ULTIMATE POUROVER RECIPE (any method)

Summary

In this engaging video, Lance Hedrick shares a versatile pour-over coffee recipe, designed to cater to a wide range of coffee types and brewing conditions. He emphasizes the importance of adjusting the coffee-to-water ratio and water temperature to suit personal taste and coffee characteristics. Lance also provides tips on achieving the optimal flow rate and extraction, resulting in a balanced, low bitterness cup that appeals to home brewers looking to perfect their pour-over technique.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The video is about creating a versatile pour-over coffee recipe that works well for a variety of coffee beans and brewing conditions.
• 🏆 The speaker mentions that World Brewers Cup Championship recipes may not be suitable for home brewing due to the unique coffee beans used in competitions.
• 🌐 The video aims to debunk the common assumption that championship recipes are universally effective and encourages viewers to consider other factors.
• ☕ The speaker emphasizes the importance of adjusting the coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature, and grind size to suit personal taste and brewing equipment.
• 📊 A suggested coffee-to-water ratio ranges from 1:14 to 1:17, depending on the desired strength and extraction level of the coffee.
• 🌡 Water temperature should be adjusted based on the roast level of the coffee, with lighter roasts requiring higher temperatures and darker roasts lower temperatures.
• 🕒 The brewing process involves a bloom phase followed by a single pour of the remaining water, with a focus on maintaining a consistent flow rate of 6-8 grams per second.
• 💧 The speaker recommends monitoring the drawdown of the coffee and intervening with agitation if necessary, depending on the grind and the coffee's solubility.
• 🔍 The video script highlights the need for personal experimentation with the suggested recipe to achieve the best results with different coffee beans and grinders.
• 📝 The speaker provides a detailed brewing method, including the importance of maintaining the correct flow rate and pour height for optimal extraction.
• 🍂 The video concludes with a tasting note, describing the resulting coffee as having low bitterness, a velvety body, and high citric acidity, which is attributed to the brewing method.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of Lance Hedrick's video?

The main purpose of Lance Hedrick's video is to share a pour-over coffee recipe that is versatile and works well with a variety of coffees, grinders, and water types, rather than just replicating competition recipes.

Why does Lance Hedrick believe that World Brewers Cup Championship recipes might not work well for home brewing?

Lance Hedrick believes that World Brewers Cup Championship recipes might not work well for home brewing because the coffees used in competitions are often very different from those available to the average consumer, being more soluble and processed differently.

What is the issue with using a high extraction percentage recipe from coffee competitions for home brewing?

The issue with using a high extraction percentage recipe from coffee competitions for home brewing is that it might result in over-extraction, leading to a vinegary taste that is not preferred by most people and may not suit the coffees available at local roasteries or subscription services.

What is the recommended extraction percentage for the pour-over recipe presented by Lance Hedrick?

The recommended extraction percentage for the pour-over recipe presented by Lance Hedrick is around 20 to 21 percent, which is aimed to provide a balanced and less bitter cup of coffee.

What are the two main variables that a home brewer should control according to Lance Hedrick's recipe?

The two main variables that a home brewer should control according to Lance Hedrick's recipe are the coffee-to-water ratio and the water temperature.

What coffee-to-water ratio does Lance Hedrick suggest for different types of coffee roasts?

Lance Hedrick suggests a 1 to 17 ratio for lighter coffees, 1 to 15 or 1 to 16 for medium coffees, and 1 to 14 or 1 to 15 for darker coffees, depending on the desired strength and extraction level.

What is the recommended water temperature range for brewing different roast levels of coffee according to the video?

For medium to dark roasts, the water temperature should be between 84 to 95 degrees Celsius, with lighter roasts requiring temperatures above 95 degrees and very dark roasts possibly as low as 84 to 85 degrees Celsius.

What is the significance of the flow rate when pouring water over the coffee grounds during the brew process?

The flow rate is significant because it affects the extraction process. A flow rate of six to eight grams per second is recommended to ensure proper extraction without over- or under-extracting the coffee.

How does Lance Hedrick suggest to adjust the grind size to control the flow rate of the coffee brew?

Lance Hedrick suggests that if a brewer wants to slow down the flow rate, they can go with a coarser grind, and if they want to increase the flow rate, they can go finer. However, the grind size should be mostly constant as per the recipe.

What is the recommended brew time for the pour-over coffee recipe presented in the video?

The recommended brew time for the pour-over coffee recipe is between three to four minutes, depending on the solubility of the coffee and other factors such as water temperature and grind size.

