The 4:6 Method was introduced by Tetsu Kasuya, the World’s Brewers Cup champion in 2016. This method is said to allow for more control over sweetness, acidity and strength of the coffee.
After much experimenting, in this article we will share our findings and also the perfect recipe to begin with the 4:6 Method.
4:6 Method Explained
The name “4:6 Method” refers to the ratio of balancing sweetness and acidity vs strength.
In the first part of the brewing process, 40% can be adjusted for sweetness and strength. While the second part, which is 60% can be adjusted for strength.
In the explanation by Kasuya, he uses a coarse grind with 20g of coffee grounds and 300ml of total water (1:15 ratio). He divides each pour with this formula: Grounds x 3 (20g x 3 = 60ml). For 5 pours of 60ml, that is 60ml x 5, you get 300ml.
4:6 Method Preparation
For our 4:6 method preparation, the goal is to create a single cup recipe for 200ml based of the original method. We use the same equation of 1:15 ratio, of 13g coffee and 200ml of total water.
Our pours will be 40ml – which is close to the calculation: 13g x 3 = 39ml.
We experimented on the brew times, and found 40 sec bloom with 20 sec for each pour to be good. That will total to 2 minutes and a drawdown to 2:30.
For example, the bloom will be 0:00 – 0:40, the second pour from 0:40-1:00, the third pour 1:00-1:20, fourth at 1:20-1:40, fifth at 1:40-2:00 minutes. The draw down time should end by 2:30 minutes.
The rest of the method remains the same – coffee is grind coarse and water temperature at 90°.
Hario V60 – Tetsu Kasuya’s 4:6 Method
Brewing Method
1. Pre-wet the paper filter and empty the server.
2. Ensure the grinds are evenly distributed in the brewer with a slight vertical tap.
3. Use the tip of a spoon to draw a hole in the center of the coffee bed.
4. Bloom the coffee with a gentle pouring swirl from the center at up to 40g water for 40 seconds.
5. The following pours will be 40g of water at a 20sec interval with a 10sec pouring time, totaling 200g brew weight and around 2:30 minutes of total brew time.
6. At 0:40, begin the 2nd pour of 40ml with quick swirls around the coffee in 10 seconds. Total: 80g.(0:40′-1:00′)
7. Continue with the 3rd pour with another 40g of water. Total: 120g. (1:00′-1:20′)
8. Continue with the 4th pour with another 40g of water. Total: 160g. (1:20′-1:40′)
9. Continue with the 5th pour with another 40g of water. Total: 200g. (1:40′-2:00′)
10. Allow the coffee to draw down from between 1:50 – 2:30 and not more.
11. Once finished, give it a stir and allow more time for the coffee cool down.
Adjusting for Sweetness & Acidity
The 40% of the brewing process is controlled by the first 2 pours.
If you need more sweetness, adjust the first pour to be smaller than the second pour. For increasing acidity, adjust the first pour to be slight more than the second pour.
Let’s say we are using 50ml for each pour. By increasing sweetness, our first pour can be 40ml, while the second 60ml. The opposite can be applied for acidity, which is 60ml for the first and 40ml for the second.
The total should be 40% of the total weight, 50+50 = 100ml.
Adjusting for Strength
The 60% of the brewing process controls strength, which equates to the last 3 pours.
To adjust for higher strength, divide your pours into 4. For lower strength, divide your pours into 2.
For example, 60% of our 50ml pours is equaled to 150ml. For more strength, the 4 pours are 37.5ml each. For lower strength, the 2 pours will be 75ml each.
Experiments
Our recipe is a culmination of many tests and across different types of coffee. We used a washed Kenya SL28 that has notes of Blackberry and it provided with slightly more brightness with a balanced body.
In our experience of the 4:6 method with the CAFEC Flower Dripper, the results weren’t as good. The body tasted slightly weaker as compared to the Hario V60.
Conclusion
The 4:6 method is one of the most recognized coffee brewing methods for the Hario V60, but also not the easiest to understand. We know from our failures that it is difficult to find the ideal grind size and pouring method for a single cup of coffee.
Overall, the taste from the 4:6 method using equal parts of 40ml does really well. We did not have much success when trying to increase sweetness and acidity. But the best outcome we found from our tests was making the bloom slightly longer at 40 seconds.
The only practice you will need is pouring consistently at 40ml for each 20 seconds. If you find that your coffee is under-extracted, tasting sour or has a long draw down time, use a coarser grind. Keep dialing in and practicing with two-handed control on the kettle and you will definitely reach the rewarding results.
Thanks for reading. We hope you have gained some valuable insights from this post. Follow Art Of Brew on Instagram and Twitter or share your thoughts in the comments below.
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