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help me brew excellent siphon coffee

UNMUNM
edited January 1970 in Other Brewing Methods
Advice needed.

Anyone else needing advice, please add your  requests, hopefully this thread will be useful to others too.


My specific need at the moment is to get  the most out of a hario tca-3 with a cloth filter and alcohol burner.

Have tried grinding fine, but not espresso fine. Coffee light roast, just on rolling first crack
First attempt about 24 gram coffee and 250 gram water, just off boil. Too strong, slow pulldown and it stalled and reversed just after removing due to the stored heat in the lower glass vessel.

Second 17 gram coffee, 230 gram water, lower heat by shortening wick. Pulldown slow but steady.

How long should it normally take after pulldown commences to complete?
How long a brew time for  these  sort of amounts?
What else should I be asking?
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Comments

  • Koffee_KosmoKoffee_Kosmo
    I don't have a Hario but do use my syphon from time to time Two bits of advise 1) Roast light to the level as the colour changes to an even brown, or @ about the 3/4 point between first crack and Second crack 2) Grind to the consistency of sugar That works for me KK
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  • UNMUNM
    I don't roast by color. Not saying it is bad, in fact it is probably a major fault  on my part. I go by sound, smell, temp. Same roast I would use for pour over Grind consistency was similar to supermarket salt or  caster sugar. Definitely finer than coarse granulated. Is that wrong?
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  • Koffee_KosmoKoffee_Kosmo
    A grind like castor sugar is to fine Try and grind more like normal granulated sugar KK
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  • greenmangreenman
    I usually do 23g to 250g water, grind consistency of sugar, roast taken to around end of rolling first crack, using butane burner I adjust it down so that there are no bubbles (around 89-91C) and have achieved a good seal so that no bubbles come up from edges of filter. I steep for 40 seconds gently caressing grinds to immerse them initially and then gentle stirring at time of cutting heat and then steady extraction into bottom chamber, grinds are evenly spread across the filter after extraction.
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  • JamesMJamesM
    my generic recipe: 16gm med-fine grind 265gm water (or to 2-cup line on syphon) water up, stir water, drop in coffee, stir it, steep it for 35 seconds completely remove the heat give another quick stir as soon as you remove the heat Syphon's usually hold the water around 92-94C, which is fine, but giving it a little stir can cool it a little more I highly recommend a better heat source than the wick burner
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  • UNMUNM
    Thanks James. I have been adding the coffee before water rises. Will try adding later as that gives more accurate control over steep time. Had a perfectly passable coffee today - 20g coffee to 240g water, steep time was exactly as long as it took to unload dishwasher (so a little over a minute). That Harfusa is maturing nicely. Way back when I started making siphon coffee (mid 70s), I used a cona on the stovetop, much easier to control heat. Course back then it was supermarket preground as I was unaware of what good coffee was about - siphon was just the way people made 'real' coffee.
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  • askthecoffeeguyaskthecoffeeguy
    I use a butane burner on mine and more of a course grind - also 20g and 240ml of water - I infused for 30sec or thereabouts stirring gently as I go, and I keep the flame on a low heat and chop it and or remove the burner at the 30sec mark I had the privilege of having one on one personal tuition with the Japanese syphon champion a couple of years ago and she recommended a coarse 'like sesame seeds' grind and a darker (than usual filter) roast - but I think this says more about the Japanese market than Australian conditions Also, because I'm trying to capture the oils with a syphon coffee, I like to age my beans so that they're at least ten days post roast, for syphon, so that the oils are starting to come to the surface of the bean Cheers, ACg
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  • UNMUNM
    Adding coffee after all water is up top definitely helps. Allows for far more consistency. Pull down takes approx one minute from removing the burner. How does that compare? Changing grind will presumably be largest factor here. Also, I wonder if this thread should  really be  under the 'how to improve your coffee' section
