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Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

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Discussions > Coffee > Machines > Disappointed...

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florbastang
Senior Member

Joined: 6 Oct 2010
Posts: 19
Location: WI
Expertise: Just starting

Posted Thu Oct 28, 2010, 2:43pm Subject: Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

I haven't been able to make a good cup of coffee with my Bee House dripper. I've made good cups with my Aeropress and great cups with my little Bodum French press. But I haven't gotten good results with the Bee House. I've followed the directions at Sweet Maria's as best as I can. http://www.sweetmarias.com/brewinstr/brewing.inst.drip.php However, the only problem I run into is that it always takes more than 2:30 for the total brewing. It's been taking much closer to 3:00-3:30 in total brewing time, which probably explains why the resulting coffee always tastes too strong, bitter, and over-extracted. I've taken a peek through the little slot, and it looks like the liquid is only dripping through one of the two holes rather than both. Perhaps this would explain why it's taking longer than expected to brew. When running just water through it, water drips through each hole effortlessly. Any ideas about what's going on? I use about 18g of coffee and 10 oz of water. The beans are ground using my Hario Mini Mill Slim set about 9 clicks counter-clockwise from totally closed. That's fairly coarsely ground (probably more coarse than typical drip). For reference, I set it to 4 or 5 clicks for the Aeropress and about 13 clicks for the French press, which seems to produce an appropriate coarseness for the grounds for each device. So, I don't think that it's that the grounds are too fine. The filters are the #2 Melitta Super Premium cone filters with the micro-perforations or whatever. I sure hope it's not the filter, as I bought about four boxes of these on sale! Here's the Bee House dripper: Click Here (www.sweetmarias.com)

rwgamer
Senior Member

Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 137
Location: United States
Expertise: I love coffee

Grinder: Bodum Bistro Burr
Drip: Melitta
Roaster: Toastmaster 6203 (popper)

Posted Thu Oct 28, 2010, 4:03pm Subject: Re: Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

I would try 13. The primary way to speed up the flow is to grind coarser. Having more water in the dripper will also speed the flow. You can try to pour in the water so that you are maintaining a high level of water as much as possible.

florbastang
Senior Member

Joined: 6 Oct 2010
Posts: 19
Location: WI
Expertise: Just starting

Posted Thu Oct 28, 2010, 4:29pm
Subject: Re: Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

rwgamer Said:

I would try 13. The primary way to speed up the flow is to grind coarser. Having more water in the dripper will also speed the flow. You can try to pour in the water so that you are maintaining a high level of water as much as possible.

Posted October 28, 2010 link

Thanks for the help. I'll try that.

Any idea why liquid was coming only out of one hole and not both?

Posted Thu Oct 28, 2010, 4:46pm Subject: Re: Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

I can only guess that it's the way the grounds happened to settle and there was a larger stack of grounds over that one whole, blocking the flow.

BoldJava
Senior Member

Joined: 2 Jun 2006
Posts: 1,501
Location: St Paul, MN
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: '82 Oly Cremina 67
Grinder: Macap MC4 Doserless Stepped
Vac Pot: Yamas
Drip: Hario, Beehouse, Cilio, Kone...
Roaster: RK Drum and Gene

Posted Thu Oct 28, 2010, 4:55pm Subject: Re: Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

florbastang Said: Thanks for the help. I'll try that. Any idea why liquid was coming only out of one hole and not both? Posted October 28, 2010 link I have both the Beehouse and the Hario. Love them both. I doubt that it is just dripping from one; one might be slower and draining toward the second, giving the appearance of a solo drip. Questions: what filters are you using? "How" are you pouring? What is you kettle? The same coffee that is bitter and over-extracted, how does it taste from the press pot? I use 21 gr for 10-11 ounces. The local roaster uses 25 for 12 ounces. I don't think you are grinding coarsely enough but just a guess. Here is Edwin Martinez (owns Hario USA and a finca, Finca Vista Hermosa, in Guatemala) -- using 28 for 12 ounces. 18 strikes me as awfully thin. Notice the pre-rinse, the crater he creates pre-pour and then the bloom (pre-infusion) he creates and wait. Give it a try. I use his technique on both the Hario, the Beehouse, and the Cilio. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB5Dpio3mmg Pour on! B\|Java

