Optimal Coffee Doses

[Steve123]

Questions for the coffee guys and gals out here..

- For coffee made using the drip method, can one grind the beans up and then leave the grounded beans in the glass part over a few days? (Just thinking of ways to speed things up when I make it in the morning..)


- For drip method, how many tablespoons would you put in the filter paper part? Maximum?


- and then for drip method would you just put enough water in for exactly the amount your drinking ?


-LAST ONE: If i was to make an extra cup of coffee from the drip method in the morning, could I fill it In a glass bottle and take it to work and drink a few hours later? Is it okay to drink few hours down the line?


Thanks guys!

 

[Literally]

I am possibly not the best person to answer, but since no one else did and I just started doing drop coffee myself, let me tell you what I'm doing.

First off I would not grind the coffee in advance if you can avoid it. The coffee oils are subject to oxidation. Competitive baristas recommend grinding as close to the time you will use the grounds as possible. James Hoffman, a YouTuber who has won some these world barita competitions in the past, has stated that even though cheap blade grinders are not nearly as good as expensive grinders, he prefers freshly ground coffee made with a blade grinder to pre-ground coffee. He also has a video on how to make the most of a cheap blade grinder for coffee.

This is what I am currently doing, to make a large mug:

1. boil 1/2L filtered water (2.11 cups).
rinse brewer & fill mug + 2c measure w/ hot water.
grind 3.33 Tbs coffee (~0.625 oz) at 4.5 setting -- unfortunately this is specific to my grinder, but it's a medium grind that looks about like sea salt.

2. place filter in brewer, on top of cup.
rinse filter with <=1/2c. near-boil water, via measure.
(this also bring the brewer to temp, which is important)
water is discarded after.

3. transfer 1.5c. near-boil water to measure.
wet grounds with ~25% of the measure, pouring in a spiral
pattern, from the outside. let bloom 40 seconds.
This it to "bloom" the coffee, i.e. release CO2,
so it doesn't form a gas barrier to extraction.

4. add the rest of water using the same spiral pattern --
from outside to inside and back out, avoiding the very edge.
once water reaches a chosen high point, try to add at the
same rate it drops. gently stir a little, then let drip.

whole process should take about 2.5 minutes

I am actually using a bit less coffee than coffee snobs usually recommend for this much water, but I know many people who use less. It's worth finding a ration that works for you.

If you have one of those gooseneck kettles that you are heating the water in, wait about 30 seconds before pouring in step 3. I use a Pyrex liquid measure because I don't. IMO it's worth doing, by controlling the pour you can end up with more even extraction (which will be signified by a flat bed when it's done).

Watch some videos. I recommend this one to start


And this one for advanced:
Scott Rao's V60 Method - YouTube

Oh yes, you can absolutely save coffee in a thermos for a few hours. I'm sure it's not quite as good as freshly brewed, but it should still be awesome if you get some basic technique going.

 

[Jib]

I use a Krups coffee grinder. About 20 bucks. I always grind whole beans right before making a cup. Only takes 7 to 10 seconds to grind the beans into powder.

Muslin cloth for straining the coffee. Something like this:

Thai Tea and Coffee Reusable Cotton Muslin Cloth Filter Strainer Bag with Handle | eBay

Boil some water. Grind your coffee. I like using a couple tablespoons for a cup. Pour the grounds into the muslin bag in your cup, then wet the grounds out with some of the water. Let it rest for 20 or 30 seconds. Then fill the cup with the rest of the boiling water like you're making tea, and let the coffee steep for 3 or 4 minutes.

That's the way I do it. I only wet the grounds and let them rest because of that video on pour-over coffee.

The legit pour over method looks very good. The way I do it works fine for me and is just as fast and simple. I prefer muslin as it's reusable. When I'm done, I simply squeeze the muslin a little to get most of the water out, and put it on top of the coffee grinder, which goes back in the pantry. Very quick setup.