Hario Drip Scale & Drip Station - introduction

Between my law exams I couldn’t resist the opportunity of publishing a post regarding the newly introduced Hario Drip Scale and Drip Station, which quickly has become my everyday brewing tool for coffee. The attached video below, shows the controlled brewing process with the Scale and Drip Station.  

The Drip Scale and Drip Station are actually sold separately from each other, and it´s not necessary to use the Drip Scale along with the Drip Station, but when investing for the Drip Scale go all the way – it´s designed to fit and operate perfectly with each other, so don’t separate them. 

Drip Scale - Besides Harios focus on glass products for tea or coffee brewing, the Japanese company this time has mixed technology with the needs of a barista, which gives you the chance to improve and brew a great cup of coffee every single time. 

You might think by now; What´s with the enthusiasm for a scale, hasn’t this dude been around for the last couple of decades? Well he has, and the scale combined with a built-in timer isn’t extreme engineering, but simply logically thinking, due to its main purpose of being design directly for coffee brewing. If you think about it, which variables does aeropress, filter and presspot consists of? Water temperature, grinds size, brewing time, weight (Weight of coffee, weight/amount of water = Coffee versus water) and the roasting profile of the beans. This device lets you control the brewing time, the weight of coffee and the water distribution in a perfectionistic way, which earlier wasn’t so easy because you had your own precision scale and a separate timer – properly the timer on your mobile phone – therefore your focus was divided on multiple devices, which men in particular aren’t famous of handling.     

Objective and factual conclusion – The scale is designed in a very minimalistic style and is therefore very adaptable to most kitchen environments. It holds a small footprint (14 cm. * 19 cm.), which is large enough for a Chemex and therefore also aeropress and standard presspots. The scale has a 2kg maximum capacity with 0.1g increments from 0-200g, 0.5g increments from 200-500g and 1g increments from 500g to 2 kg, which is capable of fine measuring the coffee and water, when brewing. It´s powered by two AAA-batteries (included), and has a power safe feature, because it automatically turns off after 5 min. of inactivity. 

Drip Station – Hario has also designed and released a clear acrylic pourover stand with a drip tray that pars perfectly with the scale, no wonder why this was launched together. But I have heard about coffee shops that didn’t order any of the Drip Stations home for sale, because it´s made of acrylic and therefore holds a rumour of easily being exposed to scratch’s. I have had my set for about two months now and there isn’t a single scratch that can be located on my Drip Station, despite heavy usage – this rumour is therefore total rubbish. It´s a fact, that the transparent acrylic pourover stand is attractive to the eye and also combined with the Hario v60 (transparent acrylic also), which clearly is the purpose but also can be used with any other pourover, Melitta for an example. 

Combined – Hario has done it yet again and released a setup - without a match - in perfect design and quality. Comparing the set to other alternatives, it may seem like a good idea to save some money and buy a precision scale instead and keep timing with your mobile phone – for those people please read the following cursive text. 

(Hario has again released a product, which is exclusively made for the coffee market and therefore also should be supported instead of buying other kitchen scales. It´s a privilege that companies like Hario maintain focus on the market of the coffee enthusiast and it deserves to be honoured.)  

The Hario Drip Scale and Drip Station combined offers you the ability to massively improve your skills for brewing filter coffee, without even breaking a sweat. It allows you to control the smallest brewing details and keeping these simple, so you can focus 100% on the actual brewing. You might say that it quantifying your brewing process and therefore is very simple to adjust to your taste preferences.

In the nearest future, I will publish a post regarding the actual brewing process along with some pictures. So stay tuned!

// Hendrup

Learning Coffee Short Tutorial

I came across this guide on youtube. It’s a little superficial, but keeping in mind it’s a ten minute video it’s actually quite good.

The host of the documentary takes the viewer, thru the history of coffee from the early beginning, thru all the processes in working the beans. Not so much the brewing, but it’s a good ten minutes spend on learning about the origins of coffee.

Dont mind the titel... Wildly misleading ;)

Enjoy   

The Rancilio Silvia Screw Mod

How to change the ”frankenstein” brewhead screw on your Silvia

Every Rancilio Silvia owner knows about the problem, with the brew head screw. The gigantic screw leaves very limited space for dosing ground coffee to the basket. It is my experience that you can only dose up to 15 g. ground coffee with the original screw in the brew head. 

