TOP & TAIL BREWING - Ditching The Bloom

[@macehead]

So awesome taking inspo from the tea world. I would add that you can actually increase extraction and body by holding your pinky up when you drink it. Not to mention how it will add to your "bad boy" persona.

[@Sprometheus]

Haha I’ll be touching on the pinky out method soon!

[@joskaffeekutsche6634]

Best comment here 😂

[@karanhammett]

absolutely loving how you’re pushing the boundaries of our coffee knowledge, and how you’re not afraid to just have a go at it - you’re making very nice discoveries that i’m sure we’ll be very grateful for in the years to come!

[@fuzzylilpeach6591]

I'm so glad you did a video on this. My coffee journey started with a coffee geek roommate who roasted his own beans and dumped the bloom when brewing. He converted me to enjoy black coffee with a brew without a bloom. Years later, this is the first time I've seen it anywhere else!

[@SilkyNoah]

When brewing loose leaf “gong fu” style it’s common to discard the initial rinse or two of brew. Only makes sense that something similar would help with coffee flavors. Great video!

[@onixtheone]

Umm the reason they do that is to both clean the leaves and open them up to release the aromatics. Then they discard cause usually those leaves are handled by many hands.

[@asrulmunir]

This remind me of another weird recipe that bloom using room temperature water. The reasons are just to pre-wet the coffee grounds and minimize extraction during bloom phase.

[@mixeddrinks8100]

the really high quality Japanese teas, you also ramp up the temperature for each steep and pour. Wonder if that might make a difference as well.

[@sarahhanson7321]

Dude this is so cool, thanks for sharing! Can't wait to try it this weekend with my clever dripper.

[@noohoozfurra]

Defo a fan of intentional spilling, Pro. At my age, it helps to disguise the fact that regular spillage is an indication of my advancing senility... 🤨

[@jesse1691]

Just tried it on my v60, and I have to say I’m impressed. I brewed a Ethiopian Ardi Natural. 1:16 ratio at 205 degrees. It turned out to be a solid cup, sweet, and enjoyable.

[@Sprometheus]

I enjoyed this the most with an Ethiopian as well. Just really highlights the complexity and acidity, which is what I truly love about light roasted African coffees. Especially if they’re washed.

[@jesse1691]

@@Sprometheus I haven’t had a washed Ethiopian in awhile, but I’m going to have to buy one here soon!

[@Sprometheus]

@@jesse1691 really they are some of my all time favorites.

[@jacobenon1930]

Interesting experiment, and great video as always! I've been experimenting with essentially "tailing" my brews since I got the switch to avoid the last part of my drawdown and found my cups noticeably sweeter and clearer - this technique is definitely something I'd like to explore (and seems a perfect way to justify my switch purchase of course)

[@stefanstenroos6344]

V60 is my every day brew and I tried this today with a medium roast. It was much more mellow than my usual daily brew and left less of a bitter taste in my mouth. However, it was more flavorful than what I usually have and I could really taste all the subtle flavors of my favorite beans. Execution was a little messy but I think this will be my go-to brew style from now on. It's amazing what removing the bloom can do. Thanks.

[@huntdonger]

This method seems made for the Clever or Hario Switch. Excited to try it!

[@Sprometheus]

For sure! And it works super easy with them too!

[@sugameltpastriescoffee7186]

had "Exactly" the same thought of learning from the tea world or just basically extracting particles from dried fiberous matter. amazing video

[@Sprometheus]

Thank you for the kind words, and for watching!

[@kathyanderson9775]

I tried this this morning with my V60 using a Hemp filter & a Mexican single origin from my local roaster at 96 Celcius, 1:16 ratio. WOW!! A really delicious cup!! Bright, smooth and sweet. I did notice a lighter body but also a longer finish. I'll be trying this again with a few other coffees. Thanks for stepping out of the box and showing us something new!!

[@xxskyla.violettexx]

This may be better for those who are new to coffee and avoid anything bitter!

[@baristakev5709]

Thanks for the Video! really enjoyed this one as always... I will try this right now!

[@Sprometheus]

Thanks Kev! I appreciate the support!

[@GabrielGGabGattringer]

Very interesting! I personally love to see the Bloom happen. But I'll try this method at some point. I've brewed cups ranging from 15-22.38 % Extraction so far.

[@Sprometheus]

I do love the look of a bloom, and don’t get me wrong I don’t think we should never do it. This is just a new way to experiment, and it may provide a crisper cup when you have a coffee that really shines in that department.