What is the final result Lance Hedrick expects from following his pour-over coffee recipe?

Following Lance Hedrick's pour-over coffee recipe should result in a cup of coffee with very low bitterness, a velvety smooth body, high citric acidity, and a nice sweetness, providing a balanced and pleasant taste experience.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to the Pour Over Recipe

Lance Hedrick introduces an exciting video on pour over coffee brewing, emphasizing the need for a versatile recipe that works with various coffee types and brewing conditions. He critiques existing recipes, particularly those from World Brewers Cup champions, for not being universally applicable due to their reliance on specific, highly soluble coffees. Lance explains his goal to create a 'catch-all' recipe that's easy to dial in without wasting beans and focuses on variables like brew ratio, water temperature, and grind size that viewers can adjust to their preferences.

05:00

🔍 Detailed Pour Over Brewing Technique

The paragraph outlines a specific pour over brewing method that Lance has refined. It begins with a bloom phase using three times the coffee weight in water, followed by a single pour of the remaining water after a minute or two, depending on the coffee's roast and gas content. Lance emphasizes the importance of a consistent pour rate of six to eight grams per second and the correct stream height to ensure proper extraction. He also discusses the use of a spoon for excavation during the brew to improve extraction, and the importance of monitoring the drawdown and adjusting with agitation if necessary, to avoid over-extracting and producing bitter coffee.

10:00

🍂 Optimal Extraction and Final Thoughts

In the final paragraph, Lance discusses the importance of achieving optimal extraction without prolonging contact time or adding extra pours, which can lead to bitterness. He explains that his method works for various coffee roasts by adjusting the water temperature and grind size. Lance recommends a coarse grind to prevent over-extraction and to ensure an even water flow, which is key to a balanced brew with low bitterness and a smooth body. He concludes by encouraging viewers to experiment with the variables of ratio and temperature to find their preferred taste, and to share their experiences in the comments.

Keywords

💡Pour Over

Pour Over is a manual coffee brewing method that involves pouring hot water over coffee grounds in a filter. It is central to the video's theme as the script discusses a specific pour over recipe and brewing technique. The script mentions various pour over recipes, including the World Brewers Cup Championship recipes, indicating the method's popularity and the variety of approaches to brewing coffee using this technique.

💡Extraction

Extraction in coffee brewing refers to the process of drawing flavor and soluble compounds from coffee grounds into the water. It is a key concept in the script, as the video aims to achieve a balanced extraction to avoid bitterness and achieve a desirable flavor profile. The script mentions that the extraction yield should be around 20 to 21 percent, which is a specific goal for the brewing method discussed.

💡Brew Ratio

Brew ratio is the proportion of coffee to water used in brewing, which significantly affects the strength and flavor of the coffee. The script provides guidance on adjusting the brew ratio based on the type of coffee and personal taste preferences, with examples such as 1 to 17 for lighter coffees and 1 to 14 for darker coffees.

💡Grind Size

Grind size is the coarseness or fineness of the coffee grounds, which impacts the brewing process and extraction. The script emphasizes the importance of controlling grind size to adjust the flow rate and extraction, recommending a coarse grind for the pour over method described to ensure even water flow and prevent over-extraction.

💡Water Temperature

Water temperature is crucial in coffee brewing as it influences extraction rates and the final taste of the coffee. The script advises viewers to adjust water temperature based on the roast level of the coffee, suggesting lower temperatures for darker roasts and higher for lighter roasts, to achieve optimal extraction.

💡Bloom

Blooming is the initial step in many coffee brewing methods where a small amount of water is poured over the coffee grounds to allow them to 'bloom' or release gases before the rest of the water is added. The script describes a two-minute bloom for lighter, gassier coffees, which helps to ensure even extraction.

💡Flow Rate

Flow rate refers to the speed at which water is poured over the coffee grounds during brewing. The script specifies a flow rate of six to eight grams per second as ideal for the pour over method, which is essential for controlling extraction and preventing channeling or uneven brewing.

💡Agitation

Agitation is the act of stirring or disturbing the coffee bed during brewing to ensure even extraction. The script mentions that viewers may need to agitate the coffee if the drawdown is too fast, using a spoon or other tool to level the bed and prevent uneven extraction.

💡Drawdown

Drawdown is the process by which the water level in the brewer decreases as the coffee is extracted. The script discusses monitoring the drawdown to determine if intervention, such as agitation, is needed to ensure proper extraction and prevent over-extraction or bitterness.

