Stopping Extraction with Liquid still in Brew Basket

[paypalboutique]

For my pour over brewing method, I use the proper grind ratio for my coffee filter. I let my coffee bloom for 30 seconds, then start my timer for 4 minutes and fill my container with the correct amount of water and let it sit until the timers up, then extract it. It takes about 30-45 seconds to drain into cup. There is always 9 grams of liquid left in the filter after extraction. If I wait another minute, it will drain into the cup. Should I stop extraction after the 4 minutes, adding the extra 9 grams of water when brewing or wait the extra minute after extraction to get the final 9 grams of coffee?

For those interested in exact technique:

I bought the the Technivorm Brew Basket with Manual Drip-Stop KBT CDT KBTS and KB741. I bought the brew basket only, specifically to shut off extraction. This way I put the basket directly over my mug for brewing. I am currently using Kroger brown #2 filters (The Technivorm brew basket is #4 size). I ordered some Filtropa Filters #4 - White as a replacement, but currently using up the brown for purposes of this post. For a two cup brew, I use 22 grams fine ground coffee using Rancilio Rocky doserless grinder. My kettle is the Bonavita electric temperature controlled kettle. I set it for 200-210F degrees to get around 190-200F brew temp in basket. I prime filter and basket, then drain. I add my fresh ground beans and poke a dent the the center with my finger (not sure if dent is needed since I'm not extracting continuously.) I pour 28 grams /about an ounce of water in basket and bloom coffee for 30 seconds. I then set my timer for 4 minutes and pour the remaining 327 grams of water; since one ounce of water weighs 29.574 grams and I'm using 12 ounces / 355 grams of water total. At 3 minutes and 30 seconds I start extracting coffee through the brew basket hole, which takes 30-45 seconds. After 4 minutes is up, 9 grams of liquid is left in basket. After 1 additional minute, the liquid passes through the filter. Since your suppose to use 6 oz water and end up with 5.3 oz coffee after extraction, I try to end up with 157 grams of coffee. Adding an extra 9 grams of water at the beginning gives me the 157g if extraction is stopped immediately after the 4 minutes.

 

[peterjschmidt]

Ultimately, the proof is in the pudding; try it both ways and see what your palate prefers.

I would say you are on to something, and what you're doing sounds very good to me. I always weigh my beans and measure water by volume, but avoid hard and fast rules. The rules come from 'experts' and who knows if they're right or wrong, or if their tastes align w/ mine.

The guideline I follow is to vary steep time according to grind fineness/coarseness. I grind fairly fine, and w/ a press pot, steep just over 3 min. If it was ground more coarsely, I'd go closer to 4 min. I'd rather err on the short side and avoid bitterness from over-extracting. My suggestion would be to forget about the very last amount of liquid in the basket and let that drain into the sink; it'll be very weak coffee anyway, and I'd rather get at the cup and start drinking.

I just made a pourover using a Kone, directly into my mug, and used 12oz. by volume water and 22g of coffee. Great minds think alike!