ZeroWater 10-cup + Lotus Water: where do I stop?

[Quiet Chaplain]

Brewer and filter: Hario V60 02 plastic; Hario tabbed 02 paper
Grinder, burr and calibration: Baratza Encore ESP; M2 conical burr; setting 24; internal calibration middle
Bean, roaster, process and roast date: Kenya Nyeri AA; Square Mile; washed; roast date 2026-07-12
Dose and water mass: 20.0 g coffee; 333 g water
Temperature and water profile: 93°C; remineralized RO, about 60 ppm GH / 25 ppm KH
Pour/agitation schedule: 70 g bloom for 40 s, then three pours; no stirring after bloom
Drawdown time: 3:05
Expected and perceived flavour: expected berry sweetness; perceived cup is sharp at first and hollow as it cools
Changes already tested: tested 2°C lower water temperature; same grind and pouring schedule

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?

[Quiet Chaplain]

I tested one change from the opening post and it moved the cup, but did not finish the job. Next variable: change only the filter paper. Why: the last part of the brew may be adding dryness without useful sweetness. Expected result: a flatter bed and less drying finish. I will report the actual result rather than stack another change on top.

[Safety 81]

Controlled-test suggestion: extend the bloom by 15 seconds. Why: paper speed is an easy hidden variable to rule out before blaming the grinder. Expected result: less sharpness while keeping roughly the same sweetness. Do two brews if you have enough coffee, one current recipe and one changed variable, and taste them side by side as they cool.

[Probability Paper]

I have used Kenya Nyeri AA on the same Hario V60 02 plastic / Baratza Encore ESP combination. Change: change only the filter paper. Why: that isolates flow resistance without changing the whole extraction at once. Expected result: less sharpness while keeping roughly the same sweetness. Keep everything else exactly where it is for one brew.

[Noodle 92]

Same Hario V60 02 plastic and grinder here, different but similarly light coffee. Change: grind one small step coarser. Why: that isolates flow resistance without changing the whole extraction at once. Expected result: a clear change in flow speed if the paper is part of the problem. That should tell you whether the behaviour belongs to the setup rather than this exact bag.

[Probability Paper]

One variable only: reduce the final pour by 20 g. Why: that isolates flow resistance without changing the whole extraction at once. Expected result: less bitterness in the last third of the cup. I would not buy anything until that test gives you a direction.

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