Syphon brewing CC tip

Checking for the right temperature

When brewing on a Syphon brewer you would normally set up the gear and pour the ground coffee into the upper chamber, waiting for the hot water to raise for merging. But can you control the temperature when using this method? The answer is no, cause you are relying on the alcohol burner to set the right temperature in the lower bowl. Surely the water will only raise if reaching a certain temperature, but some degrees are lost when the water transport itself from the lower to upper bowl. Check the video below for description of the normal brew method;

I use the temperature 80 degrees, cause this temperature will not burn the coffee, leaving a burned flavor to the cup. I also prefer this brew temperature, when brewing in the french press.

Adding the ground coffee in the upper bowl

The Coffee Channel tip is therefore to use your thermometer in the upper bowl, to check the optimal temperature and when reached throw in your ground coffee as shown in the above picture.

Mixing water with the ground coffee

Blend the ground coffee with the hot water for about 30 seconds to about one minute, depending on how strong flavored you would like your coffee. I go about 40 seconds, almost like using the aeropress, cause I get some of the more sensitive flavors in the cup.

Stirring to create a safe passage through the filter

Keep stirring in the upper bowl so the ground coffee isn't getting stuck in the filter between the upper and lower bowl. This method is leaving a more crisp flavor to the cup and is minimizing the more sour and bitter flavors. Its actually quite a different taste experience when using one of these brewing methods instead of the other, so try it out if you have a Syphon brewer.

// Hendrup

Evolution within tea

Bodum 12 cups , with redespresso

The following viewers may have noticed some blog posts regarding Redespresso, cause I had received two bags of rooibos tea powder. Lately I been thinking about these reviews, because all off them were produced/extracted from a espresso machine, the most expensive coffee extracting tool for the home consumer. The product allows brewing on multiple coffee brewing tools, such as stovetop espresso maker, french press and the classic coffee maker, so why assemble a blog post using the french press?

So I trapped my 12 cups Bodum french press and fired up some water and about three minutes later, I was ready to produce splendid quality tea, in form of a redespresso shot. I took twelve scoops of rooibos powder and poured it into the french press glass container and gently applied hot water on top.

Brewing time

The picture above shows the brewed time with the french press, were the tea at start in the top layer and slowly circles round and ends at the bottom. I let the water and rooibos tea merge for about five minutes, ending the brew time by slowly press the filter down.

Close up at the final brew of redespresso

The taste was absolutely delicious, cause it was like normal rooibos tea, very sweet with delightful notes of berries. BUT there is a clearly evolution within the tea category, cause Redespresso have managed to produced rooibos tea, which leaves a thick and creamy taste experience. This thickness is indeed surprising, because there is no milk, cream or sugar added, so its also quite saturating.

// Hendrup

* Follow on Twitter, @Kasperhendrup *

Brewing on the French Press

Brewed Guatemala coffee on the French Press

I just visited some friends in their newly opened lifestyle hairdressing salon, which is combined with a marketing department inside. They have for some time been fascinated by the specialty coffee that I make, so I offered to brew some cups. I took along my 8 cups French Press from Bodum, which is suitable for about four people, if they only drink one cup each. I also took a bag of my newly roasted volcanic coffee from Guatemala Antigua, which especially has a special character, when brewed on a french press.

I just figured in the shop, that I should summarize the steps in producing a well brewed french press, so I snap a couple of pictures along the brewing process and this is what I come up with.

Including serving spoon when purchasing a Bodum press pot

When you have some freshly roasted beans which is properly ground for french press (Should be so coarse that it wouldn't penetrate the filter), the dosage is the next variable to consider. Bodum have including this serving spoon along with their french press, which makes its fairly simple to dosage the right use of ground coffee. The chosen french press for today is a 8 cup, which equals 8 serving spoons.

The most people who seeks a more powerful cup have a trend of adding an extra serving spoon. This of cause affects the press filter, contributing a filter that can't be pressed down all the way, which also maybe leading to a over extracted cup of coffee.

8 serving spoons of ground coffee poured into a 8 cup french press

The right way of controlling whether your cup should hold some more intense, dark, powerful and stronger flavors is only by letting the water fusion with the coffee grounds a little longer then normal. I go be my own set off rules;

• Thin coffee (Tea like appearance with coffee flavors): Under 4 minutes.
• General coffee (Coffee flavors which is enjoyed by the most people) 4-6 minutes.
• Strong coffee (Dark cup of coffee with more bitterness): 6-8 minutes.

