Coffee adventure, Part Two, help needed

[steve2470]

In this thread , I asked about coffee beans and got a wonderful amount of help, thank you all !

Now I have a AeroPress french press . I used it this morning for the first time and tried hard to follow the directions to the letter.

Good news: The coffee is definitely NOT too strong or bitter. It's pretty good although a tad weak for my taste.

Bad news (for me): When I filled up the chamber with hot water, I thought the mixture would just sit there for 3 or 4 minutes until I pushed the plunger down. Instead, the mixture slowly seeped through the filter into my cup. It wasn't a big deal but it surprised me.

What did I do wrong ? Thanks in advance for your help.

Steve

[Chan790]

1. Probably nothing.

They leak into the cup. It's gravity, it happens. It's why I prefer the spout-type...that and I don't want a filter.

I've never had anybody say before that French Press was too weak, usually it's thick and jet-black. Course grind? Really hot water? If the instructions said 3 to 4 minutes and it wasn't strong enough for you, try 5. If it's too weak still, we can explore other factors.

[steve2470]

2. reading from the instructions:

" 6: Mix the water and coffee with the stirrer for about 10 seconds

7: Wet the rubber seal and insert the plunger into the chamber (note no time delay specified in the official directions)..... 8: You've just made a double espresso. For American coffee, top-off the mug with hot water ( I probably added a tad too much hot water ). For a latte, top-off the mug with hot milk"

My grind might have not been fine enough ? Also, I didn't boil the water but used my old coffee maker. Would it not be hot enough using the old coffee maker ?

[Chan790]

3. Okay.

Ideally the water is around 200'F so just under boiling. I don't know what temperature the water coming out of your brewer is but it's probably close. If you want to know for certain and don't have a thermometer, pour the water into a cheap pan* and see how long it takes to boil on the stovetop...it should happen almost immediately.

I've never seen a French Press that didn't specify a steeping time, but if that's what the instructions told you. Make sure you push the plunger slowly...if you push it too fast, you won't get all the flavor of the coffee. Also, I'd dispute their claims on the added water and try it straight. Espresso is much stronger than anything you can make in a French Press...it's extracted at very-high pressure and temperatures either in a machine or a stove-top vessel called moka pot designed for that purpose. (We're talking 230'F and 135PSI minimum.)

*-thin-walled, no conduction plate on the bottom. Thus it heats up very fast.

[steve2470]

4. I will add more grounds next time and not add any water

If that doesn't "perfect it", then I will try almost boiling the water.

I was surprised the official directions didn't specify a steeping time.

on edit: Here are the directions online

http://aerobie.com/images/AeroPress%20Instructions%20for%20Web%20L.pdf

[Major Nikon]

8. Probably wasn't hot enough

The directions say 175 degree water. 200 works best, IMO. Use a tea kettle and pull it off the heat right before it comes to a boil.

The plunger should offer resistance all the way down. If it's too easy to push down, the grind is not fine enough. If it's too hard, the grind is too fine. I'm guessing it should be around 30-40 lbs of force required to do your plunge.

[HopeHoops]

5. If the spoon doesn't stand straight up in the cup, it isn't stong enough coffee.

[steve2470]

6. *laughs* nt

[Manifestor_of_Light]

14. Sounds like my mashed potatoes.

:rofl:

We now get back to your regularly scheduled coffee thread.

[Major Nikon]

7. I use an aeropress every day, and there's a few things the directions don't tell you

First of all, it's not a french press and works a bit differently, so if you have used a french press forget everything you know about one in regards to the aeropress.

For best results, you should be grinding right before steeping. You can use a whirlybird grinder, but I don't recommend it because you can't really get the grind fine enough. If you are using a whirlybird grinder, increase your steep times by 50% to start and adjust the times from there for taste. If you have a burr grinder, adjust to a fine setting until the grounds start to clump when pinched tightly and released, then back off a little until the grind no longer clumps. This will give you a starting point from which you can adjust for taste, but it should be close. If the plunger is too hard to push down, your grind is too fine.

For best results, rinse the filter off before use. This will remove a considerable amount of the paper taste that you'll get otherwise.

Step 7 will be unnecessary when the thing gets broke in and coffee oils lubricate the plastic. I don't wash mine with soap more than about once per month. The rest of the time I just rinse it off immediately after use.

Do NOT use more water than is called for in step 5. If you like weaker coffee, add water during step 8 to suit your tastes.

Step 5 says to use 175 degree water. The designer of the device is convinced this produces the best results, but most coffee aficionados that use the device regularly (like me) will tell you to use 200 degree water. For me this means using fresh filtered water in my kettle just right before it comes to a boil.

Your total steep time will only be about 30-40 seconds if you follow the directions. I normally do about a 20 second steep and then spend about 20 seconds plunging. If you are using a coarser grind, you will want to steep a little longer.

There are other methods for using this device once you've mastered basic operation (such as the upside down steeping method). You can find details on many of the coffee boards. There's lots of fans of the aeropress.

[steve2470]

12. ok thanks a lot for your time ! nt

[grasswire]

9. normally instructions for a french press are to use coarse grind..

...but I do not subscribe to that theory. I don't mind a little sludge -- would rather have that than chunks of beans from which nothing is extracted.

I realize that you have a filter with the aero, so you shouldn't have any sludge problem with a good grind. I'm currently using a pour-over, but thinking about going back to french press.

What kind of beans are you using?

[steve2470]

11. these beans:

http://www.theconsumerlink.com/product_detail.asp?BID=EightOclockCoffee&T1=TCL+11141%2D102640&navStart=11&.">Eight O'Clock Whole Bean 100% Colombian

Thanks for your time.

[Major Nikon]

13. The aeropress favors a fine grind, at least in my experience with one

The aeropress kinda seems like a french press because it uses a full immersion method with a pressing action at the end, but in reality it's a very different animal. The aeropress extracts the coffee under positive atmospheric pressure which means you don't have to steep as long as you normally would with a french press in order to extract the same level of coffee essence from the grinds. In order to develop a sufficient amount of positive atmospheric pressure, the grinds must be fine enough to provide resistance against the extraction pressure. If you grind too coarse, you won't develop enough pressure. If you grind too fine, you get too much pressure. The developer bills it as an espresso maker, which is most certainly is not, but it does use a similar process. The end result is coffee that tastes more like that produced by a clover coffee maker rather than from a french press.

[mikeytherat]

10. Not enough coffee - try this method:

"A cup of my java" from Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGiweFt-SNE&feature=related

mikey_the_rat

[sakabatou]

15. I find drip coffee machines are better, imo

[JCMach1]

16. Taste can be very personal...

French press to me is... BLECH...

Give me drip, or high pressure expresso.

My French press gets used once in a great moon when I am making very coarse herbal tea that has a long steeping time.

[Major Nikon]

17. Lots of people use the french press for tea

I don't really like it for that because they don't retain heat very well and I like my tea hot. I have a nice thick tea pot and a good sized nylon basket I found that fits it.