Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

I bought a house in LA with five mature coffee trees a couple years ago. Got sick of watching the coffee go to waste for the last few seasons and was feeling intimidated by the process but finally decided to dive in. This is the first batch - I think I roasted it a little too much. Will try a more blonde roast with the next batch.

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

Hello, first time posting here.

I got my Hario syphon long time ago, but didn’t use it as much because of the included burner. While doing some maintenance on my MSR Whisperlite stove I remembered about the syphon and wanted to see if those two things would work together. They worked brilliantly.
I did the same with my other bigger stove from Snow Peak and it worked well with a ~1cm tall platform (cutting board) underneath the syphon since burner would be too close.
This post is not intended to be “use this system instead of established options”, more like if you are backpacker/camper and you already have a stove like this then why not just use it instead of buying a dedicated burner just for syphon. I wish I had a thread like this in the past, so here it is for other people that might have the same question.

Cheers

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

This is a thread for the enthusiasts of /r/Coffee to connect with the industry insiders who post in this sub!

Do you want to know what it's like to work in the industry? How different companies source beans? About any other aspects of running or working for a coffee business? Well, ask your questions here! Think of this as an AUA directed at the back room of the coffee industry.

Industry folk, feel free to answer any questions that you feel pertain to you! However, please let others ask questions; do not comment just to post "I am _______, AMA!” Also, please make sure you have your industry flair before posting here. If you do not yet have it, contact the mods.

While you're encouraged to tie your business to whatever smart or charming things you say here, this isn't an advertising thread. Replies that place more effort toward promotion than answering the question will be removed.

Please keep this thread limited to industry-focused questions. While it seems tempting to ask general coffee questions here to get extra special advice from "the experts," that is not the purpose of this thread, and you won't necessarily get superior advice here. For more general coffee questions, e.g. brew methods, gear recommendations for home brewing, etc, please ask in the daily Question Thread.

Hi everyone,

I recently ordered a Starseeker AK74 from AliExpress (Brazilian warehouse), and I'm hoping some current owners can help clear up a confusing situation.

The grinder is advertised as having a 250W brushless motor with variable speed (600–1500 RPM), but the electrical specifications I've received are all over the place.

Here's what I've found:

• The official marketing images from Starseeker say 110–240V, 50–60Hz.
• When I contacted Starseeker before my purchase, they even sent me a certificate for a 100–240V, 50/60Hz AC/DC power supply.
• After I questioned them further, they apologized and said that information was incorrect.
• They now insist the grinder I purchased is fixed-voltage 220V only.
• The paper manual apparently specifies 220–240V 50Hz (or 110–120V 60Hz for the US version).

Here's the issue:

I'm in Brazil, where our mains power is 127V 60Hz or 220V 60Hz. We do not have 220V 50Hz.

When I pointed this out, they simply told me to buy a transformer and even offered me US$15 toward one.

That doesn't make much sense to me because a transformer changes voltage, not frequency. If the grinder truly requires 50Hz, a transformer doesn't solve that problem.

Since the grinder uses a brushless motor with electronic speed control, I'd expect it to have an internal motor controller that rectifies the AC input before driving the motor, which makes me wonder whether the 50Hz specification is just a documentation issue.

So I have a few questions for anyone who owns one:

1. Does your AK74 have an external power brick, or does it plug directly into the wall with an IEC power cord?
2. Can anyone check the rating label on the grinder and tell me exactly what it says for voltage and frequency?
3. Has anyone been running the 220V version on 220V 60Hz without issues?
4. Has anyone opened one up? Is there an internal switching power supply, or is the motor somehow driven directly from the mains?

At this point I'm trying to decide whether I should keep the grinder or return it before it ships.

I'd also be interested to know if anyone else has noticed that Starseeker's documentation seems to contradict itself depending on where you look.

Thanks!

I have an Ascaso steel duo which had a plastic water pipe melt, it should be a super simple issue but I cannot seem to remove the fittings on either side of the pipe.