💡Brew Time

Brew time is the total time it takes to complete the brewing process from start to finish. The script emphasizes a quick brew time of around three to four minutes for the pour over method described, which helps to minimize bitterness and achieve a balanced cup.

💡TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)

TDS refers to the amount of dissolved substances in a liquid, and in coffee brewing, it's an indicator of the concentration of coffee in the brew. The script explains that a lower brew ratio results in a stronger coffee with higher TDS, while a higher ratio yields a lower strength brew with lower TDS.

Highlights

Lance Hedrick introduces an exciting video on pour-over coffee recipes.

The video aims to provide a catch-all pour-over recipe that works for a wide range of coffees and brewing conditions.

Existing recipes, especially those from competitions, may not be suitable for home brewing due to differences in coffee beans.

Competition coffees are often more soluble and may taste vinegary, which is not preferred by everyone.

The extraction rates of top competitors at the World Brewers Cup Championship are consistently between 17 to 18 percent.

A new pour-over recipe is proposed that focuses on variables easily controllable by home users.

The recipe includes a bloom phase with three times the weight of coffee in water, followed by a single pour of the remaining water.

Users can adjust the brew ratio, water temperature, and grind size to suit their preferences.

A suggested brew ratio ranges from 1:14 for darker coffees to 1:17 for lighter coffees.

Water temperature should be adjusted based on the roast level of the coffee, from 84-85°C for dark roasts to above 95°C for light roasts.

The pour speed should be around 6 to 8 grams per second for optimal extraction.

The pour height should be adjusted to prevent water from splattering, ensuring a smooth extraction process.

Agitation techniques during the brew can help manage the extraction process, especially for coffees with different grind sizes.

The brew time should ideally be between three to four minutes to prevent over-extraction and bitterness.

The video demonstrates the pour-over process, emphasizing the importance of flow rate and agitation.

The resulting brew is described as having low bitterness, a velvety body, and high citric acidity.

Lance encourages viewers to experiment with the variables of ratio and temperature to find their preferred taste.

The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to share their experiences and preferences in the comments.

Transcripts

what's up everyone Lance Hedrick here

and today I have one of the most

exciting videos that I have made

regarding pour overs

[Music]

