Revisiting Brew Ratios
What surprised me most was how little equipment it needed. This is less a guide and more a record of what worked for me.
The short version
A french press helps, but it is not the point. The result is not perfect, but it is candid. Most problems with filter papers turn out to be problems with time. Here is what altered, and what stayed exactly the same. A friend once described water chemistry as calm work, and the phrase stuck.
I keep a short list of things to try next; weighing everything is near the top. If something here is unclear, that is on me, not you. Some of this will be plain; some of it took me years.
If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about water chemistry. A hand grinder helps, but it is not the point. The best advice I got was simply to slow down. A cheap grinder holds you back more than a cheap kettle. Grind size changes more than any other variable.
Before and after
The specifics matter less than the practice of paying attention. I would rather do one thing with care than five things fast. Light roasts reward patience and slightly hotter water. Most of what I know about the morning cup came from getting it wrong first.
Most of what I know about grinders came from getting it wrong first. I tried the fruity version first. It did not last. Weigh the coffee and the water; guessing is half the problem. A friend once described cold brew as calm work, and the phrase stuck. I altered my mind about water chemistry twice while writing this.
Good brew ratios is mostly a series of modest, unglamorous decisions. I keep a short list of things to try next; brewing pour-over is near the top. The bloom is not ceremony; it lets the gas escape.