Factors affecting the taste of hand-brewed coffee

Hand-brewed coffee, seemingly simple, actually contains a lot of subtle changes in taste, and there are many factors that cause these subtle changes, which can be roughly analyzed from the following factors.

One, water.

A cup of hand-brewed coffee, more than 90% of the ingredients are water, so water is naturally the primary material factor affecting the taste of coffee. The impact of water is mainly manifested in two aspects:

1, water temperature

The temperature of hand-brewed coffee is generally maintained between 88-93 degrees. If the water temperature is too high, it is easy to make the bitter components of coffee over-extracted, causing bitter coffee taste, loss of acidity, lack of freshness and brightness. On the contrary, if the water temperature is too low, it is easy to cause insufficient extraction, making coffee sour and dull.

2, the ratio of water to coffee powder

This principle applies to all aqueous solutions, i.e. the greater the ratio, the greater the concentration of the solution. Therefore, the same amount of coffee powder here, the larger the water volume, the smaller the coffee concentration, the lighter and softer, the smaller the water volume, the greater the coffee concentration, the stronger the taste.

Second, grinding degree

The grinding degree of coffee powder determines the contact area between coffee powder and water during brewing and the degree of easy extraction. The finer the coffee powder is ground, the easier its ingredients are extracted and the heavier the taste, but the grinding details are easy to extract too much bitter ingredients and lose their original acidity. On the contrary, the coarser the grinding degree, the lighter and softer the coffee taste, and the appropriate coarseness can well express the acidity of the coffee.

III. Extraction time

Hand brewed coffee extraction also has strict requirements in terms of timing. Generally, the extraction time of one cup is about 1 minute and 30 seconds, two cups are about 2 minutes to 2 minutes and 30 seconds, and three cups are about 3 minutes and no more than 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

Leaving this time limit, extraction time is too short, it is easy to cause insufficient extraction, taste dull, too long, it is easy to extract excessive, coffee taste more bitter and miscellaneous ingredients.

IV. Extraction apparatus

The biggest impact here is mainly the difference between filters. Coffee Ming home commonly used filters are mainly single-hole Melita, three-hole Kareta and conical kono three kinds.

In contrast, coffee brewed with caritas is lighter and softer, with obvious acidity and a clean and refreshing taste.

Melita makes coffee aroma more intense, taste more rich and stable.

The kono method shows a softer and richer aroma, a more pronounced sweetness and a smoother and balanced taste.

Five, brewing water flow

Making coffee by hand is a "kung fu activity", and this "kung fu" is mainly manifested in the regulation of water flow. During the process of hand soaking, it is necessary to maintain the height of water flow, the thickness of water flow, and the uniformity and stability of water flow speed. Any deficiency will affect the richness of taste and the balance of taste.

1, water flow height

The height of the water flow is generally kept at a distance of about 3 or 4 cm from the coffee powder plane. If the water flow is too high, the impact force is too large, which is easy to destroy the internal balance of the coffee powder, causing the miscellaneous flavor to be extracted and the taste to be unbalanced. If the water flow is too low, it becomes "bubble" coffee, and the water flow cannot pass through the coffee powder smoothly, which is easy to cause "water accumulation" inside the coffee powder and excessive extraction.

2, water flow thickness, water flow speed

If you want to inject the same amount of water at the same time, you mainly rely on adjusting the thickness of the water flow and the speed of the water flow. Generally, the coarser the water flow, the faster the rotation speed, the extracted coffee taste tends to be light and soft, suitable for light roasted beans; the finer the water flow, the slower the rotation speed, the more fully extracted, and the coffee taste is relatively strong. However, the thickness and speed of the water flow should be properly controlled. Too coarse and too fast water flow is easy to extract insufficient, coffee is light and tasteless or only shows a single bitter taste; too fine and too slow water flow is easy to cause excessive extraction, and coffee tastes dull and bitter.

VI. The human factor

After making coffee by hand for a long time, I have to have some "idealism". Personally, I think that hand brewing_manual brewing, so here "people" is the key factor. Coffee brewed carelessly and coffee brewed wholeheartedly taste absolutely different, because the former infuses "water" and the latter infuses "heart". Coffee brewed with the same care, care, and tension and coffee brewed with ease and confidence are two flavors-of course! If the coffee maker himself is nervous, not confident, not assured of his own operation, then how can the coffee powder below easily release all its aroma and taste!

Therefore, to sum up the above points, the first five points can be grasped well, then you can make the taste of hand-brewed coffee, but the taste is not enough, this has to add the sixth point, to change the "hand" bubble into "heart" bubble, so that the coffee can have soul, life and vitality, in order to drink!