Let's Brew!

The Hario V60 was designed in 2005 in Japan. It has a funky swirl interior which allows air to escape and that helps maximize the bloom and expansion of the coffee grounds. This brew method is used as a default brew in our coffee bars because it allows for a lot of versatility in customizing and manipulating the flavor notes in the cup! Plus, let's face it, it makes a kick ass cup of coffee!

Ready to maximize the yum? Here is what you will need:

Hario V60 (We use the 02 model)
The correct size V60 filter to match your brewer (01, or 02)
Swan neck kettle filled with filtered water
Grinder (burr-style)
Freshly roasted coffee from your good friends at Flight Coffee Co.
A timer
Scale (the coffee world uses grams)

Our favorite starting ratio is 20 grams of coffee, to 300 grams of water. The total brew time should be around 3:00.

Grind size:

Think kosher salt. If you are brewing more then 20 grams of coffee, coarsen the grind slightly and remember the brew time will be slightly longer. We use a coffee to water ratio of 1:15-1:16.

So here is the basic rule: If the coffee brews too fast, you'll probably notice a watery, thin body and the flavors will taste kind of sour. If this happens, don't fret! All you need to do is dial in your grind and make it finer and this will slow down the brew process. And of course the corollary could happen and you get a painfully slow brew. What happens then? You will yield a brew that presents with an increase of body and you will get some awful bitterness in the after-taste. So a slight coarsening of the grind will help adjust the brew.

All you are doing here is dialing in the grind in order to make your brew sing like the Harmony of the Spheres!

And remember always use fresh water and a burr grinder.

Okay, okay... you understand all this stuff, now what? Here are 8 easy steps to follow.

1) Boil filtered water in your swank-looking swan neck kettle. The ideal water temperature for coffee brewing is between 195-205ºF- for lighter roasts we suggest a brew temp of 195-200ºF.

2) While you’re waiting for the water to boil, weigh out the coffee and grind it in a burr grinder. Remember what we said up there? The grind size should match kosher salt. And we love starting with a 20 grams coffee: 300 grams water ratio.

3) Take the Hario filter and fold along the crease and place inside the brewer. Set the V60 and filter on your mug or carafe.

4) When the water boils and hits desired temperature, rinse the filter by pouring into the brewer until there is no dry paper. This will remove any papery taste, as well as heat up the ceramic. (We think brown filters muddle flavor notes) Make sure to pour enough water so that your brewer starts to feel warm.

And please for the love of all coffee Gods, discard that water!

5) Place the Hario V60 and mug on the scale, add the ground coffee and tare. Shake the brewer a little to get a nice flat bed of coffee.

6) Take a deep breath. You've got this! Start the timer. Pour about 60 grams of water slowly onto the ground coffee until there are no more dry grounds.

Next behold one of the most beautiful sites in coffee- the "bloom". This puffing of the coffee or degassing helps set the stage for a most excellent brew. The fresher the coffee, the better the bloom.

7) Wait 30 seconds, pour slowly in the center to rewet the coffee bed, and here is where the Zen part comes into play. Continue pouring the water in a slow, continuous stream counter-clockwise until the water weight is 300 grams. And remember, pour slowly so the water level stays about an inch below the top of the brewer. Never pour onto the sides! The V60's funked out groves will channel the water around the coffee bed.

8) When the brewing coffee goes from a steady stream to drips, your coffee is done! The total time should be around 3:00. If the brew ends sooner, or takes a little longer, that’s ok! All coffees brew differently so a lot of times it will not be 100% consistent And now sip! If the coffee has a bitter aftertaste, try coarsening the grind just a touch. If the coffee brewed a little too quickly and tastes weak, fine the grind.

9) Lift the brewer off your mug, remove the filter and compost it. Give your coffee a quick stir with the bamboo spoon you personally carved. OK not necessarily but you do want to give the coffee a swirl.

Relax and enjoy your coffee trip!

Chemex Brew Guide:

Ah,the Chemex! This magnificent and beautiful coffeemaker, was invented by Peter Schlumbohm in 1941, and which continues to be manufactured by the Chemex Corporation in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The Chemex Coffeemaker consists of an hourglass-shaped glass flask with a cylindrical neck (rather than a conical neck) and uses proprietary filters, made of chemically bonded paper (of thicker-gauge paper than the standard paper filters for a drip-method coffeemaker) which removes most of the coffee oils, brewing coffee with a taste that is different than coffee brewed in other coffee-making systems- it really gives you a super clean cup of coffee.

Ready to maximize the yum? Here is what you will need:

A Chemex, of course!
The iconic thick walled Chemex filter
Swan neck kettle filled with filtered water
Grinder (burr-style)
Freshly roasted coffee from your good friends at Flight Coffee Co.
A timer
Scale (the coffee world uses grams)

10 ounce coffee yield: 20g coffee to 300g// Brew time goal is 3:00
16 ounce coffee yield: 30g coffee to 400g water// Brew time goal is 3:45
32 ounce coffee yield: 60g coffee to 900g water// Brew time goal is 5:00

Grind size:

Start with a kosher sea salt like grind, and if you use more coffee, just remember to coarsen the grind. So here is the basic rule: If the coffee brews too fast, you'll probably notice a watery, thin body and the flavors will taste kind of sour. If this happens, don't fret! All you need to do is dial in your grind and make it finer and this will slow down the brew process. And of course the corollary could happen and you get a painfully slow brew. What happens then? You will yield a brew that presents with an increase of body and you will get some awful bitterness in the after-taste. So a slight coarsening of the grind will help adjust the brew.

