How to Make Single-Origin Pour-Over Coffee and Parameter Ratios - How to Operate Pour-Over Coffee at Home?

FrontStreet Coffee has previously shared many factors that affect coffee flavor. In addition to the five important objective factors (dose, brew ratio, water temperature, grind size, and equipment), there is also one subjective factor - yes, that's your hands (brewing technique). This article from FrontStreet Coffee will share essential techniques to pay attention to when brewing coffee.

Making coffee is essentially pouring water over coffee grounds, and a brewing recipe tells you how to properly pour water into the coffee grounds to achieve the best-tasting coffee. This can be broken down into understanding two components: 【water distribution and pouring technique】.

Water Distribution

With all objective parameters remaining unchanged, water distribution becomes the most significant aspect of many brewing recipes. What we commonly refer to as single-pour and three-pour methods are essentially water distribution schemes.

Single-pour means continuously pouring the remaining water after bloom.

Three-pour means dividing the remaining water into three stages after bloom.

Let's take the single-pour and three-pour methods as examples. Both recipes use the same total water amount, but the difference is that the single-pour method raises the water level higher, resulting in a direct consequence: the single-pour extraction time will be faster than the three-pour method. When comparing the two, the former appears clean and thin, while the latter appears complex and mellow.

If the water distribution in multi-stage brewing is not evenly allocated, different results will also occur. Taking light roast coffee as an example, if the early stage water proportion is larger, the entire cup will have more acidity and less sweetness. If the later stage water proportion is larger, the entire cup will have more sweetness and less acidity, and improper handling may result in bitterness.

Pouring Technique

Pouring technique also includes multiple factors such as bloom technique, circular speed, pouring height, flow rate, and pouring range.

Bloom Technique

The bloom can be said to be a crucial step that determines the success or failure of coffee brewing. The most basic bloom operation is to fully saturate and degas. If the coffee grounds absorb water unevenly, the degassing will naturally be uneven, and extraction within the grounds becomes a matter of luck. Some areas may be over-extracted while others are under-extracted, leading to the production of astringency, which is only natural.

Regarding bloom water amount and time, the most commonly discussed approach is 2 times the water amount with 30 seconds of bloom time. If you're at a basic stage, there's no need to understand the reasons behind it. But since we're at an advanced level today, let me explain: simply put, it's twice the amount of water that coffee grounds can saturate and absorb, and most coffee beans within their optimal tasting period can release active gases within about 30 seconds of encountering water.

However, it's important to note that depending on the coarseness of the coffee grounds, during the short time of bloom pouring, larger coffee particles cannot achieve complete saturation and absorption. Therefore, if you pour 2 times the water amount in a short time, water will drip from the dripper. If you're confident in your water control, you might try blooming with 1.5 times the water amount. So what happens if you bloom with more than 2 times the water amount? The answer is that it will be more acidic than normal. The reason is simple: excessive water will drip into the lower pot before fully extracting coffee substances, leading to an overall lower extraction rate, and the early-stage coffee liquid contains more small-molecule acidic substances.

A short bloom time may result in incomplete gas release, affecting subsequent extraction efficiency. A long bloom time will cause the subsequent water to more easily extract substances from the coffee, including large-molecule bitter compounds.

Regarding circular speed, pouring height, flow rate, and pouring range, FrontStreet Coffee has also conducted corresponding experiments.

Circular Speed

When stirring quickly in circles, water flow increases, maximizing the tumbling of coffee grounds, thereby increasing extraction rate. The brewed coffee will be more mellow and aromatic, with relatively sufficient aroma retention, but there's also a risk of over-extraction.

When pouring slowly in circles, as long as the force of the water stream itself washes the grounds, some coffee grounds won't be agitated and remain in a static state, resulting in a relatively lower extraction rate. The brewed coffee's taste and aroma will be relatively lacking. Overall, it's more balanced and gentle.

Pouring Height

A high water column will have a lower extraction rate than a low water column. It's generally recommended to keep the pouring water height at 6-7cm.

