With winter showing its teeth this year, you don’t want to be stuck at home without any coffee! Luckily, one of our talented baristas, Casey Struble, spent last Saturday morning demonstrating the art of the Chemex. If you missed out, fret not. He is giving us his brewing recommendations to share:
Coffee
- First, make sure you have the right coffee to water ratio. We recommend a 1:15 coffee to water ratio (or 47g of coffee : 700g of water).
- Second, recommend grinding your coffee fresh for best results. Medium coarse grind (about the size of kosher salt) is key for the Chemex.
Water
- Quality and temperature of water matter. Water should be filtered and hot but not boiling (approximately 200°F).
- Rinse filter with water to heat up your Chemex and help prevent your filter from adding “paper taste.”
Extraction
- Your first pour should be about 2x the amount of coffee (Ex: 47g of coffee would need 94g water). This is called the “bloom,” which releases CO2 and helps prep the coffee bed for an even extraction.
- Your second pour should be about 4x the amount of coffee (188-200g of water). This raises your “bed” about two thirds full. It’s best to maintain this height for a more even extraction. Pour with 30-60g pulses until final water weight is reached.
The Most Important Step
- Pour into your favorite two mugs and enjoy!
Adjustments
- If the coffee tastes too weak or sour, adjust grind finer.
- If the coffee tastes too heavy or bitter, adjust grind courser.
Cleaning
- It’s best to not use soap on coffee equipment since it can often leave aromas that you don’t want in your finished product. Use a long handled brush and hot water after each use. We also recommend using a coffee cleaning powder after heavy use.
To see Casey’s demonstration in action, check out our live Facebook video from the event.
Good luck and happy brewing!
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