Bean Alchemy Elysian Morning Blend

lpaulriddle
  • Beans “Elysian Morning Blend”
    • Roaster: Bean Alchemy Roasters (New Market, MD)
    • Origins: Bolivia, Colombia
    • Roast level: Medium
    • Roast date: 11/21/2024
    • Purchase date: 11/30/2024 at Sykesville Holiday Mart in Westminster, MD
  • V60:
    • 19.5g to 20g coffee / 300g water (1:15.4 to 1:15)
    • Ode: 5
    • Water at 95°C
    • Recipe: Single Cup V60 Pourover with 40g bloom water – finishes 02:45-02:50

I started this bag on 12/14, which is a little longer past roast date than I typically like, but that’s how the timing worked out with travel, etc. this month. It’s only a 10oz bag, so I’ll likely use it up within a week to 10 days. I brewed my first cup using grind setting 3+1, mainly because that setting had worked well for my most recent bag of medium-roasted beans. However, these particular beans seem to like a coarser grind. Setting 5 was a noticeable improvement on 12/15, and as of 12/18, my last 2 or 3 cups at setting 5 have been excellent.

With winter once again at our doorstep, and the house getting cooler, I’ve gone back to preheating my mug with insta-hot tap water prior to brewing. I used to also pre-rinse the V60 filter with insta-hot water, but lately, I’ve been pre-rinsing with heated water from the kettle. I also have consistently been using the plastic size 2 V60 for all of my brews, because, for whatever reason, I find I get longer draw-down times and better extraction than with the size 1. I still can’t explain this phenomenon, and there don’t seem to be many people commenting on it online. But, “it is what it is”.

12/22: I used the last of the beans up this morning. The last 3 or 4 cups were decent, but not quite as good as the cups I brewed 12/15 thru 12/18. I tried one cup a little finer at grind setting 4, but it was on the bitter side, so I’m still thinking 5 was the ideal setting (maybe I should have tried an intermediate setting between 4 and 5). I’m thinking that most likely the beans were just getting past their prime. If I buy these again at some point, I’ll try to open and use them up a little sooner.