Discussion on Coffee Water quality: effect of different Water on Coffee extraction

Professional coffee knowledge exchange more coffee bean information please follow the coffee workshop (Wechat official account cafe_style)

Why TDS and PPM- are different in Water

Water is usually not just water, but also contains "total dissolved solids" (TDS), that is, tiny minerals and organic matter that pass through the soil, water purification plants or water supply systems, and finally remain in the water, affecting the finished product of coffee.

However, the ways and degrees to which they affect coffee vary, depending on the "PPM" of water and the substances it consists of. Common substances are magnesium, calcium, and bicarbonate, all of which greatly affect the flavor of coffee. For example, Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood and Christopher Hendon found that bicarbonate can regulate the sour taste of coffee, making the flavor tame, if the concentration is not right, coffee may taste insipid, unlike coffee.

"it's hard to tell the difference in TDS content when drinking plain boiled water," Ivan said. But he believes that when water is used to brew coffee, we can clearly tell the difference between water. A wide variety of minerals not only affect the taste of coffee, but also influence the way it is extracted.

Ivan stressed: "if the water quality is unstable, you will not be able to make coffee of the same quality. when the water quality is not satisfactory, you can only make mediocre coffee, and only the most suitable water can make good coffee." "but what is the most suitable water?

Detect different kinds of water

In search of extraordinary follicular coffee, Ivan tested many kinds of water and said he thought the most suitable water should have a mineral content of between 75 and 180 PPM. In fact, he mixed a variety of bottled water (with a total amount of dissolved solids ranging from high to low) to make the concentration of the water accurate to 137 PPM.

Recently, he held a lecture on coffee product evaluation, which aims to compare the taste and aroma of coffee using the following water sources: tap water, filtered water, and his "homemade water". The only variable for brewing three kinds of coffee is water, and the other conditions are the same.

How did it turn out? "Coffee made from tap water is really bad," he said. "I can't accurately describe its flavor, but it just tastes bad. The filtered water gives the coffee a strong sour taste. But when it comes to coffee brewed with "homemade water", Ivan says it tastes "mellow, pure sour and has no obvious drawbacks."

In the same way, he brewed the fourth kind of coffee with the usual bottled water, but that brand of water contained a lot of bicarbonate, so the coffee lost its aroma and affected its flavor.

In other words, water is important, but we may not always be able to use the most suitable water.