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The TSC Coffee Shop

Nicely done, @NurseDave . You ideed do get dregs from any metal filers, but you learn how to drink without getting things to chew as well. BTW you probably should NOT try Greek coffee. :coffee:🇬🇷

But you should try a gold filter.
 
woodpusher said:
But you should try a gold filter.
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My coffee guy reached out and offered a deal on a shaker filter gizmo where you put your ground coffee and shake it up to separate out the fines. I almost went for it because, new gizmo. But then I figured I like paper filter coffee, it’s easier to clean up. Why add another step to try to make metal filter closer to paper.
 
So, when my wife went shopping for coffee prior to Christmas she got a bag of Blue Bottle Bold. Is dunno if Blue Bottle is known much outside of California, but it’s a local better coffee places that went mass distribution. But I asked why bold since we don’t like dark roast. Apparently the name Blue Bottle was enough of a selling point. Well, we’re down to one last bag of the good stuff and I want to hold off on ordering as I have a special order in the works there. And much to Sam’s pleasure, I’m feeling like we at least need to try to use this Bold stuff up.

It is strong. Not caramel flavor, but burnt caramel. I ended up frothing up some half and half to make it drinkable.
 
As promised, here is a look at your basic siphon brew:

1. Take it out of the cabinet

IMG_2414.JPG

2. Views of the top chamber with filter attached

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3. Preheat water, pour into the bottom chamber and attach the top (tight seal between the top and bottom)

IMG_2417.JPG

4. Turn on the heat, water gets hot, water vapor and hot air create pressure that forces the water up the siphon and into the top chamber

IMG_2418.JPG

5. Add ground coffee (same grind as for drip coffee)

IMG_2419.JPG
Heat stays on and the small amount of water in the bottom continues to bubble and keep the pressure on:
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6. Stir the coffee, wait 45 seconds, stir coffee, wait 45 seconds (again)
IMG_2421.JPG

7. Turn off the heat
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8. As the bottom flask cools, water temperature and air pressure in the bottom drop, so the coffee up top moves through the filter back to the bottom via the siphon
IMG_2423.JPG
 
I imagine there are three steps in there about putting up with eye-rolls from others in the room and one near the end about burning your fingers because of forgetting how hot it is ;)
 
How long does the process take approximately? And how much does the water temp have to drop before the coffee starts going back into the lower chamber? I’m assuming not much - it would be more the pressure reducing because most of the original water from the bottom turned to steam and then as it condenses back to water that reduces the pressure so the process reverses?
 
NurseDave said:
I imagine there are three steps in there about putting up with eye-rolls from others in the room and one near the end about burning your fingers because of forgetting how hot it is ;)
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It definitely has a novelty aspect to it. It's funny, though, how a different brew method can result in different coffee experience with the exact same grinds. For example, I made this pot with some lightly roasted beans from Guatemala that I got through my Trade Coffee subscription. I've made a couple of pots with the Bonavita, along with Chemex and French Press pots. I've found the brews to be over the top with 'brightness' (e.g. acidic), and haven't enjoyed them. This siphon brew of the same beans is delightful. Go figure.
 
Scuttlesoap said:
How long does the process take approximately? And how much does the water temp have to drop before the coffee starts going back into the lower chamber? I’m assuming not much - it would be more the pressure reducing because most of the original water from the bottom turned to steam and then as it condenses back to water that reduces the pressure so the process reverses?
Click to expand...

I preheated the water on the stove top while I was assembling the pot and grinding the beans, so once the water got onto the stove, it was up in the top chamber pretty quickly (less than a minute). Pour in the grounds, stir wait 45 seconds (repeat), so a total of let's say 1:45 brewing. Turn off the heat and move the pot to the cool, adjacent spot on the stove, and I'd say the coffee was down in the bottom pot in 3 minutes or less. So all told, once you pour in the grounds, it's 5 minutes to your cup. (YMMV)
 
beginish said:
It definitely has a novelty aspect to it. It's funny, though, how a different brew method can result in different coffee experience with the exact same grinds. For example, I made this pot with some lightly roasted beans from Guatemala that I got through my Trade Coffee subscription. I've made a couple of pots with the Bonavita, along with Chemex and French Press pots. I've found the brews to be over the top with 'brightness' (e.g. acidic), and haven't enjoyed them. This siphon brew of the same beans is delightful. Go figure.
Click to expand...
That's interesting, I assumed the result of this would be similar to the french press. I guess the continual heating changes the extraction though. I know for pour-overs of medium roast I use about 5 degrees less than boiling.
 
NurseDave said:
That's interesting, I assumed the result of this would be similar to the french press. I guess the continual heating changes the extraction though. I know for pour-overs of medium roast I use about 5 degrees less than boiling.
Click to expand...
The difference with the French Press is the filter, which is cheesecloth/muslin, so a lot of the oils that would come through the mesh filter in the press get caught in the cloth filter. I'm wondering if the boiling extraction is actually getting some more out of the beans that isn't making its way through the Drip/Chemex/FP process (which are at anywhere from 196 degrees up to about 205). For this cup sitting next to me, it's a better outcome.
 
beginish said:
The difference with the French Press is the filter, which is cheesecloth/muslin, so a lot of the oils that would come through the mesh filter in the press get caught in the cloth filter. I'm wondering if the boiling extraction is actually getting some more out of the beans that isn't making its way through the Drip/Chemex/FP process (which are at anywhere from 196 degrees up to about 205). For this cup sitting next to me, it's a better outcome.
Click to expand...

I don't think I'd try this method with a dark roasted bean, though, since it might pull a lot more of the bitterness through. This is a pretty light roast, so no harm done.
 
My coffee guy got in a couple of peaberry coffees. Those are ones where only one bean is in the fruit instead of two. In theory, they are supposed to be a little sweeter as all the energy of the fruit goes into that one bean. I got some Kenya peaberry and tried it this morning. I wouldn't be able to say it was specifically different from other coffees, but it was very fruit-forward.
 
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