Flow Rate

When the pouring flow rate is high, the liquid level will rise, causing it to reach the short ribs, and more water will flow down along the edge ribs, reducing contact time with the coffee grounds. When pouring with a small flow rate, the liquid level won't rise too high, the coffee grounds layer will be thicker, and the contact time between water and coffee grounds will be slightly longer.

Using a large flow rate for fast brewing results in shorter brewing time and more prominent aroma, but the flavor will tend toward single and clean. Using a small flow rate for slow brewing to extend extraction time can fully extract the coffee's flavor, thus being slightly superior in richness and complexity, but there's a risk of over-extraction.

Pouring Range

Pouring in small circles will concentrate the coffee's flavor, highlighting the sweetness of light roast coffee, and the taste will be more solid. Only pouring in large circles will present a more acidic flavor, and the taste will tend toward being light and thin. In fact, when brewing with a conical dripper, when pouring around the outer circle, although it appears on the surface that you're not hitting the filter paper, the water column has impact force and can actually hit the ribs at the edge of the grounds layer, causing water to flow along the ribs and resulting in incomplete extraction.

Of course, this requires extensive practice to accumulate brewing experience. FrontStreet Coffee shares several single-origin coffee beans from distinct regions to help with brewing practice.

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Washed Yirgacheffe

Country: Ethiopia
Region: Yirgacheffe
Altitude: 1800-2000m
Variety: Local Heirloom
Processing: Washed
Flavor: Jasmine, berries, lemon, citrus

Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia with an altitude of 1700-2100 meters, making it one of the highest altitude coffee-growing regions in the world and synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee. Lakes Turkana, Abaya, and Chamo bring abundant water vapor to this area. The Rift Valley, represented by Misty Valley, is filled with year-round mist, spring-like seasons, gentle breezes, cool and humid conditions, where thousands of coffee tree varieties thrive and reproduce, nurturing Yirgacheffe's unique floral and fruity intertwined, ever-changing terroir characteristics. The so-called Yirgacheffe flavor refers to rich citrus and lemon fruit acidity, intense jasmine floral aroma, light and elegant taste with tea-like notes, drinking like refreshing and clean lemon tea.

Washed Processing Method

Place selected coffee cherries into a depulper to initially remove their skin and pulp; place the coffee beans with remaining pulp and mucilage into water to ferment for about 24 hours; after fermentation, place the parchment coffee beans in flowing water channels to wash away the pulp and mucilage; after washing, dry the coffee beans either by sun-drying or using drying machines until the moisture content reaches about 12%; finally, remove the parchment from the coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee considers that washed processing can better reflect the clean taste of coffee and pure flavor presentation, so when analyzing the specific flavors of a coffee region, we will use washed beans from that region as reference. For beginners who haven't tried Yirgacheffe before, FrontStreet Coffee will first recommend washed Yirgacheffe to help form an understanding of regional flavors. Later, when trying natural and honey-processed Yirgacheffe, there will be a comparative direction.

Although this washed Yirgacheffe is grade G2 (Ethiopia grades by defect rate, G2 allows 4-12 non-severe defective beans per 300g of green beans), FrontStreet Coffee performs two rounds of manual sorting to remove defective beans before roasting to ensure the quality of every batch.

To preserve the bright citrus acidity and floral characteristics of washed Yirgacheffe, FrontStreet Coffee's roaster chose a medium-light roast level for this bean. Bean-in temperature 200°C, yellowing point at 5'35, first crack begins at 9'08, temperature 182.1°C, developed for 2 minutes after first crack, dropped at 195°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Grind Size: EK43s grinder setting 10 (fine sugar size / 80% retention on #20 sieve)
Brew Ratio: 1:15
Dose: 15g

Frontsteet Brewing Method: First pour 30g of water for 30-second bloom, then pour 95g (scale shows about 125g), completing in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the grounds layer, pour the remaining 100g (scale shows about 225g), completing in about 1 minute 40 seconds. Complete dripping between 1'55''-2'00'', remove the dripper, and finish extraction.

