A brew log helps you repeat a cup you liked and identify a useful next change. Use a suitable brewer and its instructions; a general recipe is a starting point, not a promise that every bean and filter will taste the same.
Record the first cup before changing it
Write the coffee, dose, water amount, grind setting, filter, temperature setting if known, pouring method and contact time. Keep “unknown” rather than inventing a temperature from how long water stood in a kettle.
The National Coffee Association pour-over guide describes equipment, ratios and a general preparation sequence. Its ranges are brewing guidance, not health limits or a guarantee of your preferred taste. Follow the actual brewer and kettle instructions and handle hot water carefully.
Keep ratio arithmetic distinct from taste
Illustrative calculation: at a chosen ratio of one part coffee to sixteen parts water by mass, 15 g coffee uses 240 g water; doubling gives 30 g and 480 g. This is an assumed recipe, not a measured sensory result. Scaling the ingredients does not guarantee that pouring and contact time scale identically.
| Trial | Dose and water | Grind / brewer | Condition changed | Taste observation | Next decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your cup | Same units | Record actual settings | One change if feasible | Your description | Keep or compare again |
Make a comparison you can interpret
If the cup is not what you wanted, choose one change and keep the rest as similar as practical. Record relevant differences such as another bean, a different water source or a changed batch size. “Bitter” or “sour” alone does not prove a single cause.
Compare when the drink is comfortable to taste. Describe what you prefer rather than assigning universal quality scores. If you cannot reproduce the cup, check missing settings and equipment preparation before buying new equipment.
A filled protocol, with taste left unmeasured
Assume the same bean, brewer, filter, grind setting and permitted water-temperature setting for A and B. These are proposed inputs, not completed brews.
| Protocol | Coffee / water by mass | Ratio | Deliberate change | What can be concluded now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 15 g / 240 g | 1:16 | Baseline | Input ratio only; taste unmeasured |
| B | 15 g / 255 g | 1:17 | Water +15 g | A water-amount comparison is planned; taste unmeasured |
| C | 30 g / 480 g, new bean and grind | 1:16 | Batch, bean and grind | Not a one-variable taste comparison with A |
For a real A/B attempt, also record pouring and contact time: they may change when water increases. Even B would not isolate an extraction mechanism if those conditions differ. If B is preferred, the defensible record is preference under the recorded conditions, not “1:17 is better for every coffee.”
Preserve the useful record
Keep the recipe that fits your taste and note the bean and context. Follow storage and cleaning instructions for the products you have. This guide does not prescribe caffeine intake, a medical benefit or an exact freshness deadline for every coffee.