Letters from the Train
The bloom is not ceremony; it lets the gas escape. The washed part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is.
Where it started
The result is not perfect, but it is honest. Weigh the coffee and the water; guessing is half the problem. A cheap grinder holds you back more than a cheap kettle. Light roasts reward patience and slightly hotter water. There is a version of this that is much more complicated. This is not that version.
Most mornings I just want a good, simple cup. It took me two attempts to see the pattern. I would rather do one thing carefully than five things quickly. I tested the gentle version first. It did not last.
I like brew ratios that shows the marks of how it was made. The fruity part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is. If something here is unclear, that is on me, not you.
Trade-offs
Grind size changes more than any other variable. A french press helps, but it is not the point. I keep a short list of things to try next; weighing all of it is near the top. Small, repeatable steps beat big plans almost every time. Looking back, the washed approach was the right call.
- Do less dialling in, more cupping
- Compare against last autumn
- Do less grinding by hand, more weighing everything
- Budget twice the time you expect
Small things
A gooseneck kettle helps, but it is not the point. Tasting two cups side by side teaches more than any primer. I keep a short list of things to try next; grinding by hand is near the top. Looking back, the gentle approach was the right call.
Most of what I know about filter papers came from getting it wrong first. I keep a short list of things to try next; cupping is near the top. The first eight weeks were chiefly about unlearning. I like single origins that shows the marks of how it was made.
Second thoughts
The best advice I got was plainly to slow down. The change showed up gradually, then all at once. Somewhere between the train and home, the notion finally made sense.
I keep a short list of things to try next; brewing pour-over is near the top. The first twelve weeks were chiefly about unlearning. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about tasting jottings.
I like espresso that shows the marks of how it was made. It took me six attempts to see the pattern. I keep coming back to pour-over, chiefly because it rewards patience.