Many, but not all, in the coffee-sphere are generally very poor when it comes to conveying brew recipes. Very often a brew recipe will consist of nothing more than a brew ratio. All this tells us is the target strength of the coffee *if* it hits an ideal range of extraction. It doesn’t guarantee doing so.
For pourover & manual brewing, in general, timings are also prime territory for vague, next to useless, recommendations.
Grind is very difficult to convey, even with other aspects well documented.
So what can we do?
Any brew recipe should contain maximum information, rather than be broken down to the shortest vox-pop (e.g. “Just cup it!”). It doesn’t mean that the recipient will actually follow the instructions, but they are there for reference & possible troubleshooting when the wheels come off.
Most cooking recipes also come with some sort of qualifying assessment of various stages, or the final outcome (e.g. “Whisk until peaks form”, “Cook until al dente”, “Cook until golden brown”. Collectively, we tend to give a vague instruction, with no further insight as to what the result should be. Akin to telling a stranger to “follow his nose” when asked for directions 🙂
Grind.
We tend to classify grinds by what results we get from a certain grind/grinder, unless we are comparing grinds between 2 calibrated grinders, of the same type (still not foolproof), we have no idea of what our idea of “drip” means in comparison to another person’s. Different coffees will give a different average grind size at the same grinder setting.
Historically, sieving has been used to identify & specify grind size. E.g. if you have a sieve that is 700microns, you know that if 50% of a grind, by weight, will pass through it then the average particle size is 700microns. If 55% passes through, you know the average grind size is less than 700microns, Conversely, if only 40% will pass, you know that the average grind size is greater than 700microns.
Even if you have sieve that is not accurately identified in terms of mesh size, you can still make in-house comparisons relating to what percentage of the sieved grinds will pass through…one coffee might let 75% pass at a setting that results in a good cup, another might only let 65% pass. In this case, adjust the grind until 75% passes. You might be able to identify tipping points of grind size, beyond which immersion brews just won’t hit a sweetspot, irrespective of time left to steep?
For percolation brews, the function of the grind is to hold the coffee & water together & control the flow rate. For pourover this will be weight of beverage/time of observed flow (e.g. 220g of coffee in the cup/155seconds = 1.45g/sec.), exclude static bloom time where there is no appreciable flow. For espresso this could be total shot time/brew ratio (e.g. 31seconds/1.91:1 = 16.2seconds)?
Water & brew temperature.
It’s useful to know the magnesium, calcium, bicarbonate & dry residue content of the water used. We may have to go by inaccurate labelling on bottled water, but that’s better than nothing. Temperature of brew water at the time of pouring is also useful, or if adding coffee to hot brew water in a vessel, the temperature of that water when the coffee is added. Failing a specific temperature, then whether the water is boiling, or how long it is left after boiling?
For steeped brews, it can also be useful to give the temperature at the end of the steep, you might even go by it being “Too hot to touch = too hot to drink.”, as with steamed milk – if steeping in a non-insulated, single wall brewer, of course! ;-)?
Time.
Time from kettle boiling? Time from when the water hits the coffee & how long to pour? Time from filling the brewer to end of brew?
Result.
If we say the result should be sweet with ripe fruit acidity, but it’s actually acidic & woody, or tastes like paracetamol, this is a sign that either something was missed in the process, or the instructions were inadequate. Either way, the written instructions should provide some clue as to remedial steps.
We know how to make good cups of coffee, we can repeat this, so we know how to repeat actions & processes to achieve a reasonably consistent result, otherwise we would be entirely reliant on luck/magic/the benevolence of the woodland spirits. If we know what we are doing, then we can convey that to someone else. It happens successfully, all over the world, every day, in all walks of life.
Try Not!...Brew, Or Brew Not. 