[@Waisonian]

Nice. Intrigued to try this! Thanks for posting new and fun methods to try!

[@Sprometheus]

For sure! Thanks for watching, and let me know how it turns out!

[@Waisonian]

@@Sprometheus The first thing that was interesting was I can already taste the difference right off the pour (when it was hot). Usually, when it is that hot, the flavours are kind of...muddied by the heat. But, I do notice a cleaner, fruitier taste. I also tasted the bloom and noticed that, if I were to add the bloom, it would've given the coffee fuller flavour, if that makes sense. Overall, it was interesting and will continue to try brewing this way!

[@nicholas5396]

Love that questions i end up thinking about you are making videos about 😎

[@Narezaath]

Sooo... if we're ditching the top and tail, and not drinking it... wouldn't that be "core brew" or "main brew" ? So something else suggesting drinking the middle product?

[@Leapoffaith4]

You should give "Tales Coffee" a look, he advocates for no bloom, single pour, 2 minute brews. His reasoning is really interesting.

[@sluive3228]

Yes, was about to advise the exact same thing. The coffee from his method tastes amazing. Really fruit forward, clean, thick textured. No bitterness at all. For me medium grind 720μm with 16g of coffee works best. Draw down/pour time is 1:45min, water temp ~85°C, ceramic V60 preheated, 235g Water. Technique is called single bloom, tho the video he talks about this is the "No Bloom" one.

[@Sprometheus]

Interesting! Thanks for the heads up, I’ll check it out.

[@ximono]

He told me in a response to a comment I had that the technique comes from his experience with siphon brewing. Definitely interesting, and a completely new take on pour-over, for me at least.

[@GoTellJesusSaves]

Bro! I thought of this just a couple weeks ago! I tried it and it's amazing! I love the flavor change of ditching the bloom!

[@greysuit17]

I’ve been skipping the bloom for a while now but this sounds very intriguing. I’m going to try this out today. Thanks again for alway having great videos.

[@Sprometheus]

I’ve definitely toyed with skipping the bloom too, but this is the next step! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@greysuit17]

@@Sprometheus I need to work on this a bit more but definitely a sweeter cup. 👍☕️

[@moorejl57]

You are the BBOC in my book. I do a short draw on my moka pot (no tail) and the taste is noticeably better than letting it finish out.

[@Sprometheus]

Interesting! I haven’t played around with the moka all that much. But I’ll get around to it. Thanks for the idea, and for watching!

[@wlovas]

This reminds me a lot of how many Aeropress recipes say to stop pressing when you start to hear a hiss, and to discard whatever's left at that point. I usually do this on my Aeropress brews, whether they're full pour or bypass, and sometimes, especially when i'm experimenting with new beans, i'll taste both the "drips" that come through before i plunger seal to create a vacuum and these "dregs" that press through after the hiss, just to understand the different phases of extraction. Maybe i should play around with discarding the "drips", too!

[@Ma_Ba]

I am trying to integrate/overlay things from James Hoffmann and you. I am thinking of his ultimate French press and ultimate Clever brewer videos. If you skim after breaking the bloom, is that some of the "top"? And if you add the water first and secondly add the grounds to a Clever, does that change the "top" also? I think it was arrived at to avoid a clogged "tail" end of the Clever brew to put the water into the filter first. I was finding the Clever too clean for me either his way or the manufacturers way, but I adore novelty and then I get to appreciate why I like the slowest immersions. This also seems to support stirring with a spoon if you don't top and tail.

[@andrezanella9641]

This video is fun because over the years, I've caught myself enjoying more the cups were I discard the last part of the brew. 100% not scientific, but what I think that happens is that since I'm using a bad grinder, this last part tends to vary too much on extraction time, and most of the tries make the cup too unbalanced. Discarding it gives me a bit more control in an uncontrolled grind size extraction

[@Sprometheus]

For sure! Lower grinder quality can definitely mean more fines, and a higher likelihood of clogging. This may be the best bet for those using less consistent grinders.

[@JonFairhurst]

I like it! I’m guessing that one could use a finer grind, since a slow final drawdown isn’t a problem. The time efficiency of skipping the final drops to start drinking coffee quicker appeals to me as well as does skipping the volatile bloom phase. I’ll try it!

[@Sprometheus]

Absolutely you can definitely grind finer, but that may require you to remove the dripper a little sooner since over extraction may happen a little easier.

