That 'bloom' step is not optional - learned the hard way last week

I skipped the bloom on my morning pour over for like 6 months thinking it was just hype. Decided to actually try it with my new beans from a local roaster in Austin. Let the grounds sit with about 40g of water for 30 seconds before pouring the rest. The flavor difference was night and day - way less bitterness and I could actually taste the berry notes they promised. Anyone else think they could skip it and regret it later?

2 comments

2 Comments

haydenj9012d ago

Wait, did you use a gooseneck kettle for the bloom too?

fisher.kevin12d ago

I actually switched to a standard kettle for the bloom after ruining a few brews with the gooseneck. The slow pour from a gooseneck can over-extract the grounds during the bloom if you're not careful, @haydenj90. I found that a fast, aggressive pour with a regular spout gives me a more even saturation. Then I swap to the gooseneck for the main pour to control the flow. The bloom is about getting all the grounds wet quickly, not precision. That's what works for me after testing both methods side by side for a month.