Brew Method
Tricolate Brewer: Recipe, Filters and Grind Advice
Tricolate is a cylindrical filter brewer with a shower screen and no flow valve. Start with correct paper seating and one complete method, then adjust the grind from the cup and drawdown rather than treating a long brew as a failure.
On This Page11 Sections
Key Takeaways
- 1Keep the dispersion screen on when pouring. It distributes water over the flat bed, so a gooseneck kettle is optional.
- 2The starting method here uses 20 g coffee and 360 g (12.7 oz) water, with an 80 g (2.8 oz) bloom: a clearly labeled scale-based adaptation of Prima Coffee's guide.
- 3Slow drainage has several possible causes. Check paper seating, bed preparation and agitation before assuming every long brew needs a coarser grind.
Highlights
- Starting method
- 20 g coffee / 360 g (12.7 oz) water
- Grind / temperature
- Medium-fine / 99°C (210°F)
- Reference finish
- 6–10 min, method-specific
- Plain serving reference
- 96 mg caffeine / about 2 kcal / 0 g sugar
Nutrition describes a separate 240 g (8.5 oz) serving of generic brewed coffee. See the serving assumptions.
How the Tricolate Screen and Walls Work
Tricolate uses a straight chamber, flat paper filter and perforated dispersion screen. Water poured into the screen falls across the grounds; the intended drainage route is through the coffee bed and bottom paper. There is no valve to hold a timed immersion and no plunger.
That design reduces reliance on a precise kettle stream. Level the grounds carefully to limit channeling within the bed. The broader no-bypass brewing guide explains this water route and how it differs from adding dilution water after brewing.
Tricolate Filters, Models and Setup
Use paper sold for the Tricolate, seat it correctly and keep the shower screen clean and fitted. Check that the server supports the brewer securely.
The flat paper and shower screen get my attention before the grind. I check that they're seated correctly, so an unusual brew doesn't send me through several grinder changes while the water path stays wrong.
The Monastery Coffee listing checked for this guide identifies its brewer as v3. Older guides may show earlier versions. Check your brewer's version and included instructions rather than assuming all historical illustrations show identical hardware.
For the starting method below, rinse the paper, warm the brewer and discard that water before adding coffee. Level the grounds with gentle taps, fit the shower screen and tare the complete setup. For the equipment basics, see how to make pour-over coffee.
Brewing with a Tricolate
Use 20 g medium-fine coffee and 360 g (12.7 oz) water at 99°C (210°F) for this scale-based adaptation of Prima Coffee's Tricolate guide. Keep the scale running from the 80 g (2.8 oz) bloom to the 360 g (12.7 oz) final total.
| Variable | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 20 g |
| Brewing water | 360 g (12.7 oz), plus separate rinse water |
| Input ratio | 1:18 by mass |
| Grind | Medium-fine |
| Water temperature | 99°C (210°F) |
| Bloom | 80 g (2.8 oz); wait until 1:00 from the first pour |
| Next addition | 280 g (9.9 oz), reaching 360 g (12.7 oz) cumulative water |
| Reference finish | 6–10 minutes from the first pour |
Recipe
Tricolate: 20 g / 360 g Starting Recipe
- Makes:
- 1 batch; collected coffee is less than 360 g (12.7 oz)
- Time:
- 6–10 minutes from the first pour, plus setup
Ingredients
- 20 g medium-fine ground coffee
- 360 g (12.7 oz) brewing water at 99°C (210°F), plus separate rinse water
Equipment
- Tricolate with matching flat paper and shower screen
- Stable heatproof server, grinder, scale, kettle and timer
Method
- Fit the matching paper, rinse it to warm the brewer and discard the rinse water. Put the brewer securely on its server, add 20 g coffee, level with gentle taps, fit the shower screen and tare the scale.
- Start the timer and pour 80 g (2.8 oz) water through the screen. Swirl to wet the grounds.
- At 1:00, add 280 g (9.9 oz) more, stopping at 360 g (12.7 oz) total. Keep the screen fitted and allow water to pass through it without overflowing.
- Let drain. Use 6–10 minutes as the source's comparison range, then taste the coffee. Swirl the server before pouring.
Recipe notes
Weighed adaptation of Prima’s guide: 80 g plus 280 g matches its 360 g ingredient total; the source’s steps use milliliters.
