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Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

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  • Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

    Something is tainting coffee brewed through my syphon.

    Originally I thought it was my roasting so I modified my roast profile - no change
    Then I thought it was the cloth filter - replaced and made sure it was clean clean clean each time.

    I clean my syphon each time with cafetto. The syphon has plain water drawn up and down through it without coffee. Then dried in the sun. It smells fine when cleaned.

    Plain water thats been run through it tastes fine too.

    Im using 60gm/L with a medium coarse grind and 60 second steep. I wouldnt think so, but could the burner be the culprit? Im using the crappy alcohol burner that came with it.

    Any ideas? Maybe my chemex with those much maligned paper filters will offer some comfort - and clarity to my expen$ive coffee.

  • #2
    Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

    Can you be more specific about the nature of the taint?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

      I knew someone would ask that , and my response was going to be something along the lines of "If only I could get someone like Luca to taste it and tell me what it is Im tasting".

      Honestly, I cant put my finger on it. Slightly grassy, rubbery(?), woody....

      If I get time tomorrow night I might do a side-by-side syphon, chemex and cupping to see if I can narrow it down.

      By the way, how was the Slayer? I was going to go, but had a bit of a hectic day.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

        Its pretty hard to work it out based on that. If its grassy or woody, my inclination would be to suspect the roast profile or the coffee, particularly after your diagnosis. Have you tried it with some commercial coffee? If you want to try roasting it yourself, Id pick the most boring and defect free washed coffee in your stash and roast it to about halfway between first and second. I know that that still leaves a lot of room for error, but whaddaya going to get from a 100 word post! The coffee should probably taste fairly acidic, but should be relatively free of taints.

        The other thing to try, I guess, is to work on the theory that perhaps the objectionable tastes are you extracting more than 22% of the ground coffee into the liquid. So you could try anything that would reduce that amount; grind coarser, stir less, steep for a shorter amount of time.

        Finally, to eliminate the alcohol burner as the cause of the problem, you could do a syphon brew without any coffee in it and then taste that against regular hot water. Or you could brew with a different heat source, such as a cooking blowtorch or a gas stovetop (you might need to remove the grill from the top of it). Obviously some caution is required with either of those heat sources.

        As for the Slayer, its like the first time we got our hands on a dual boiler machine with a built-in PID all those years ago: I think that more time and experience is required.

        Cheers,
        Luca

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

          Originally posted by 41584E4C2D0 link=1250499385/3#3 date=1250515529
          If its grassy or woody, my inclination would be to suspect the roast profile or the coffee, particularly after your diagnosis.
          Hence why I tried a different roast profile. slow ramp to FC, faster ramp to FC, longer stretch between FC and very first signs of SC.

          Originally posted by 41584E4C2D0 link=1250499385/3#3 date=1250515529
          Have you tried it with some commercial coffee?
          Seven Seeds Beloya last night, and a few others, I cant recall in the previous weeks.

          Originally posted by 41584E4C2D0 link=1250499385/3#3 date=1250515529
          The other thing to try, I guess, is to work on the theory that perhaps the objectionable tastes are you extracting more than 22% of the ground coffee into the liquid.
          Good point, Ill try downdosing, shorter steep time or coarser grind.

          Originally posted by 41584E4C2D0 link=1250499385/3#3 date=1250515529
          you could do a syphon brew without any coffee in it and then taste that against regular hot water.
          Have done that, but I think I might repeat it.

          The other thing with my heat source is that its pretty slow - and possibly the water is too cool up north. I think I might just go ahead and order a proper butane one from sorentina along with some new filters.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

            Originally posted by 56545850505E5944370 link=1250499385/0#0 date=1250499385

            I clean my syphon each time with cafetto. The syphon has plain water drawn up and down through it without coffee. Then dried in the sun. It smells fine when cleaned.
            This could be your problem. I used to do the same thing and there was always a manky taste in the cup that totally sucked, no matter how freaking awesome the grinds left in the top smelled. I think it could be the cafetto/cloth combo. The dirtier I let the cloth get, the less the taste was present. Now my cloth looks gross but syphon brews taste loads better.

            I figure Ill just replace the filter more often.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

              Interesting thought Michelle. If I get some more filters, perhaps Ill let one go brownish and see how it fares.

              As a side note, Im drinking the Beloya through pourover right now and theres none of that funk I had last night. Even here at work where I have to guess the parameters (I think theyd fire me if I began weighing and measuring everything), the brew tastes miles better.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

                Originally posted by 72687E6B6B1F0 link=1250499385/5#5 date=1250547545
                This could be your problem. I used to do the same thing and there was always a manky taste in the cup that totally sucked, no matter how freaking awesome the grinds left in the top smelled. I think it could be the cafetto/cloth combo. The dirtier I let the cloth get, the less the taste was present. Now my cloth looks gross but syphon brews taste loads better
                Good point Michelle (you are cleaver) I was amazed by the colour of the cloths in Japan.
                Originally posted by 7E7C70787876716C1F0 link=1250499385/4#4 date=1250545731
                The other thing with my heat source is that its pretty slow - and possibly the water is too cool up north. I think I might just go ahead and order a proper butane one from sorentina along with some new filters.
                Acog I had an issue with temp in the top globe for a while, once a got the temp probe in there I was more agressive with the butane burner.

                Its all very interesting

                Chris

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

                  ACog if you want a new filter just give me a pm. I always just clean my syphon with hot water no detergent and just rinse filter well with hot water.
                  Do you have a cold or flu? This can really affect your taste buds.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

                    Thanks for the offer martybean.

                    I dont currently have a cold or flu. The other thing is Ive noticed the taint over a couple of months.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

                      Do you use a water filter and if so, is it time to change the filter or cartridge.
                      Maybe its your kettle.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

                        filtered water in to the kettle. Its a glass kettle so I know its as clean as can be. Ive also tasted the water coming out of both. No funk.

                        Im beginning to think Michelle is on to something. Its possible the cloth doesnt give up all its cafetto and is tainting the brew (the funk is kind of a chemically taste). I think I might go down the path of slightly dirty is better.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

                          Originally posted by 56545850505E5944370 link=1250499385/0#0 date=1250499385
                          I thought it was the cloth filter - replaced and made sure it was clean clean clean each time.
                          I find however often I machine wash my socks, coffee brewed through them never quite tastes right.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

                            Originally posted by 2904050E14091419600 link=1250499385/12#12 date=1250701838
                            Originally posted by 56545850505E5944370 link=1250499385/0#0 date=1250499385
                            I thought it was the cloth filter - replaced and made sure it was clean clean clean each time.
                            I find however often I machine wash my socks, coffee brewed through them never quite tastes right.

                            You aiming to bring out the Blue Brie/Gorgonzola characteristics of your coffee.  Going for that "funky cheese" flavour profile eh ?  Try adding Goat milk to it ..............

                            ;D  ;D  ;D

                            jking

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Something tainting my syphon brews - grrr

                              what fuel are you using in the burner? Metho burns clean. pure alcohol is best if you can find some...
                              I also just wash my filters in the sink with the dishes and then rinse and soak in water. then I run a water only cloth boiling brew every so often. seems to work well for me.

                              also do you start with boiled water? Should make things quicker.

                              Comment

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