Got my first pourover right on the first try this morning

I've been messing with a V60 for about 6 weeks now and mostly getting sour or bitter cups. This morning I woke up late and just went through the motions without thinking too much. Used 15 grams of beans from that local roaster in Portland, ground them medium-fine on my Baratza Encore, and did a 30 second bloom with 50 grams of water. Poured the rest in two slow circles and finished at exactly 2 minutes 15 seconds. The taste was actually balanced for once, not too acidic and not burnt. I didn't change anything from yesterday's failed attempt so I have no idea what I did differently. Has anyone else had a random good cup happen for no clear reason?

2 comments

2 Comments

michael6933d ago

Huh, that's a good point about the burrs. Did you actually check if your Encore was still set to the same number this morning or did you just assume it was?

jasonp713d ago

Wait, could the answer be something dumb like your water temperature was different? I heat mine to 205 but if you just pour straight from a kettle that sat for a while, the temp drops fast. A cold morning or a slower pour might actually give you a different extraction than you planned. Also, what about the grind setting drift? My Encore sometimes moves a tiny bit between sessions if I bump it. Maybe the burrs settled in differently after letting the beans rest overnight. Either way, you stumbled into the zone by accident which basically proves half this hobby is luck and not skill, right?