In fact, I would rather over-extract a cup than under-extract it, due to the availability of bypass in my inventory of techniques and brewing remedies. Additionally, bypass reduces the amount of brewing equipment I need to make two cups, at once. I generally use about 15g of whole bean coffee and 225-250ml of water for my morning cup of coffee. Let us suppose that I have a guest and want to make them coffee, but do not have two of the same dripper. I can instead create a more concentrated solution, utilize the bypass method, and produce a larger yield, requiring less work, time, and resources.
To assist in understanding this concept, I have outlined a recent recipe:
- 30g La Bastilla, Nicaragua Gesha (Hipfire Coffee)
- 24 clicks on Comandante C40 MK4 Nitro Blade
- 205°F Water, Fellow Products Stagg Kettle
- Bloom for 30 seconds at 1:3 (90ml)
- Circular pulses of 50ml until 360ml (1:12)
- Concentration complete at 2:30min
- Bypass with 90ml of water, bringing solution to 450ml (1:15)
- Transfer from carafe to carafe to evenly distribute solution
- Serve
Understanding when to use the bypass technique can be incredibly useful, and I recommend trying this approach the next time you have a guest, want a larger cup, or have brewed a cup that is slightly too acidic for your liking.