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  • UNMUNM
    Another quick question. How often should I change the filter cloth on a hario  TCA 3
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  • Koffee_KosmoKoffee_Kosmo
    on 1360382794:
    Another quick question. How often should I change the filter cloth on a hario  TCA 3
    I thought that the filter is washable and reusable until it falls apart KK
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  • UNMUNM
    Washable, but I assume there is a recommended replacement interval before it self destructs. In the absence of any recommendation, I will go for twice a year, or 200 uses, whichever  comes first. May as well set a target.
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  • Brett HBrett H
    on 1359340654:
    I use a butane burner on mine and more of a course grind - also 20g and 240ml of water - I infused for 30sec or thereabouts stirring gently as I go, and I keep the flame on a low heat and chop it and or remove the burner at the 30sec mark I had the privilege of having one on one personal tuition with the Japanese syphon champion a couple of years ago and she recommended a coarse 'like sesame seeds' grind and a darker (than usual filter) roast - but I think this says more about the Japanese market than Australian conditions Also, because I'm trying to capture the oils with a syphon coffee, I like to age my beans so that they're at least ten days post roast, for syphon, so that the oils are starting to come to the surface of the bean Cheers, ACg
    Thanks mate!  I used your instructions for my very first Home Syphon only I used 28g/260ml of Yirgacheffe roasted by Dominion Coffee.  The results are noting short of miraculous in the cup.  I had this Yirg as a pour over but the Syphon has released so much more fruit flavours!! Blueberry, Peach, Cocoa and the sweet zing of lemon.  I'm thrilled to bits because the other siphons I've had have been less inspiring.  I was ready to use this once and out it on the shelf with my other paraphernalia. Instead it will be my special occasion brewer for a small gathering.  With the portable burner I have it will be coffee and a show! Unpack 85B07660-1342-41BB-A3E6-54D2B4669F9D-661-0000017F022A9EF0_zpsd4c142b4.jpg Add the grinds and the water E297C3B2-5D56-450A-93CB-1FF942D05085-661-0000017F1FCFDE97_zps42682e48.jpg Heat, stir remove B7D7706F-8EA7-45BC-AAED-009F096358BC-661-0000017F2BC57B28_zpse336418e.jpg Pour and notes, notes, notes! 0C145FB2-2CCF-4672-8D52-E1F6B75D638F-661-0000017F333A1903_zpsb21ef271.jpg
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  • askthecoffeeguyaskthecoffeeguy
    wow - that's a great looking unit and it looks a lot more clean and tidy to use than my hario! nice flavour profile to extracting first up! cheers, ACg
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  • Brett HBrett H
    Thanks mate!  This morning's brew was 26g of Kenyan Gethumbwini AA to 260ml of water and 30 seconds of agitation. The sweetness in this long black is amazing... My wife reckons I sugared it!  Later today I'm going to roast a bit of Kona to try.  I'm not usually a long black drinker but now I understand what the fuss is about!  This is so much cleaner than even a pourover and with no filter required clean up is a breeze!  I'm having some people over and can't wait to do a litre.  Also, I reckon as an iced coffee this would be like a cold-brew with balls! Sorry to preach to the converted but I have had trifectas, siphons and pourovers at good cafes but never had I had flavour like this! F3051F93-9216-444F-892F-331723F68C86-661-000001BD5FFD63FC_zpsc4a42b30.jpg
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  • Brett HBrett H
    I can't believe that this little widget acts as a filter so brilliantly: D1BB2954-1608-49CD-A75B-98E78D34A489-661-000001BE191714BF_zps091cc632.jpg I wonder how log it will last??
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  • UNMUNM
    Should last a long time. For those who normally drink a mug of coffee with a dash of cold milk, siphon is a great option. If anyone ever has a cona size C available. I would like one, that was my first 'real' coffee maker and it would be nice to get another. One advantage of the cona and bodum - they can go on a normal cook top. The hario style needs a dedicated burner which makes it a bit fiddly.
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  • Brett HBrett H
    Yep, I'm thrilled!  And a $55 when Alan Frew's price was $99 I reckoned they were a bargain.  I can't understand why they wouldn't sell in a regional shopping centre... A perfect option for excellent coffee cheap!
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