I've been following some of the very informative discussions here on different French press brew techniques, especially the brew methods  link http://www.brewmethods.com/. My question is about the 'crust' that forms, or should form, after initially saturating and agitating the grounds with water. I seem to get a nice bloom forming but not as many of the grounds are floating in it and I don't seem to be getting that nice crust that I've seen in some of the instructional videos.

What am I doing wrong? Grounds not coarse enough? Too coarse? Wrong water temp? I haven't invested in a nice grinder yet but my cheapo Capresso does allow me to adjust the grind size.

Thanx.

Joe

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Wow, what an intense discussion my question has spurred. I just made a French press brew with some freshly roasted coffee from my favorite local shop that they retail as "dark roast" and I got a really great bloom with this one. After letting it sit for 4 mins in the press, i "cracked" the crust and literally saw the bloom expand. I can't say it tastes decidedly better than some recent brews I have done with much less bloom. But it sure was fun to watch. I will have to ask the coffee shop owner about his roast process (1st, 2nd, 3rd? crack) so I can add some more detailed feedback to the discussion.

Thanx everyone.

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