u/Lcphilly

I’d love some help with my first subtext experience. I’m currently brewing Ernedis Rodriguez, washed Colombia Caturra - it was roasted on 4/16, and im struggling to find much flavor. Notes here are grape, yellow apple, stone fruits, juicy , and complex.

I usually love delicate light roast washed coffees (sey, coffee collective, wendelboe, nomad, etc) , so I’m certainly not expecting an in-your-face fruit bomb, but I’m mostly getting a “green” / grassy note with this one, and much more subtle apple/grape in the background, that seems , to my confusion, to be unchanging regardless of grind size or contact time.

My water is attempting to replicate Subtext specs from their site with lotus drops. 1L of distilled water with, 3 drops of Mg, 3 drops of Ca, 3 drops of K, 3 drops of Na for their roastery specs of 50gh, 25kh.

Using Timemore 078 as a grinder, on RPM setting 800. Well seasoned.

A few approaches I’ve tried:

1. Cupping

- about 2.5 weeks and 3.5 weeks. Pleasant but mostly like chamomile, very little “grape, yellow apple, stone fruits” as tasting notes suggest and mostly picking up grassy flavors.
2. At about 3 weeks rest, I used Subtext’s V60 guide, including their suggested grind ranges on 078
- using cafec t-90 filters
- 97c, 16:270
- bloom 60g, pour to 160, before water drains, pour to 270
- suggest 078 range is 10.5-12.5
- suggested tbt is 2:50 and 3:20
- over the weekend, I tried this exact recipe at 078 settings 11.5, 10.5, 8.5, and 7 - I kept my pour speed around 5g per second at a medium pour height, and all cups interestingly finished around 3:20, and had very similar characteristics; grind setting 7 had a bit more body & sweetness but overall, all of them had faint tasting notes with pretty mild acidity. Their texture and mouthfeel is beautiful , but the actual flavor is very minimal and pretty unchanged despite grind changes.

3. Today, closer to 4 weeks rest, I tried Lance Hedrick, double bloom & 1 pour , 1:15 v60 recipe
   - using cafec t-90 filters
   - 93c, 15:225
   - bloom 45g, 2nd 45g bloom to follow, pour to 225 around 8-10g/s at a higher pour height, focused in center
   - aim for 2min - 2:30 min tbt
   - suggest 078 range is 10.5-12.5
   - tried this at 078 settings 11, 9, and 7
   - much faster drawdown surprisingly - all around 2:10-2:20 despite various grind settings
   - again, actual tasting notes were very similar to each other, almost all of them with an overpowering grassy note and limited fruity characteristics - still not unpleasant cups but knowing Subtext’s reputation and my coffee preferences, I feel like I’m missing something. Some stone fruit on the finish but very faint tasting notes

Also worth noting - I’m using my 078 on a low RPM speed of around 800, as it’s my understanding this highlights clarity and acidity. I’m wondering if I need to raise my RPM, and if this is the issue?

I’ve also replicated some of the above brews with 1/3 TWW and have similar experiences with this coffee as using lotus drops to replicate subtext specs.

Any similar experiences with this coffee or suggestions for subtext?

Wondering if this calls for more rest or if I REALLY need to push grind in much finer or coarser directions?

Thanks!
Brew guide for reference: https://www.subtext.coffee/pages/brew-guide