The Aerobie????

[richedie]

Thanks, I have not heard of the moka pot other than in passing but I hear it is good! I am going to grab one of those Tirra French Pulls, but with the fact that it pulls effect the amount of oils making through the screen?

I use a manual drip which I like over an auto drip! I also use my perc and french press but not sure about the Aero Press. Although they claim the Aero make GREAT espresso.

 

[mrgnomer]

Thanks, I have not heard of the moka pot other than in passing but I hear it is good! I am going to grab one of those Tirra French Pulls, but with the fact that it pulls effect the amount of oils making through the screen?

I use a manual drip which I like over an auto drip! I also use my perc and french press but not sure about the Aero Press. Although they claim the Aero make GREAT espresso.

I've been using the Aeropress for about two weeks and it does make good coffee if you follow the directions it comes with. The inventor apparently did a lot of testing and came up with an extraction formula that makes strong but smooth coffee. You've got to use a lot of grounds to get the strength and fine grind them so they resist the pressure exerted by the plunger. To avoid bitterness due to over extraction a lower than normal water temp (175F, I believe) and a short extraction time is recommended . The extraction time is 10 sec of stirring for saturation and 20 sec plunging time. It makes for a quick method of brewing coffee but I've found that even my stale beyond knowing grounds taste pretty good with the Aeropress. The balance between a high amount of grounds but a cooler brewing temp and shorter extraction is good for making strong, smooth coffee.

Being all plastic, light and a pretty compact package the Aeropress would also travel well so it's a great choice for camping or road trips. It's very easy to clean as well since the grinds get most of the water squeezed out of them and what you're left with is a puck that's almost as dry as an espresso puck that you just push out of the chamber. The parts rinse clean and even the filter can be rinsed out and used again until it rips or falls apart, which according to the inventor is about 20 times.

I got it because it wasn't expensive and being into coffee I had to try it. I'm glad I did get one because I think I'd take an Aeropress with me camping now instead of my glass carafe french press.

I think the Tirra French press is the same as a regular french press except that it seems to have a finer screen to screen out grinds. It could also screen out more oils but I don't know for sure.

 

[richedie]

So, is it a bad idea to use too fine a grind for drip? Sometimes I'll grind very fine for my manual drip at home.

Maybe I'll have to grab an AeroPress soon!

How do you know the Tirra seems to have a more fine screen for filtering? I read a review that said it works well and keeps the oils in tact similar to a French Press.......but less sediment and also less contimuous contact with the water since you lift it up and out. maybe it isn't worth it since I have a french Press.

 

[mrgnomer]

So, is it a bad idea to use too fine a grind for drip? Sometimes I'll grind very fine for my manual drip at home.

Maybe I'll have to grab an AeroPress soon!

How do you know the Tirra seems to have a more fine screen for filtering? I read a review that said it works well and keeps the oils in tact similar to a French Press.......but less sediment and also less contimuous contact with the water since you lift it up and out. maybe it isn't worth it since I have a french Press.

I'm assuming the Tirra has a finer screen since less sediment is left behind. I've never used one so I don't know for sure but it does look like a modified french press.

Fine grind for drip coffee could be hit and miss if the coffee brewing temp is high and the water doesn't saturate all the grinds in the filter. There's some drip machines that shower the grinds to fully saturate them but, from what I know, with most drip machines the water 'drips' through the grinds in one spot. That spot will get more hot water on it than the rest of the grinds and it could get over extracted.

A fine grind could also choke up the filter you're using and not allow the water the pass through as quickly. A finer grind is easier to over extract if the water temp is high or the steep time is long so you could get stronger but more bitter cup of coffee. If you're using fine grinds and the cup is bitter, I'd say it's from over extraction and grinding coarser should correct that.

 

[richedie]

Thanks for the information.....I always thought you always wanted a fine grind for the best extraction but I guess that isn't so! I wanted to say that my drip is manual drip......I like to have 100% control. I control the grind, the water temperature and the amount of saturation, plus the brew time. It seems I get the best results with a medium to find grind with a temp a bit below boiling.

 

[mrgnomer]

Thanks for the information.....I always thought you always wanted a fine grind for the best extraction but I guess that isn't so! I wanted to say that my drip is manual drip......I like to have 100% control. I control the grind, the water temperature and the amount of saturation, plus the brew time. It seems I get the best results with a medium to find grind with a temp a bit below boiling.

