Pour-Over Coffee 4:6 Brewing Method Tutorial - Adjusting Pour-Over Coffee Ratios, Time, Water Temperature Parameters

To outsiders, pour-over coffee might seem simple and easy to learn, without too much fuss. However, the baristas at FrontStreet Coffee don't see it that way. There are numerous brewing devices and complex techniques in coffee making—change the height, water temperature, flow rate, or number of pours, and it becomes an entirely new brewing method. Those familiar with FrontStreet Coffee know that the hand-pour coffee served at our cafe all uses the same brewing technique—the three-stage pour, which frequently appears in our articles.

However, today FrontStreet Coffee will introduce five different coffee brewing methods for everyone to try at home, allowing you to taste the different coffee flavors produced by various techniques. After all, only through continuous experimentation can you find the perfect cup of coffee that suits you.

Single-Stream Pour

The single-stream pour method is arguably the most widespread and fundamental pouring technique. Single-stream refers to completing the bloom with the first water pour, then directly pouring all remaining required water in one continuous stream. This method is also the most commonly taught pouring technique for coffee beginners. Unlike multi-stage pour brewing, the single-stream method has fewer uncertain variables, making it more friendly for newcomers who haven't yet developed a comprehensive brewing theory system. When brewed with the single-stream method, coffee can be just as delicious as long as the parameters are appropriate.

Since this brewing method pours all water in one stream, the water level in the coffee grounds remains relatively high during brewing, and pouring completes quickly, typically finishing around 1 minute and 10 seconds. This results in a shorter extraction time, leading to cleaner flavor profiles and more prominent acidity in the extracted liquid, while the mouthfeel tends to be somewhat lighter compared to multi-stage extraction methods.

FrontStreet Coffee Single-Stream Pour Parameters

Using lightly roasted coffee beans as an example: 15g of coffee, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, grind size with 80% pass-through through a #20 sieve, water temperature 91°C.

First bloom pour: 30ml, after 30 seconds of blooming, pour 195ml in a steady, circular "aroma-enjoying" motion. Extraction ends when all coffee has dripped into the lower pot (1 minute 45 seconds).

Three-Stage Method

The three-stage pour method is also quite common, differing from single-stream by having an additional pour stage.

The difficulty of the three-stage brewing method lies in the timing of the third pour, as there's no fixed time point for this stage. Generally, you wait until the water level drops to 1/2 or 2/3 before pouring again.

When the water level drops to 1/2 or 2/3, the filter cup won't have too much accumulated water, nor will the coffee bed be exposed due to excessive water level drop, which would cause uneven extraction between upper and lower coffee layers. After the water level drops, water flow can directly penetrate the accumulated water to stir the lower coffee layer. If the water level is too high, the impact force of the water column is insufficient, causing over-extraction of the upper coffee bed while under-extracting the lower coffee grounds.

The advantage of the three-stage method is that it produces stronger flavors and richer layering than the single-stream method, while also being compatible with coffee beans from different origins and roast levels.

FrontStreet Coffee Three-Stage Pour Parameters

Using lightly roasted coffee beans as an example: 15g of coffee, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, grind size with 80% pass-through through a #20 sieve, water temperature 91°C.

First pour: 30ml to wet the coffee grounds, bloom for 30 seconds. Second pour: center-outward circular pouring with steady, vertical water flow, 95ml for this stage. Third pour: when the water from the second stage drops to just before the coffee bed is exposed, begin the third pour of 100ml. Extraction ends when all coffee has dripped into the lower pot (1 minute 55 seconds to 2 minutes).

Stirring Method

The stirring method FrontStreet Coffee introduces is one highly favored by many baristas in the Western pour-over community—the Rao Spin. This brewing method comes from the renowned barista Scott Rao.

Coffee extraction unevenness is usually caused by tall, dry coffee powder walls forming on the filter cup sides, or uneven coffee bed bottoms. The stirring method uses external force to make gaps between coffee particles more uniform, reducing "channeling effects" and promoting even extraction while avoiding under-extraction.

