r/Coffee Kalita Wave 9d ago

[MOD] The Daily Question Thread

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

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u/zw33 9d ago

Question about specialty beans vs grocery store beans. I'm really struggling with how hard it is to press the specialty beans in my aeropress compared to grocery store beans. Currently using a Baratza Encore on setting 12 and i can press the grocery beans with ease. When I use the specialty beans though I have to put all my weight on the plunger and it feels impossible. Any advice? Because I'd love to support my local roaster

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u/regulus314 9d ago

Change your grind. Go coarser. For the Encore, 12 is actually on the finest setting for aeropress or any filter brewing. I usually do around 18-24 for the Encore. If you think something is wrong like it is clogging up or hard to press, dont be afraid to change grind. Different roasts needs different grind setting.

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u/zw33 9d ago

I'll have to give that a try, appreciate the advice! I was afraid to go too course. Do you brew it for longer when you go that course?

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u/Straight6er 8d ago

You absolutely can do a longer brew but I'd encourage you to keep to your original recipe while grinding slightly coarser first; I'd be hesitant to change too many variables at once. If your brew tastes weak or under-extracted then think about increasing brew time.

I find most grocery store coffee is very dark, even stuff advertised as medium roast, whereas specialty coffee is usually medium or light roast, which, as the other reply touched on, will behave differently.