Every batch brewer is a little different and each one is capable of being programmed in different ways. The following are general guidelines for any brewer to help make brewing a delicious cup a little easier.
Coffee Brewing Basics
Start with the following (approximate) parameters:
4:30 minute programmed brew time
200℉ brew temperature
6-8 pulse brew
If possible, program pre-wet to be 15-20% of total brew water
If possible, program a 40 second to 1 minute delay between pre-wet and first pulse
Maximizing Flavor
The perfect cup of batch brew is balanced, sweet with a pleasant aftertaste. Any coffee can taste great on batch brew but adjustments may be necessary to help it taste its best. Keep programming the same for each coffee and adjust grind size or coffee dose to maximize flavor.
16:1 (water to coffee ratio) on a medium-coarse grind setting.
For ½ gallon batches, this translates into 4 oz of ground coffee.
However, many of our customers use a slightly lower ratio of 3.5 oz of ground coffee for a ½ gallon batch.
When to grind finer:
If coffee taste sour
If coffee seems thin/weak
When to grind coarser:
If coffee taste bitter
If coffee seems too strong/thick
When to lower coffee dose:
If coffee is sour and is too strong/thick
When to up coffee dose:
If coffee is bitter and thin/weak
Batch Brew Coffee Dose Guidelines
The following chart is designed to provide a suggested dose for coffee (by weight) for various size batches of coffee.
This is a general guideline and you should always consult the manual for your specific machine.
If coffee tastes too sour/acidic reduce the dose in ¼ oz increments until you are happy with the brewed product.
If the coffee tastes bitter or watery increase the dose in ¼ oz increments until you are happy with the brewed product. All coffee measurements are in OUNCES by WEIGHT
Batch Size
0.5 Gallon
1 gal
1.5 gal
2 gal
2.5 gal
3 gal
3.5 gal
4 gal
4.5 gal
5 gal
Min. Dose
3.25 oz
6.5
10
13.25
16.75
20
23.25
26.75
30
33.25
Max. Dose
4.5 oz
8.75
13
17.25
21.75
26
30.25
34.75
39
43.5
Batch Brew Dosing Table
Coffee Brewing - Freshness Guide
The main concerns for preserving the freshness of brewed coffee are maintaining the temperature without applying additional heat and reducing contact with oxygen. For this reason, coffee should never be kept on a burner or in an open carafe.
Storing Brewed Coffee:
Immediately after brewing coffee, it should be transferred to a preheated, thermal container.
Coffee should be stored in an appropriately sized container without too much extra space. (i.e. do not store ½ gallon of brewed coffee in a 2-gallon container)
Coffee should be discarded 2 hours after brewing.
Coffee not stored in a thermal container should be discarded 30 minutes after brewing.
VPR Brewing Step-by-Step Guide
*Make sure that the brewer is not connected to the power source during the initial set-up*
Preparation:
Place an empty funnel onto the funnel rails.
Position an empty dispenser beneath the funnel.
Open the flip lid located on top of the brewer and pour in three pitchers of tap water, allowing around two minutes between each pitcher to allow water to flow into the tank. While the third pitcher of water is entering the tank, excess water will flow from the spray head, out of the funnel, and into the dispenser.
Once the water flow from the funnel stops, connect the brewer to the power source and wait for approximately 20 minutes for the water in the tank to heat to the proper temperature. During this time, some water may drip from the funnel due to expansion, but this should not occur afterward.
Remove the dispenser and empty it, then replace it under the funnel.
Open the flip lid on top of the brewer and pour in one pitcher of water.
Wait until the water flow from the funnel stops and let the water in the tank reheat to the correct temperature.
Empty the dispenser. Your brewer is now ready to use according to the coffee brewing instructions provided below.
Brewing:
Insert a filter into the funnel.
Pour XX coffee into the filter and level the bed of grounds by gently shaking it.
Slide the funnel into the funnel rails.
Put an empty dispenser beneath the funnel.
Open the flip lid on top of the brewer and pour in one pitcher of water.
Once the brewing process is complete, discard the used grounds and filter.
Cleaning:
Use a damp cloth rinsed in mild, non-abrasive liquid detergent to clean all surfaces on your Bunn-O-Matic equipment.
Check and clean the spray head regularly, ensuring that the spray head holes always remain open.
To prevent liming problems in the brewer, use the provided deliming spring to clean the spray head tube. Insert the spring all the way into the tube and saw back and forth five or six times. In hard water areas, this may need to be done daily, and it takes less than a minute.
