TheEther Senior Member Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 8 Location: Lexington KY Expertise: Just starting
Posted Sat Dec 29, 2012, 10:32am Subject: First brew with the Brazen (Ethiopian Yrgacheffe) - Questions
I'm a total Coffee Noob just so you know. I bought a Brazen seeking to have a machine that can brew a great cup of coffee for when I (or my guests) want a great cup. The Brazen seems to be an incredibly well-built machine.
I whipped out the Brazen, set my elevation to 1000ft, set the pre-soak time to 45 seconds, brew temp to 204 and calibrated it. After running 2 8 cup dry runs through it, I filled it to the 6 cup fill line and readied it for the Yrga. The bag of pre-roasted pre-ground Ethiopian Yrga (from Willoughbys) said it was roasted on Dec 26th and recommended 2 Tablespoons per 6 oz. - as a side note a bag of my wifes decaf (we had in the house) recommended 1 tbls per 6oz so I was a bit confused on the 2 tbls per 6oz recco on the Yrga. - 8 Tablespoons later (6 cups brew) using a coffee filter (not the gold filter) I kicked off the Brazen on auto and letter-rip.
I must say the coffee wasn't acidic like i've come to expect, every single thing I put through my Black and Decker POS machine (one of my goals met). I guess I'm not sure what to expect because I dont know coffee very well. What should the Brazen be set up for this type of coffee? The Yrga seemed to taste a little burnt with a dry finish but it was something I could drink black. My wife (who should be taken with a grain of salt in the matter) said she wasn't impressed. Immediate husband eye-rolling.
Again my questions are more one of how the Brazen should be configured for this coffee. Was 2 tbls per 6oz too much, my heat too high, my presoak too long or not long enough or maybe it's just my expectations of not knowing what to expect. I definitely don't really know what MY particular flavor profile of choice is yet.. and boy that's going to be a journey.
I also bought an unroasted coffee Sampler which included: Peru Fair Trade Organic Costa Rica SHB - La Pastora Tarrazu Bolivia Fair Trade Organic Burundi Bourbon Columbia Supremo Brazil Natural Red Catuai Faz Almeida Ethiopia Yrgacheffe Guatemala SHB
I dont have a roaster but thought I could attempt the heat gun or stove method or heck I could build a cage and roast them over my big green egg (thought that might be some old school fun). I've been watching a ton of youtube videos on identifying the level of roast, I'm pretty handy so I don't think I'd have too much trouble. I thought I'd practice with the ground Yrga though until I had a better understanding of the machine. Again, a journey. ;)
Posted Sat Dec 29, 2012, 10:48am Subject: Re: First brew with the Brazen (Ethiopian Yrgacheffe) - Questions
I'm using some Willoughbys Yrga right now in my Brazen, and the results are definitely not burnt tasting. You'll have to find the ideal grind setting, temp and coffee/water ratio for your taste, but the Brazen is very capable of excellent results. I use a finer grind than most people suggest, and am brewing that Yrga at 201 or 202. This morning's brew was rich, delicious, and zero burnt flavors. Keep adjusting, and don't give up. It's worth it.
Posted Sat Dec 29, 2012, 11:43am Subject: Re: First brew with the Brazen (Ethiopian Yrgacheffe) - Questions
I'm using 45 sec.
Here's my current recipe:
Rocky grinder: 7 above zero (quite fine) 202 45 sec pre-soak 800 ml water 36.5g coffee Melitta white paper
I've tried 201, which I like with other beans, but 202 gives me a bit more complexity with this bean. Haven't tried higher temps with it yet. That 204 could be part of your issue. I did some pots at 204 early on but liked 203 and below much better. But again, taste and beans vary, so adjust to suit, which is exactly why we have a Brazen.
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