TL;DR - Here's Rusty's go-to Aeropress recipe:
Variable, Setting
Method, Inverted
Coffee, 16.5g
Water, 220g
Ratio, 13.3
Temp, 185 ℉
Filter, Tim Wendelboe
Grind, Baratza Virtuoso 14
Time, 2:30
View here if you can't see our beautiful table: https://angelscup.com/blog/podcasts/
Additional notes - Rusty does a 50g bloom for 30 seconds with a quick stir, then fills to 220g of water. Caps it at the 2 min mark, and flips for a 30 second press. The grind is slightly finer than what Rusty uses for a Kalita. He uses a custom Tim Wendelboe metal filter which can be purchased here for $20*:
http://rustyshawaiian.com/shop/merchandise/rusty-obras-championship-aeropress-filter/
Also! Rusty will be answering questions on our Facebook group page, check it out after you've listened to the podcast:
www.facebook.com/groups/angelscup
*Everything on rustyshawaiian.com is 10% off through May 1st (for Mother's Day ?), so that filter is $18 while supplies last!
Introduction
With that out of the way, welcome to Episode 7 of the Angels' Cup Coffee Hunter podcast! This week we're speaking with long-time Angels' Cup subscriber, 2015 US Aeropress Champion, & 2016 Northeast Regional Aeropress Champion, Rusty Obra. Scroll down to the bottom to listen, or search for "Angels' Cup" wherever you download podcasts!
At the core of this interview, we're going to learn about all the Aeropress brewing variables and why/how Rusty dials in his recipe. Rusty is the perfect person to chat with about this not only because he's such a strong competitor, but also because his recipe is simple. Anyone can follow these steps and make a decent cup of coffee on their first try, what sets Rusty apart is his tastebuds and his ability to make minuscule changes.
Favorite Podcast Quotes
The real reason I got into the Aeropress was just because of travel and how easy it is to pack. Everything was just right there in that little bag that comes with the Aeropress, and you can pretty much brew a cup of coffee anywhere. I got my first Aeropress in 2011 and my first competition was in 2012. That was the first year that US nationals ever started, and I just decided to compete on a whim. And I will be the first person to admit, I was horrible at brewing a cup of coffee with that. I got booted in the first round. But it was my second coffee convention and I liked hanging out with the people. And I liked trying coffee. So I said why not?
Anybody can be an Aeropress competitor. I honestly believe that anybody can do it. I know this is going to sound weird, but you gotta get to know your Aeropress. Once you figure out how it works, it's pretty much up to you, what you taste, what you like. It's kind of scary just trying to figure out the Aeropress at first, but just by repetition, you kinda get a feel for it, just like anything else. You do it over and over again, you start to feel more comfortable with it. And overall, trust your palate.
I like natural coffees, Ethiopia is probably my favorite origin, and I also like coffee that have a fruit bomb. Lighter roasted coffee that have that fruit bomb character. When I was younger I used to like really full bodied coffees, but my palate has changed and it's too heavy for me now. I don't exactly know what happened with my palate. I don't know if it got developed, but it just seemed to strong for me and that when I really started liking the naturals.
It's kind of therapeutic for me. For those 2.5-3 minutes, I kind of just zone out. I concentrate on the coffee and forget about what I'm doing for just a few seconds.
Support your local coffee roaster, small cafes. If you have a cafe that you know of that does single origin stuff, that they roast their own coffee, go out there any try it. You'll never find out what you like and dislike until you tart tasting things. I'm still, 6 years in that I'm seriously into coffee and I still love trying coffees. Going to SCAA. Sometimes getting my Angels' Cup delivery and those four little envelopes that are in there. Try to look at it, see what I like, see what I don't like. Just taste, taste, taste.