Yes, I've read and I find that the best water temp for extraction is between what, 195F-205F, which is water just off the boil for about 25+sec.

Fine grinds, as far as I know, give a greater surface area for extraction and do extract more but it can be a fine line between greater extraction and over extraction. I think it's how water temp, grind size and steep time all inter relate to determine the extraction. Increase one like grind finer and you might have to decrease another to avoid over extraction. Not only that but fine grinds in a french press usually get pressed through and end up as sludge in your cup so very fine grinding is not recommended unless you're a high pulp kind of person.

You can be too short on any variable and get under extracted coffee as well. Once you understand the variables and how they effect each other it's easier to experiment to hit the extraction that best suits your taste.

 

[richedie]

It is interesting how being off on one variable a little bit can make a noticable change in flavor, etc. Some days I'll make manual drip or french press that is absolutely incredible and the best cup of coffee I have ever had, then I'll make a cup the next day using the same fresh beans with a so-so result.

I am using a blade grinder but ordered a burr grinder.

 

[mrgnomer]

It is interesting how being off on one variable a little bit can make a noticable change in flavor, etc. Some days I'll make manual drip or french press that is absolutely incredible and the best cup of coffee I have ever had, then I'll make a cup the next day using the same fresh beans with a so-so result.

I am using a blade grinder but ordered a burr grinder.

A burr grinder will make a difference you'll probably notice if it grinds evenly

Yes, from day to day the same beans can taste different. I've had beans freshly roasted, specifically an Ethiopian Harrar roast, and the first brew was incredible. I opened the jar the roast was in too many times between brews and the next brew was terrible. That was a while ago when I liked to smell the fresh roast so I figure the beans somehow got oxidized and when stale fast. I don't do that anymore, in fact I leave the beans to degass with the lids on tight and only open the jars when I'm ready to blend and/or brew.

 

[richedie]

It is interesting how being off on one variable a little bit can make a noticable change in flavor, etc. Some days I'll make manual drip or french press that is absolutely incredible and the best cup of coffee I have ever had, then I'll make a cup the next day using the same fresh beans with a so-so result.

I am using a blade grinder but ordered a burr grinder.

A burr grinder will make a difference you'll probably notice if it grinds evenly

Yes, from day to day the same beans can taste different. I've had beans freshly roasted, specifically an Ethiopian Harrar roast, and the first brew was incredible. I opened the jar the roast was in too many times between brews and the next brew was terrible. That was a while ago when I liked to smell the fresh roast so I figure the beans somehow got oxidized and when stale fast. I don't do that anymore, in fact I leave the beans to degass with the lids on tight and only open the jars when I'm ready to blend and/or brew.

Ethiopian Harrar is one of my favorites. We were down in Old City Philadelphia over the weekend and Old City coffee roasts a dynamite Ethiopian brew.

Anyway, I know what you mean.......but sometimes that bad brew will be good the next day as if it was another variable that caused the problem.

Some roasters say to leave the beans in the bag it came in and re-seal and place in a tupperware container. I personally pour half the bag in my counter glass coffee jar and leave the rest in the bag in a tupperware type bin.

 

[mrgnomer]

Ethiopian Harrar is one of my favorites. We were down in Old City Philadelphia over the weekend and Old City coffee roasts a dynamite Ethiopian brew.

Anyway, I know what you mean.......but sometimes that bad brew will be good the next day as if it was another variable that caused the problem.

Some roasters say to leave the beans in the bag it came in and re-seal and place in a tupperware container. I personally pour half the bag in my counter glass coffee jar and leave the rest in the bag in a tupperware type bin.

I've read that beans oxidize very quickly when exposed to even a minute amount of air. Many are of the opinion that there is no way to keep beans as fresh as they were when roasted. While beans are degassing they're protected from oxidation but once the degassing process finishes, that's it. Limiting the amount of air the beans are exposed to might slow staling and lots of people have tried freezing and say it works great. Still, it's said that roasted coffee is like fresh baked bread: there's no way to keep either fresh for very long.

I degass my beans in mason jars with the lids tightly closed and open them up after about 3 days just before grinding. They're big mason jars so there's lots of headspace but I think the co2 that gets released displaces the air and keeps the beans from oxidizing faster than if they were out in the open. I know from experience that opening and closing the container too much stales the beans pretty fast.

