Swinging in the Dark

Thanks for taking the time to fill out our Better Coffee questionnaire.

Looks like you’ve got a nice setup for brewing coffee. I think I can give you some ideas to try and change some brewing parameters to get a different taste from the coffee.

Brewing with a Chemex can be tricky. Because of the way it’s designed, the flow rate is considerably slower than other pourover devices. That alters the way you need to adjust your variables. If the coffees are tasting bland, I would say that it sounds like either your water temp is too cool, your grind is too coarse, or your ratios are too high. I like to stick with a 1:12 ratio max, but you can definitely cheat up from there if that’s your preference. So if I were using 40 grams of coffee (out of my Comandante grinder), I would use 480 grams of water. Can I assume you’re using a scale? If not, Hario makes a great one. 

I always start with an initial pour of around 60 grams of water to saturate the bed of grounds, and then I wait 30-35 seconds before continuing the pour. My default water temp is 199º F, and I mess around with it up or down 1º from there to alter the taste of the coffee. In order to find a good grind size, I judge by flow rate. If you can pour very slowly and it doesn’t pool much, you’re there (I know that’s not very descriptive, but how does one judge grind size without a cumbersome sieve?). So my advice is to find a flow rate you like, and then start working with different water temps until the coffee tastes the way you want it to (or more so). 

Only other thing I’d recommend is someday getting a Comandante grinder  I love mine, and it makes that morning ritual into something so tactile and somehow more meaningful (not to mention that the grind consistency and repeatability is unmatched). 

Let us know how better we can help you out. I’m swinging a little in the dark, but definitely want to help you get the most out of your coffee experience.