In the above picture is shown how much coffee 8 serving spoon is providing to the french press.

CO2 gasses is realized from the coffee grounds.

The next step is simply to add water on the already added coffee grounds. The picture above shows the reaction of the water impacting the coffee ground, because the hot water causes the CO2 gasses within the coffee grounds released and is therefore piling up.

Release the CO2 gasses by stirring

If you want the coffee ground to fully merge with the hot water, you have to release the CO2 gasses trapped in layers of coffee grounds. Simply take a spoon, which you stir in circles in the foamy layer of mixed coffee grounds and gasses.

When you have real eased these gasses, fill up the french press to the bottom of the silver line and let it merge, until your preferred tasting zone.

// Hendrup

                                              * Follow on Twitter, @Kasperhendrup *

Uganda: Help is needed!

Local farmers with children from Uganda

I have tasted some truly great coffee from Uganda, for an example the Bududa bean, see Uganda Bududa AA Farm Mountain. Uganda continues to produce splendid, consistent coffee displaying a rich, powerful, fruit- and berry toned acidity energizing a cup of medium body and deep dimensions. The coffee beans harvest in Uganda is very similar in taste to beans harvest in Kenya!

Nevertheless Uganda have been in civil war the last 20 years and almost no outside help has reached the refugees, but now there has been a lot of focus on creating a better environment for the people of Uganda. The film below is made from a perspective of putting the crimes committed in the country out there, for the rest of the world to see. Knowledge is the first step in a plan of action, so join the rest of the 70,5 million people who already have seen this movie and send a clear message to Kony!

Take action and share this video!

// Hendrup

Baresso: Americano

An americano from Baresso

So I am currently on a business trip to Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, and had a quick break at Baresso. Baresso is a danish started coffee bar chain, which is located multiple places in Denmark.

I ordered the Americano, cause its a nice cup of coffee if its brewed proper. The main reason why I cherish a great cup of americano is very simple, cause I enjoy a black cup of coffee, but an americano is a extracted espresso shot mixed with hot water. Thereby you get a more smooth, rich and tasty cup of "black" coffee, which is absolutely delightful is made proper. The only thing that sorts the good from the bad americanos is the espresso shot they are made off, but this cup suffered from a little burned flavors.

// Hendrup

Grower´s Cup, Honduras

Growers Cup, Honduras coffee

This particular coffee from Honduras is grown by a cooperative, called Caruchil. They produce only fair trade organic coffees and supports the local community by renting some of their earnings, in loans to farmers nearby. These Caruchil farmers are located in Marcala and grow mostly Bourbon, Cafe Lempira and Catuai varietals of coffee. The group obtained their Fair Trade Certification in 1993 and is currently consisting of 325 members, 30 of these are women.

Honduras coffees are not a celebrated origin, but the finest Honduras coffees are sweet, low-key, full-bodied and superbly opulent. Kenneth Davids

The coffee is grown at a 1.300 - 1.600 m. above sea level and is fully washed and sun dried in cement patios. Its should have an amazing sweet aroma of almond and mature red berries, with some lively fruity nuances. Its a well balanced cup with a great fill of chocolate, which leaves a pleasant sweet aftertaste. The coffee should contain a very smooth cup, sitting well among a varied group of coffee lovers.

The taste of this coffee were actually as the above description, besides the flavors of the chocolate. I felt a lot of fruity notes and a round, soft and smooth aftertaste, which was similar to the aroma of the cup. A very sensitive cup without a dominant character, but instead fine nuances that simply were stunningly.

// Hendrup

Cleaning time: Hario Syphon

Hario Syphon TCA-2 before cleaning

When I bought my Hario Syphon brewer there was no ending of the happiness that followed. I could produce a great cup of coffee with a clean crisp taste and I could follow the entire brewing process like a chemistry project. Nevertheless the lower bowl has taken a mark of the many times of brewing, leaving a strong soot area, where the alcohol burner reached the glass.

Close up at the Hario Syphon before cleaning

The problem of the soot is only a question of aesthetics, but its ruins the joy when getting ready to brew a nice cup of coffee, cause its covering the bottom of the lower bowl and therefore the sign of boiling. I decided to clean up this bowl if it at all were possible. I first tried some dish soap, but it weren't having any effect, so i rang up my grandmother for some typical housewife advice and she told me to use chlorine instead.