 

[richedie]

I just bought a grinder with a large basin for holding the beans and it is air tight so this will solve my problem of opening and closing the bag at each grind. I can keep 1/2 lb in the basin for grinding.

 

[mrgnomer]

I just bought a grinder with a large basin for holding the beans and it is air tight so this will solve my problem of opening and closing the bag at each grind. I can keep 1/2 lb in the basin for grinding.

That would be interesting to see how it works.

I've got a dosing grinder and grind mostly for espresso, following the grind for dose advice. After grinding I sweep everything out from the chute to the doser. Every so often I clean out the hopper and so far I've only taken the grinder apart once to clean it right down to the burrs.

Grinding a bit of white rice now and again is a good way to keep the burrs clean. If you're using fresh roasted beans it makes sense to keep the grinder as clean and uncontaminated as possible.

 

[richedie]

I just bought a grinder with a large basin for holding the beans and it is air tight so this will solve my problem of opening and closing the bag at each grind. I can keep 1/2 lb in the basin for grinding.

That would be interesting to see how it works.

I've got a dosing grinder and grind mostly for espresso, following the grind for dose advice. After grinding I sweep everything out from the chute to the doser. Every so often I clean out the hopper and so far I've only taken the grinder apart once to clean it right down to the burrs.

Grinding a bit of white rice now and again is a good way to keep the burrs clean. If you're using fresh roasted beans it makes sense to keep the grinder as clean and uncontaminated as possible.

Yes, I just fill the top basin (what is this called?) with about 1/2 lb of fresh beans and select the amount I want to grind along with the grind (fine to course). It is weird though because the 4 cup setting only grinds about 4 tablespoons worth.

Is the hopper the container that receives the grinds? Is that the doser? Anyway....the part that holds the beans - I can't figure out how to take this off to clean and to get to the burrs.

When the beans are empty I'll try again to clean the hopper?

So, white rice is a good cleaning method? I want to keep up with cleaning because I do not want to contaminate that fresh bean taste!

-Rich

 

[mrgnomer]

Is the hopper the container that receives the grinds? Is that the doser? Anyway....the part that holds the beans - I can't figure out how to take this off to clean and to get to the burrs.

When the beans are empty I'll try again to clean the hopper?

So, white rice is a good cleaning method? I want to keep up with cleaning because I do not want to contaminate that fresh bean taste!

-Rich

It depends on what kind of grinder you've got. The commercial grade espresso grinders mostly have large, flat burrs driven by a commercial quality motor and are designed not only to grind fine and precisely but also not heat up the grinds or statically charge them. That kind of quality costs more but it's worth it when excellent espresso is your goal.

The top that holds the bins is called the hopper. Grinders can be either doserless or doser. Doserless grinders are good if you're going to use your grinder for more than just espresso. The grinds exit doserless grinders down a chute under which you can place anything from a coffee filter basket to a portafilter.

With a doser grinder the grinds empty into a compartment that has a propeller type wheel thingy that divides the grinds into 'doses' as you spin the vanes of the propeller thingy by pulling a lever. The grinds are diverted to an exit by the action of the rotating vanes to empty into a portafilter basket you place there. I like it for espresso since the vanes break up the grind a bit and the dose falls into the basket pretty good.

It sounds like you've got a burr grinder but not one designed more specifically for espresso. White rice is a trick to keep the burrs clean without having to take the grinder apart. There's also a product, I beleive its called something like Grindz, that's designed to clean the burrs when it's ground as well.

Commercial grade espresso grinders are pretty easy take apart to get to the burrs since replacing burrs when they dull is part of the grinder's regular maintenence. I don't think that home burr grinders designed more for drip coffee grinding expect owners would want to replace dull burrs so burrs on those grinders might not be accessible.

It's not a bad idea to clean the hopper after a while since the bean's oils sticking to the walls might go rancid given time. Some guys vacuum out their hoppers and other's use click clack lids or air tight lids that force air through the burrs when you push them down to blow grinds out of the burrs and chute. The hoppers on the higher end espresso grinders are round with fairly large diameters.

Keeping things clean is a good idea. I'm a neat freak too but with espresso I think it's a virtue to be a bit obsessive about cleanliness.

 

[richedie]

Found it, thanks!

http://www.urnex.com/grindz.htm

Why would a company thinkg a home user would not want to clean the burrs? If I don't clean them.....I assume they'll become dull with usage.

After I am doen this round of beans.....I'll see what it takes to clean.