brewing a good cup with the aeropress

[jrich523]

hi!
i recently purchased an aeropress and im looking for some tips on how to tweak my method for making a better cup of coffee.
i also purchase some The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf French Vanilla coffee grounds.

following the directions as they are makes a cup of jet fuel!

I've tried a few different things (amount of grounds, steeping time etc) and it just doesnt taste as i'd expect it. I dont ever get a flavor that resembles the aroma of the grounds themselves. Just ends up tasting like a strong "regular" coffee.

I dont know much about brewing coffee so i dont know what direction to head. does that mean the water is too hot (175F recommended and used)? Do i need to let it sit longer?

To make one 10 oz cup of coffee would it be better to press all 10 oz through the press or should i only press a smaller amount and add water?

looking online i've seen a bunch of different things mentioned but nothing about "troubleshooting" the flavor...


Thanks!

 

[rlauzon]

I've been using the Aeropress for some time now.

What I did was experiment with the amount of grounds, how much of initial water to use, and how much to dilute the resulting extract.

My recipe:
2 scoops of beans
Fill the initial extract chamber to the number 4 mark
Stir for 20 seconds, and press
Then I add hot water to fill my 20 oz mug to the mark I set

One of the things I've noticed over the years is that, for the most part, flavored coffee doesn't work well in the Aeropress. The flavor seems to get "filtered" out in the process.
Some flavors work well, like chocolate and cinnamon. But flavors like vanilla, or some of the "strange" flavors (like blueberry or banana) don't work. All you can taste is the bean.

 

[jrich523]

thanks for the response. maybe i'll try a different coffee bean/ground. why is it you use so much beans? im not a huge coffee person but i feel like i've seen people use two scoops to make a whole pot of coffee. i would think that a scoop or less should be able to make a mugs worth.

 

[rlauzon]

why is it you use so much beans? im not a huge coffee person but i feel like i've seen people use two scoops to make a whole pot of coffee. i would think that a scoop or less should be able to make a mugs worth.

The more water you pour over the grounds, the more bitter the result. I drink coffee for the taste, so I want more grounds with less water. The result is more flavor and less bitterness.

See Good Eats - True Brew (YouTube - ‪Good Eats S2E7P1: True Brew‬‏) and (True Brew Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network)

 

[jrich523]

thanks, those are great links.
do you do it the inverted way? plung it a little fill it with grounds/water and then twist on the filter and flip it on a cup?

so for one cup (10-12 oz) use one scoop, fill with water to the number 2, stir for 20 seconds and press and add water to top off? i'll give that a try in the morning.

i really appreciate your advice with this.
Thanks!

 

[rlauzon]

do you do it the inverted way? plung it a little fill it with grounds/water and then twist on the filter and flip it on a cup?

No. In my opinion, the simpler the process, the better. Processes that require too much finagling are usually more myth than reality.

so for one cup (10-12 oz) use one scoop, fill with water to the number 2, stir for 20 seconds and press and add water to top off? i'll give that a try in the morning.

That sounds correct to me. You might want to play with the amount of grounds and initial water to get it to the consistency you want. I usually like my coffee strong (which is really nice when the flavor is high and bitterness is low).

 

[jrich523]

The reason i used the inverted initially was that my OCD said it shouldnt drip while i stir it... i've gone back to the normal way because i find it makes a better cup (or im getting better at it).

At any rate, one last question (i think), do you know what i'd experience (taste wise) if im over/under on temp or grounds/water?
i realize that if i have too few grounds to water ratio it will make it bitter, is there a problem with too many grounds other than waste?
with water temp i know they say that the 175F area is ideal, what happens to the taste if im over/under?
also, brew time? too short too long? too long i assume it would just taste burnt and too short lacking flavor?

i suspect different beans will need slightly different brewing and since i dont realy know what effects different things have it makes it a little harder to work towards a good cup of coffee.

thanks for your help, this mornings coffee was better

 

[rlauzon]

i realize that if i have too few grounds to water ratio it will make it bitter, is there a problem with too many grounds other than waste?

Not that I am aware of. Of course, with more grounds, you go through the coffee faster meaning your habit is more expensive.

with water temp i know they say that the 175F area is ideal, what happens to the taste if im over/under?

The best extraction temp is just off the boil. By definition, you can't get water any hotter than boiling (because hotter than that, it's no longer water but steam).
So you can only go under, which will just reduce the extraction and you will get a weaker result.

also, brew time? too short too long? too long i assume it would just taste burnt and too short lacking flavor?

The longer the water is in contact with the grounds, the more the water will extract - up to the point where the water is saturated.

With the Aeropress, it's hard to have too long a brew time. I usually pretty much follow the instructions that came with the Aeropress:
1. Put the water in.
2. Stir for 10 seconds.
3. Apply pressure and let the plunger go down slowly. It usually takes me about 20-30 seconds. If you are applying a great deal of pressure, that's probably too much. If it's going fast (like 10 seconds), you are applying too much pressure.

Too long a brew time usually results in a more bitter coffee. Too little usually results in a weak coffee.

i suspect different beans will need slightly different brewing and since i dont realy know what effects different things have it makes it a little harder to work towards a good cup of coffee.

I've not really seen that. I use the same method on all the different beans I use.

thanks for your help, this mornings coffee was better

Glad to be of help.

 

[joshpelican]

Excuse me for hijacking this thread, but I just bought an Aeropress today. I've had several cups made with one before, but this is my first time owning/using one.

I put a scoop of freshly ground coffee in, poured water up to the number two, and stirred for about 10 seconds. By the time I finished stirring, half of the coffee was already in my cup. I know a bit of dripping is natural with the Aeropress, but I've never seen that much drip out before getting the plunger in.

Now, I did wet the filter before using it. Was this a mistake? I watched a video of a guy using the Aeropress and he said he preferred to wet his first, for whatever reason. Aside from that, I can't think of anything I did wrong. Is there a secret step I don't know about?

Thanks!

EDIT: I should have mentioned that the coffee was still delicious! I added a bit more water after to get a full cup. I might have another one right after.

 

[rlauzon]

Wetting the filter helps slow down the flow through the grounds.
Pour the water slowly, trying to evenly wet the grounds, will help slow the flow as well.

 

[rlauzon]

Oh, I almost forgot. Another way to make the water filter through slower is to use a finer grind for your coffee.

 

[calchapman9]

Yeah, an AeroPress will make stronger than usual coffee. More like espresso-strength. One thing you could do is dilute it with hot water after it's made.

Cal Chapman
The Coffeemash