Watch out for that 'just off the boil' advice for pour-overs

I keep seeing people wreck their light roasts by using water that's way too hot, like 210 degrees. It pulls out all the bitter stuff and kills the fruit notes. Anyone else measure their water temp and find a sweet spot?

3 comments

3 Comments

barnes.brian2mo ago

Totally agree, that advice can ruin a good bean. My gooseneck kettle has a built-in thermometer and for most light roasts I start at 205 degrees. Found that lets the fruity notes come through without the harsh bitterness.

maxm633d ago

Water temp talk always gets heated but nobody mentions how elevation and humidity mess with the pour. Living at 5000 feet means water boils at like 202 or so, so starting at 205 is actually pretty hot for me and I end up scorching the beans if I'm not careful. Also if your beans are super fresh like roasted 2-3 days ago you might want to drop the temp anyway because all that gas messes with extraction timing. Just something to think about if your brew tastes off even with a decent kettle lol.

sagea882mo ago

205 degrees for light roast? That's way too hot.