How to find the golden ratio in coffee?

How to find the golden ratio in coffee?

You can explore the "golden extraction ratio" for a particular coffee bean in a controlled test. Make this a simple one-step process so that you can quickly test the extraction ratio suitable for the coffee bean every time you change a bean. So, how do you calculate the golden ratio?

Choose your extraction ratio from the following ranges: 1:20, 1:18, 1:15 and 1:13, the extraction ratios recommended by various roasters and cafés.

If conditions permit, we can take four wide-mouthed cups or bowls and put labels A, B, C, D on the bottom of each cup for easy comparison.

Grind about 30 grams of medium-fine ground coffee powder and add 5 grams, 5.55 grams, 6.69 grams and 7.67 grams to each cup. Please also clearly mark it on the label.

Heat the water to 93 degrees Celsius. Because the water temperature may drop due to some circumstances, you can heat it a little higher.

Then pour 100 grams of water into each cup and wait for 4 minutes.

After 4 minutes, keep the timer running and pick up the spoon to skim off the top of the liquid. If your coffee is lighter roasted or has been roasted for a long time, the coffee powder will contain less carbon dioxide and the coffee powder may sink to the bottom.

After skimming off all the coffee powder on the top of the liquid, wait 12 minutes before tasting the coffee. This gives the coffee time to cool down, and the coffee will taste more balanced and more like its own flavor.

Take a spoon and taste each cup of coffee with different ratios in small amounts. Write down your thoughts on each cup of coffee in a notebook. Is the taste too weak or too strong? Is the coffee sweet? Is there a fruity taste? Is the bitterness not too strong? Try to find the cup of coffee you like best, and after tasting it, check the label at the bottom to find the golden ratio that this cup of coffee is suitable for.

Of course, you’ll want to adjust the ratio after brewing, depending on the brewing method you’re using and your taste preferences, but this test will help steer you in the right direction for what ratios are best for your coffee.

If you find an extraction ratio you like, it doesn’t mean you have to stick to it all the time. The “golden extraction ratio” should be flexible and vary with the roasting time of the coffee beans, personal taste preferences, and extraction methods.