Old guy at the coffee shop taught me a pour over trick that changed everything

I was at Common Grounds in Portland last Tuesday struggling with my V60 pour over, getting bitter cups every time. This retired guy named Bill saw me frowning at my mug and just said "slow down your pour to the speed of a gentle rain." I tried it that afternoon with my Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans and the difference was like night and day. Anyone else have a random stranger drop a game changing tip on you?

2 comments

2 Comments

sanchez.pat8d ago

Hmm I gotta disagree a little. I've tried the super slow pour thing and it actually made my cups more bitter because the water temp dropped too much. Maybe it works for some beans but for light roasts I actually pour faster to keep the heat up. Different strokes I guess!

the_holly8d ago

Wait, are you using a gooseneck kettle? Because if your water temp is dropping that much during a slow pour, your kettle is losing heat too fast or your water volume is too small. I've been doing the slow pour method for over a year now with light roasts and my cups got way sweeter, not more bitter. The key is to keep the kettle on the stove between pours or preheat your mug and server. Honestly, pouring fast just makes my coffee taste thin and watery like there's no body at all. Tbh, I think the whole "water temp drops" thing is overblown unless you're pouring like a drip at a time for ten minutes.