When looking around coffee forums all over the world, this issue is the most common in threads about Silvia. On the basis of that fact, I have made a how to guide to change the screw. 

This was my very first modification to my Silvia. I made it rather early on because of the constant headache of channeling, because of the overdose. It is quite easy, even with limited tools and knowledge/”handiness”.

The purpose of this mod is, to get the shower screen bolt aligned with the shower screen, to avoid channeling happening because of the bolt pressing a hole in the puck, when dosing just a little too much.

So here goes:

Parts to purchase

5x16 mm countersink bolt (stainless is preferred)

usually costs about 3-5$ 

Counter sinker, matching the angle of the 5 mm bolt  

Remove the original hex screw. Disassemble the water dispenser and shower screen from the brew head. At this point you should have these parts at your table:

Shower screen  

Water dispenser

Hex screw

At this point you are about to countersink the water dispenser. You need a proper counter sinker with the right angle matching your new bolt. If you can get to a drill press, that is much easier and accurate, but not at must! If you only have a vise and simple drill, like most people, this is what to do. 

Put the dispenser in the vise (put it between two pieces of wood, this way you won’t damage the dispenser), and start countersinking the dispenser. It is very important that you keep it in a straight angle. As you go on, stop to check the depth. When the bolt is about 1 mm below the surface you are done. 

Now you need to adapt the shower screen, to the new shape of the dispenser. This can be done in two ways. First and easiest way is simply to buckle all the parts back in the brew head. The other more need and gentle way (preferred), is to press the parts in a vise, adapting them to each other before assembly. Its easy.

Take a socket wrench top fitting inside the edges of your new bolt. Do the same Thing on the other side at the dispenser. This way the bolt Can move freely, the parts can be pressed together to adapt and shape, to fit each other. 

Tighten the vise slowly against the wrench tops, at this point; the natural shape of the bolt should create a conical shape in the shower screen. Stop tightening when the surface of the bolt and the screen are aligned. 

Assemble the parts to the brew head and start shooting. You should get more space between the puck and screen. Giving you larger oppurtunity to dose up and get better shots with the standart basket. 

Enjoy. 

Questions Can be asked in the commentfield or at xiburst@gmail.com

Review of Kopi Luwak preroasted

             

Paradoxurus

 

As I graduated my education, my colleagues gave me some presents. One of them was 70 gr. of the coffee kopi luwak.

A little background knowledge for those who don’t know the coffee in this link.

I thought of this, as a perfect opportunity to make a review of my experiences.
This is a very hyped and discussed coffee, cashing in at about 600$ per kilo. With that in mind, my expectations was high.

I found myself skeptical from the beginning. As the picture shows, the
beans are packaged in an air tight plastic bag. In my perspective, this is not a sign of quality.

I would like a one-way valve.

The person who bought the coffee was told that they were roasted less than a week ago. I have a really hard time believing that. There were no aromas as I opened the bag, none what so ever.

I decided to make a shot of espresso first. Dialing in the grinder with only 70 gr. of beans can be quite a challenge. I went for a brewratio of 55%. I managed to make a decent shot in my first attempt. 20 gr. of dry coffee, giving me 37 gr. of extracted coffee in 28 seconds. 

The aromas were still rather weak. When I sipped the cup, a very powerful fresh, and fruity flavor fills my mouth. At first I thought it was going to be a taste of acid. But the flavor staid, just at the positive side. In my perspective of course. As the notes of fruit came further back in my mouth, it became a penetrating nutty flavor, with hints of caramel. After finishing the cup, the notes staid in my mouth for a long time. I made a total of three shots espresso. All with the same outcome. Good, but no way near a value of the price.

I gave the last beans a go in my french press. 

Just enough for one cup

     

 This way of brewing suits the coffee much better. The earthy and nutty notes at the beginning, followed by caramel notes at the end. Everything working together in a way ,that seems more natural than in the espresso machine. 

At our household, 70 gr. of beans produces little more than 1 liters of coffee. I think it’s quite expensive, 55-60$ per liter coffee. The price just don’t match the quality and experience.       

I think this is a good coffee. It tastes good, works well and is easy to handle.  I have defiantly tried better and much cheaper. Because of that, I wouldn’t buy it myself.  