So today we're going to go over a pour

over recipe I know I know there are so

many of these people share World Brewers

Cup Championship recipes the Hoffman

recipe the Rayo recipe there's so many

recipes out there but the reason I am

doing this video and why I haven't done

a filter video in a while is I've been

trying to figure out a way to make a

recipe that is kind of a catch-all what

I've noticed is none of these recipes

currently circulating out there works

for everything none of them do and the

worst ones to replicate are the ones at

the competitions people assume oh the

world champions use this recipe

therefore it must work that logic is

inherently flawed because the coffees

they're using are so incredibly

different from what you're getting your

hands on at your local Roastery or on

your subscription plan the coffees

they're using are incredibly soluble

from intense processing methods and with

varieties that tend to be quite dainty

and so they're able to brew at 16 17 18

and they're able to get an incredible

array of flavors now to be honest with

you I'm not a big fan of lot of those

coffees because they tend to taste a

little bit on the vinegary side but they

tend to do well at these competitions so

I actually measured the extractions of a

few of the competitors at Worlds

including some of the top six and

they're extracting pretty consistently

at 17 to 18 percent now with the coffees

you're Brewing at home that's likely not

going to taste very good to you so I

first want to just say those recipes I

would not ever recommend trying those

for the most part because they're not

going to do very well for your cup that

doesn't take away from the the

Brilliance of the Brewer who's competing

it's just they're doing a different

thing altogether so I would not rely on

Championship recipes in order to proceed

maybe a few years ago where there was a

little bit different a little bit

difference in coffee preference with the

judges but in the last couple of years

with the explosion of these crazy

processes it's a lot different on the

world stage even going with my own

recipe that I put right here one of my

first videos back a year ago I that one

is tailored to lighter roasted coffees

and a little nicer or Grinders that

don't produce as many fines it's to push

extraction pretty high for a pour over

but that doesn't work for a lot of

coffees and it doesn't work for a lot of

you that don't have these types of

Grinders and so I've been taking a while

to really sit and reflect on what is an

approach that would work with the most

amount of people with the most amount of

Grinders the most amount of coffees the

most amount of waters what is it that I

can do so I actually just took an

evolution of the one two one I proposed

a few months ago linked right there and

I've decided to work on a few variables

that are easily controllable by you the

user at home in order to make a great

cup of coffee without having to throw

away a ton of beans trying to dial in

your pour over it should be a lot easier

than that so today I'm going to present

to you a catch-all type of brew and I'm

excited for you to hear it now before we

get into it and of course you can skip

ahead to it if you want but I think this

is important there are a few things that

you are going to have control of that

you need to follow because again if you

were to replicate everything for me down

to grind size it might not work well for

you so I'm going to give you the recipe

and then there are a few tweaks that

you're going to need to make for your

own flavor preferences these tweaks will

include ratio

water temperature and then you'll do a

little bit with grind size now for the

most part the grind size I'm going to

recommend is going to be constant

throughout but you may want to tweak it

to slow down the flow rate or increase

the flow rate by going finer or coarser

respectively but the big things for you

to focus on at home is Brew ratio that

means what's the ratio of coffee to

water I tend to do a 1 to 17 that's for

lighter coffees if you do like a medium

coffee maybe one to Fifteen one to

sixteen a darker coffee maybe one to

fourteen one to Fifteen

that really depends on the strength

you're wanting how much extraction

you're wanting with a lower ratio you're

going to have a lower extraction a

higher ratio you'll have a higher

extraction but on the inverse lower

ratio will be stronger coffee

strengthwise so the TDS will be higher

and a higher ratio will have a lower

strength so it'll be a little more

watery even though that's a negative

term doesn't necessarily mean it'll

taste like water anyway the next

variable that you'll control is your

water temperature i max out water temp

because I use really lightly roasted

coffees but for medium dark it's medium

to dark roast you're going to want to

quickly go down I would say the lowest

you'd want to go is 84 85 degrees for

really dark coffees maybe up to 90 to 95

for medium coffees and then above 95 for

really lightly roasted coffees so these

are the two variables that are on you

you need to decide what will work best

for your situation now the Brew is

simple you're going to bloom with three

times the weight of your coffee in water

you're going to wait a minute or two

minutes for the bloom if it's a really

gassy coffee or if it's a really lightly

roasted coffee I I would wait two

minutes and which is what I prefer to do

and then you're going to pour the rest

of the water in one pour after that

blooming phase now the speed with which

you need to pour is around six to eight

grams per second this is easy to test

just take a kettle and a cup put some

sink water in it and pour for 10 seconds

and you're going to want to hit 60 to 80

grams in 10 seconds and just kind of

memorize what that flow rate feels like

it's very important to have this style

of flow rate because it's going to

greatly affect your extraction you also

want the height of your stream to be a

the perfect height which the perfect

height would be noted as right after the

stream is going to be broken up so as

you're pouring once that stream begins

to break up and splatter on the top of

the water make a splatter noise you're

too high get a little closer while

maintaining that speed and you're

perfect so you need to pay attention to

your flow rate most people I see flow

way too fast they're dumping their

bonavita they're going all the way till

the flow restrictor hits and they're

fellow they're taking their time more

and they're just going as fast as

possible do not do that

six to eight grams a second is perfect

okay that's what we're going to want to

do with this and we're going to just do

a little quarter size in the middle

anyway less talking more Brewing so I'm

going to grind up my coffee toss it in

here get my Kettle and we are going to

go my coffee's all ground up so we're

going to dump that in there boom 15

grams on the DOT

now I'm going to take the end of this

brush I just kind of like the shape of

it for creating a divot I'm going to put

it into the bed and just rotate around

now because we're grinding so coarsely

as you saw in that close-up this this

divot you can be pretty aggressive with

because it's not going to compact very

much with finer grind sizes I wouldn't

recommend being as aggressive because

it'll Compact and make it difficult for

that bloom but for this we're going to

be pretty aggressive now my water was

just off the boil so it's good to go and

I'm gonna go ahead and start my timer

and I'm going to pour with that flow

rate I spoke about earlier now I'm

pouring in at that flow rate in circles

going back to the center and we're at

45. I'm going to take a spoon and I'm

just going to kind of excavate in the

middle now with this

I have found I've preferred this

excavation technique to swirling and the

reason is is with how coarsely I'm

grinding this coffee swirling doesn't

really work that well because there's

water running through it anyway while

this is sitting here and Brewing I'm

going to do my Rubik's Cube because

we have a two minute Bloom I can wait

for and then we'll continue

foreign

[Music]

thank you

[Music]

