MarkPrince Moderator Joined: 19 Dec 2001 Posts: 4,649 Location: Vancouver Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Frankenstein'ed LM Linea Grinder: Anfim Super Caimano Vac Pot: 1922 Silex Drip: Krups Moka Brew Roaster: Hottop
Posted Sat Feb 4, 2006, 2:34pm Subject: Re: Aerobie Aeropress
Scott, if you're implying what I think you're implying, you'd be dead wrong, and I really don't appreciate it. I won't even touch your integrity comment
I think everyone would be served better if you just decided to stop reading this particular thread.
Mark
PS. Just for everyone else's sake, and full disclosure - I wasn't even aware that Alan had a new and noteworthy (which is a paid for spot) on the site until I saw that link two minutes ago. I don't handle most direct advertising on the site any longer - Jeanette Chan does the day to day work. My comments were not in any way prefaced with foreknowledge that Alan had bought one of those spots. The only thing I knew was that he had signed up as a partner.
jerseysteve Senior Member Joined: 22 Jan 2006 Posts: 38 Location: nj Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sat Feb 4, 2006, 6:51pm Subject: Re: Aerobie Aeropress
Hi - I am also getting better results with a lower ratio. Since I make only americanos I make a richer brew. What works for me is as follows 2 scoops of coffee with 4 oz of water in the Aeropress. I then add another 4 oz. of hot water netting me a 7.5 oz cup (you lose some water in the grounds). However i must point out that lowering the ratio ends up using alot more coffee. The Aeropress to begin with uses a larger scoop per cup then drip coffee hence if you lower the ratio to 1:2 1:2 you might end up using 4 large scoops for an 8 oz. cup. All in all I have it now 2 weeks and am after tinkering with some help from Alan I get an excellent cup of coffee. Also most important to me is that I m getting consistent results. Another thing in the begining I was applying to much pressure and the brew was only taking ten seconds thus resulting in a weaker brew.
kalbear Senior Member Joined: 4 Feb 2006 Posts: 2 Location: berkeley Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sat Feb 4, 2006, 7:13pm Subject: Re: Aerobie Aeropress
Alan,
Can you explain more about the ratio you are talking about (1:1, 1:4, etc) ? Is the water ratio there referring to the water during brewing process or the water that you add to your cup later to make americano (which I guess to be 4 oz per scoop) ? Also, do you use the given scoop to measure whole beans or ground coffee? Thanks
Posted Sat Feb 4, 2006, 7:18pm Subject: Re: Aerobie Aeropress
Hi Jerseysteve,
If you were formerly pressing in only ten seconds, it's also possible that your grind was coarser than it could be. A finer grind does impart more richness and thus you could get by with less coffee.
But there's no doubt that AeroPress does encourage you to consume more coffee. More in each pressing, and more pressings because it tastes good. In my house, our consumption of coffee (my wife and I) has doubled since I developed the AeroPress. I hope the coffee growers and roasters appreciate us.
Posted Sat Feb 4, 2006, 7:30pm Subject: Re: Aerobie Aeropress
Hi kalbear,
When discussing dilution, I refer to dilution of the brew after pressing. Yesterday I posted this:
"I AeroPressed with water filled to the top of the oval, which yields a Brix of about 5 (equal to Starbuck's espresso). Then I diluted that only 1:1 which brought it down to a Brix of about 2.5".
This approach will yield about 3.7 ounces of Americano per scoop. It's richer than a standard Americano. But a lot of people, including posters on this thread like it this way. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, the response has been so positive that I plan to change our instructions on the next edition.
With regard to the measuring scoop, I've found that a scoop full of whole beans is about the same weight of coffee as a scoop full of grind. Both weigh 11 to 12 grams.
How long should the press take? And how long should the grounds "steep" before pressing? This may have been answered already in this thread but it's quite long now so forgive me. I have been pouring the water in, then stirring for about 10 seconds, then pressing. My press only takes about 10 seconds as well. I am about to make the first of my two nightly cups so I hope to get an answer quick ;-)
counting Senior Member Joined: 8 May 2005 Posts: 823 Location: Baltimore, MD
Posted Sat Feb 4, 2006, 8:50pm Subject: Re: Aerobie Aeropress
This thread seems to reinforce the suggestion in another thread that there must be at least a niche market for a drip brewer that allows variation of delivered water temperature over a fairly wide range. Of course the difference between a drip brewer and any full immersion method is huge, but still.
Many people will have a hard time getting their heads around the idea that any coffee should be brewed at 175F, but we always go back to the basic fact that what is "correct" depends on what tastes good to you. The experience and testimony of Alan and many posters can hardly be disputed. 175F is iconoclastic, but being open to new ideas is a good thing. Others prefer higher temperatures in the Aeropress. Surely this depends on roast and grind as well as the individual's palate and the characteristics of the Aeropress.
Many people like dark roasts brewed at "normal" temperatures. I can't drink such brew, and I can see that a substantially lower temp might yield a big improvement - I haven't tried it, though.
In any case - my original point, users of drip brewers should be able to experiment with temperature, instead of being limited to one temperature imposed by design constraints and compromises dictated by the manufacturer.
Posted Sat Feb 4, 2006, 10:03pm Subject: Re: Aerobie Aeropress
twalker294 Said:
Alan,
How long should the press take? And how long should the grounds "steep" before pressing? This may have been answered already in this thread but it's quite long now so forgive me. I have been pouring the water in, then stirring for about 10 seconds, then pressing. My press only takes about 10 seconds as well. I am about to make the first of my two nightly cups so I hope to get an answer quick ;-)
I don't steep. I just go from stir to press. I've also posted earlier that steeping doesn't have much effect on brew strength.
You're just fine with the above numbers. But I've posted earlier that with about fifteen pounds of push (which I think is about optimum) and my favorite grind, pressing takes about ten to fifteen seconds for every scoop. So a double takes me twenty to thirty seconds. And it's more likely thirty.
If I grind coarser, so it presses in ten seconds, the brew is a bit weaker. That's not a big deal. You can leave it that way, or compensate by using more coffee, less water, finer grind, or less dilution (if you're making Americanos). Have fun and let things gradually improve with time.
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