A Pour Over Tutorial To Brew Your Organic Coffee Beans at Home

More and more people are enjoying making their coffee at home. And, the pour-over method is gaining in popularity as evidenced by the numbers of people requesting it in our coffee shops in Carmel. We know there isn't "one" superior brew method but the ritual of a pour-over has surged for a reason: Total Control.

You control the grind, the drop, and the amount of water used to saturate the beans to extract the coffee. With each brew, adjustments can be made to meet your preferred flavor profile. For our control freaks out there, this is coffee your way. Period. End of story.

Brewing coffee is like conducting a high-stakes experiment where the concentration of ingredients like organic acids, Maillard products, and esters decides whether you're sipping on nectar or swill. Humans have a Goldilocks zone for coffee: 1.2 to 1.5 percent for filter coffee (just right!) or 8 to 10 percent for espresso (for when you need a flavor punch to the face). To get these concentrations without an espresso machine, you've got a smorgasbord of methods from pour-over to French press, each playing its own mad scientist tune to hit the sweet spot. It's like alchemy, but with less chance of turning lead into gold and more chance of turning beans into bliss.

Let's delve into the physics of brewing - it's either a dunk or a drip. Full immersion brewing, like in a French press, is like a spa day for your coffee grounds; the heat cranks up the internal particle temperature, speeding up the flavor compounds' escape from their bean prisons. But, like any spa day, linger too long, and you'll extract the bad with the good, turning your coffee into a bitter old man. Conversely, flow-through methods, like our coveted pour-over, are more like a carefully orchestrated rain dance where grind size dictates the water's journey through the coffee bed. It's a delicate balance - too fine, and your brew takes forever; too coarse, and you might as well be drinking colored water.

And don't forget the time factor - coffee freshness is a race against time. Each coffee bean is a little capsule of CO₂ and other volatile flavor compounds that start escaping the moment they're roasted. Over time, these compounds flee faster than a caffeine addict from a decaf convention, leaving your coffee bland and lifeless, so it is always crucial to have a freshly roasted bag of your favorite Carmel Valley Coffee at the ready. 

Some Notes On the Main Cast

Water Quality: The Unsung Hero (or Villain) of Your Pour-Over Coffee

Water makes up 98% of your coffee, so if it's crap, your coffee will taste like it. Hard water? Over-extraction city. Soft water? Flat, sour swill. Aim for water that's like Goldilocks' porridge - just right. Use filtered or spring water, and don't boil it to death; keep it between 195-205°F for the perfect extraction dance. Why not tap water you ask? Because your tap water isn't just water when it comes to coffee. Water with low calcium and bicarbonate might give you a brew so sour, you'd think you accidentally added lemon juice. On the flip side, water high in bicarbonate can make your coffee taste like you've stirred in some chalk dust. There’s a good chance you don’t know the chemistry of your water. A fun fact we learned from the Smithsonian Magazine tells us to use Evian to see how impactful water chemistry is on coffee because Evian has one of the highest bicarbonate concentrations on the market at 360 mg/L. 

The Grinder: Your Coffee's Best Friend or Worst Enemy

Your grinder isn't just a tool; it's the bouncer at the flavor club. A burr grinder gets an invite because it grinds evenly, ensuring your pour-over doesn't taste like a rollercoaster. Medium to medium-fine is your sweet spot. Blade grinders? They're the party crashers with uneven grind sizes, leading to a chaotic brew. Spend on a good grinder; it's not just grinding beans, it's crafting your coffee destiny. 

Gear Up: The Right Tools for a Legendary Brew

A Chemex Classic or a V60 dripper paired with the perfect filter can make or break your coffee experience. Add a gooseneck kettle from Fellow for that fancy, controlled pour, and a scale to get your ratios spot-on. Your brewing vessel should keep heat like it's its job because, well, it is. Good gear means consistent, delicious coffee without the drama.

