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Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

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jkdemp
Senior Member

Joined: 4 Dec 2012
Posts: 3
Location: Afghanistan
Expertise: Just starting

Grinder: Breville Smartgrinder
Drip: Behmor Brazen

Posted Tue Dec 4, 2012, 5:37am Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

Just got delivery of the BraZen, but have a unique challenge that I'm hoping this forum can help me out with. Main Issue: I'm in Afghanistan. The limitations that implies: 1) I'm at 8000', so the max brew temp is 195 degrees. 2) No such thing as fresh coffee. At best I can typically get beans a month out from roasting. Basic question is what type of grind and coffee/water ratio should I start with to make the best coffee within these limitations? I typically drink Swings 4-mile espresso (washington DC) or Intelligentsia (House or Black Cat Espresso). Working with a Breville Smartgrinder. Have tried the finest drip coffee grind (8 to 10) to try to make up for the lack of temperature, but no luck so far. Any tips on starting points appreciated. Thanks.

The_Coffee_Guy
Senior Member

Joined: 5 Jan 2009
Posts: 105
Location: Toronto
Expertise: I live coffee

Grinder: Baratza Encore
Drip: Behmor BraZen Brew System,...

Posted Tue Dec 4, 2012, 5:51am Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

I would recommend, based on the factors you listed, to use the 'standard' of 55 grams per litre of water....so a full BraZen pot would be 65 grams of coffee. I therefore typically use 33 grams for 600ml (first line) and 50 grams for two mugs (second line). I grind slightly courser than kosher salt but you could start inching up the grind from where you are to see how that changes the cup. The coffee I mostly use is Costco Espresso (roasted by Starbucks) or the Costo Rwanda blend which by no means is freshly roasted and use 30 seconds for pre-soak (but probably don't need even that much as there is little or no bloom).

yakster
Senior Member

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 1,006
Location: San Jose, CA
Expertise: I live coffee

Espresso: Gaggia Factory / La Peppina...
Grinder: Vario / Kyocera
Vac Pot: Yama 8 + Pyrex Lox-in Rod
Drip: Brazen / Kalita / Chemex /...
Roaster: Behmor

Posted Tue Dec 4, 2012, 11:02am Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

I tried a paper filter for the second time with the BraZen this morning using the same grind and temp as I normally do with the included gold mesh filter. I didn't like the coffee as much, I felt it didn't have the body and mouthfeel I wanted and it tasted a bit astringent, papery even though I rinsed the filter a bit before using it. I used the tall Bunn filters (since that's what I have) that are too tall until you rinse them then they sit below the top of the filter basket. As for brewing at high altitudes with low temp, I think the advice given is sound, I normally go for 62.5 g / liter (16:1 ratio) as a starting point and you should be able to judge if your grind is too fine by if you're noticing over-extraction (too bitter) or clogging the filter (overflow the basket). In the event of either of these problems, you would coarsen up the grinder, but since you're brewing at a lower temp, you may be fine with a finer grind than we use down a lower altitudes. You might try a long pre-soak just to maximize any coffee extraction if you're getting what you feel is a weak, under-extracted pot. This weekend I had my first real accident with the BraZen. My Wife decided we'd all help out cooking breakfast in the kitchen which means it was a zoo and I was fixing bacon, helping one of my daughters with the waffle mix and making coffee all at the same time while trying to stay out of everyone else's way. In the excitement, I ended up starting the brew without the pot under the filter and my daughter noticed the basket overflowing. I ended up only getting a couple of ounces of coffee (what everyone else left in the pot) because I was also getting a turkey started in the smoker. but it tasted OK. Luckily it was easy to clean up.

-Chris LMWDP # 272

yakster
Senior Member

Posted Thu Dec 6, 2012, 3:35pm Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

Brewed 50 grams of Nicaragua Santa Teresa roasted to Full City on Monday in the Behmor 1600 with 900 ml of water in the Brazen this morning using 205°F water and 2 minutes pre-soak. Didn't have any problems with the bloom—I was a bit worried since it's freshly roasted this week—but I think that the coffee will taste better brewed cooler based on the results this morning compared to a single cup of this same bean I brewed at work to the other day. It seems counter-intuitive that brewing cooler would bring out the sweetness and flavor more in some coffees, but my experience so far seems to bear this out.