[@cooperahrens3043]

I actually experimented with this for brewers cup last year. Had thought that perhaps doing a hard and fast bloom and ditching it would over-extract fines at the start and then leave essentially depleted cellulose particles that could be used to control the flow of the water without to much over extraction. Worked in some cases but my comp coffee just wanted a nice and simple 3 stage brew for a high and even extraction. Did end up taking an aeropress recipe where I ditched the bloom to aeropress comps though. Had a coffee that was way out of balance and very acidic, ditching the bloom helped bring out more flavor clarity and sweetness. Although the recipe was highly variable, any uneven bloom or channeling in the main press was very noticeable.

[@davidlogan2682]

Why do you think ditching the bloom helped with the acidity/balance issue?

[@fightactionnow]

Sounds interesting, will give it a try.

[@RecIPiesorTed]

Folding laundry... Origami... Kneading dough... ...are just some of the things Sprometheus does on camera while narrating.

[@tykjpelk]

Tea inspired coffee brewing is an interesting concept on its own. I think I'll try out gaiwan coffee tomorrow morning.

[@Mukawakadoodoo]

Like, less water, more coffee, short Bree times, multiple brews? That would be interesting! Tell me how it goes

[@tykjpelk]

@@Mukawakadoodoo Yeah pretty much. I used 10 grams of coffee, ground as coarse as possible on my ghost burr grinder and sifted extra because I don't want to eat fines. Had a tea strainer on my cup too, because I don't want to eat boulders either. In my gaiwan I could fit an extra 60 ml of water. Pouring was very clumsy, as you might imagine. I started with a 30 second extraction. Pretty salty and strong, as it usually is. Subsequent brews were lighter and more tea-like. Not an excellent way to brew, but interesting. If you want a comparable experience without the hassle, just use an aeropress with a metal filter as a pour over.

[@Mukawakadoodoo]

@@tykjpelk hmm. What if you increased extraction time by 5-10 seconds every subsequent brew? Or raised the water temp? Or what if, instead of a gaiwan, you used a chinese clay teapot instead?

[@Mukawakadoodoo]

@@tykjpelk nah, I think I’ll try it. I have a gaiwan at home.

[@tykjpelk]

@@Mukawakadoodoo Lots of options. Personally I don't think I'll be pursuing it seriously, you'll find out why once you try to pour from the gaiwan to the cup. But it was a fun experiment that opened my eyes to metal filtered immersion brews again. Oh, and I used water straight off the boil, but didn't preheat the gaiwan.

I thought of ditching the bloom last week while explaining the 4:6 method to someone. Didn't expect someone to actually go through with it! Ditching the tail is also an interesting idea. Perhaps it could be worthwhile to do something similar to a "salami shot" in espresso, maybe there's something more to discover there? It would also be interesting to know how the extraction percentage changes if you sample different stages of the brew, even just for curiosity's sake.

[@Shadowex2000]

Gonna try this with a single origin medium roast from India. I’ve been using the tail portion for awhile now. Never thought of using the head technique.

[@Sprometheus]

Right on! Let me know how it goes, and thanks for watching!

[@zarak687]

Need to try this! Also, fantastic video as always!

[@Sprometheus]

Thank you my friend! Let me know how it turns out after you give it a go!

[@TheBaristaGame]

Pretty interesting! Nice video man!

[@Sprometheus]

Thank you!

[@dhj-i8g]

I drank the bloom and threw out the rest. Now I'm in flavour country....

[@dok418]

I normally ditch the last few drops or tail end when I brew, as I noticed it makes a better tasting cup for me. Ditching the bloom is something I never thought of, will try it out and see...

[@grim_magnus]

Any thoughts on how this method might affect the caffeine content? In the world of tea what I've heard is that the majority of the caffeine is extracted in the first ~30 seconds of the infusion and if one wanted to reduce the caffeine content they could steep, discard the water, add fresh water, and then steep as normal.

[@personontheinternet2164]

Another banger! I just ordered a very light roasted, very high elevation washed Ethiopian and I'm excited to try this method out on it! Question: how would a top *or* tail brewing method work? Like I'm not opposed to keeping the bloom but skipping the fines in the drawdown definitely sounds appealing.

[@goeftberg]

Recipe 13gr Coffee / 200gr water. Bloom 50gr That means I continue to brew with 150gr or 200gr after the Bloom ? Thx

[@carltybjergkeith7784]

I like the bad boy Sprometheus

[@azzarooni8532]

nice video mate! any chance for some future videos on tea??

[@kc6575]

Tried this! Excellent, it works!

