Starting Over with Grind Size
If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about grind size. Grind size changes more than any other variable.
What I kept
A cheap grinder holds you back more than a cheap kettle. Between weighing all of it and grinding by hand, the second one taught me more. I keep coming back to brew ratios, chiefly because it rewards patience. Small, repeatable steps beat big plans almost every time.
I keep coming back to the morning cup, chiefly because it rewards patience. I tested the fruity version first. It did not last. Clean equipment is the cheapest upgrade available.
Light roasts reward patience and slightly hotter water. It is not glamorous, but it holds up. Most mornings I just want a good, simple cup.
Why it matters
The change showed up gradually, then all at once. The washed part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is. Somewhere between a small roastery and home, the notion finally made sense.
Somewhere between the corner café and home, the notion finally made sense. The bloom is not ceremony; it lets the gas escape. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about tasting jottings. I keep a short list of things to try next; tasting side by side is near the top.
The result is not perfect, but it is honest. Weigh the coffee and the water; guessing is half the problem. It took me six attempts to see the pattern. It took me five attempts to see the pattern. Somewhere between the train and home, the notion finally made sense.
In practice
I like pour-over that shows the marks of how it was made. The bright part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about light roasts.
The first twelve weeks were chiefly about unlearning. It took me nine attempts to see the pattern. If something here is unclear, that is on me, not you. There is a version of this that is much more complicated. This is not that version.
Most of what I know about grinders came from getting it wrong first. I tested the natural version first. It did not last. I keep a short list of things to try next; cupping is near the top.