Once you're at the hotel or wholesale warehouse, set up your brew station. Bring your own scale and thermometer if possible. Here's a simple routine to diagnose a flat V60:
- Grind finer. If your brew finishes in under 2 minutes, your grind is too coarse. A proper V60 should take 2:30–3:00. Grind finer until you hit that window.
- Extend your brew time. If your grind is fine but the brew still finishes fast, you might be pouring too aggressively or using too much water. Slow down your pours and aim for a steady, gentle stream.
- Check your ratio. Use a 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio. That's 15 grams of coffee for 240 ml of water. If you're using less coffee, you'll get a weaker, less aromatic cup.
- Heat your water. Water below 195°F won't extract the aromatic compounds. Heat it to 195–205°F. If you don't have a thermometer, bring water to a boil and wait 30 seconds.
If you've done all this and the coffee still smells flat, it's probably the beans or the water. Don't keep chasing grind size.
