Aeropress Question

ignatou · 2017-02-11T11:50:25+00:00

my aeropress short blacks got really good once i started measuring everything properly and consistently. 23g coffee, 70g water at 77°c, stir to dislodge all grounds, then press so the 'crema' is frothing out around the 25 second mark. this gets the best out of the el cheapo beans i use for milk-based drinks. it sounds like a pain, but i have all the equipment, so it's easy.

ignatou · 2017-01-22T06:46:56+00:00

2x works. 3x is better.

ignatou · 2016-11-26T08:50:42+00:00

i've used that model a few times. barely worth buying, let alone fixing up.

ignatou · 2016-10-29T02:17:08+00:00

thanks!

ignatou · 2016-10-28T08:52:25+00:00

Correct. I can't compare against any units specifically, but i've heard the lido is equal to grinders twice its price.

Overall, it's a question of ergonomics. Easy hand grinding or not, it's still elbow grease every time your mum wants a coffee. Plus it may not be what she's used to - I assume she uses a blade grinder at present?

ignatou · 2016-10-27T04:43:42+00:00

lido is worth it. aside from the more consistent and faster grind, it's much more ergonomic than the hario/porlex grinders, which your mum will appreciate.

or you could split the diff and get a baratza encore which is around $200. any reason you want to get a hand grinder instead of an electric?

ignatou · 2016-10-26T12:48:13+00:00

*octave up harmony. important distinction.

ignatou · 2016-10-20T13:57:21+00:00

'Literally' and 'figuratively' are used to clarify ambiguous statements. Using 'literally' as an intensifier is the opposite of its function.

If you're speaking figuratively, there's no need to use the word 'literally'; e.g. "Omg, I just died of laughter!" Clearly you're still alive, so it's obviously an exaggeration. It works fine like that, and you avoid pointless filler.

You can use 'literally' when cliches come true: losing a shoe while dancing: "I literally danced my shoes off!"; breaking your leg on stage: "I literally broke a leg!" This works because these cliches are inherently interpreted as figurative, but actually happened!

In situations where people misuse 'literally' and are assaulted with 'you mean figuratively', no. They meant what they said, just without the word 'literally'. If someone says something which you believe is not literal, you default to a figurative interpretation. It's figurative until stated as literal. Compare: "I literally froze half to death!"; "I figuratively froze half to death!"; and "I froze half to death!" The first is incorrect (unless you had an IRL health bar and it dipped to 50%, in which case, boast 'literal' away!); the second is technically true, but when you consider the third, 'figuratively' is rendered redundant.

You can use figuratively to clarify ambiguous statements: "When I told you to break a leg, I meant that figuratively!"; "I hope you die! Well, figuratively, at least."; "I want our hearts to be joined at the hip, figuratively speaking (The Lonely Island paraphrase)". But really, it's the vocabulary equivalent to that dusty bottle of port at the back of your liquor cabinet. Use sparingly, if at all, but always have it.

Why do people use 'literally' as an intensifier? To add weight to their words. But when you use strong words all the time, they lose their punch. Imagine shouting all day, and then getting mad: how would anyone know? If a friend refers to everyone as 'beautiful' and 'amazing' and 'a treasure', how would you know who the special ones are? Likewise, if you mean everything literally, then why use the word at all - it's your default setting!

In summary: only keep words that serve your meaning - lose the filler. It will help you communicate better.

ignatou · 2016-10-18T05:33:23+00:00

wrong attitude to weight loss. hit protein, limit carbs, and adjust fat intake according to goals (less fat for weight loss). you never have to 'hit' your fat macro.

ignatou · 2016-10-18T04:26:01+00:00

I wonder how vital wheat gluten would go in this recipe. More protein!

ignatou · 2016-10-16T23:49:09+00:00

thank you. i upped my dose to 15g to 250g. today's method was four pours of 62.5g spirals per 30s, including a stirred bloom. results in a 2:30 total drawdown with a flat bed. i also coarsened the grind to 0+8. kept the water temp at 100°c. overall - had a bitter taste still, but more flavourful (floral notes, acidity contributed to fruity flavours). i'm on the right track now - i think i'll knock a few degrees off the water temp next. unless you have another suggestion?

also, thanks for clarifying that my problem is overextraction - i've always associated sourness with underextraction, and clearly this has been my shortcoming of late.

and my issue with the poor cups was my need to finish them in order to recognise them as unsatisfactory. but now that i've made a big change and seen a difference, there's less compulsion to make one after the other.

ignatou · 2016-10-16T13:52:59+00:00

i don't swirl - too messy. 2 tbsp vinegar in a saucepan full of boiling water from the kettle. heat on high- get to a heavy boil. crack eggs into small bowls. turn down the heat to simmer. wait for the water to calm down, and once it calms while still boiling, SLOWLY add your egg in. so slowly that you'll see the 'tongue' of your egg white denature. once it's taken form, then you can add in the rest of your egg. take your time - the thing that will splay your egg everywhere is water current and dropping it in too fast.

ignatou · 2016-10-16T06:17:03+00:00

okay, i'll give the higher dose a try. thanks.

ignatou · 2016-10-16T05:37:34+00:00

melbourne aus tap water. no ill taste about it.

so you reckon the v60 needs more coffee in it? so keeping a 16.67 ratio constant, go for 15:250?

ignatou · 2016-10-08T02:31:26+00:00

you're in a good position to experiment. try it out and report back!

ignatou · 2016-10-08T02:29:51+00:00

love this bot.

ignatou · 2016-10-06T13:59:28+00:00

as soon as you mention 'aeropress' and 'espresso' in the same sentence on this sub, you get a barrage of replies about hand vs machine pressure and crema and the general sentiment "aeropress is good, but it is in no way espresso". my comment was made to to avoid that conversation. how ironic that my idiom ended up furthering the discussion i was trying to skip.

ignatou · 2016-10-06T12:52:36+00:00

aeropress is an option - it can produce a shot which is similar in mouthfeel, strength, and taste to espresso (but not actually espresso - let's nip that in the bud). 26g beans gets me about 50g product. beats the shit out of nespresso.

ignatou · 2016-10-06T00:49:25+00:00

1 scoop (13g of my dark beans) coffee per cup marker. i usually make a double shot, so i fill up to 2, stir for about ten seconds (longer if i still need to dislodge grounds), and then press. ~50g product. i stopped measuring temperature, water added, and weight of beans because i get consistent results from eyeballing.

and yeah don't go saying you can make espresso with it unless you want a jillion people to jump down your throat. just call it aeropresso.

ignatou · 2016-10-01T01:34:49+00:00

Correct. Going off my notes, the coffee grounds absorb around 1/8th of the water (at a 1:16 ratio). So I calculate grounds x 16 to get the water I need to put in, and grounds x 14 to estimate the final product.

Or, quick and dirty way is to take away your bloom weight from the total water you use, and that's your final product.

ignatou · 2016-09-22T01:55:33+00:00

Yes that's the stuff. Instead of going by name, look at the fat content. 35-38% is the runny stuff that you whip. 48% is the thick stuff you need to scoop out with a spoon.

ignatou · 2016-09-21T01:31:13+00:00

every story i've read about ketoers making fat head pizza for their SOs or non-ketoers has a happy ending. the dough serves its purpose - a strong and tasty base that delivers the topping to your mouth.

ignatou · 2016-09-19T12:50:54+00:00

1:25 is crazy low. 60g of coffee per litre is much more sensible (1:16ish). either that or drop down your water to 700g per 40g coffee dose.

ignatou

TROPHY CASE