How
to brew
your coffee

The above recipe was developed while using a unimodal grinder, an Origami Air S, Kalita Wave 155 filters, and a gooseneck kettle. To further dial in your coffee, here is some more information to help with more minute adjustments:

• From the wave-style drippers listed above, we find that Orea flows the fastest, followed by Origami, April, and Kalita Wave Ceramic, with the Kalita Wave 185 Stainless Steel exhibiting the slowest flow rate.
• With wave-style paper filters, we think that Orea filters flow fastest, followed by OSMO and Kalita, April, and Origami (in no particular order).
• Unimodal grinders grind more evenly, resulting in a cup that has more clarity, a lighter and more delicate body, and generally more vibrant acidity. Bimodal grinders produce more fines, so the brew will likely flow slightly slower. Those fines, however, could create more sweetness and body, but also bring higher highs and lower lows in the cup. Try grinding coarser to achieve closer results to a unimodal grinder, or grind finer to bring out more body and dynamic range.

The above recipe was developed while using a unimodal grinder, a Hario Switch, V60-02 paper filters, and a gooseneck kettle. To further dial in your coffee, here is some more information to help with more minute adjustments:

• Hario Switch is an example of a hybrid immersion brewer. When the valve is closed, the coffee and water steep together longer to gently extract the coffee, which can result in a consistent and forgiving brew. We find that adding an immersion stage can enhance the body and sweetness or reduce any sharp edges in the cup.

Percolation (valve open) vs. Immersion (valve closed):

• Percolation is like rinsing a muddy boot under a running tap. Fresh water keeps hitting it, grabbing more mud every second. Immersion is like soaking that boot in a bucket.
• Percolation (valve open): Enhances the extraction rate. Imagine the fresh water landing on the coffee bed is water that hasn’t dissolved anything yet, so it pulls out more flavour before draining through and being replaced by the next pour of fresh water. This keeps extraction moving rapidly and pulls out more flavours throughout the brew.
• Immersion (valve closed): The same water sits with the coffee the whole time. As the water becomes saturated, extraction naturally slows down and evens out, removing the need to manage it with pouring technique (which greatly improves consistency).

When to use immersion (valve closed):

• When a coffee is tasting thin or overly acidic.
• When you want more body, sweetness, and balance.
• When you want a more consistent brew with less dependence on pouring technique.
• When brewing co-fermented coffees. The extra fermentation stacks fragile, funky, high-toned flavour compounds on top of the coffee's natural profile. Those compounds are easy to blow past. Percolation's constant fresh water is great at pulling out everything, including the harsher, bitter stuff that can bury those delicate notes. Here is where immersion can be helpful: Try using immersion during both the bloom and the final pour for about 20-30s. This can help turn those sharper notes into something softer and more balanced.

Inverted AeroPress Recipe

How to make it:

1. Insert the plunger 1cm into the chamber. Place it upside down on a table.
2. Place a paper filter into the cap and rinse with hot water.
3. Pour the 16g of ground coffee into the chamber.
4. Start your timer, carefully add 240g of water.
5. Gently stir 10 times, then attach the cap.
6. At 2m00s, carefully flip the AeroPress over and slowly press the plunger for 40-45 seconds until complete.
7. If desired, add 10-20g of room temperature water to increase clarity.

General Troubleshooting (Adjust one variable at a time):

• Brewed too fast (<26s): Grind finer (or increase dose by 0.5g)
• Brewed too slow (>32s): Grind coarser (or decrease dose by 0.5g).
• Sour, sharp, or salty: Under-extracted. Grind slightly finer, or push your yield higher.
• Bitter, dry, or astringent: Over-extracted. Grind slightly coarser, or cut the shot slightly earlier.
• Thin or watery: Increase dose by 0.5g or grind finer to increase extraction resistance.

Light Roasts:

Because most of our coffees are light-roasted at The Lab, we typically use a longer ratio with a relatively low water temperature (90°C, 18g in, 42g out). It differs depending on the coffee, but in most cases, we find that light roast coffees can benefit from a longer ratio to help soften intensity and acidity.