Brazen Coffee Brew System (aka Gort) Traveling Road Show

[JW]

I also have cleaned the filter holder basket and filter in oxyclean to get rid of a strong coffee smell that built up after a while.

+1 on the oxyclean, I have found in some cases it works better than cafiza, and the plastic on this machine is one of those...

[ScareYourPassenger]

By the way, there's a small crack in the plastic at the base.  Cosmetic only, does not affect functionality.  Noticed the morning after I unpacked it. 

Yup, the crack was there when I got it and the offer smell seemed more intense compared to my tv.

[RobertL]

I can compare both. I have a tv right now that I have a system worked out on.

So what did you think? How did the two compare?

[ScareYourPassenger]

Less scientific compared to milo but I ended up choosing the tv. I am sure I could have played with temps and got the brazen to perform the same but I was getting a brighter cleaner profile from my tv. Plus it was done in what seemed like half the time.  I also like the slightly more manual approach because I get to see the bloom, smell it and stir the grounds to see how the water flows and adjust for smaller brews.

The part that drove my wife crazy was the brazen dripping on its own base and the spout always made a mess when pouring.

If I were to start over I would have ended up with the brazen. I would have put in more effort to match the same clarity of the tv to save myself $100.

[RobertL]

Less scientific compared to milo but I ended up choosing the tv. I am sure I could have played with temps and got the brazen to perform the same but I was getting a brighter cleaner profile from my tv. Plus it was done in what seemed like half the time.  I also like the slightly more manual approach because I get to see the bloom, smell it and stir the grounds to see how the water flows and adjust for smaller brews.

The part that drove my wife crazy was the brazen dripping on its own base and the spout always made a mess when pouring.

If I were to start over I would have ended up with the brazen. I would have put in more effort to match the same clarity of the tv to save myself $100.

Thanks that's great information for someone like me in the market for an auto brewer.

[bekeld]

Gort came today... No basket, used paper filters BUT doggone it, coffee would not drain down. 1st time got 1 cup. 2nd time got 4. Everything worked fine in calibration. No idea why this happened. Coffee tasted overextracted 2nd time.

Husband and brother-in-law made fun of Gort. Poo.

[jano]

I got your pm that you found the basket (wasn't clear where exactly you found it) - have you had any luck brewing with the machine since this try?  I'm wondering if you doubled up on the paper + metal basket which caused it to go too slow. 

[bekeld]

My brain was really tired. We were hosting my family when Gort arrived on the 24th. After everyone left, I pulled up a video on Gort and saw them pull the basket out from UNDER the display. Oh.my.goodness.

Works MUCH better now.

[RobertL]

My brain was really tired. We were hosting my family when Gort arrived on the 24th. After everyone left, I pulled up a video on Gort and saw them pull the basket out from UNDER the display. Oh.my.goodness.

Works MUCH better now.

So where were you putting the coffee in the water reservoir?

[jbviau]

That is some serious brain fatigue!

[jano]

My brain was really tired. We were hosting my family when Gort arrived on the 24th. After everyone left, I pulled up a video on Gort and saw them pull the basket out from UNDER the display. Oh.my.goodness.

Works MUCH better now.

[bekeld]

My brain was really tired. We were hosting my family when Gort arrived on the 24th. After everyone left, I pulled up a video on Gort and saw them pull the basket out from UNDER the display. Oh.my.goodness.

Works MUCH better now.

So where were you putting the coffee in the water reservoir?

do I really have to answer that?

The good thing about all this is that we now know that Gort is definitely idiot-proof.

Made a pot @10am. It's about 3pm now, and the coffee is just now getting to be lukewarm. Using 3 days post roast Burundi, dropped temp to 201, decreased presoak to 30 sec. Much smoother.

[bekeld]

Have a question--

As I was brain dead and put coffee in water reservoir thinking that was the basket, I have been thinking that there might be issues that occur down the road from that. The pot works very well now, but should I keep this and just buy a new one to send to tyme? I don't want to go against past practice, but you don't usually have a person pooch a road show like this.

[Mlee]

Quick question on the brazen. What temperature is the presoak? Has anybody verified the pre-soak temp? Inquiring minds want to know.......

[BozemanEric]

I have never checked it with my thermocouple but I have always assumed that it is the same as the brew temperature being that the unit brings the water up to temp before anything happens.