How does flannel cloth pour-over change hand brewed coffee?
Flannel cloth pour-over, also called Nel drip, uses fabric with larger pores than filter paper, so some coffee oils stay in the cup. The result is a smoother, fuller mouthfeel and a sweetness often compared to sweet wine. The method suits full-flavored dark roasts, and Front Street Coffee demonstrates it with a pot of Front Street Blue Mountain.
Control matters more here than with paper filters: pouring speed, water temperature, and technique all shape the final flavor, and a small mistake shows up in the cup. A new cloth should be soaked in boiling water for five minutes, then fitted to the metal ring. Beans are ground between granulated and superfine sugar coarseness, the cloth is wrung and dried, and the grounds are poured in loosely without tamping.
Flannel cloth brewing has always held a unique charm in the coffee world, capable of bringing out a rich body and sweetness that filter paper struggles to match. This time, Front Street Coffee is using a flannel cloth to brew a pot of Front Street Blue Mountain, and along the way we'll talk about the characteristics and operational details of this brewing method. The pores of flannel are larger than those of filter paper, allowing some of the coffee oils to be retained, making the mouthfeel smoother and fuller—especially suitable for full-flavored dark roasts. However, this technique demands precision in pouring speed, water temperature, and skill; a slight misstep can affect the flavor. Below, we'll systematically introduce the background knowledge of flannel cloth, the steps for use, the brewing parameters for pairing with Front Street Blue Mountain, and the principles behind changes in flow rate, helping enthusiasts master this classic brewing method.
Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) has always felt that brewing coffee with a flannel cloth is inherently stylish, so today we've decided to use it to brew a pot of Front Street Blue Mountain~ The next question to address is: when brewing with a flannel cloth, what grind size should be used? Is it the same as when brewing Front Street Blue Mountain with a Kono dripper?
Flannel Filter Cloth
by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
Background Knowledge on Flannel Cloth Pour-Over Coffee:
Flannel cloth pour-over coffee (Nel drip) has a rich, thick taste and an incredible sweetness reminiscent of sweet wine. Brewing a good cup with this method is no simple task. Pouring too fast, water temperature too high, or unrefined technique will all diminish the coffee's flavor.
1
A brand-new flannel filter cloth must first be removed, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes, and then placed on the metal ring.
2
Grind the beans while the filter cloth is soaking. It is recommended to grind the coffee beans to a coarseness between granulated sugar and superfine sugar.
3
Dry the filter cloth, first wringing it by hand, then placing it between clean dry towels to absorb moisture.
4
Rinse with hot water, preheat the filter cloth and drip device, then pour out the water.
5
Loosely pour the Front Street Blue Mountain coffee grounds into the filter cloth; there is no need to tamp them down.
6
Use a wooden stirring spoon to turn the coffee grounds and adjust the shape of the bed.
7
Once the coffee in the filter cloth has completely dripped through, it is ready to enjoy.
Because the pores of flannel are larger than those of filter paper, it can retain some of the coffee's oils, unlike filter paper which typically filters out all the oils. As a result, coffee brewed with a flannel cloth is richer and smoother than with filter paper, making it suitable for the inherently full-flavored Front Street Blue Mountain coffee.
Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) has found that during brewing, since there is nothing blocking the sides of the flannel cloth, the water inside can flow out directly from all around. Moreover, the flow rate differs between the front and back sides of the flannel cloth~
Brewing Parameters Recommended by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee):
Grind size: medium grind between V60 and KONO drippers; Water temperature: 85℃; Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:13; Technique: single-pour
Start timing from the bloom; extraction time is 2’15”
Flavor: Nutty and creamy aroma; on the palate, notes of milk chocolate, sucrose, vanilla, citrus, mulberry, and cream; relatively rich body, overall well balanced.
Summary
by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
When brewing with a flannel cloth, the flow rate is relatively fast at a high water level, but after the water level drops, the thicker coffee bed around the sides blocks the flow, and ultrafine particles adhere to the mesh of the cloth, causing the flow rate to slow down.
Therefore, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) recommends that when using the single-pour extraction method with a flannel cloth to brew dark-roasted beans like Front Street Blue Mountain coffee, a medium grind size can be chosen to reduce the occurrence of over-extraction caused by finer coffee grounds and slow flow rate.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