Here's what you need:

Burr Grinder 

Chemex® Classic 6-Cup Brewer or Hario V60 for smaller servings

Chemex® Coffee Filter or Hario V60 Filter

35g Coffee (7 Tbs.) to 530ml (18 oz.) of filtered water (For Chemex)

Electric or Stovetop Gooseneck Kettle (We like these from Fellow)

Hot Filtered Water, 205 degrees (just off boil)

Scale

Timer

Wooden Stir Stick

Mug

STEP 1: Setup & Prep

Before you play mad scientist with your coffee, ensure your lab (aka kitchen counter) is spotless and organized. Gather your brewing gadgets - Chemex, filter, grinder, scale, kettle, and your coffee cup. Keep it all near water because, well, you need water for coffee.

Give your Chemex or V60 filter a hot shower to eliminate any paper taste and to warm up your brewing station - it's like prepping your coffee spa. Dump that water out before you start; we're making coffee, not a science experiment gone wrong. Measure your beans, ready your grinder, and heat your kettle to that sweet spot of 195-205°F - not too hot, not too cold, just right for coffee magic.

A tidy workspace is your secret weapon for brewing like a pro, turning your coffee ritual into a precision dance rather than a chaotic kitchen disco.

STEP 2: Weigh & Grind the Beans

The coffee-to-water ratio in pour-over is like the salt in your cooking; get it wrong, and you're in for a bland or overly bold surprise.

The golden rule? Aim for a 1:16 ratio - that's 1 gram of coffee for every 16 milliliters of water. But don't be a slave to the numbers; if you like it strong, go for 1:15, or for a lighter touch, try 1:17. It’s like adjusting the volume on your favorite song. Using a scale isn't just for show; it's your ticket to consistency, ensuring every brew sings the same tune. Mastering this ratio lets you tailor your coffee like a bespoke suit, giving you that 'ah, this is me' coffee moment every morning.

Our bearded badass of a master roaster, Rory, likes his grind just a little finer than medium, because he likes a big bold cup but we recommend beginners start with medium grind (looks like Kosher salt). 

STEP 3: First Pour (Bloom), then wait 45 seconds

Hit that timer like you're starting a race. Saturate the grinds (but don't let them stand in water) pouring just enough hot water to make the coffee grounds puff up like they've just heard some juicy gossip - that's the bloom. Give it a leisurely 45 seconds to do its thing; think of it as the coffee taking a deep breath before the plunge.

STEP 4: Stir (If necessary)

If you spot any dry coffee grounds playing hide and seek, play detective with a wooden spoon or chopstick. Gently poke around to make sure everyone gets wet, but don't turn your coffee into a swamp. The grounds should soak up the water, not swim in it. Once you're a pro, you'll skip this step like a level in a video game.

STEP 5: 2nd Pour

After the bloom, it's time to give those grounds another drink. Start with a zig-zag pour to break up the party, then switch to a circular motion like you're spinning the world on its axis. Keep pouring until you're about 3/4" from the top - think of it as filling your coffee to the brim but not drowning it. Then, sit back and let it brew for a minute; patience is a virtue, especially in coffee making.

STEP 6: 3rd & Final Pour

Almost there… In a circular motion, add enough water to reach nearly the top of the brewer. 

STEP 7: Hurry Up & Wait

Now, the waiting game begins - give it 2 to 2 1/2 minutes to do its magic. Use this time wisely by pre-heating your mug with any remaining hot water because, let's face it, who wants lukewarm coffee? Can you feel the excitement? It's like waiting for the next episode of your favorite series.

STEP 8: Serve & Enjoy

Once you've coaxed enough coffee out of those grounds, carefully lift out the filter from the Chemex. Now, decide: compost those grounds for your garden or toss them in the trash - they've served their coffee-making purpose with honor.

Taste and Tweak

Sip, slurp, evaluate. Bitter? Maybe you over-extracted. Sour? Under-extracted. Keep notes like a mad scientist. Adjust, adapt, and achieve coffee perfection. Remember, coffee brewing is both science and art. With the right water, grind, and technique, you're not just making coffee; you're crafting an experience. Now go forth and brew like you mean it and tag us on Instagram or Facebook if you’re feelin’ it!