After reading an article about the coffee, I might have found the answer to my lack of enthusiasm.  Andrew Hetzel from Coffee Business Strategies, reports of comprehensive fraud with this particular coffee. Big brands, big money and big hype equal a lot of scammers. Unfortunately. It’s estimated that 5000% of the kopi luwak sold worldwide is fake. That’s a massive number. I am tempted to think I am the proud owner of 100 gr. fake kopi luwak coffe. Expensive coffee looks just like the cheap stuff, that is why no one knows if their being scammed buying kopi luwak.   
The organic perspective, with nature and animal in harmonic symbiosis seems to be deseving as well. If you are to trust Andrew Hetzel, the civet-like animal Paradoxurus are being held in small cages at large areas, while force-feed with coffee beans. Not the coffee fairytale the sellers tell and show its consumers. I haven’t looked further in to this accusation and don’t know if there is any kind of evidence. I sure hope it’s not so.  
The article in Danish 

Best regards and a Happy Newyear 

Caspar

Questions or comments can be posted in the commentfield, or at Xiburst@gmail.com

New guy on the blog

I am the new member of Coffee Channel. I have been invited to contribute with some of the posts on the blog. Hopefully I can fulfill the expectations.
I have recently graduated as Ambulance assistant. Unfortunately, there are not any jobs currently. Therefore my future is a little uncertain. But, worst case, I will have a lot of time posting on this blog.
I am 25 years old, living with my girlfriend and our common son at 16 months.
I have always been very fond of coffee. At first it was a need, in the early hours when I was a sheet metal worker. But in time I discovered the joy of fresh, grounded coffee of different kinds in my frenchpress.
One day at a gas station, I bought a cappuccino in a plastic mug. At that time, in my point of view, that was by far the best cup of coffee I had ever consumed. Already at that point, my enthusiasm and passion for espresso had begun. I just didn’t know it yet.
With some help from Google, I learned that cappuccino contains 1/3 espresso, 1/3 hot(steamed) milk and 1/3 milk foam (not the way I do it now) Again with the help of Google I found out, the espresso were made under pressure. But my god, those machines were expensive.
With that in mind I bought a mokkapot. The seller promised at the website, that it could make very good espresso. It couldn’t. Strong coffee (mokka) yes, but that’s it. To froth my milk, I bought an automatic heater andfrother from bodum. As you can properly guess at this point, the outcomes were bad. I then bought a very cheap espresso machine, very bad investment. After hours of reading on numerous coffee forums, I came to the conclusion, as many others properly, that there are no loopholes. When you want to make espresso, you have to spend some money.
I bought a 2nd hand Rancilio Silvia, and ignored all advises on buying a good grinder first. A few weeks later I had to come up with some money to buy a grinder, because grinded coffee from the coffeehouse just wasn’t good enough. I have the understanding, that many people coming in to the world of coffee, has the same experience as me. I will contribute to this blog, from the ground and up, all the basics, hoping to make the hard beginning foreseeable for the novice. I have only done espresso for about two years, and still have a lot to learn.
At this point I have the Silvia, and the Ascaso i-1 alu. I do believe I can produce very fair espresso and cappuccinos, which is still my favorite, with these two machines. But I am still at a low budget. Therefore I always try to get the most, of least. Not saying that I compromise with quality, but I search for the cheap stuff, that will do as close to thehigh-end expensive stuff as possible.
I have made several improvements and mods for my Silvia (and more to come), which I will post on the blog. Silvia is a very popular machine, and I hope that many readers will find my how to´s useful.
I could go on and on about my love and passion for coffee. Hopefully this will be reflected in my posts to the blog.
Best regards And a Merry Chistmas

Caspar

Questions or comments at the commentfield or:
Xiburst@gmail.com

The Behmor p2 tip

The Behmor roaster doesn’t have user adjustability on the fly as others do. You are stuck at custom build-in profiles. The body of in the coffee is developed between 1. and 2. crack, so extending the time between the cracks is essential.
A great tip I saw at http://evadeflow.com/2011/10/behmor-baked-beans/ lets you have a little more control over when the heating element is on at full power and at 30%, thus extending the roast. The tip is basically that you preheat the roaster, load in about 200-300 gr of coffee and choose the p2 one pound setting. Then maximize the time and start the roast. When you are near the first crack turn off the lights and watch the heating element, then slowly reduce the time until the heating element does off. When the heating element is of you now that you have reached the 30% power of the profile. Doing this and opening the door shortly will help you to extent the time between first and second crack and achieving more body in your coffee.