Coffee Brewing Examples
Drip Brewer:
The drip brewer is the most common type of coffee brewer in use today. For
most home drip brewers the only brewing parameters that can be controlled are the
particle size of the ground coffee and
the amount of coffee used or the coffee to
water ratio. Another parameter that can enter into the equation is
the type of brew basket filter used to brew the coffee. Some drip brewers
come with a wire mesh brew basket filter. By using a paper filter instead
of the wire mesh it may be possible to increase the time the coffee is in contact
with the brew water. One other variable that can be varied is the amount of
water used to brew coffee and will shorten the brew cycle.
The first thing to do is determine the brew time by brewing a carafe of coffee and
timing how long it takes to complete the cycle. It is important to time the
amount of time the coffee is in contact with the water from the initial wetting
of the coffee grounds until the last of the coffee drips from the brew basket.
This is the brew time. For most home brewers this will be in the neighborhood
of 4 to 6 minutes. If the time was within this range and the grind size used
was a drip grind then the coffee should fall within the ideal extraction range of 18 to 20 percent.
If the time was longer chances are too much coffee flavoring was extracted and the
brew is bitter and astringent. If the time was shorter then too little coffee
flavoring was extracted and the brew is weak and under developed.
If you have a coffee grinder the grind particle size can be adjusted to correct
the problem. The following phrase is a good rule of thumb, “The finer the
grind the shorter the time”. If the coffee is weak and under developed then
try brewing the next pot with a finer grind. If the coffee is bitter and astringent
then increase the grind size. If you do not have a grinder then experiment
with buying a coarser or finer grind. Everyone has there own perception of
what taste good and brewed coffee is no exception. Above all let your personal
preferences guide the adjustments.
French Press:
Brewing coffee in a French press gives control over all of the brewing parameters
from water quality and temperature to time, turbulence, coffee to water ratio etc.
The only problem with the press may be that ground particles get by the wire mesh
screen, but this is easily corrected by using a courser grind. This problem
has its advantages though. Paper filters remove some of the flavoring compounds
that contribute to the complexity of the coffee flavor. Since the wire mesh filters
out less of the larger flavor and body components of the coffee the end result is
a more satisfying cup.
Because the time of the brew cycle is dependant on the operator the brew time is
infinitely variable and allows for any brew time. This is the biggest advantage
of brewing coffee this way. Simply pour the brew water over the ground coffee,
insert the press only slightly under the surface of the water and time the steep.
Some stirring can be done to decrease the steep time. When it is time press
the filter to the bottom of the container and pour the coffee. Experiment
with the steep time and coffee-to-water ratio to arrive at
the preferred time and recipe.
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