That barista swore my grinder setting was too fine, ignored it and ruined 12 shots

I was at this local shop in Austin and the barista there told me my Baratza was set way too fine for a pour over. I thought nah, I know what I'm doing, I've been brewing for 2 years. Wasted a whole bag of Ethiopian beans over 3 days trying to prove her wrong. Every cup came out bitter and muddy no matter what I did. Finally caved and backed it off 3 clicks and bam, first cup was perfect. Has anyone else had a random barista give advice that totally saved their coffee game?

3 comments

3 Comments

markhall24d ago

Honestly, have you ever had a barista just nail you with advice like that and you wanted to be mad but couldn't? For real, grinding too fine is a trap for pour overs. If the water takes more than three minutes to drain, you're choking the brew. Ease up and you'll taste way more of the beans' actual flavor. Saved me from hating an expensive bag of coffee once.

elizabeth90023d ago

Mark, that advice about the three minute drain is something I wish someone had told me years ago. Did you find it fixed the bitterness or the sourness more when you backed off the grind? I've had bags I thought were just bad roasts, but it was really me grinding them into dust like I was making espresso or something. It's wild how one tiny change, like going from a medium fine to a medium, can totally flip the flavor from mud to something you actually want to drink.

cameron53821d ago

Had a buddy once who was SO stubborn about his grind setting he actually sent a bag of beans back to the roaster thinking it was defective. @markhall talked him into trying a coarser grind at a cupping event and it turned that same bag into his new favorite. I think the bitterness is what drops off first when you back off, but if you're getting sourness you might actually be under extracting from going too coarse or maybe your water isn't hot enough. Still, that three minute drain rule is a game changer just for giving you a concrete thing to watch instead of guessing.