Rao Spin Brewing Parameters

First pour 30g of water for 45 seconds bloom, during which stir the coffee layer with a spoon to help coffee grounds absorb water more evenly. After blooming, pour in one stream to 225g, then use a spoon to circle the filter cup walls to prevent coffee grounds from sticking. When water level drops to 1/2, lift the filter cup and gently shake it horizontally 3 times to rotate the liquid surface, preventing coffee grounds from sticking to the sides. Extraction ends when coffee liquid flows into the collection container. Total extraction time is approximately 2 minutes.

Four-Six Method

The Four-Six method was developed by 2016 WBrC champion Tetsu Kasuya and used in his competition. His Four-Six brewing concept was simple and clear, becoming a very popular topic at the time.

The brilliance of the Four-Six method lies in dividing the problem into two parts: the first 40% determines flavor, while the remaining 60% determines mouthfeel, allowing more coffee beginners to brew a good cup of coffee. The Four-Six method also solves two major challenges: time control and pouring technique. The Four-Six method specifies timing for water pours, requiring only basic water control skills to get started.

Interestingly, the flavor-determining 40% is divided into two pours, both of which determine the coffee's acidity and sweetness—if the first pour is larger, it's more acidic; if smaller, it's sweeter. The remaining 60% can be divided into different numbers of pours to control mouthfeel richness. For lighter, cleaner flavors, divide this 60% into two pours; for richer, fuller flavors, divide it into four pours.

Four-Six Method Brewing Parameters

FrontStreet Coffee: Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Coffee Beans

Region: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe

Altitude: 1700-2200m

Variety: Local Heirloom

Processing: Natural Process

For Four-Six brewing, beans with higher sweetness and hardness are recommended. Use 20g of coffee, 1:15 ratio (total 300ml water), water temperature 92°C. Use coarse grind, similar to raw sugar particles (75% pass-through through #20 standard sieve).

This brewing divides total water into 5 equal pours of 60ml each.

First pour: 60ml in circular motion, wait 45 seconds. Second pour: 60ml, wait 45 seconds. Third pour: 60ml, wait 45 seconds. Fourth pour: 60ml, wait 45 seconds. Fifth pour: 60ml. When coffee liquid completely flows into lower pot, extraction time is approximately 3 minutes 20 seconds.

Kono-Style Method

The Kono-style method gets its name from コーノ式 (Kono), that's right—the Kono brand founding family, the Kono family. Kono has significant influence in the coffee brewing equipment field.

The method begins with prolonged drip pouring to wet the coffee grounds and achieve blooming. After the coffee grounds fully expand through long, slow water absorption, switch to large water flow to fully extract the delicious substances from the coffee. This extraction method typically uses a low coffee-to-water ratio, producing higher concentration coffee liquid that emphasizes the coffee beans' sweetness while avoiding sourness, bitterness, and unpleasant flavors.

Kono-Style Brewing Parameters

FrontStreet Coffee: Indonesia Golden Mandheling Coffee Beans

Region: Aceh Gayo Mountains, Sumatra, Indonesia

Altitude: 1100-1600m

Variety: Typica

Processing: Wet-Hulled

For Kono-style brewing, darker roasted beans are typically chosen. Use 20g coffee, 88°C water, 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio. For filter cup selection, of course use Kono, as it's custom-designed for this method.

Hold the pour-over kettle steadily, dripping water at the center to soak the coffee. Adjust drip rate based on coffee layer reaction. Fresher coffee will have stronger absorption and expansion reactions, so you can slow down the dripping speed appropriately; the opposite applies as well. When you see the entire coffee bed expand and develop "cracks" like a volcanic shape and can hear water dripping into the serving pot (around 2-3 minutes), switch to small water flow and circle around the "crater." Stop pouring when foam is about to "erupt."

When the coffee bed is about to collapse, continue pouring with medium water flow in larger circles than before. Stop pouring when the bed expands. Continue observing the coffee bed, and after water level drops slightly, use large water flow in large circles to lift the coffee bed, allowing bitter components to attach to the surface layer. When the coffee-to-water ratio reaches 1:10, stop pouring. Wait for extraction to complete, then remove the filter cup. Total time is approximately 4 to 4.5 minutes.

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473