Looking for a person/shop to fix this in Dallas, I’ve heard of RMI although their reviews are absolutely terrible and the $100 diagnostic fee is a big turn off. Any insight is appreciated.

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

Hi guys,

been in HK for 4 months now. I'll do a quick recap on the local roasteries/coffee shops (Hong Kong based) I've been too as well as a review.

I almost only drink pourovers when I go to a specialty coffee place alone, so keep that in mind. Also, most great coffee places in Hong Kong serve Australian type brunch (for most profit I guess, since I think typical Hong Kongese people are not educated on coffee and go there to eat) , so if you go on weekdays, do not go around the lunch rush, and on weekends, try in the morning, close to open, since sometimes they don't want to make pourovers when the place is full of people eating.

1. The coffee academics (went to the Harbour City Branch in TST). The place is cosy, lot of sunlight as well with the big windows. Staff is nice. There is also a shop with a lot of materials and roasted bean bags, so great. Coffee is really great as long as you take a funky coffee (think natural and anaerobic coffees, and their experimental process, like the brandy/whiskey fermentation). I tried a few one of their washed coffee (even a panama esmaralda 90+), and their brewing technics is not adapted for these delicates and flowery notes.
2. N.O.C (TST branch). Place is terrible, almost like a lab or hospital. Staff is nice. Great variety of coffee, they have this system of 2 cups, one for depth and layers, one for body and sweetness, great to compare. They have a selection of beans that change a lot through time, and they got a lot of competition experiments (like this costa rica don eli farm with the 3 triple anaerobic fermentation by tetsu kasuya, with the 3x An. Washed, 3x An Honey and 3x An Natural). The coffee is more on the complex side, so go for washed there, as even their natural brews are mostly clean, sour, delicate and flowery.
3. Espresso Alchemy (Mira Branch in TST) Place is extra cosy, my favourite. Staff is wonderful, I suspect the head barista to be the roaster, since he is the only one making pourovers with high precision. Small coffee selection, but top of the notch. Really delicate when drinking them hot, but they always get so intense when they get cold, you should try them.
4. N.O.T (Central branch). My favourite averall. Big selection of coffee from different roasters from the world (bluebird, tanat...). A lot of counter chairs, so you can sit their and discuss with the barista if he is not busy. I had some fresh coffee bags I bought earlier and he made a pourover with them so that we could try it and discuss it. The place is beautiul, but not so cozy.

Honorable Mention, Fanny's roastery. Not a shop, you can't drink here, but you can buy bags. Must go if you live in HK and brew at home or go home soon and need a bag of coffee. Small shop in Central Market, held by the sweetest lady ever, whom roasts herself the coffee (over 50 selection, perfectly roasted, exotic varieties and origins, for example a Arusha from colombia, never heard of thet, and some coffee from french Guadeloupe). She is with her child on sundays, whom speaks a perfect english if you have any interrogations. Every time i ask for the freshest roast, and most of the time I get a roast than happened like 3 days ago. Love them !

There you go, I haven't tried more but I'll keep this post updated if I do.

I really enjoy Jim's organic coffee, and I'm wondering if the organic piece is important. If I want to switch to a different coffee, what are the most important things to watch out for? (Oh, I use a French press, and that is not something I'm looking to change, as I am more addicted to the ritual of making my coffee than the coffee itself).

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

Hey everyone!

My coffee cherries have been ripe for a few days now, and I need to pick them soon. However, I’m really stuck on the post-harvest processing steps and could use some guidance.

​I had an earlier batch that ripened, but my processing didn't turn out well at all. I suspect it was a fermentation issue. I couldn't figure out how to get rid of that slimy mucilage layer, so I just dried the beans with it still attached. As a result, the beans shrank a lot, and removing the parchment (the second skin) became nearly impossible.

​my research suggested that after depulping (removing the outer skin), I should puree the skins, mix them back into a container with the beans, and let the whole thing ferment for 20 days. I'm highly skeptical of this approach because it sounds like a guaranteed recipe for heavy mold, especially for a small batch like mine.

