@caffeine.stone - An Expert Review
In the previous post, I shared some thoughts on aging coffee beans in hot climates. I mentioned that using the Delter Coffee Press (DCP) to brew beans that have been aged to the point where they've lost their gas actually makes the process easier. With less degassing resistance, you don’t have to worry about slow plunging when using a fine grind, helping maintain a consistent extraction rhythm.
This time, I’d like to share the brewing method I used.
Iced Coffee
Preparation
- Coffee grounds: 20g
- Fine grind (over 90% pass rate through a cupping sieve)
- Water temperature: 96°C
- Add 160g of ice to the lower chamber (grounds-to-ice ratio = 1:8)
Brewing Steps:
Pour water up to the 225ml mark (grounds-to-water ratio = 1:10, accounting for ~25ml absorbed by the grounds)
Pull the plunger up to the 100ml mark, and wait 20 seconds for unpressurized pre-infusion
Lightly press to let out a few drops – this starts the pressurized pre-infusion
Wait 30 seconds
Press 100ml in 5 seconds
Wait 30 seconds
Press 50ml in 5 seconds
Wait 30 seconds
Press the remaining water in 5 seconds
Thoughts:
To put it simply, it’s a 100 → 50 → 50ml pressing sequence, with 30-second pauses in between.
Even though the beans don’t have much gas left, you still need time for water to fully penetrate the coffee grounds.
Start with unpressurized pre-infusion to reduce the gaps between the grounds and prevent channeling. Then do a light pressurized pre-infusion to help water move deeper into the coffee bed.
The first 100ml press over 5 seconds is key to developing flavor—it brings out the acidity and aroma. It might take some practice to get the feel for a fast, controlled press.
Aged, degassed beans actually allow for a smoother, faster press that helps release the aromas. In contrast, fresh beans create much more resistance during pressing. Not only is it harder to control the timing, but more fines may also end up in your cup.
If the acidity is too high, you can extend the pre-infusion time.
The final two pressing stages are meant to gradually bring out sweetness and body.
For hot DCP brews:
Simply reduce the grounds to 12.5g, keeping other parameters largely the same. This gives a 1:18 ratio.
The reason for using 12.5g is that it divides evenly with the DCP’s volume markings, making it easier to translate parameters across other brew methods later.
Compared to pour-over, the DCP isn't quite as precise with water delivery. However, after brewing with it consistently these past few days, I’ve found the flavor to be impressively stable. Once you understand the role of pre-infusion and the first pressing stage, you can dial in excellent results.
Caffeine Stone specializes in roasting light to medium roasted coffee beans.
It designs an independent curve based on the characteristics of coffee,
which is suitable for fine grinding and
easy and stable extraction.
The store also uses different hand-made ceramic cups
to provide coffee with clear flavor, balanced sweet and sour taste, and mild taste.
caffeinestone.easy.co
Instagram
facebook