#brew methods

Just some informational Infographics I found on different styles of coffee brewing when I was looking up using an infuser to make my brews! You can use these to get a better flavor and body from your favorite coffees. Let me know which ones you try out and prefer! Ways to describe the aroma and flavor of your brews!

On to the Chemex!

Stuff you’ll need includes:

Chemex pot

Chemex filters

a grinder or medium ground coffee

kettle

digital gram scale

a timer

Here's how to get started:

Place the filter in the Chemex with the folded thicker part facing the pour spout.

Thoroughly rinse the filter with boiling water and then dump the water out.

Take 42 grams or 6 rounded tablespoons of medium ground coffee and place in the filter.

Place the Chemex on the scale and zero the scale out.

Boil the water and after it comes to a boil allow it to cool for about 45 seconds.

Slowly pour 60 grams of water on to the ground coffee, making sure all the grounds are saturated and let it sit for 30 seconds.

Now slowly and evenly, in a small circular motion pour water into the center of the grounds, never pouring onto the sides of the filter, until the scale reads 700.

We don't carry a lot of gadgets, but we stand solidly behind the ones that we do. And we're happy to announce we're now stocking the AWS SC-2KGA digital scale. Small enough for your pocket, classy enough for your kitchen and accurate enough for a chemistry lab, this little scale outperforms anything you'll find elsewhere in southcentral Kentucky, and at a ridiculously reasonable price. 

More details below, but first, you might be asking, "Why do I need a digital scale?" Three reasons.

1.) Weighing is better than scooping. To brew consistently delicious coffee, you need to know how much you're brewing. Using a "coffee scoop" or a spoon to guesstimate doesn't cut it — some coffees are much more dense than others, and the only appropriate way to figure out how much water you need is by starting with how much coffee, by weight, you're going to brew with it. Scales like the AWS SC-2KGA measure coffee to one-tenth of a gram, so you can brew confidently and accurately.

2.) Handbrewing is easier with a scale. Though it looks a little funny to the uninitiated, brewing atop a scale makes the whole process so much simpler: Instead of boiling water, then measuring it prior to pouring — or worse, measuring it before boiling, which leads to water loss — you simply place the whole brewing apparatus (dripper, Chemex, French press, whatever) on the scale, tare/zero it, and then watch the numbers while you brew. At Spencer's, we advocate using 16g of water for every gram of coffee — that means brewing 15g of coffee in a Beehouse dripper would take 240g of water, while 50g of coffee in a Chemex would take 800g of water. Brewing on a scale means you weigh your beans, multiply by 16, then brew to the resulting weight. Simple. (Note that some scales won't give readings past a certain upper limit; the AWS SC-2KGA will easily handle a Chemex full of coffee.)

3.) Secondary uses galore: Just because you buy it for coffee doesn't mean you can't use it elsewhere. An accurate digital scale is great for baking — and if you decide to go all Walter White, well, this'll work great for that too... just don't tell anyone where you got it!

We use the SC-2KGA to prep the espresso that goes into every drink we serve; it's also the scale a number of us use in our own kitchens. With an included weighing tray, safety cover and AC adapter, it's a scale that's perfect for bumping up your coffee IQ. And at just $30, it's the most affordable-yet-accurate scale you'll find anywhere.