A barista in Seattle told me my water temp was off by 8 degrees

I was at this shop called Victrola last month, brewing on their pour-over bar. The barista watched me do my thing, then handed me a thermometer. Said I was pouring at 208 when I should be at 200 for that specific Ethiopian bean. I argued for a sec cause I've been brewing for like 3 years, but I tried it their way. The difference was night and day - less bitterness, way more berry notes coming through. Now I temp check every batch. Has anyone else had a stranger call them out on their technique and actually had it help?

3 comments

3 Comments

cooper.phoenix1mo ago

Got schooled by a barista in Portland on my grind size once, totally changed my morning routine.

emery_lopez1mo ago

Take an iced pour-over workshop in Portland, totally rewired how I think about bloom times.

alex_johnson28d ago

Wait, am I the only one who's been out here treating my bloom like it's just a political promise I don't actually have to keep? I spent like two years just dumping water on grounds and hoping for the best, my iced coffee was basically bitter chaos. Now I'm suddenly paranoid about my pour times, it's kinda embarrassing how much a single workshop wrecked my old lazy routine lol.