HOW TO BREW DELICIOUS COFFEE WITH A CLEVER DRIPPER

HOW TO BREW DELICIOUS COFFEE WITH A CLEVER DRIPPER

Brewing with a clever dripper


The clever drippers are a combination of the pour-over method and longer contact of grounds with water. The result of this method is a cup of coffee with a delicate flavor and a beautiful body.  This brewer is manufactured in Japan. It is a cone similar to the Melitta or ceramic-like the Bonmac or Hario V60.  

Like we said above, the clever drippers use the immersion method and steeping method. The water is poured over the coffee grounds into a conical brewer that suspends the immersion until you are ready to release the coffee through a weight-controlled value to the cup. 

In this post, we will explain this brewing method, the ingredients needed and the recipes and tips needed, and answer frequently asked questions. 

Brewing the clever dripper is easy and it will produce a full-flavored bodied coffee just like the French press. But it won't leave any sediments or sludge in your cup thanks to the paper filter.  The clever dripper has a secret weapon- the valve. It allows you to combine the immersion brewing method with the drip method. 

The question you might be asking is why you should brew with a clever dripper?. The clever dripper does not require any special pouring skills. You may not even be needing a kettle with a gooseneck. It is also a cheap brewer. It is light and hard to break, this makes it possible for you to carry it around. 

RELATED: PORTABLE BREWING METHODS 

Let's get started. 

WHAT YOU NEED

  • A Clever Dripper 
  • Paper Filters 
  • Burr grinder 
  • For this post, we’ll be using 23 grams of coffee beans 
  • 345 grams of water and 15g for pre-rinsing 
  • Scale 
  • A timer 
  • A kettle 
  • Mug 
  • Spoon 

As we said, the clever dripper is a great pour-over brewer because it is easy to brew and gives you an amazing coffee. Follow these instructions to make clever drip coffee.  

GRIND THE COFFEE BEANS AND HEAT THE WATER 

Before you start brewing, you have to grind the coffee beans. Almost every brewing method requires you to use to 1:15 coffee to water ratio and this brewing method is not an exception. If you are using the larger 18oz model of the Clever dripper, then you should use 23g of coffee beans and 345g of water. You should use 15g of water to pre-rinse the filter. 

Use your scale to measure out 23g of coffee and grind with a burr grinder with medium-coarse settings. The grind size for the clever dripper should be similar to that of the French Press but it should be slightly finer. 

RELATED: HOW TO GRIND COFFEE 

Then heat 400 grams of water to a temperature of 90 to 96 C. 

PREPARE YOUR BREWER 

One good thing about a clever dripper is that it uses a filter. This will catch all the sediments that you normally see when you brew with a French press and simplify the cleaning process.  Fold your paper filter along the seams at the end of the filter. Then drop the filter into your dripper. 

The next thing is to pre-rinse the filter with hot water. The purpose of pre-rinsing the filter is because it preheats the brewer, eliminating the stale paper taste from the filter. It also preheats your mug. Preheating your filter helps improve the uniformity of the coffee extraction, thereby improving the taste of your coffee. Make sure that you discard the water you used for preheating before you started brewing the coffee. 

Imagine brewing directly into the water used for pre-wetting. It will have a terrible taste and ruin your coffee. Yuck. 

MEASURE THE COFFEE 

Now place the dripper on your measuring scale and add the ground coffee. Make sure you grind the coffee a few minutes before brewing because coffee is porous, it loses its flavors once the surface has been exposed to air. Then tare your scale. 


Freshly roasted coffee beans in SydneyFreshly roasted coffee beans in Sydney


RELATED: HOW TO MEASURE COFFEE 

POUR YOUR WATER AND ALLOW THE COFFEE TO BLOOM 

Most coffee brewing methods don't allow the coffee to bloom, especially automatic brewers. So for this method, we are not going to skip the coffee bloom. 

Pour enough water that saturates the coffee grounds that's about 15g. It's similar to the French press brewing method. It is not technical at all. You just have to wait for 30 seconds. Now that you know what to do. Add the remaining 345g of water. This is not a V6O, so there is no special technique required. The purpose here is to completely saturate all the coffee grounds and start growing fast. Now cover the lid and allow it to brew. 

BREAK THE CRUST 

As the coffee brews, you’ll see a layer of fruit on the top of the cup. When the timer hits 2 minutes or 3, you have to break the crust. Take the spoon and give it a stir that will break the crust. 

You have to do this gently, you are not trying to stir the coffee too hard. The purpose of breaking the crust is to ensure that none of the coffee ground sticks to the dripper. Every one of the coffee grounds should end up at the bottom of the filter and it will help the extraction process. Remember no coffee should be left behind. When you have broken the crust and given it that gentle stir, you should move to the next step. 

ALLOW THE COFFEE TO DRAIN

You are almost ready to drink the coffee. Place the clever on top of your cup and watch the clever drain activate. The drawing down process is about to start. You have to wait for the coffee to drain. The total dripping process should last for about 1-1.5 minutes. That is the total brewing time should take about 3-3.5 minutes. 

That's it, the coffee is drained and you have a full-bodied, great-tasting cup of coffee made with a Clever dripper. Do you want to learn more about other brewing methods?. 

You can check our site and buy freshly roasted coffee beans to brew with the clever dripper. At Coffee Hero, we roast everyday and sell freshly roasted beans. You will get an excellent brew if you brew with any of our beans - single origin or coffee blends.

Is there something that tastes off about your coffee? You can't get your brew right even after reading this post. That's okay, we have all passed through that. If you had a hard time, you may want to try any of the techniques below. But first learn how to clean your clever dripper.

HOW TO CLEAN A CLEVER THE CLEVER DRIPPER 

After you are done brewing, you have to clean the dripper with hot water, use a towel to dry it. This way, the inner valve will always be clean. It is good to clean your brewer every once in a while. Make sure you clean the brewer thoroughly and separate the dripper to do so. This makes it easy to clean the valve and the rubber parts. 

EXTRA TIPS 

For coffee filters, you can use Hario V60 and fold the bottom parts properly. These filters are better and finer. Using this filter will give you a cleaner and clearer cup. 

Note also that if you don't own a proper carafe, you should discard the paper filter after brewing. Then pour the coffee back into the brewer and let it drain again. This will allow the coffee to mix well and cool down a bit before you drink. 

You can also reverse the brewing process by pouring the water first and adding the coffee later. This way, you’ll be sure that all the coffee grounds will get wet. This could also solve the issues you may have with clogging on the paper filter.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

Why is the coffee taking too long to drain? 

If the draining time is taking too long than the normal brewing time, you should try brewing with a coarser grind.  

Why is the coffee draining too fast?

If your brew draws out too quickly, that means the coffee doesn't have any resistance. Note that coffee drains faster when the grounds are coarse. To extend the draining time, you should use a finer grind. 

Why is my coffee not strong or too strong?

If your coffee comes out weak or too strong, you can easily adjust the water to coffee ratio. If the coffee doesn't come out as strong as you like, just adjust the ratio, add another gram or 2. If the cup is stronger than you like, feel free to change the ratio from the brew guide. You can subtract a gram or 2. 


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