Pour-Over Coffee Brewing Water Injection, V60 Three-Stage Brewing, How to Segment

The topic of water pouring in pour-over coffee is nothing new, but many beginners still ask FrontStreet Coffee: If we follow the three-stage brewing method you teach, how should we control the water flow? Should we use large circles or small circles? How do we determine the timing of each pour?

Understanding the Three-Stage Brewing Method

To accommodate newcomers to pour-over coffee, FrontStreet Coffee will use the typical conical V60 dripper as an example today to explain in detail the various aspects of using the three-stage brewing method.

Why Use the Three-Stage Method?

First, we need to clarify why we divide the brewing process into three stages and the main purpose of extraction in each stage. Once you understand this logic, the pouring technique will become much more intuitive.

Throughout the pour-over process, different chemical components in coffee dissolve at different rates. The flavor sequence released by hot water generally follows the pattern of sour-sweet-bitter. With segmented water pouring extraction, aside from the blooming stage, when using the same coffee-to-water ratio, the more segments you divide the water into, the less water per segment, resulting in more frequent stirring and rinsing of the coffee bed, leading to higher extraction rates. Additionally, increasing the number of segments extends the total extraction time, allowing more substances to be released in each stage, resulting in richer flavor layers.

The three-stage extraction method helps to more fully dissolve flavor compounds during extraction, enhancing textural complexity while avoiding over-extraction that can occur from prolonged steeping. For absolute beginners, dividing the total water into three stages is the most reliable approach.

First Stage: The Bloom

The first water pour is the blooming stage. This stage primarily aims to evenly saturate the coffee grounds, help release carbon dioxide from the coffee, and prepare for the subsequent main extraction process. The most common blooming method is to pour twice the amount of water as coffee grounds and let it bloom for 30 seconds. For example, when FrontStreet Coffee brews, we use 15g of coffee grounds with 30g of water for blooming - this is also the most manageable "blooming formula" for beginners.

Conical drippers have a coffee bed that's narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, with the thickest layer near the center point. This requires our water flow to have sufficient penetration power. When pouring, the water stream should be vertical, thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom; maintain a certain height between the water stream and the coffee bed, start pouring from the center and work outward in circles until the entire coffee bed is saturated. Note: ensure all coffee grounds are thoroughly wetted, otherwise you won't achieve good blooming results.

Second Stage: Main Extraction

The second water pour is the main stage for controlling the extraction of sour and sweet flavor compounds. When the 30-second timer is up, you can begin pouring the second stage with a slightly larger, steady stream of 95g water. The water flow moves in circles from inside to out, and when approaching the edge of the coffee bed, start circling back toward the center until the electronic scale shows a total of 125g, which should be completed around 55 seconds. (If you have trouble controlling the water flow size, it's recommended to slow down your circling speed and keep the water stream as stable as possible.)

Compared to the blooming stage, the purpose of the second water pour is to raise the entire coffee bed, increasing the contact area between coffee grounds and hot water, accelerating the release of flavor compounds. At this point, our water stream needs to be vertical, with a gentle but penetrating landing point (avoid splashing). A penetrating water flow can thoroughly agitate the bottom layer of coffee grounds, while gentle pouring can reduce intense localized agitation of coffee particles, which could lead to uneven extraction.

Third Stage: Concentration Adjustment

The third water pour mainly adjusts the concentration to make the coffee flavor more balanced. When the water level drops to about halfway, around 1 minute 5 seconds to 1 minute 10 seconds, begin raising the kettle spout and use a small water stream to pour the third stage of 100g water in small circles (the timer should show 225g total). Try to control the water flow within the range of a one-yuan coin, and don't make circles too large, as this can easily disperse the coffee grounds and cause under-extraction.

Since sour and sweet compounds have been almost fully released in the previous stages, this stage is more about extracting the remaining large-molecule substances (which enhance body, aftertaste, and finish). Raising the water level speeds up the water flow, while small circle pouring minimizes disturbance of the coffee bed, reducing the release of bitter large-molecule compounds.

Conclusion and Advanced Tips

The conservative method explained by FrontStreet Coffee here is mainly to help beginners quickly understand and master the significance of segmented extraction. In reality, the amount of water per stage is not fixed. When your water flow practice reaches a stable and controllable level, you can make advanced adjustments based on your accumulated pour-over experience and understanding of coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee believes there are thousands of ways to brew a delicious cup of coffee. As long as we study and practice more, mastering various pour-over parameters is not difficult.

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FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

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