Brewing Flavor: Jasmine aroma, berry juice sensation, lemon and citrus acidity, overall bright, clean, and fresh.

FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Tarrazu

Country: Costa Rica
Region: Tarrazu
Altitude: 1500m
Variety: Caturra, Catuai
Processing: Washed
Flavor: Sweet orange, honey, toffee, nuts

Costa Rican coffee has always been known for its balanced flavor, rich chocolate, and smooth texture. Tarrazu is located south of the capital San Jose and is one of Costa Rica's most valued coffee-growing areas. Tarrazu coffee beans are full-bodied, rich in body, smooth in texture, with rich chocolate and nutty aroma, moderate acidity, and an enticing fragrance.

Washed Processing Method

The washed processing method places selected coffee cherries into a depulper to initially remove their skin and pulp. The coffee beans with remaining pulp and mucilage are placed in water to ferment for about 24 hours. After fermentation, the parchment coffee beans are placed in flowing water channels to wash away the pulp and mucilage. After washing, the coffee beans are dried either by sun-drying or using drying machines until the moisture content reaches about 12%, and finally the parchment is removed from the coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Grind Size: EK43s grinder setting 10 (fine sugar size / 80% retention on #20 sieve)
Brew Ratio: 1:15
Dose: 15g

Frontsteet Brewing Method: First pour 30g of water for 30-second bloom, then pour 95g (scale shows about 125g), completing in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the grounds layer, pour the remaining 100g (scale shows about 225g), completing in about 1 minute 40 seconds. Complete dripping at 2 minutes 3 seconds, remove the dripper, and finish extraction.

Brewing Flavor: Entry presents sweet orange's sweet and sour sensation, mid-palate shows prominent nut and chocolate flavors, persistent caramel aftertaste, with some cedar aroma, overall balanced.

FrontStreet Coffee Indonesia Lintong Mandheling

Country: Indonesia
Region: Sumatra, Lintong
Altitude: 1100-1600m
Variety: Typica, Caturra
Processing: Wet-hulled
Flavor: Toasted bread, nuts, caramel, pine, herbal

Mandheling actually doesn't specifically refer to a coffee bean variety or a coffee region name, but rather a tribal name that was mistakenly thought by the Japanese to be the name of the coffee bean, and has been used ever since.

Lintong Mandheling comes from the Lintong mountain area in north-central Sumatra, near Lake Toba. Lintong Mandheling is the regular version of Mandheling. Lintong Mandheling also uses the conventional wet-hulled method, which creates its characteristics of low acidity and high body. However, the wet-hulled method can result in situations where, because the semi-hard, semi-soft wet green beans are easily bruised when the pulp and parchment layers are removed, the beans crack like sheep's hooves - commonly known as "sheep's hoof beans." These are not defective beans but can be said to be a very distinctive characteristic of Mandheling.

Coffee Processing Method

Wet-hulled is a rapid method for processing coffee beans. The coffee cherry's skin and pulp are removed, followed by brief fermentation and drying, then the mucilage and parchment layers are removed, and the final drying continues until the moisture content reaches 12%. Wet-hulled Mandheling coffee beans clearly show varying degrees of compression cracks and have a darker greenish color.

Frontsteet Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee uses a Kono dripper for brewing Mandheling coffee. The Kono's ribs extend less than halfway up the dripper height. This design actually ensures that after wetting, the filter paper tightly adheres to the dripper wall, restricting airflow. This increases the water absorption time of the coffee grounds, resulting in more uniform overall extraction and enhancing the mellow mouthfeel. Additionally, the concave skeleton at the bottom of the Kono dripper is a key design that allows subsequent brewing to produce a siphon effect.

Recommended Water Temperature: 87-88°C
Grind Size: EK43s grinder setting 11 (coarse sugar size)
Brew Ratio: 1:15
Dose: 15g

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Method: Use 30g of water for 30-second bloom. Pour in small circles to 125g, then segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper (timing starts from bloom). Extraction time is 2'00''.

Brewing Flavor: Entry presents herbal and medicinal notes, dark chocolate, caramel, with sweet aftertaste.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473