"On the trail for the goats' grail..." Dave Borton Milwaukee

jammin
Senior Member

Joined: 25 Nov 2009
Posts: 658
Location: Boise
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Speedster, Cremina
Grinder: K10, Vario-W with Ditting...
Vac Pot: Hario
Drip: manual
Roaster: quest m3, hottop b

Posted Thu Oct 28, 2010, 5:19pm Subject: Re: Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

I'm gonna guess it's your grinder. Those hand mills produce a lot of fines at drip settings. This effects the extraction in a couple ways.. it clogs the filter paper which could explain the dripping from only one hole, and makes for part of the ground coffee to over-extract, explaining the bitterness of the brew. That's just my guess and it could be something else. You might try making a slightly smaller batch(less coffee and less water) in hopes that your grinder can maintain a more even grind at the proper(finer) coarseness and see how the cup turns out. You might also try leaving the brew alone while it's dripping. Give the grounds a good blooming pour to start and let it steep for 30 seconds, then pour the remaining water and that should give you a quicker extraction time as well. GL -j

roast your own

caffeinatedjen
Senior Member

Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 297
Location: michigan
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Bezzera B707
Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Roaster: Behmor

Posted Fri Oct 29, 2010, 9:31am Subject: Re: Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

It might be your filters. I tried some "full circle" I think the name was, with my clever coffee dripper that just wouldn't let any coffee through at all, I think I ended up punching some holes in them with a knife to make them usable. I stuck with Melitta after that. I can tell you that numbley peg in the morning when you haven't had your coffee yet is not a good idea!

s0ckeyeus
Senior Member

Joined: 18 Jan 2010
Posts: 309
Location: KY
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Fri Oct 29, 2010, 1:25pm Subject: Re: Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

I don't know the extraction time would make a nasty cup unless something else was wrong. I'd check out the beans first. I've had a wide range of extraction times and bean amounts, but I rarely have problems unless my ratios (coffee:water) are off or my beans aren't all that good. It's also possible that it could be the grind or even the quality of water as well.

"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons" - T.S. Eliot

florbastang
Senior Member

Joined: 6 Oct 2010
Posts: 19
Location: WI
Expertise: Just starting

Posted Fri Oct 29, 2010, 6:13pm
Subject: Re: Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

s0ckeyeus Said:

I don't know the extraction time would make a nasty cup unless something else was wrong. I'd check out the beans first. I've had a wide range of extraction times and bean amounts, but I rarely have problems unless my ratios (coffee:water) are off or my beans aren't all that good. It's also possible that it could be the grind or even the quality of water as well.

Posted October 29, 2010 link

Even if the results using the same beans and water with my French press and Aeropress range from good to great?

cyberpainter
Senior Member

Joined: 29 Apr 2012
Posts: 3
Location: CA
Expertise: Just starting

Posted Sun Apr 29, 2012, 1:23pm Subject: Re: Disappointed with results from Bee House dripper...

I also have just started using a bee house dripper and am having trouble getting a good cup of coffee. I wanted to get rid of my plastic when heating water, so I purchased this dripper to replace a plastic dripper I was using. I will also be replacing my plastic electric kettle with a stainless steel one which I haven't received yet. My issue is this. With the same pour over method, same paper filter, same coffee, I get a pretty bad tasting cup of coffee with the bee house. My plastic dripper has one hole, this one has two. The first day I just did everything the same, which didn't involve a very slow pour, with the plastic I got satisfactory results from just letting it fill up after an initial bloom I guess, but not very long waiting time. (I'm in a hurry in the morning...) So the first cup with the new dripper was just a nasty flavor, not bitter. Not the best beans but my usual. And the coffee wasn't hot enough either. So I looked up some info and then tried to follow directions. I poured the boiled water in the filter first, letting it go into the ceramic mug too, to maybe heat things up a little, poured that water off then put in the grounds. Did an initial small pour, saw the "bloom" waited a little, then poured slowly. Result first day was a good cup, but not hot enough. Second day not sure what I did different but it was more bitter tasting. My theory is that I need the water to be hotter than this kettle will get to. And let some water heat the mug more. But very disappointed that my usual cup of coffee is now a chore, and not very good. Any other thoughts? Thank you!

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