of the recipe that comes with the DISK Standard filter.

Beans

I've brewed light and dark roasts with the AeroPress. Lately, I've found a medium roast, around a Full City+, to be the best with the AeroPress. The key is the filter. I prefer to use the DISK Standard filter as it produces a fuller body with some sediment, similar to the KONE filter.

Brew

Brew ratio: 12.5 - 1, 250ml water and 20 grams of coffee

Grid size: Medium (3 ticks on the Breville Smart Grinder)

Water temperature: 195F

Brew time: 0:30 pour, 0:10 stir, 0:50 steep, 0:40 plunge

Filter: Able Brewing DISK Standard

Steps

Ground 20 grams of coffee medium.

Use boiled water to warm the filter and the chamber.

Using the traditional technique, pour the ground coffee into the chamber over the mug.

Pour 250ml of 195F water over 30 seconds into the chamber to saturate the grounds and begin the brew.

Gently stir the slurry for 10 seconds being sure to immerse all the grounds in the water.

Insert the plunger into the top of the chamber and let the coffee steep for 50 seconds.

Finally, plunge slowly and steadily for 40 seconds.

Notes

The brew ratio is slightly lower than what I typically use for a pour over brew. Immersion techniques often require the use of a courser grid, the AeroPress is no different.

The grind size is medium, about 3 ticks on the Breville Smart Grinder. In fact, this is the same setting I use for the Able Brewing KONE filter for my Chemex pour over. The coarser grind setting prevents fines from getting caught in the filter holes as well.

The traditional technique allows me to brew an 8oz cup of coffee. With the chamber in a standard position I'm able to take advantage of the bloom and pre-drip to achieve my target of 250ml water poured over 30 seconds. In the inverted position, you have to be careful not to insert the plunger too far to limit the amount of water and ground coffee you can use for your brew.

In the end, the result is a spectacular cup of coffee. The metal filter allows some fines to pass into the cup. Couple that with a Full City+ roast and immersion style brew and believe it or not it tastes like a Chemex brewed with the KONE filter. I know right! I was shocked when I tasted an AeroPress brew and it was able to retain the body and flavor of a Chemex pour over, using the KONE filter of course. The major reason a 50 second immersion can achieve such body has a lot to do with the plunge. Most immersion techniques rely on steeping the coffee for several minutes. The AeroPress can achieve a press pot flavor profile due to the relatively high air pressure of the plunge action over 40 seconds. Genius!

If you'd like to get into home coffee brewing but don't want to mess with pour over cones and gooseneck kettles, the AeroPress is the way to go. Verve Coffee Roasters offers a pretty slick AeroPress brew kit, complete with scale, mug, grinder, kettle, and DISK filter. Check it out.

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Bad Bean Brews: Kalita Wave #155 Dripper

A year ago I became interested in pour over coffee brewing and started exploring the area with the Hario V60. Over the past several months the V60 has taken a back seat and the Kalita Wave has stepped up as my preferred dripper.

The first feature that stands out is the flat bottom style of the dripper. The flat bottom consists of three holes arranged in a circular pattern around the bed. The geometry of the Kalita Wave encourages some to describe the brew process as a mixture between a traditional pour over and immersion brew, similar to the French Press. In my experience, I'd classify it as a pure pour over coffee brewer as it doesn't exhibit the body of something like a French Press.

The flat bottom geometry of the dripper provides for a more even extraction and is more forgiving than traditional cone shaped coffee drippers. The unique geometry also reduces the flow rate and with it the turbulence that can introduce excess agitation and rob the process of an even extraction. This means the Kalita Wave can accommodate a variety of pour over styles like the pulse pour.

The filters are interesting and look similar to cupcake baking cups. The shape of the filter creates a gap between the grounds and the dripper wall. While this does provide some additional insulation, it also creates a void where water can flow if not poured carefully.

The following is my preferred technique when brewing with the Kalita Wave.

Beans

I generally prefer a medium roast, somewhere around City+ to Full City. As with most pour overs, they tend to highlight the brighter notes in coffee, so I try to avoid anything too dark.

Brew

Brew ratio: 15-1, 300ml water, 20g of coffee

Grid size: medium-fine (5 ticks on the Breville Smart Grinder)

Water temperature: 195F

Brew time: 0:30 second bloom, 2:30 minute pour, 3:00 total

Steps

Ground 20g of coffee medium-fine.

Pour grounds into filter and shake to settle, presenting an even coffee bed for the brew.

Pour 40ml of 195F water (2x coffee amount) over the center of the ground coffee.

Let the coffee bloom for 0:30 seconds.