-Chris LMWDP # 272

MJW
Senior Member

Joined: 25 Jul 2012
Posts: 74
Location: Silicon Valley
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Thu Dec 6, 2012, 3:59pm Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

I tried Gort for the first time today, with a paper filter, and got excellent results. Full flavor, not bitter, not thin, very tasty. Better than all my experiments with the Clever dripper save one. My settings were 1:15 and 204, using 48 grams for 0.9 L, Monkey Blend. I really don't know how to describe the grind, but I suspect it's a little finer than the usual drip grind. Not too fine though, there's room down there. I used a Safeway-branded 8-12 brown paper filter. I could use some guidance on better filters to use. I didn't find Melitta flat filters locally. The Swy filters seem very thin compared to the #4 Filtropa filters that I'm used to. That new-Gort smell is pretty remarkable and strong. It gets into the water, both in the carafe after a water-only brew, and up top in the kettle after a brew is done. I've done three water-only brew cycles, plus one brew with coffee, and it hasn't dissipated yet. I'll just wait a day and see what happens. I've already washed the plastic parts. I wonder if anyone has run control experiments, running multiple brews with the exact same parameters, to see if they can duplicate the coffee taste results every time. This is a spectacular product that appears to work flawlessly and smoothly. -Mike

cafedj
Senior Member

Joined: 3 Oct 2003
Posts: 635
Location: NC
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Bialetti, Aeropress
Grinder: Rocky doserless
Vac Pot: Bodum
Drip: Behmor Brazen
Roaster: Counter Culture

Posted Thu Dec 6, 2012, 6:53pm
Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

yakster Said:

It seems counter-intuitive that brewing cooler would bring out the sweetness and flavor more in some coffees, but my experience so far seems to bear this out.

Posted December 6, 2012 link

That's been my experience. I'm currently brewing at 202, and the results are very good. More than once I've seen a 1 deg change make a very noticeable difference in taste, specifically as you note sweeter at the lower temp. I assume higher temps are dissolving less pleasing flavors that mask the sweeter fruit. With so many variables to try though I'm still tweaking and expect to for some time, as well as with each bean change. But that's why I bought it.

Posted Thu Dec 6, 2012, 7:01pm
Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

MJW Said:

I used a Safeway-branded 8-12 brown paper filter. I could use some guidance on better filters to use. I didn't find Melitta flat filters locally. The Swy filters seem very thin compared to the #4 Filtropa filters that I'm used to.

That new-Gort smell is pretty remarkable and strong. It gets into the water, both in the carafe after a water-only brew, and up top in the kettle after a brew is done. I've done three water-only brew cycles, plus one brew with coffee, and it hasn't dissipated yet. I'll just wait a day and see what happens. I've already washed the plastic parts.

Posted December 6, 2012 link

I've tried several different brands of paper filters in the past and have always come back to Melitta white, which is what I'm using in the Brazen. But that's me. Melitta is easy to find, for example on Amazon. The 8-12 basket filters fit perfectly.

As I posted earlier, I also had a very strong plastic smell and taste on day one. Numerous water cycles and a coffee run didn't help. Washed all the removable parts with hot soapy water again and let everything air dry overnight. Next day first pot of coffee had zero plastic, and it's been clear ever since.

I agree, it's a really exceptional machine.

jkdemp
Senior Member

Joined: 4 Dec 2012
Posts: 3
Location: Afghanistan
Expertise: Just starting

Grinder: Breville Smartgrinder
Drip: Behmor Brazen

Posted Thu Dec 6, 2012, 11:58pm Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

Thanks, but think the Brazen is peaked out at this altitude (8000')-- can't get past a very sour brew. Back to the Aerobie...

MJW
Senior Member

Joined: 25 Jul 2012
Posts: 74
Location: Silicon Valley
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Fri Dec 7, 2012, 12:46am Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

Thanks for reiterating your tips, Cafedj. If I can't find the Melitta locally I'll eventually order them.

germantownrob
Senior Member

Joined: 2 Dec 2007
Posts: 2,016
Location: Philadelphia
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Duetto 3, A Dead Oscar
Grinder: Vario-W, Preciso w/Esatto,...
Drip: Brazen
Roaster: Diedrich IR-1, HT B

Posted Fri Dec 7, 2012, 6:06am
Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)

jkdemp Said:

Thanks, but think the Brazen is peaked out at this altitude (8000')-- can't get past a very sour brew. Back to the Aerobie...

Posted December 6, 2012 link

Really sorry to hear this. I just can't wrap my brain around high altitude brewing, I have always had surprisingly good result with low temp brews from the AeroPress so I wonder if playing with a finer grind (might have to do less then a full pot) and playing with timing with the manual brew might help. I have some time today so I will do a few pots at 195f and see what happens.

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