Once you dial your grind into the an ideal timing, your coffee will sing like the Harmony of the Spheres!

And remember always use fresh water and a burr grinder.

Okay, okay... you understand all this stuff, now what? Here are 8 easy steps to follow.

1) Boil the filtered water in your swank-looking swan neck kettle. The ideal water temperature for coffee brewing is between 195-205ºF- for lighter roasts we suggest a brew temp of 195-200ºF.

2) While you’re waiting for the water to boil, weigh out the coffee and grind it in a burr grinder. For dosing use the guide above.

3) Get your filter ready. The Chemex filter causes confusion upon first use. You want one layer side to three layers on the other side. The 3 sided thicker side will overlap with the spout.

4) When the water boils and hits desired temperature, rinse the filter by pouring into the brewer until there is no dry paper. This will remove any papery taste, as well as heat up the Chemex. (We think brown filters muddle flavor notes) Make sure to pour enough water so that your brewer starts to feel warm.

And please for the love of all coffee Gods, discard that water!

5) Place your Chemex on the scale, add the ground coffee and tare. Shake the brewer a little to get a nice flat bed of coffee.

6) Take a deep breath. You've got this! Start the timer. Slowly pour your water over the level bed of coffee grounds. For this part you want to double the weight of water to the dose of coffee you used. (A little, obvious math- if you use 20 grams of coffee you will want to pour 40 grams of water.)

7) After 30 seconds you can start pouring slowly to rewet the coffee bed. This is the Zen out part- pour the rest of the water in a slow, continuous, circular stream in the center of the coffee bed until you have reached the water weight ratio you’re aiming for. (Once again see our brew guide up above). Stay in the center. If you poor on the outer edge of the coffee bed you will most likely over extract the grounds on the edges. Pro-tip: Slow your pour down (even take pause) so your Chemex doesn't over flow because that would make you feel really sad. :( The adage slow but steady wins the race apply here.

8) When the brewing coffee goes from a steady stream to drips, your coffee is done! Check your total time. If the brew ends sooner, or takes a little longer, that’s ok! All coffees brew differently so a lot of times it will not be 100% consistent And now sip! If the coffee has a bitter aftertaste, try coarsening the grind just a touch. If the coffee brewed a little too quickly and tastes weak, fine the grind.

9) Remove the filter and compost it. Give your coffee a quick stir with the bamboo spoon you personally carved. OK not necessarily but you do want to give the coffee a swirl.

Relax and enjoy your coffee trip!

Aeropress Brew Guide

Brought to you by the manufactures of Frisbee! (No really- it is true!) This amazing plastic brewer is the ideal traveling companion. It is easy to transport, there is minimal clean up and it can be quite forgiving in the brew too! Lots of viscosity and flavor are delivered using the Aeropress. Here we are going to help you out some. The first set of directions will be for a trained and clear minded barista. The second set of directions will be quick and general for when you are on the go and summiting one of our 4k White Mountains, up here in the beautiful state of New Hampshire.

You will need:

An Aeropress, of course!
An Aeropress filter
Any old kettle filled with filtered water
Grinder (burr-style)
Freshly roasted coffee from your good friends at Flight Coffee Co.
A timer and a spoon/ knife/ stick etc.
Scale (the coffee world uses grams)

Your ratio:

Our dose for the Aeropress is 17 grams of coffee to 200 grams of water. If you are being all cool and are off the grid and don’t have a scale, use one leveled scoop (comes with the Aeropress) of whole bean coffee (this is the ideal time to have already bought a Hario Slim Grinder).

1. Measure and grind 17 grams of coffee and grind it to the consistency of beach sand or table salt. (You need to think finer grind for this brew method).

2. Prep the AeroPress ready to brew by placing the filter in the basket. Next, preheat the brewer and rinse the filter with hot water. This gets rid of any paper flavor and warms everything up. Good thing to heat up your mug with hot water while you’re at it! Remember to discard your prep water!

3. Place the basket to the bottom of the brew chamber and place it on top of the mug. If it’s handy, use the funnel (or coffee loader) that comes with the AeroPress to add 17g of coffee. Then, remove the funnel. It should look like this:

4. Add water. and start your timer when you pour hot water ( 195-200ºF) into your brewer. Saturate all the grounds within 10 seconds. Pour to the No. 4 or 200g of water if you’re using a scale. Spin the Aeropress, making sure all the coffee is saturated.

5. Next- stir that slurry! Place the plunger on brew chamber and create a pressure seal. Don't plunge! This is just to maintain brew temperature.

6. At 1:15, remove the plunger and give that yummy slurry another stir. Put the plunger back on and gently press down with steady pressure, stopping as soon as you hear a hissing sound. You develop awesome triceps if you continuously use this brew method. This entire brew process should take just under two minutes and yield seven to eight ounces of coffee.

7. Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up...Take off the basket and pop out the coffee grounds and filter. Clean the rubber plunger with hot kettle water and you’re ready for your next brew.

But wait! Let's say a friend shows up just before you are ready to craft brew. What do you do? You share the coffee love! You always share the coffee love! So to make an Aeropress for two, follow the same instructions with these modifications:

Use 40 grams of coffee. You will need a slightly finer grind size for a 2 cup Aeropress, so it will still feel sand-like, but with a little less grit. The water you add to dilute the brew should be around 175 grams. You want to give the slurry many stirs because the increased dose has a great chance of clumping.

Follow the above steps. When finished you will yield a concentrate. Split the concentrate equally into two mugs, and then dilute with water to taste. Enjoy your coffee trip with your new best friend!