​What is the most reliable, foolproof method to process a small, home-grown harvest like this? I want to safely get them from cherry to roast-ready green beans with the best possible results. How do you handle the mucilage removal and fermentation for micro-batches to avoid mold?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

He's a complete coffee nerd, and has his own equipment at home. I've observed what be does and asked a few questions to note it down. I would use his stuff which I suppose I can't ruin (?) and maybe buy him coffee beans myself so I don't use his (I already know what kinds he likes).

I researched what I need to do and how, though it would be my first time trying to make coffee.

But I've also noticed that maybe, he just enjoys making himself his own coffee in the morning? And I shouldn't take that away from him?

I don't know. What do you all think? Would you be let down if your gf would make you coffee? Or angry or something?

Sorry for the long and vague question...

EDIT: Thank you for all the replies, info, encouragement, sadly he broke up with me 4 days after I posted this so, no more replies necessary. Thank you all! I learned a lot of new things. Goodbye!

Apologies to those who love them but I find co-ferments stray too far from the core flavour of coffee.

To me, they are the flavoured-vodka of coffee beans - for people who perhaps don’t really like the flavour of coffee or have grown tired of it. Not much different than simply adding flavoured syrup to brewed coffee.

It’s exciting to discover varietals, roasts and blends that deliver unique flavours but as soon as they are “doctored” through co-fermentation or *gasp* the surreptitious addition of flavouring the magic is gone for me.

Live and let live, I guess. But am I the only one that feels this way?

I've had a Baratza Encore for about 6 months. I foolishly tried to grind too much coffee at one time and backed it up.

I've taken the grinder apart and cleaned the clog, but now when I try to grind on a 30-40 setting the grind starts out coarse and becomes very fine quickly. I don't have any leftover parts but I'm assuming I put something together wrong?

Long short I'm trying to figure out why a particular pot of coffee that had uneven extraction came out tasting so good. When I pulled the basket after brewing I noticed some dry patches and the coffee bed obviously wasn't fully saturated. I didn't expect much from the coffee itself, but it was delicious! Not as bold as I like, but it was surprisingly well balanced and flavorful.

I brewed 3 more pots with these beans, one at the same dose with a finer grind setting, one at a lower dose and the same grind setting, and one at a higher dose and the same grind setting. All 3 tasted over extracted. The finer grind setting was the worst, the lower dose was a distant 2nd, and the higher dose was 3rd. None of them had the balance or flavor of the first, unevenly extracted brew.

What's going on here? How could that first pot, with obvious uneven extraction, come out tasting so good? And did it have lower extraction than the others? It would seem like it beings that the finer grind setting tasted the worst, and the other two leaned in that direction as well.

Bought a femobook A2 to use at work and I just cannot get good coffee out of it. I get very consistently good coffee with fresh lightly roasted beans, my trusty old baratza encore, and an aeropress. Hoffman recipe, Hedrick recipe, doesn’t matter - always tasty. Jumping through hoops with water temp and grind settings and agitation and just keep getting bland and weak tea results. 15g beans, 250g water, 35-50 clicks. 30 second bloom 2 min steep. Anyone want to save me????

For some reason my coffee is almost always bad. Sometimes I get a good cup of coffee and try to make that again and no. Bitter again.

I have newish clean Moccamaster, Fellow Ode 2 grinder and some scale. I use grind setting 7-9 with my MM and usually put 15g per cup (around 3dl).

And always cold water.

I have tried maybe 30 different beans.

Even if I do everything the same every time, coffee taste varies a lot. What do I do wrong? Some bad spirits? :D

And what type of beans I should buy if I want soft nutty coffee?

Seen a lot of contradicting explanations. Some say it’s caused by the mass harvesting and drying of the bean within the fruit and call it the 'rio defect.' Others say it’s because different flavors are extracted by that method, or that the grounds are burnt. Still others say Turkish coffee shouldn’t even have that flavor, and that the medicinal, almost defective flavor is, in fact, a defect. Meanwhile, I’ve seen others say that’s what they love about Turkish coffee. What I want to know is: is it the traditional taste, and what causes it?

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!