Typical brewing on the Hario Syphon

The picture above shows the area of lower bowl in contact with the fire from the alcohol burner, which aren't the complete sooted area as shown in the first couple of pictures. Above the lower bowl is clean and therefore leaving a much better impression on guests, than a sooted glass bowl.

Hario Syphon TCA-2 after cleaning

I poured some chlorine in a empty bowl and lowered the lower bowl into the fluid, leaving it for about 10 minutes, when I got back nothing had happened. So I pulled the lower bowl up and went over at the sink, beginning to flounder the sooted area, which peeled right of leaving a shinny transparent glass surface.

Close up at the Hario Syphon after cleaning

 The final result were staggering, leaving it in same condition when I purchased it for about a month ago. I can absolutely recommend this method for all Syphon, Siphon nor Vacuum brewers out there, cause its simple, easy and quick, so don't hold back.

Hario Syphon after cleaning

Enjoy the final result of this cleaning!

// Hendrup

Atmosphere of 1950s

Red shake, developed by Redespresso

So a general milkshake have never been my thing, cause of the high content of calories, but sometimes you just have to give in for enjoying the complete sweetness of life. Redespresso have developed this stunning milkshake, combining their characteristic rooibos espresso shot with vanilla ice cream.

The progress of this drink is producing/extracting/brewing a redespresso shot by using an espresso machine, stovetop espresso maker, french press nor classic coffee maker, see a taste of summer for detailed description of brew method. The double redespresso shot is poured into a blender along with three scoops of vanilla ice cream, which is blended nicely together, serve in Y-glass for optimal appearance.

The judgment of this particular drink is positive, beyond positivism! The flavors from the espresso shot, which is kind of sweet herbs along with some notes of red berries combined with the freshness of the vanilla ice cream is nothing less than an absolutely amazing fusion of great taste. You get this strange feeling of the Red Shake being a heathy treat, but I really don´t think it would fit in under that category, nevertheless its a wonderful taste experience, cause the redespresso shot also provides a certain dryness to the drink and the ice cream provides a very creamy and thick texture of the drink.

Brilliant drink and my all time favorite of the Redespresso drinks along with the Iced red latte and fresh red!

// Hendrup

Iced rooibos latte

Iced red latte developed by Redespresso

In the summer time my favorite drink including coffee is a iced latte, cause its containing caffeine, chilled and has some great taste flavors. So why not make it a bit more healthy considering a rooibos espresso shot instead of a real espresso, cause of the higher antioxidant and non existing caffeine level? Well Redespresso have thought about this and come up with a genius solution, the Iced red latte.

Normally when I mix for a ice latte, I add a small oz off caramel sirup to create a greater depth with some more smooth sweetness. This is not necessary because the rooibos shot is adding a lot of sweet notes and great depth, which makes it a little cheaper, easier, healthier and more delicious all at one time.

If you are wondering how to create this drink, here are a guided step-by-step guide;
Start by extracting/brewing your redespresso shot, on either your espresso machine, stovetop espresso maker, french press nor classic coffee maker, see a taste of summer to get a description on how to extract/brew this shot. Second of, take a glass and fill it with ice cubes, hereafter pour the double shot of redespresso onto the ice. Top off with milk, stir a bit and your latte is ready to be served or enjoyed.

I like to shake the milk and espresso shot together in my "boston shaker", seen at the picture above, cause its quickly cooling the espresso shot down and combining the milk and espresso together in the best way.

The taste of this particular drink is very nice indeed; its a classic upon a great summer evening and I can´t wait to get some better weather, cause I might serve it as a dessert for some friends.

// Hendrup

Control your caffeine Intake

How many nights have you spend in your bed looking at the ceiling, wishing that you wouldn't have drunken the last cup of coffee before bedtime? I have tried this a couple of times too many, but fear no more a solution has been found for those lucky people with a iPhone.

Caffeine Zone 2 is the new helpful rescue tool for coffee-addicts! The developer behind this app for OS-platform is Frank Ritter, whom are a professor in phycology and computer science at the american university Penn State.

The app is controlling your caffeine intake and warning you if the caffeine level will effect your sleep. The other way around the app also keeps you updated on when your caffeine level reaches a limit, so you are in a constant green zone.

// Hendrup