Brew Methods
To help you find the best Brew Method for YOU, Wood-fire Roasted Coffee Company, in Reno NV, recommends the Pour Over Cone, French Press, and Chemex Brew Methods:
Pour Over Cone Brew Method
Best for: 1-2 cups
Brew Time: 2½ – 3½ min.
Grind: Fairly fine; between espresso and drip brewing.
Dosage: 20g coffee (roughly 3-4 T) per 12 oz. water
This is a favorite here at WFR. It is simple, fairly quick, and requires very little equipment or clean-up. Spent filter and grounds can be tossed right into the compost!
Directions: There are many different pour-over brew systems. Our first recommendation is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on using their system and then fine-tune your technique for your best result. The main thing to remember is the grind size is directly related to the brew time. The finer the grind, the faster brew time, and the larger the grind size, the longer the brew time. With the pour-over systems, finer grinds will slow the brewing process due to greater resistance, while larger grinds will be the opposite. So, it is important to remember proper grinding. A quick guide on brew times: for a single cup (300 to 400 grams of water) you are striving for between 2 ½ – 3 minutes. Adjust your grinder to achieve this time frame. With a larger brewer such as the Chemex™ brew system the desired brew time is 4-4¼ minutes, so use a larger grind size and adjust to achieve that time.
French Press Brew Method
Best for: 4 cups
Brew Time: 4 – 5 min.
Grind: Coarse
Dosage: 54g coffee (roughly 9 T) per 32 oz. water.
The French press brew method is also quite easy and quick.
Directions: Preheat the French Press Pot and filter mechanism, add ground coffee. Pour ½ of the brew temperature water over the grounds and allow to bloom for about 30 seconds, then add the rest of the water. Let steep for 4 minutes (start timing when the first water is added.) after 4 minutes gently plunge the filter to the bottom and allow to sit for about 30 seconds to settle before drinking.
Chemex Brew Method
Best for: 4 cups
Brew Time: 4 – 5 min.
Grind: Fairly fine; between espresso and drip coffee
Dosage: 50g coffee (roughly 8 T) per 750 ml. of water
The Chemex brew method has been around for quite a while, but has only recently become popular. A Chemex glass carafe and filter is required.
Directions: I have seen several different methods used for using this brew system. This is what we recommend.
Preheat the Chemex Brewer by pouring 8- to 12-ounces of brew temperature water through the paper filter, careful to get the entire filter wet and heated. Swirl the water gently around the bowl of the brewer. Remove the water without disturbing the filter as it clings to the glass cone. Add the ground coffee to the filter and gently shake it back and forth for a couple of seconds. Gently pour about 100 milliliters of water to the coffee ground and again gently shake for a couple of seconds. The idea is to get all of the grounds wet without too much disturbance.
Allow to bloom for about 30 seconds. The hard part of this brew method is keeping the brew temperature hot enough (over 195 degrees F). I overcome this by keeping the water boiling and adding small amounts out of a non-conductive container such as a plastic measuring cup. First I steadily pour 350 ml wait a moment so the cone does not overflow then the final 300 ml. After all of the water has been added, gently scrape the grounds off the side of the cone with a non-conductive utensil such as a plastic or wooden spoon. Let it finish dripping through, remove the grounds and filter to the compost and enjoy.