Tetsu Kasuya 4:6 Method – Lighter Version

2016 World Brewers Cup – Winning Recipe

The 4:6 method by Tetsu Kasuya, which won him the 2016 World Brewers Cup, is a pour-over coffee brewing technique designed to balance sweetness, acidity, and strength.

By adjusting the coffee-to-water ratio and frequency of pulse pouring, this method allows brewers to fine-tune the flavour profile of the coffee. The name "4:6" reflects the division of the brewing water into two phases: The first 40% for controlling sweetness and acidity, and last 60% for adjusting the strength.

The process involves pouring in small, controlled pulses rather than one continuous flow. By changing the number and size of pours within each phase, you can influence the final flavour.

How to brew the 4:6 Method

The 4:6 method uses a coffee to water ratio of 1:15. In this following example, we're using 20g of coffee and 300g of water.

We divide the amount of water 4:6 – that's 120g (the first 40%) and 180g (the remaining 60%).

First 40% – Controls sweetness and acidity

The first 120g of water is always split into two pours, but you can adjust how much you pour each time to shift the balance between sweetness and acidity.

• First 40g, then 80g: Sweeter, less acidic
• First 60g, then 60g: Medium, balanced
• First 80g, then 40g: Brighter, more acidic

Note that you don't need to pour these exact numbers, the key is that they add up to 40% of the water. So you could have 53g in the first pour, then 67g.

Last 60% – Controls strength and body

The remaining 180g of water determines the coffee’s body and strength. Divide it into 1 to 3 pours depending on how strong you want your coffee.

• 1 pour of 180g: Lighter body, cleaner flavour
• 2 pours of 90g: Medium strength, balanced
• 3 pours of 60g: Fuller body, stronger flavour

Notes

• Always start your pours after the top of the bed of coffee runs dry. This should happen around 30 seconds after you finish every pour. If it ends too early – grind your coffee finer, if it runs too slowly or is clogged – grind coarser.
• For the pouring technique, it's recommended that you pour spiralling in and out from the centre to the edge of the brewer. This is to insure that you extract the coffee evenly.
• This method is not exclusive to the V60! The 4:6 formula can be used for any pour over brewer so long as you follow the same coffee to water ratio and pouring amounts.

Recipe Preparation

• After setting up, rinse and heat the filter and brewer with hot water and throw out the water from your vessel/carafe.
• Add ground coffee into the filter (make sure the bed is flat) and tare your scales.