Does a Yirgacheffe pour-over need new parameters per dose?

A V60 #01 dripper works with 15 to 20 grams of coffee, but brewing 10 grams for one person or 25 grams to share changes the result. A test using Yirgacheffe natural Red Cherry at 90°C, a 1:15 ratio, medium-fine grind, and circular pouring found that small doses taste thin, while large doses can turn bitter and push the water level toward the rim.

The three recipes held water temperature, ratio, grind, and pouring style constant so only the dose changed. This is a useful reference for hand brew coffee at home, where drinkers often adjust amounts without adjusting technique. The article breaks down each recipe, its flavor performance, and the parameter changes needed when moving between 10 grams and 25 grams in the same dripper.

The V60#01 dripper is typically suited for 1 to 2 servings, with 15 to 20 grams of coffee being its optimal working range. But in reality, when drinking alone and unable to consume too much, the dose gets reduced, and when sharing with friends, it gets increased. So, for the same dripper, do the parameters really need to change when brewing different doses? Front Street Coffee conducted three comparison experiments using Ethiopian Yirgacheffe natural Red Cherry, with doses of 10 grams, 15 grams, and 25 grams, a fixed water temperature of 90°C, a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15, medium-fine grind (80% passing a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve), and circular pouring. The results showed that with a smaller dose, the flavor tends to be thin, while with too large a dose, bitterness may appear and the liquid level approaches the rim of the cup. This article will break down the three brewing recipes, flavor performances, and adjustment ideas for 10 grams and 25 grams one by one, helping you find a more reasonable extraction method in this small dripper.

Introduction

The V60#01 dripper was originally designed for brewing 1 to 2 servings of coffee, with the dose ideally controlled between 15 and 20 grams. However, in real-life scenarios, when drinking alone, one often cannot finish that much, and when sharing with friends, one might want to brew more. So the question arises: for the same size dripper, facing different doses, do we need to make changes to the parameters?

Brewing Experiment

The bean chosen by Front Street this time is Ethiopian Yirgacheffe natural Red Cherry. The experimental conditions are as follows: V60#01 dripper; water temperature 90°C; coffee-to-water ratio 1:15; grind size medium-fine (80% passing a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve); circular pouring; weigh out 10 grams, 15 grams, and 25 grams of coffee grounds respectively for brewing.

"Before officially starting, remember to first rinse the filter paper with hot water, so that the filter paper can fit the dripper more snugly, and at the same time preheat the dripper and the sharing pot."

Brewing 10 grams of coffee grounds

In the first stage, pour in 20 grams of water and bloom for 20 seconds. Then continue pouring water, and when it reaches 90 grams, make a stage break; wait until the water level drops to almost revealing the coffee bed, then pour water to 150 grams and stop. Wait again until the water level is about to reveal the coffee bed, then remove the dripper. Starting timing from the bloom, the total extraction time is 1 minute 35 seconds.

Brewing flavor: Citrus acidity can be felt, with honey sweetness in the aftertaste; the overall performance is rather flat, lacking the full body that a natural process should have.

Brewing 15 grams of coffee grounds

In the first stage, pour in 30 grams of water and bloom for 30 seconds. Then pour water until it reaches 125 grams, make a stage break; when the water level drops and is about to reveal the coffee bed, continue pouring water to 225 grams and stop. Wait until the water level is about to reveal the coffee bed again, then remove the dripper. Starting timing from the bloom, the total extraction time is 2 minutes 00 seconds.

Brewing flavor: Berry sweetness and acidity as the main axis, accompanied by fermentation aroma and almond notes, with honey-like sweetness in the finish, rich layers, and a full and smooth body.

Brewing 25 grams of coffee grounds

In the first stage, pour in 50 grams of water and bloom for 40 seconds. Then pour water until 160 grams, make a stage break; when the water level drops and is about to reveal the coffee bed, continue pouring water to 375 grams and stop. Wait until the water level drops and is about to reveal the coffee bed, then remove the dripper. Starting timing from the bloom, the extraction time is 2 minutes 36 seconds.

Brewing flavor: Presents almond bitterness and citrus acidity, with a tea-like feel, but lacks layering and has a bitter taste.

From the flavor performances of the three groups, it can be seen that changes in dose indeed affect the extraction results. Observing the pictures, it can be found that when brewing 10 grams of coffee, due to the smaller dose, the bowl-shaped coffee bed formed after brewing is uneven in thickness, and part of the water flows into the sharing pot without fully contacting the coffee grounds, diluting the coffee liquid, so the flavor appears flat.

When brewing 25 grams of coffee, the increased dose leads to greater density between coffee particles, narrowing the water flow channels. The impact force during pouring cannot effectively tumble the coffee bed, and after brewing, a uniform bowl-shaped coffee bed also cannot be formed. The bottom coffee bed is too thick, lengthening the extraction time, and ultimately causing a bitter taste.

In addition, it can also be seen that when brewing 25 grams of coffee, the liquid level has already approached the edge of the dripper! If pouring is slightly careless, the liquid level will overflow.

How to brew 10 grams of coffee grounds with the V60#01 dripper?

Adjust the water flow rate! When brewing 10 grams of coffee, in order to make the coffee bed evenly distributed on the dripper wall, a fine water stream should be used. A smaller water flow injection can reduce large tumbling of the coffee bed caused by the impact force of pouring, preventing coffee grounds from sinking to the bottom of the dripper. How fine should the water stream be? Front Street suggests that the injection rate of a medium-fine water stream is 4 to 5 grams per second, while the injection rate of a fine water stream is 7 to 8 grams per second.

How to brew 25 grams of coffee grounds with the V60#01 dripper?

Adjust the grind size! Since the reduced space between particles narrows the water flow channels, we can slightly coarsen the grind size to increase the gaps between particles. Of course, it cannot be adjusted too coarse. The grind size used in this brewing is 80% passing a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve; after adjustment, it is recommended to be 75% passing a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve.

However! For the No. 01 dripper, 25 grams of coffee is not what this size should handle. If brewing such a large dose is needed for a long time, Front Street suggests switching to a larger No. 02 dripper. Only when the dripper space is sufficient can the coffee grounds obtain a more uniform and fuller extraction.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.