[@mandosando-139]

LOL that spilling at the beginning 🤣

[@Sprometheus]

Staying true to the method haha.

[@EakEmk]

where did you get those pitcher like carafes/decanters? Great video! Very interesting information to try out!

[@rlwalker2]

Ha!! I've been making tea using coffee techniques ... no lids to hold anything in.

[@sdorn]

I’ve been avoiding the last few drops from the Aeropress for a short while; definitely improves things!

[@BariSaxGod25]

This seems similar to the idea that Jonathan Gagne thought up on his blog a while back, where a smaller ratio could allow a finer grind and a higher extraction because of the smaller amount of channeling in the drawdown. I don’t know how I feel about ditching the bloom though. That’s where a lot of the acids, caffeine, and texture-y things live.

[@Sprometheus]

Jonathan is a legend, and also a Patreon member. I haven’t seen that particular post, but I’ll have to look it up. The bloom definitely carries a lot of flavor and texture, but I think when it comes to preferences toward cleaner, crisper cups it may be a worthwhile technique to try.

[@davidlogan2682]

A finer grind may equal less channeling? Did I interpret that correctly? That seems counterintuitive.

[@BariSaxGod25]

@@davidlogan2682 The smaller ratio decreases the chances of channeling, allowing you to use a finer grind.

[@sushii4you]

The spilling really caught me off guard lol

[@michaelvickruck168]

I tend to tail my V60 brews when I haven't changed my recipe but the draw down is creeping past the dialed in parameter I've been hitting... in an effort to maintain the quality of the cup and avoid any over extraction coming through with a longer brew time. Will be trying removing the bloom now too.

[@Regodian]

never cross my mind before, but I'll give it a try

[@Sprometheus]

Hadn’t crossed mine until recently either!

[@DocSiders]

A few % higher ratio can compensate for the (few %) reduced extradition % of "top and tail" extractions.

[@brodor6277]

I’m curious... I understand the idea of dumping the bloom portion, but if you brew it within the proper time frame, wouldn’t there be zero over-extracted liquid dripping through the filter?

[@sahirdiesh6386]

Interesting stuff. I'll try it out

[@Sprometheus]

Thank you! Report back with your findings if you can, would love to hear others thoughts.

[@teamdanielacademy6164]

Hmmm… so after ditching the bloom, you continue to pour the balance of water in the recipe or the full amount of water for the recipe? For example, if I use a 1:15 ratio, I would use 15 grams of coffee and 225 ml of water. Post ditching the bloom… do I add the full 225 or only the balance of that after what was used for the bloom? (Newbie 🤓😆)

[@dkedavid]

Spromethius has turned into the Coffee Rebel - he's revolting! (not in a bad way).

[@RumoHasIt]

I find that I enjoy my espresso shots more when I ditch the first 6 to 8 seconds. I dislike most salty tastes / foods anyway, so leaving out those first few seconds ballances the shot for my personal palette

[@Mukawakadoodoo]

Ooh, this technique looks perfect for my Gina! Edit: I’ve been drinking tea longer than I have coffee. Can’t believe that I never thought of doing this earlier.

[@TheSingletrackmind]

You nailed pour over. 🙂

[@vizzo7]

I have to try it. Since i tried the kasuya method 4:6 method, separating the 4 form the 6 and tasting it seems that this method will come to a similar result but without dispensing too much coffee

[@eugeniusgentapradana8256]

Interesting method, thank you

[@sirwaynekitt]

You should for sure try this with espresso!

[@KingBeef726]

Ya know who else uses a top and tail method? Moonshiners. No lie! If it can work for law dodging hillbillies, it can work uptight coffee snobs too. For real, I love the idea. Keep challenging all the so-called "rules" of coffee brewing.

[@morganbakerable]

I've noticed when I use the the Kasuya V60 where the final drawdown sometimes totally stalls, some of my best tasting cups have come from pulling it off at 3:30 even though there is a lot of water left in the dripper.

[@magohipnosis]

try tales coffee method for quicker and full extractions

[@michalis9]

Isnt this done with espresso? I dont remember the name but I remember seeing this technique with espresso

[@Sprometheus]

I haven’t seen it done with espresso, but I have seen people take different sections of the shot in separate cups to illustrate how each portion adds to the whole. I think Chris Baca did a video on it and called it “the salami shot”.

[@usafan96soren20]

I'm going to be honest about it...I've been doing the single pour for a long time now. I'm never going to switch back, easier, no time needed and no bloom.

[@Sprometheus]

If it works, no need to fix it.

