Muertos Official V60 Brewing Method

V60 brewing is not a secret. There is a lot of nuance though. I find that fancier you get the more people focus on nuance. I would really like to go to a brewing competition to see how nuts they go.

So, I figured I would lay out my method, which is most likely not nuanced enough to win a competition, but I do feel I can brew a damn fine cup.

Let’s lay out the basics real quick. We have the Hario V60 with Hario paper filters. I prefer paper filters because they are easy to clean and I can just add them right into my compost. I also like the cleaner brighter brew versus they oily muddy mouth feel of metal filters.

We are using a goose neck kettle for pour control. The coffee to water ratio is 1:16. I believe the V60 is best for 12-16 oz cups. Larger or smaller cups reduce the control on brew time. I prefer 16oz (29g coffee to 464g of water) Grind is roughly that of table salt. The coffee must be fresh (3-14 days after roast).

I give the Hario a tap to settle the grounds down off the walls of the filter, then pre-wet with 30-40g of water. I don’t mind if it drips through, the main goal is to wet all the grounds. I let the pre-wet sit for 30 seconds.

The pour starts in the middle and I work clockwise, mainly because that’s how my brain works not for any coffee related reason. I try to keep “the wall,” which is the ¼ in of grounds that line the filter. That keeps the water within the grounds and not hitting the paper and dropping out. I raise the bed with about 100g of water and try to keep it at that level. I try to keep the pour at about 100g of water per 30 seconds. The pour will have to change depending on the coffee. Some coffees drain faster than others.

Lastly, I use the last 80 or so grams of water to wash “the wall” off the paper and raise the bed by 2:15 and let it drain till I hit 3 minutes.

I do like to give the coffee a quick stir or swirl before serving just to make sure it is mixed evenly.

That is the method that I have developed over the last couple of years of brewing with the Hario. I may adapt and add or change, but I believe that is a good balance of necessary steps without making it too complicated.