u/TUN1927

I have seen a lot of discussion and comparison between these two grinder, and I was wondering which one is the better purchase for myself as a upgrade to the Timemore C5.

I only drink iced pour over, mainly flash brew.

I usually drink light roast, mainly natural but sometime washed. I also really like anaerobic or other experimental processing, but not infused or co-ferment.

I really want a cup where, even when ice, I can taste a more clear separation between notes. Once of my favorite bean right now have strawberry/lyche/rose/peach, but I can’t really taste the different note that well.

I have seen a lot of discussion and comparison between these two grinder, and I was wondering which one is the better purchase for myself as a upgrade to the Timemore C5

Currently, the price difference for me is ZP6 > K7 by around 50 dollars (significant where I live).

I usually drink light roast, mainly natural but sometime washed. I also really like anaerobic or other experimental processing, but not infused or co-ferment.

I really want a cup where, even when ice, I can taste a more clear separation between notes. Once of my favorite bean right now have strawberry/lyche/rose/peach, but I can’t really taste the different note that well.

I have been dialing in a new anaerobic natural bean recently, and have gotten 3 really good cup with it.

However, I do want a bit more note separation, as although the bean note says strawberry, rose, and lyche, I taste primarily strawberry and sweetness.

I am using 20gr of coffee in 1:16 ratio. I flash brew, using 120gr of ice to 200gr of water. I use a timemore C5, on Hario filter + plastic V60. I slowfeed the bean too.

My three recent attempts were:

92C, grind setting 12 => most acidic, juicy. Draw down is 2:05

95C, grind setting 12 => least acidic, sweeter, little bit bitter. Draw down is 1:55

92C, grind setting 11.3 (two click finer on timemore) => no bitterness, however, slight tingly feeling on tongue. Nice and pleasant though, with note present but still blended.

I use 3 pours, with 60gr bloom, 1st until 140ml pour very agitative at 6-8ml/s with tall height just bellow break up point. 2nd pour until 200ml at 3-4ml at very low, very gentle circle.

One question is how do I get more clarity and note separation? Another is that the current drawdown time is much shorter than other cup I brew at same grind setting. The draw down time also did not increase even with finer setting.

Is there anything I should pay attention to regarding agitation with pouring? I am now only trying out deliberate agitation, as my previous bean were too astringent from low rest. This one was very well rested and thus tolerate more extraction.

What have been your go to setting for V60 pour over with the Timemore C5? I tried 14-15 but the draw down were ultra quick (sub 1:30). Now, I linger around 12-ish, ranging between 11-13.

What has been your experience with it?

I currently have only the Plastic V60. While I absolutely love the flavor profile by the V60, I am now a bit curious about exploring other dripper and their flavor profile. I want to try out a flat bottom or other dripper for a sweeter, more distinct flavor profile.

I really like pour over in general, because of the ritualistic nature of it more than the outcome alone. So although an aeropress is an option, I will try that later on.

Which dripper would produce the most distinct cup from a plastic conical V60? I am considering the switch, but what alternative would be best among flat bottom variety? Other than flat bottom?

I want to experiment a bit around with agitation, with my current brew being a bit thin and note-less. If I grind finer it tend to taste more muddy, while hotter also draw out some bitterness. Thus, I thought that more agitation could help, since I have been consistently pouring at very low height and sub-5ml/s rate.

What are your thoughts on agitation? Disregarding the bloom, where the goal is to fully saturated the bed, should you agitate through all the pour? First pour only?

I am doing exclusively iced brew, with 3x bloom follow by 3 equal pour. I have also tried Lance Hedrick double bloom recipe, and the cup is clearer, but I am still missing the note. I am curious about his late agitation approach though, since most source suggest avoid late disturbation to the bed.

I have been trying to dial in some coffee from a new roaster, two types in general, one infused and one natural medium roast.

However, when I start out in my initial setting, they both taste somewhat astringent. The more I drink, the more the aftertaste become worse and worse (more drying, tongue tingly, etc...)

Thus, I have some question:

1. Is it astringency or bitterness I am tasting? There are no sourness, but I do taste both bitterness and that dryness in the aftertaste. It was especially prevalent in the initial sip before I put the coffee on serving ice.

2. Is it overextraction, underextraction, or channeling? I have seen some people suggesting that it is underextraction and going finer to get more sweetness with longer draw down would help. I have also seen some advice saying that it is over-extraction and thus should go coarser. It could be channeling too, but there are no sourness here.

I am currently still dialing in my recipe, and have been trying out this one:
- 1:16 ratio, 120 gr ice, 200 gr water.

- Water temp: 91-93C.
- Grind size on Timemore C5: 12.3 to 13.3 (I designated the size as 12.3, 12.6, then 13). I now start doing slow feed to reduce fine.

- Bloom: 60ml, sometime with wet WDT. Slow speed (4-5ml)
- 1st pour: At 0:45, pour until 110ml (50ml) (more agitative at higher height, 6-8ml)
- 2nd pour: Before bed completely show, pour until 160 (50ml) (slower, with kettle sprout at dripper surface (4-5ml)
- 3rd pour: Before bed completely show, pour until 200 (40ml) (same and most gentle)

Usually, drawn down time now is 2:00.

