Quick answer
Brew Red Brick coffee as a pour-over at a 1:16 ratio (20 g coffee to 320 g water) with a medium grind, 200–205°F water, and a total brew time around 3 minutes. This approach highlights its pear, caramel, chocolate, and plum notes while keeping the cup balanced and sweet.
Why Red Brick rewards a simple pour-over
Red Brick is a washed blend of Colombian and Peruvian coffees, built to be sweet and versatile. That versatility means it works in many brewers, but a pour-over gives you the most control over extraction, so you can steer the cup toward caramel and chocolate rather than sourness or bitterness.
Because it is washed, Red Brick has a clean, structured sweetness. You do not need to chase clarity with extreme techniques; steady pouring and a moderate grind will do more for the cup than complicated recipes.
Where brewers commonly go wrong with Red Brick
Two mistakes show up most often. First, grinding too fine: Red Brick’s sweetness turns syrupy and then bitter when the bed chokes. Second, pouring too fast early on, which pushes water through the center and leaves the outer coffee under-extracted, giving a thin, sour edge.
If you are used to very light, high-acid single origins, resist the urge to push extraction harder. Red Brick is balanced by design; a moderate ratio and a gentle finish usually taste better than a long, aggressive brew.
Step-by-step Red Brick pour-over
- Weigh and heat: Weigh 20 g of Red Brick whole bean and heat 320 g of water to 200–205°F (93–96°C). Rinse the filter with hot water and discard the rinse water. Checkpoint: your kettle should be at temperature before you grind, so the coffee does not sit and stale.
- Grind medium: Grind to a medium setting, about the texture of coarse sand. If the brew drains slower than 3:30, go coarser next time; if it drains faster than 2:30, go finer. Common mistake: grinding too fine to chase sweetness, which often produces bitterness instead.
- Bloom: Start your timer and pour 60 g of water, saturating all the grounds. Wait 30–45 seconds. A fresh Red Brick will bubble and settle; if it does not, your coffee may be older but is still brewable. Checkpoint: the bed should be evenly wet with no dry patches before you continue.
- Pour in stages: Pour in two or three gentle spirals, adding water up to 160 g by 1:00, then to 240 g by 1:45, and finally to 320 g by 2:30. Keep the water level below the rim of the dripper. Common mistake: pouring too fast and high, which disturbs the bed and causes uneven extraction.
- Let it drain and finish: Allow the bed to drain fully. The total brew should finish around 3:00–3:30. Swirl the carafe gently and serve. Taste once it cools slightly: if it is sharp, grind finer next time; if it is bitter, grind coarser. Checkpoint: note the total time and taste together, since time alone does not tell you if the cup is balanced.
About the coffee
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Red Brick: Red Brick is a washed blend of Caturra and Castillo from Colombia and Catuai, Pache, and Catimor from Peru, with notes of pear, caramel, chocolate, and plum. The washed process and sweet-leaning flavor notes mean you can brew it without extreme techniques and still get a clean, balanced cup.
Red Brick