Why Can't You Brew a Deep Crater in Your Pour-Over? Does a Deeper Coffee Bed Mean Better Coffee?

Understanding Coffee Beds: FrontStreet Coffee's Guide to Proper Extraction

FrontStreet Coffee often says that the shape of the coffee bed doesn't necessarily tell us whether a cup of coffee will taste good or not. What we can read from its appearance is more about whether your water pouring method during extraction is appropriate. A uniform and symmetrical coffee bed is proof that we have controlled the water flow just right during extraction.

However, for many beginners, even though no blockage occurs, the brewed coffee bed often appears flat without any ups and downs. This indicates that during extraction, we didn't control the water flow properly, preventing the coffee bed from forming a "bowl" shape. This can easily lead to uneven extraction! FrontStreet Coffee has summarized several common errors that occur during brewing. For those who cannot form a proper coffee bed, see which of these you might be encountering:

1. The Coffee Bed Was Not Raised

Many people don't raise the coffee bed when brewing coffee, which not only makes it difficult to form a proper coffee bed but can also cause uneven extraction in some filter cups.

Especially for conical filter cups, raising the coffee bed is quite necessary. The conical structure of the filter cup causes a large amount of coffee grounds to accumulate in the center. If we don't raise the coffee bed to disperse the grounds, the coffee at the top will be continuously rinsed by the hottest water with highest extraction efficiency, while the coffee grounds at the bottom can only be extracted by nearly saturated coffee liquid, thus causing uneven extraction. Therefore, we need to raise the coffee bed.

Raising the coffee bed involves using a large water flow to lift the water level. As the water level rises, the coffee grounds also rise, which is what we call raising the coffee bed. As hot water gradually permeates from the bottom, the water level will slowly decrease. At this point, the coffee grounds will gather toward the sides of the filter cup as the water level drops, forming a "coffee wall"! If subsequent hot water is concentrated in the center, when the coffee liquid finishes permeating, we might get a bowl-shaped coffee bed! Moreover, the coffee will be evenly extracted—a perfect win-win situation.

2. Insufficient Water Flow Agitation

Insufficient water flow agitation means the water lacks penetrating power and cannot push or stir the coffee bed. Thus, the coffee bed remains flat throughout the entire process. There are two reasons for insufficient water flow impact: inadequate pouring height and insufficient water flow.

Both of these factors will cause the injected hot water to lack penetrating power and fail to achieve proper stirring! At the same time, they also cannot raise the coffee bed. Although this can extend extraction time, if not used appropriately, it will reduce extraction efficiency, especially when brewing light roast beans, where uneven extraction can easily occur. Therefore, when pouring water, we should pay attention to the reasonable combination of water flow and water impact force. Friends who want to learn more can refer to this article: "How should large and small water flows be used?"

3. Excessive Pouring Circle Range

Even with perfect penetrating power, sufficient water flow, and a raised coffee bed, when our subsequent pouring circle range is too large, hot water will wash against the filter cup walls. The coffee grounds attached to the walls will be brushed down by the impact of hot water, and the originally forming depression will turn into a "plain." Not only that, but hot water will also follow the cup walls, bypassing the coffee grounds and directly permeating from the bottom. Not only will the coffee not be sufficiently extracted, but the hot water without any coffee concentration will also affect the coffee liquid in the lower pot, resulting in: thin and tasteless coffee.

Therefore, the size of the pouring circle in pour-over coffee still requires attention. If we want to pour in large circles, try to circle around the middle position between the filter cup center and the cup wall (as shown below), which can effectively increase the extraction rate of hot water and reduce the generation of bypass water.

Conclusion

It's worth noting that many friends think only dark roast beans can form a proper coffee bed! But this is a misconception. Dark roast beans just form larger coffee beds. Whether coffee beans are dark or light roast, as long as your pouring method is correct, the coffee bed will eventually form a depression shape. However, due to the expansion rate and density of the beans, the final size of the coffee bed will vary. The depth of the coffee bed is determined by the amount of coffee grounds used.

Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee wants to say that failing to form a coffee bed is not a problem with roast degree—it's merely about whether your technique is correct!

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