boom 20 seconds to spare nice

um so

just sitting here letting it Bloom to

the two minute Mark I actually like to

let the kettle cool down in temperature

while it's sitting here uh just I like

doing that if you want to if you really

need to push your extraction I would put

it back on the base but for this I'm

actually just letting it kind of have a

little decline in temperature and then

here we go after that I'm going to pour

that six to eight gram flow rate and I'm

just doing a little circle right in the

center

all right

I'm going all the way to our weight so

all the way up to 255 and one pour then

after that what I'm going to do is it's

drawing down is I'm going to watch what

is happening in the drawdown if it's

going really slowly I might just swirl

once to level the bed and negate some

channels if it's gone pretty quickly I'm

going to intervene with some agitation

now because we're grinding so coarsely

what this is going to allow is people

with really good Grinders they're going

to have a fast draw down and they can

add agitation at the end in order to

affect fines migration otherwise if you

have a grinder that produces a lot of

fines you're not going to want to do

much to it because it's going to be okay

as is so I just did a little wet wdt I

noticed it was drying down pretty

quickly and then I'm going to do just a

wee bit of a swirl to flatten and level

the bed now as this is going

what's going to happen is it's going to

draw down somewhat quickly if it's going

super fast again just intervene take a

spoon take a wdt take something and kind

of turn the bed over if it's going

really slow which I imagine the majority

of users will have it going pretty

slowly then just kind of let it be after

one swirl but the idea here is we're

trying to effectively and quickly

extract as much as possible without

elongating the contact time and without

adding extra pores one of the biggest

issues that people have seen in using

some of these famous Brews is that with

the multiple pores their grinder is not

really good enough to be able to do that

because they're producing so many fines

the more pores you do the more the

extraction is going to occur the more

fresh solvent you're putting into the

Brewer the more it's going to stall and

the more it's going to be bitter so I

don't want to I don't want to recommend

multiple Brews and so this Brew right

here works with lighter coffees with

darker coffees with medium coffees all

of it really great as long as you are

willing and able to watch the brew and

make decisions based off of it now as

it's drawing down I like to watch it and

Ensure sure that that bed is nice and

flat so at the end even I may do another

little swirl but the idea is it should

finish in around four minutes or below

anywhere from three to four minutes

honestly depending on how soluble your

coffee is

three to four minute Brew time if it's

going much longer than that you're

probably intervening too much or your

grind size is not coarse enough now

normally I don't sit here and harp on

time but I am with this Brew this should

be a quicker Brew so if you're doing a

two minute Bloom it should be a three to

four minute Brew if you're doing a one

minute Bloom it should be a two to three

minute boost so that's pretty much it we

do triple the weight of the grounds and

water for the bloom and then we pour the

rest of it after one or two minutes of

your Bloom depending on how gassy or how

light your coffee is and at the end

we're going to have roughly a 20 to 21

percent extraction yield on whatever

gross profile coffee you have depending

on the water temperature Etc anyway

let's go ahead give this a little tasty

taste

I need a cup

we're going to grab the oreosense cup

and then here we go

take a little sip of that

nice and my V60 is dripping everywhere

all right

so good

what this what this Brew allows is for

very low bitterness because of the fast

Brew time in the coarse grounds when you

grind really coarsely and I'll link an

article below for you nerds who want to

see what happens when you're grinding a

lot finer by Jonathan gagne but

essentially when you're grinding coarser

there's just inevitably going to be less

better than the cup so the issue though

is under extraction can occur so that's

why we're trying to push the extraction

with the agitation and maybe a little

higher water temperature so going coarse

grounds relying on fines migration to

slow down the Brew in order to allow for

enough contact time to get a proper

extraction and then we're going to get a

nice tactile experience we're going to

have a good balanced Brew we're going to

have very low bitters if any this has

very low Bitters and it there's no

stringency on the finish at all it's got

a velvety smooth body and it's high in

the citric acidity has a nice sweetness

that it's that's holding it up on it's

very pillowy on the tongue as well

anyway

thanks so much for watching I want to

hear your experience with this in the

comments below give this a try and start

working on some of those variables that

you can control whether it's the water

temperature or the ratio I'm curious to

hear your experience I would love for

you to pit this against other recipes

you may use see what you prefer don't

have a one and done though remember

there are two variables you control

ratio and temperature and both of them

have a massive impact on the final cup

but yes take a look again at that grind

size use that as your as your dial in

point because it's really difficult in

order to really get on the same board

with this this is supposed to be a

little faster flow you want a little

coarser grind so that the water goes

through more evenly and you can control

the channels anyway I look forward to

chatting with them with you in the

comments and that's about it for today

hit that like hit that subscribe and

we'll see you next time Brew something

tasty cheers