Can Italian coffee powder be used for hand brewing? What should I pay attention to when using fine powder to make hand brewed coffee?

Yesterday, a customer asked Qianjie Coffee, what should I do if the coffee beans I bought are ground into powder for making Italian coffee? I believe many friends have encountered this before. The coffee powder they bought is very fine. If they use the usual hand brewing parameters to brew it, it will definitely be over-extracted. Is it not acceptable?

Today, Qianjie Coffee would like to share with you how to brew coffee powder with the same coarseness as that of Italian coffee.

Qianjie Coffee uses medium-dark roasted [Aged Mandheling] for brewing. The raw beans of [Aged Mandheling] are stored for at least 3-5 years. Its acidity is relatively low and soft, and its flavor is mainly chocolate, caramel, herbs, and ripe Pu'er.

【Hand pouring】

Parameters: filter cup Hario V60; water temperature 85℃; powder-water ratio 1:15 or 1:10 and then diluted with water; grinding degree: BG1C (close to Italian grinding)

Filter cup

Due to its design, the V60 filter cup has a relatively fast water flow speed, and the water level in the filter cup will also affect the flow rate of the coffee liquid in the filter cup. Therefore, when using it to brew this kind of deep roasted and finely ground coffee, there is no need to worry about over-extraction due to the slow flow rate!

Water temperature

Since the grind is very fine and the roasting degree is relatively deep, it is easy to over-extract if the water temperature is too high, so Qianjie Coffee will choose a relatively low water temperature (85℃) for brewing.

Powder-water ratio

If the ratio of powder to water is too high, the amount of substances extracted during extraction will also increase, so Qianjie Coffee recommends choosing a powder-to-water ratio of 1:15 or a powder-to-water ratio of 1:10 and then adding water for dilution.

Technique

In terms of technique, Qianjie Coffee chose to brew by pouring water directly into the center after steaming. Because the coffee powder is ground too finely and the beans are loose after deep roasting, the flavor substances in the coffee powder are easily extracted. Therefore, Qianjie Coffee chose to pour water into the center to reduce the extraction of coffee powder.

When the coffee powder is impacted by the water flow, it will roll inward with the water injection point as the center. The water injection center point is close to the filter cup hole at the bottom, so the water flow will be pressurized and flow to the sharing pot faster.

Because of the center injection, it is normal for the powder bed to be a pit after all the coffee liquid in the filter cup has flowed out.

Extraction time

Because the flavor substances in finely ground coffee powder are very easy to extract, Qianjie Coffee recommends that you shorten the extraction time appropriately when brewing. Qianjie Coffee's brewing this time starts from steaming, and the extraction time is controlled at about one minute.

Qianjie Coffee used two coffee powder and water ratios to conduct brewing experiments:

【Powder-water ratio 1:15】

Method: Steam with 30 grams of water for 30 seconds to allow the coffee powder to be fully exhausted to avoid the gas in the coffee powder affecting the brewing process. After steaming, directly add water to the center until 225 grams and stop. When the water in the filter cup drops to 1/2 of the filter cup, remove the filter cup (start steaming) and the extraction time is 1'10".

Flavor: The first taste is chocolate and herbal flavor, with soft fruit acidity, caramel sweetness and fruit aftertaste. The overall flavor is relatively rich and the taste is thick.

【Powder-water ratio 1:10】

Method: Steam with 30 grams of water for 30 seconds to allow the coffee powder to be fully exhausted to avoid the gas in the coffee powder affecting the brewing process. After steaming, directly add water to the center until 150 grams stop. When the water in the filter cup drops to 1/2 of the filter cup, remove the filter cup (start steaming) and the extraction time is 1'05". Then add 100 grams of water to the sharing pot.

Flavor: The first taste is chocolate, nuts, and herbs, with a creamy aroma and caramel sweetness in the middle. The overall feeling is relatively balanced and light.

Finally, let us summarize. If the coffee powder is ground too finely, then we can lower the water temperature appropriately when brewing, choose a small ratio of powder to water, and reduce stirring during brewing to reduce the extraction of coffee powder!