Experimenting With The Disk Fine From Able Brewing
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On March 30th, 2012 Prima Coffee and Able Brewing partnered up to host a contest. The prize was a pre-release of the new Aeropress stainless steel disk titled, “Disk Fine.” Including me, there were 100 winners chosen to test the new prototype to see whether or not Able Brewing should move forward with full production.So, who is behind Able Brewing anyways?
It all started with Keith Gehrke a once roaster at Coava Coffee and creator of the Kone, a stainless steel filter for the Chemex, as well as the Disk, a stainless steel filter for the Aeropress. If you are familiar with the Kone, you know that it once held the Coava name, but now Keith has since moved from Coava Coffee where the Kone and Disk lie under the new name, Able Brewing.
The Kone has two generations under its belt now, and with each generation featuring even smaller holes and proving better than the last. It seems now that a third generation Kone is in sight. You can see a preview of the third generation Kone over at NY Times. The Disk should be making rounds too marking its third generation as well if there is enough positive feedback to proceed with full production.
I was very honored to be one of the lucky 100 to have the opportunity to give this new filter a good run through.
Left to right comparison: 2nd gen vs 3rd gen
When the Disk arrived I wasn’t sure what to expect from it. I had a lot of questions running through my head and fear for feeling slightly on the spot for feedback. Would the sediment in the bottom of the cup be gone completely? How would the Disk hold up now being even thinner?This new design of the Disk answers the call for an even finer metal filter. The holes measure to half of the diameter of the standard Disk, therefore resulting in a greater density of precisely etched holes. To achieve this, however, the metal had to be thinner. This finer Disk is a bit more delicate; while the standard Disk has the potential to hold up for a lifetime, the finer Disk sacrifices some durability to achieve a greater degree of fineness, resulting in an even cleaner cup. While thin, the Fine is still made of high quality stainless steel and with careful cleaning and storage techniques, the user should ensure that they get lots of use from the finer Disk. ~ Able Brewing
What about the taste? How would the even smaller holes affect the outcome of the cup?
… We do feel that the standard Disk yields a considerably clear cup, but of course there are others who want an even cleaner, less sediment-containing brew. We have experimented with this finer version, and the results were extraordinary! The cup tasted like it had been brewed using a cloth filter, with oils present but sediment unperceived. For those desiring a cleaner metal filter, the finer Disk is a success. ~ Able Brewing
For my experimenting I’ve been using the following baseline parameters:
Grind: On the fine side. Baratza Virtuoso Preciso #22
Ratio: 17 grams coffee to 220 grams water
Steps:- Invert the Aeropress and place ground coffee inside.
- Pour in 220 grams of water and give a quick stir.
- Seal on cap and let brew for 1 minute then flip over cup and press within 45 seconds.
Total brew time: 1 minute 45 seconds
The results with the new Disk Fine were definitely extraordinary, and maybe even a tad magical. What I found was that the Disk Fine produced an even tastier cup than the standard disk currently on the market. The cup was noticeably less acidic, sweeter, much cleaner, and on top of that did not have near as much sediment. From the taste, it was like the little sediment that was there was nonexistent.With the Disk I have now, I normally don’t plunge all the water out to keep the sediment in the cup down, but with the Disk Fine I have found that I don’t need to worry about this step as the sediment is so minimal that it’s starting to become an unnecessary step.
Overall, I love the new Disk Fine. This new Disk for the Aeropress is like the icing on the cake to an even cleaner, less sediment filled cup. I’m glad to see that they will be keeping the current Disk around and adding the Disk Fine as an option, though I think current users will find that this Disk is even better than the last if they are coming from previous versions. And to the completely new users out there, I think you’ll find this Disk makes for a spectacular cup of coffee.
Check out Able Brewing’s site on May 1st, 2012 for product details and more…
About The Author
Jamie Ferguson
From sunny Sarasota Florida, Jamie Ferguson has been drinking coffee since a very young age. Jamie is just your average jane who has a serious addiction to coffee, but more so has a bigger love for the heart, and the dedication that is put into growing, processing and roasting coffee. Come and join the adventures...
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Sumdumguy
