My friend swore by a 20-second pre-infusion for light roasts and I finally tried it

My buddy Mark, who roasts his own beans, kept telling me to try a longer pre-infusion on my pour-over for light roasts. He said, 'Give it a full 20 seconds of bloom, no less.' I always did about 10 seconds and thought he was just being extra. Last week I tried his method on a new Ethiopian from a shop in Portland. The difference was huge, way more floral notes and none of the sourness I sometimes get. Has anyone else found a specific timing trick that actually changed your results?

3 comments

3 Comments

tyler_wilson23d ago

That "full 20 seconds of bloom" thing reminds me of how I messed up my first chemex by pouring way too fast.

lisa74917d ago

My friend Mark tried to make a v60 at my place last month. He was so worried about timing he forgot to let it bloom at all, just dumped all the water in one go. The coffee tasted like sour grass clippings. We had to pour it out and start over, which felt like a real waste of good beans.

holly_sanchez7522d ago

Always thought it was overkill, but that extra bloom time really brings out the flavors.