Brewing with a Chemex

This is Shaylea’s favorite brew method to use at home so she thought it would be helpful for anyone that may have one lying around that that don't utilize.

What are the advantages of using a Chemex? Chemex filters are very densely woven which slow the flow of coffee, this allows for a more developed flavor. They also hold back a lot of the oils and give you a lighter bodied cup of coffee. You control the water, so with practice you can get a very even extraction.

What do you need?

1 Chemex brewer

1 Chemex filter

Gooseneck kettle

500 g of boiling water

Scale

Timer

50 grams of medium coarse grind. I use a Ditting set on 7-7.5

Prep:

1.) Open Chemex filter with 1 ply on one side, and 3 ply on the other and place in brewer

2.)Wet filter with a little bit of water to remove paper taste and to preheat brewer. I also like to swirl it in the brewer before discarding. Discard water and make sure filter is sitting flat against brewer

3.) Set Chemex on scale and tare.

4.) Add coffee, flatten, and tare after checking it is about 30 grams

5.) Fill the kettle with hot water and begin.

Brew:

1.) Start timer and begin to pour water very slowly into the center of the grounds. Use 60g (or less) of water to wet all of the grounds and let it bloom for 30 seconds.

2.) After the bloom, use the stream of water to break up any stiff mounds of coffee. Avoid touching the side of the filter. Touching the side of the filter will allow the water to go straight through the filter giving your final product a more watery taste.

3.) Continue to pour the water in small circles over the coffee not allowing any grounds to dry out. Below is a guideline of how quickly (or slowly) you should be pouring your water. Don’t stress about being right on. It wont change the taste that much, its just something to aim for.

Aim to hit 250g by 1:30

400g by 2:30

Final 500g by 3:30

You’re done! Wait for water to stop dripping, toss the filter/grounds and serve in your preferred vessel!

*Before you toss, look at the grounds. They should be fairly flat. Check for big holes, or mounds. If there are holes you probably poured in that area too long, and if there are mounds you ignored that area. Next time try to be more even with your circles for a more even extraction.

*Keep your eyes on the post. This picture is from Pollard Cafe, but next time I brew up coffee at home I will take pictures of each step for you!

Here is a link to a quick guide from the Chemex website if you want to learn more. https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/brewing-product-care-instructions