Using a French press with finely ground coffee

Question

I usually make two grinds for my coffee - a fine grind for my Moka and a coarse grind to take to work so I can put it in a French press.

Today I zoned out and ground everything finely, and I don't have beans left for another batch. I've tried using my Moka grind in a french press before, but it always tastes burnt or extremely bitter.

Is there a way to make coffee using a French press with finely ground beans, without it becoming bitter?

This question seems quite similar, though the answers deal more with the sediment than the taste of the coffee itself.

Answer 1

If you use immersion brewing (which is what a French press does) with more finely ground coffee, you will want to reduce the time as extraction is faster. I wish I could give you an exact time, but I have not experimented with this; I would start with approximately 2 minutes.

You are also likely to ge ta muddier, grittier cup as the mesh in the press will not catch all of the more finely ground coffee.

Answer 2

You can play around with any of the factors below

• Extraction time (shorter = less bitter)
• Coffee:water ratio (less coffee / more water = less bitter)
• Temperature (colder = less bitter)
• Roast type (lighter = less bitter)
• Type of coffee (arabica = less bitter compared to robusta)

I'd try to reduce each one in that order. Typically, I change extraction time (and coffee:water ratio if needed). I don't usually change the temperature so that I have fewer factors to deal with. I rarely change roast and bean type since I usually just have one bag of beans.

My tip is to change one factor first and observe the effects instead of changing multiple factors at once. This will give you a better grasp how each affects the final cup.

* It's more complex and not 100% accurate in some cases. I just simplified it and these should apply in most cases.

** And cheers to having both a french press and a moka pot!