With the spout of the kettle close the brew bed, beginning pouring slowly in the center and work outward to the edge of the filter and repeat.

Stop the pour when the scale reads 300g. In the end a total of 300ml of water was poured over 3:00 minutes.

Let the water flow through the filter for an additional 0:30 seconds.

The final bed of ground coffee should be flat.

Notes

Notice I used a 15-1 brew ratio. Again, through hundreds of experiments using many different drippers, I've found that 15-1 is a good balance for pour over coffee.

As for the grind size, some suggest using something similar to a Chemex grind, but I've found that to be too coarse. I've played with the grid size between a Chemex and a V60 and have found that closer to a V60 produces what I enjoy in a cup of coffee.

Due to the small size of the #155 and shape of the filter, I cannot pre wet the filter before adding the ground coffee. I've tried it numerous times before and found online that it isn't just me or my technique. As soon as water hits the filter it begins to warp. Even if the water is poured directly into the center of the filter, because of the small size of the dripper in relation to the size of the filter, the warping cannot be avoided. This doesn't seem to be a problem with the #185 sized dripper and could possibly be avoided if Kalita made an even smaller filter for the #155.

I've elected to use the pulse pour technique rather than a steady pour because I don't own a flow restrictor and it helps to draw out the brew time. The pulse pour produces fantastic results and is easy to manage. The downside is frequent agitation induced by the stream of water with each pulse. One way I've found to reduce the effect of the agitation is to begin each pour cycle with at least 0.5-1.0cm of water over the brew bed to absorb the energy of the pour.

As with most pour overs, avoid washing the grounds off the sides of the filter. It's extremely tempting using the Kalita because of the shape of the filter. But don't be fooled. If water is poured between the filter and the dripper wall it will go right into the cup and dilute the final brew.

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Bad Bean Brews: Hario V60

In the first installation of Bad Bean Brews I'll be describing the technique I use to brew a single cup of coffee with the Hario V60 dripper.

I have a soft spot for the V60 mainly because it was the first dripper I purchased and my first step into manual coffee brewing. Before the V60 I was making coffee every morning using my Keurig.

About six months ago I started home roasting and since then have kept a detailed log of every single cup of coffee I brew. This helps me keep track of my techniques as I tweak the variables in search of the optimum brew. The technique below is my best...so far.

Beans

I prefer to use a medium roast, right around a City+ for this brew. This roast level results in a good balance between acidity and bitterness, two characteristics that when amplified on their own can destroy a cup of coffee.

Brew

Brew ratio: 15-1, 300ml water, 20g of coffee

Grid size: medium-fine (that's 6 ticks on the Breville Smart Grinder and about 10 clicks on the Hario Mini Mill hand grinder)

Water temperature: 195F

Brew time: 0:30 second bloom, 2:00 minute pour, 2:30 total

Steps

Ground 20g of coffee medium-fine.

Using boiled water, pre wet the filter and warm the carafe or mug.

Pour grounds into filter and shake to settle, presenting an even coffee bed for the brew.

Pour 40ml of 195F water (2x coffee amount) over the center of the ground coffee.

Let the coffee bloom for 0:30 seconds.

Slowly pour water in a clockwise motion about the center of the brew bed.

Stop the pour when the scale reads 300g. In the end a total of 300ml of water was poured over 2:30 minutes.

Let the water flow through the filter for an additional 1:00 minute.

The final bed of ground coffee should be flat.

Notes

All of the following will be expanded upon in future articles.

My selected brew ratio of 15-1 came from many experiments involving myself and my wife. It's a personal preference. Lower brew ratios are stronger and I've used 10-1 with great success before. But after looking around and trying a lot of coffee, 15-1 seems to be a good starting point and almost a standard for pourover techniques.

Grind size is an interesting thing. In a nutshell, the grind size does a lot for the flavor of the resulting brew. One thing that is difficult to find is a chart relating something like medium-fine to the physical size of the coffee particles. Medium-fine is my definition for the size of the particle I use and seems pretty close to what others use as well.

This brew technique is for use with a paper filter. I also have the Kone, but have come up with a different set of parameters and pour style.

I've chosen to use 195F water because it seems to blanket the bitterness inherent in some coffee. I'm able to achieve consistent flavor profiles with minimal bitter notes using this temperature.

Avoid washing the ground coffee off the sides of the filter. If you look closely, the paper filter almost floats in the V60 dripper. When you pour water along the sides, that water goes straight into the cup and can dilute the final brew. Aim for the center and move clockwise with a pour radius just slightly larger than a quarter. If you keep the water level constant, the resulting bed of coffee will be flat signifying an even extraction.