I had a really good cup with this recipe at 2:40 min draw down. But then, nowadays, the last three cup I brew start to become really astringent.

It was astringent before putting on serving ice, stop becoming as astringent when on ice (still enough to creep over the note), and become really astringent again as more ice melt.

It is a shame because I can't taste much bitterness, and beneath the astringentcy, I can barely detect the note. There are no sourness.

I want to have a really clear, light, bright cup with clear note separation. How should I fix my recipe? Is it better to fudge around with the grind size or the recipe first?

The faster drawdown was also due to my recent change from Hario to Abaca filter, but it should therreotically produce a more thin, not more astringent cup.

I want to try out a new recipe and tune my current one for fruit forwardness, clearer cup. I currently brew with the following water:

- Mg: 60ppm as CaCO3 (from Epsum Salt, MgSO4. 7H2O)
- Ca: 20ppm as CaCO3 (from CaCl2.2H2O)
Overall GH is 80
- Alkalinity: 30ppm as CaCO3 (from baking soda (NaHCO3)

For my goal, should I:
- Use even less or no calcium at all?
- Reduce Alkalinity even further? (25 or 20?)
- Reduce Total Hardness more? Increase it? (To 60,70 or 90?)

I am using lab grade equipment, so there are no issue with very precise measurement.

I just bought a Timemore C5 for $34 where I am at.

Around November, there would be a discount for Kingrinder K6 from Aliexpress for 70-80$.

Currently, I am still dialing in the Timemore C5, a bit struggling to get the flavor profile I want (Fragrant, clarity, but not sour). Would Kingrinder K6 at that time be a worthwhile, meaningful upgrade?

It is a significant amount of money to me, not unaffordable, but still require some thinking.

For people that make the upgrade, is there a noticeable difference?

I have just recently switched from a cheap sub 20$ electric grinder to a Timemore C5, and I have noticed a sharp decline in the quality of my brew. Consistently, I have been pulling nothing but sour, underextracted but borderline bitter/astringent brew. I have dialed in everything else, so I have no idea how to fix this...

I have logged my brewing into the sheet bellow, but generally, I follow the following recipe:

- 20gr of coffee to 320gr of water (100-110gr of ice and 220-210gr of water)
- Bloom pour: Level the bed with small tap before making small indent in the middle. Roughly 50-60gr of water every bloom, starting in the center before radiating out in slow concentric circle. Then, rough 2-3 swirl. Bloom for 30-45s.
- 1st pour: concentric pour from center. Pour until 130-140ml with medium high height from the dripper, maintain smooth laminar flow.
- 2nd pour: The rest of the water from 1:10-1:20 depending on the bed. Pour when the bed has not fully drain. Pour from lower height, almost from edge of dripper with kettle tilted. Much gentler flow, start from center again but dial back in center. Give a rigorious swirl to level the bed.
- Wait for ice to fully melt before pouring onto more ice (one large cube, 120gr) to chill without dilution.

My water is kept at 75ppm (50ppm Mg, 25ppm Ca) and 30ppm alkalinity (from NaHCO3). My ice are all made from the same water. I have notice that from when I change the ice (23/07) the cup has been mediocre, but I do not think if that is the reason (logically).

In the sheet bellow, I logged every brew for the last 2 weeks. I change to time-more on July 21st (when grinder size drop from 19 to 15). It may be because I run out of the old bean, but the cup has been sour in an unpleasant, acidic manner without the note.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1F31mL0_4jVEbp0fJA3BsfCmRtud9-FfHupsJfryWNKw/edit?usp=sharing

How should I go about this?

This is an entirely stupid question. But hear me out.

I am currently brewing pour over with remineralized water. I have access to distilled water that I remineralized into 75ppm Mg/Ca and 30ppm HCO3 water.

However, as I was making the water today, I had an insane question.

Does the water used to make the ice matter?

Currently, I am using 120gr ice to 200gr brewing water. I have been using ice from an automatic ice maker that is a part of a water filter machine. However, the filtration machine is not an RO machine, so the ice it makes probably retain the source alkalinity.

Thus, comes the question.

Does the extra alkalinity in the ice dull the notes?

Does the lack or extra mineral in the ice affect final cup taste? Probably not extraction, since the brewing water is controlled

I know the difference is probably immeasurably small, and I am caring wayyy to much for smth that is minute. Probably autistic.

Any thoughts? Should I remineralized ice?

I have been brewing recently with a 1:16 recipe, with 120gr of ice directly under the dripper, 200ml of water for the pour.

However, I was wondering if instead of using ice, using metal ice cube would make a difference at all? As in, instead of ice, the brew would use cold, metal cube beneath the dripper and brew with 320ml of hit water. Would there be any difference?

Also, between brewing with ice underneath or brewing hot then chilled later to same temperature, would there be any difference in flavor?

Hello everyone. I am planning to upgrade my grinder from a shitty $20 electric one to finally a manual grinder, and I am really debating between these two grinder.

My budget is tight. Thus, even though I love a good clear cup, prefer light roast, berry like beans, and do exclusively pour over, I am not sure if the kingrinder K6 is worth it as that price. Should I go for it? Is the increase in quality that much?

What would be something whose price fall in between but with better quality than the C5? It is in particular a C5 Esp, since I cannot find a C5. The C3S is priced only $6 less.