Keep the shower screen fitted. Coffee and grind can change drainage; the time range is a reference.
The 360 g (12.7 oz) is water added, not the collected drink. Some liquid remains in the grounds and paper; weigh the collected coffee if you need a serving yield.
How this method adapts the source
Prima's ingredient list specifies 20 g coffee and 360 g (12.7 oz) water, but its steps describe an 80 ml bloom followed by 280 ml. This page deliberately uses 80 g plus 280 g to match the listed total water mass. It is a practical scale-based adaptation, not an assertion that hot-water grams and milliliters are identical. Temperature, grind description, one-minute bloom and reference brew-time range come from that guide.
Why Do Other Guides Give Shorter Times or Longer Ratios?
They describe different methods. Dawn Patrol's traditional version uses 15 g coffee, 250 ml (8.5 US fl oz) boiling water, a 35 g (1.2 oz) bloom and a 35-second pause, with medium-coarse grind and a 3–4 minute reference. Its finer-grind version instead uses 10 g coffee and 220 ml (7.4 US fl oz) water, with a 5:30–6:30 reference. Keep each method’s units and timings together.
What No Bypass Does to the Cup
Reducing an escape route around the bed changes how water contacts the grounds. It can make longer water-to-coffee ratios useful. Strength and extraction are different: more water may extract more material while also producing a more diluted drink.
Keep dose, paper and the 1:18 input ratio steady while learning the method. If the coffee is balanced but too concentrated, add a little water to the finished cup. If it is thin and unpleasant, investigate the grind and wetting before extending the ratio further.
Fixing Slow, Thin or Dry Tricolate Coffee
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| What you notice | Check first | Next controlled change |
|---|---|---|
| Unexpectedly slow drainage | Paper fit, clean screen and excessive agitation | Repeat consistent bed preparation, then compare one grind change |
| Dry or harsh finish | Vigorous swirling and very fine grinding | Reduce agitation or try a slightly coarser grind, one at a time |
| Thin cup at a long ratio | Water total and even wetting | Return to 1:18 before trying 1:20–1:22 again |
| Uneven bed or holes | Screen fitted for every pour; level grounds | Break up dry clumps and keep post-bloom disturbance modest |
Should I Grind Finer to Make a Slow Tricolate Faster?
Try it only as a controlled experiment. In his 2022 inventor interview, Dan Schusett describes finer settings improving flow with particular grinders and particle distributions. Record both taste and time, changing one setting at a time; do not transfer this advice automatically to Pulsar or a cone brewer.
From Adelaide to the No-Bypass Wave
Tricolate was developed in South Australia by Dan Schusett. His interview describes an antique Tricolator as an inspiration for the design and name, and local manufacture of the modern Tritan-plastic brewer.
The Taste, and Who It Suits
Choose Tricolate if you like paper-filtered coffee and want water distribution handled by a screen. Take time to learn its paper, grinder and bed preparation.
Compared with Pulsar, Tricolate has no valve to manage or clean, but cannot deliberately retain a timed immersion. A V60 gives you more direct pouring control and a different filter geometry. Orea has its own model and paper choices; follow the recipe for the model and paper you use.
Caffeine, Calories and Serving Size
A 240 g (8.5 oz) serving of generic brewed black coffee provides about 96 mg caffeine, 2 kcal and 0 g sugar, using USDA Standard Reference record 14209.
Serving, sugar and sources
The USDA record lists 40 mg caffeine, 1 kcal and 0 g sugar per 100 g. At 240 g of collected coffee, that is 96 mg caffeine and 2.4 kcal, rounded to about 2. Brewing-water input cannot substitute for collected serving mass. Beans, dose, extraction and serving size change caffeine; milk and sweeteners change calories and sugar. The figures are estimates for generic brewed coffee.
Common Questions Before You Brew
Do I Need a Gooseneck Kettle?
No. Pour into the fitted screen and keep the stream controlled enough to avoid overflowing it. A scale and timer are more useful than copying elaborate spiral pours.
Can I Use AeroPress Filters Instead?
Use Tricolate paper that covers the support correctly. An AeroPress disc is not a confirmed substitute here; changing the disc can change sealing and drainage.
Is a Ten-Minute Brew Automatically Over-Extracted?
No. Time alone does not measure extraction or taste. Compare the cup with the named method's reference, then examine grind, paper and agitation if it is also unpleasant.
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
5 references
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