Getting Started in the World of Coffee: Manual Extraction Methods – “Pour Over”

published on September 08, 2024 — by Marc-Alexandre Emond-Boisjoly — 15 mins of reading —

You've just received your precious bag of 94 Celcius coffee and you've got a lot of questions?

Our "Getting started in the world of coffee" series is here to help you take your first steps into the world of specialty coffee. We'll be covering topics such as storage,extraction and the basics of roasting, among others.

Welcome, and please don't hesitate to ask us your questions!

There are 2 main types of extraction: manual extraction (also known as filter extraction) and espresso extraction. Even if you've bought a bag stamped "filter", you can extract it as espresso (with perhaps a little more difficulty, we'll see about that in our next article), and vice versa! Go with your taste!

The world of manual extractions is vast and complex. It includes so-called "over"extractions, immersion extractions, and everything in between. It's a world where many parameters come into play to create all kinds of recipes: classics such as fineness of grind or water temperature, but also more original ones such as the time between each pour of water or whether or not to stir.

In this article, we'll explain what extraction is "for over", and introduce you to Hario's V60 and Kalita's Wave: 2 popular filter extraction methods, as well as 2 classic recipes.

V60 café de spécialité torréfacteur montreal

The “pour over” extraction

As the name suggests, pour over extraction involves manually pouring water over a bed of coffee in a filter. What differentiates it from immersion extraction (which we will see in a future article) is that the coffee will flow as the water is poured. The goal is not for the water and coffee beans to remain in contact for too long.

The principle is simple, the execution can be rather complicated depending on the recipe used.

Here is the basic material needed:

scale: to weigh coffee and the amount of water
stopwatch: to manage the time of each step. It is often integrated into specialized scales
Adjustable gooseneck kettle: the gooseneck will allow you to be precise in the way you pour, adjusting the water temperature is important because not all coffees are at their best at the same temperature
carafe: to be able to mix the coffee and let it cool before tasting it

Once the equipment is ready and the recipe chosen, there are a few variables, some essential and others more “exotic”:

Bean size: If the grind is too fine, the coffee will be over-extracted, the extraction time too long and the result in the cup may be bitter. Conversely, if the grind is too coarse, the result in the cup may be acidic and bland.
weight ratio between water and coffee: it will partly determine the strength of the final coffee, but also its level of acidity.
Water temperature: This will vary mainly depending on the degree of roasting and the type of post-harvest process the coffee bean has undergone. The temperature will be higher for a lighter roast coffee or for a natural coffee.
Pre-infusion time: This first step in the recipe prepares the coffee for infusion and degassing. This is the first “juice”. Generally, when the coffee is fresher, this pre-infusion time will be longer.
Pouring speed: This setting creates more or less agitation and can increase the bitterness of the coffee
number of pours: this is the number of steps in the recipe, it will allow you to manage the more or less prolonged immersion of the coffee and therefore its level of extraction

V60

invented in 2004 by Hario (Japan, founded in 1921)
wide opening, conical shape with a 60 degree angle at the base, spiral grooves
comes in different materials (ceramic, glass, plastic or metal)
Features: Gives clear, vibrant cups

Kalita wave

Kalita Wave:

invented in 2010 by Kalita (Japan, founded in the 1958s)
flat bottom with 3 small holes, wavy filter
comes in different materials (ceramic, glass or metal)
the flat bottom allows for a more uniform and therefore more permissive extraction (less risk of missing the extraction)
characteristics: gives rounder cups in the mouth, richer aromas

Recipes

Recipe 1: 1 payment

ratio 1:16 (i.e. 32g coffee for 500ml water)
water at 96°
wet the filter to prevent the first part of the coffee aromas from being absorbed by the filter rather than being in your cup, and to warm the filter holder
pre-infuse the coffee with 2x its weight in water (i.e. 64g)
wait 30 to 45 seconds
gently pour in the rest of the water using a rotating motion
let all the water drain out
extraction should take about 3 minutes

Recipe 2: 3 payments

ratio 1:16 (i.e. 32g coffee for 500ml water)
water at 96°
wet the filter to prevent the first part of the coffee aromas from being absorbed by the filter rather than being in your cup, and to warm the filter holder
pre-infuse the coffee with 2x its weight in water (i.e. 64g)
wait 30 to 45 seconds
pour in ⅓ of the remaining water (145g to bring to 209g total) using rotating movements
when there is about 1 cm of water left above the coffee bed, add half of the remaining water (i.e. 145g to bring to 354g total) using rotating movements
when there is about 1 cm of water left above the coffee bed, add the remaining water (145g to bring to 500g total) using rotating movements
let all the water drain out
extraction should take about 3 minutes

Tags: Découverte extraction extraction manuelle Recette Troisième Vague

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