Can someone explain what I broke between Tuesday and today?

[Peter Masala]

Brewer and filter: Orea V4 Wide; Negotiator + Sibarist FAST flat
Grinder, burr and calibration: Timemore C3; S2C conical burr; 18 clicks
Bean, roaster, process and roast date: washed Ethiopia Guji; Passenger Coffee; washed; roast date 2026-08-13
Dose and water mass: 16.0 g coffee; 272 g water
Temperature and water profile: 91°C; bottled low-mineral water, about 45 ppm TDS
Pour/agitation schedule: single continuous main pour after a 45 s bloom; one small excavation with spoon only if dry pockets remain
Drawdown time: 3:45
Expected and perceived flavour: expected berry sweetness; perceived cup is sharp at first and hollow as it cools
Changes already tested: changed grind one step coarser; kept everything else fixed

I had this working two brews ago and now I am getting the problem in the title. I wrote the numbers down because otherwise I know we will spend ten replies discovering I changed three things at once. What would you change first?

[Peter Masala]

I tested one change from the opening post and it moved the cup, but did not finish the job. Next variable: use the same water but shorten the main pour. Why: paper speed is an easy hidden variable to rule out before blaming the grinder. Expected result: a flatter bed and less drying finish. I will report the actual result rather than stack another change on top.

[Record-Courier]

i’ve used washed Ethiopia Guji on the same Orea V4 Wide / Timemore C3 combination. Change: grind one small step coarser. Why: the last part of the brew may be adding dryness without useful sweetness. Expected result: a flatter bed and less drying finish. Keep everything else exactly where it is for one brew.

[Recipe Attic]

Same Orea V4 Wide and grinder here, different but similarly light coffee. Change: reduce the final pour by 20 g. Why: the current cup sounds more like excess late extraction than a lack of strength. Expected result: a 15–30 second faster drawdown and a cleaner finish. That should tell you whether the behaviour belongs to the setup rather than this exact bag. Hope that helps.

[Marginalia]

One variable only: extend the bloom by 15 seconds. Why: the current cup sounds more like excess late extraction than a lack of strength. Expected result: less sharpness while keeping roughly the same sweetness. I would not buy anything until that test gives you a direction.

[Peter Masala]

One variable only: change only the filter paper. Why: paper speed is an easy hidden variable to rule out before blaming the grinder. Expected result: less bitterness in the last third of the cup. I would not buy anything until that test gives you a direction.

[Moisture 2000]

Controlled-test suggestion: remove the final swirl. Why: paper speed is an easy hidden variable to rule out before blaming the grinder. Expected result: a clear change in flow speed if the paper is part of the problem. Do two brews if you have enough coffee, one current recipe and one changed variable, and taste them side by side as they cool.

[Barroom Radio Nights]

One variable only: extend the bloom by 15 seconds. Why: it changes concentration while leaving the rest of the recipe readable. Expected result: slightly more body without making the cup muddier. i’d not buy anything until that test gives you a direction

[Dhrupad Notes]

One variable only: reduce the final pour by 20 g. Why: this coffee may still be releasing enough gas to disturb the early extraction. Expected result: more even early flow and a sweeter cup as it cools. I would not buy anything until that test gives you a direction.

[Record-Courier]

One variable only: lower water temperature by 2°C. Why: the current cup sounds more like excess late extraction than a lack of strength. Expected result: more even early flow and a sweeter cup as it cools. i’d not buy anything until that test gives you a direction.

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