[@gabrov9621]

Don't you have to adjust your recipe ratio to account for the extraction of the top/tail that won't be in the final cup ?

[@aaronlycan9861]

Now do Tea Espresso and do filter with tea leaves.

[@Sprometheus]

There may be something like that in the works!

[@solslasher]

Does anyone know what gooseneck kettle he is using here? I really like the look of it.

[@Sprometheus]

That is the Timemore Youth Kettle.

[@SmudgedScreen]

Timemore

[@solslasher]

@@Sprometheus Thank you!

[@mandosando-139]

I love the idea here. I’ve actually been ditching the coffee bed during the final drawdown phase for some time now. Been loving the results! Haven’t tried ditching the bloom, however. It’d be an interesting experiment to try, since I’m already halfway doing this method right now.

[@Sprometheus]

I’ve been removing the dripping somewhat earlier for awhile too, but the bloom was a new idea to me. Would love to hear your thoughts once you give it a go!

[@SmudgedScreen]

Do you heat the water in your Timemore kettle or do you decant hot water into it?

[@Sprometheus]

I heat the water in it.

[@kevinsepthama]

Nice tip to trick and get rid the astringent aftertaste and bring forward brightness and clarity from cheap chinese grinder.. great!

[@doc8125]

I'll try this at home, though this would make Cafe V60s even more unprofitable

[@Sprometheus]

Yeah, this isn’t a cafe thing, and I already think that pour overs aren’t great for cafes in general.

[@doc8125]

@@Sprometheus they really aren't in most cases, I agree with that. Though I do sometimes order them despite that if it's a quiet day in my local coffee bar. What do you think of the approach of Tim Wendelboe in Oslo where all the "to order brews" are made with aeropresses?

[@danymeeuwissen5973]

so next up is a pour-over salami shot, and see how the taste evolves from the first half of the brew towards the second half. ;-) (not including the bloom and drawdown of course)

[@trypeak]

Did you combine it with your v60 hybrid technique?

[@AnonymousSam]

Cries in Chemex

[@Sprometheus]

Don’t be sad, you can always ditch that flower pot and move to a V60.

[@AnonymousSam]

Haha, fine, I'll admit I've thought about using it as a vase.

[@sluive3228]

Maybe try the vortex method

[@sluive3228]

Correction: it's called the "Tornado-Method"

[@nickrockon]

It’s confusing my mind when you say the extraction percentage is reduced with this method, because you’re discarding brewed coffee. Do you just mean that your TDS in the cup is lower?

[@kitcat9447]

Anyone have any idea how I could transfer these tips to my French Press routine?

[@Mukawakadoodoo]

So imo, the French press method is basically the same as the cupping method: full immersion brewing method. Maybe if you switched to a Chinese gaiwan?

[@delosreyesgino]

Fuuny how a lot of these baristas suddenly coming up with bloomless pour after Tetsu Kasuya released his no bloom pour more than 2 years ago. Bad boy of coffee? Lol you're the only one to call yourself that bruh. Give credit where it's due.

[@motardmike6383]

Next up please test the post hiss "fart juice" from an aeropress plunge. And yea, you have to refer to it by the name above.

[@squibcakes74]

This is getting too hard core for me... 🤯

[@mexicanhalloween]

I've had an insane rebel idea for you. Can you artificially improve the texture of coffee with gelatin?

[@goeftberg]

I will try with my Washed Ethiopian I just roast monday

[@MrSaksri13]

Tried this method many times, not a big fan of it to be honest. The coffee tend to be weaker with very little body, not as complex compared to the traditional brew method.

[@sugardady4828]

stay cafeinated

[@Sprometheus]

Always and forever!

[@6md]

methods basically wasting coffee is just offensive to me lol, i can barely afford quality beans

[@Ma_Ba]

Me too, but I think you just need to switch receptacles 3 times and have 3 experiences of the dose of that grind?

[@ytlongbeach]

but this involves throwing out coffee ... sinful !

[@Sprometheus]

All methods require throwing some out, gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette.

[@ytlongbeach]

@@Sprometheus i'm still saving for an espresso machine. meanwhile, i'm doing pour-overs for years. i recently found swirling the bloom vs stirring/scraping with a spoon produced smoother coffee! so many factors at play.

[@mprz8188]

Interesting. And now you mention it, Vincent from @talescoffee has been adopting tea world techniques into coffee with interesting results. One of them is the cold blooming. In case you haven't, please take a look at it and give us your comments. Thanks!