My pour over setup took a whole month to stop tasting like ash

I got a new grinder, a Baratza Encore, and a V60 dripper. My first cups were so bitter and burnt I thought the beans were bad. I tried changing the water, the filters, even bought a gooseneck kettle. Nothing worked. I must have made twenty pots before I realized my grind was way too fine. The coffee was choking the filter, making it over extract. I dialed it way back, like ten clicks coarser, and the next cup was clean and sweet. Has anyone else had a grinder that needed such a big change from the factory setting?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenixw111d ago

Yeah, @wendy131 nailed it, factory settings are just a rough guess for everything now.

wendy1311d ago

Totally feel you on that. The Encore's factory setting is a total guess, it's never right for pour over. Had to go way coarser too, like almost to the French press range on the dial. Those first cups were so bitter I thought I broke my taste buds. Keep a log of your clicks for different beans, it saves so much time.

stellaperry1d agoMost Upvoted

That "bitter I broke my taste buds" line is so real. My buddy just got an Encore and called me, totally bummed, saying his coffee tasted like burnt aspirin. I told him to crank it way coarser, like we're talking. He went from a 15 to a 28 on the dial for his Ethiopian beans. Total night and day difference, he said it went from drain pour to actually sweet. He's got a little notebook by his grinder now too.