How to adjust the strength of coffee? How much influence does the coffee powder to water ratio have on it?

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The simplest form of coffee is ground coffee powder combined with water. Whether the coffee we drink is sour, sweet, bitter, delicious or hard to swallow, the key to determining these flavors depends on the quality of the coffee beans, the water used, and the method of combining them. The combination method can be further divided into: grinding coarseness, brewing time, water temperature, brewing utensils, etc.

This of course includes the "powder-water ratio", which, as the name suggests, is the ratio of coffee powder to hot water, which affects the strength, taste and other results of the coffee, so in this article we will discuss the importance of the powder-water ratio on coffee.

Why is the powder-to-water ratio important?

The flavor of coffee will change due to the brewing recipe. The brewing recipe is like the recipe for baking a cake. The amount of each ingredient used will have an impact. By increasing or decreasing the amount of water or coffee, the taste and viscosity of the coffee can be changed. Therefore, many baristas or people who are particular about coffee use scales and timers to assist in brewing coffee.

For example, some people would mix 50 grams of coffee powder per liter of water to brew coffee for multiple people at a time. But some people would talk about a fixed ratio, such as 1:14 (14 ml of water per gram of coffee powder), or 1:16 (16 ml of water per gram of coffee powder).

Regardless of the coffee-to-water ratio, most people try to maintain consistency, which means the brewer can present his brewed coffee in a more efficient and predictable way, and also knows how to adjust the brewing recipe if he wants to achieve a certain taste.

The powder-water ratio varies depending on the brewing method

Suppose you have a bag of high-quality specialty beans on hand, and they are roasted very well, perhaps with a distinct jasmine aroma, red apple flavor, round taste, and honey sweetness, how would you brew this coffee?

You have a few options: For many, drip coffee is the ideal way to savor the nuances of coffee. Longer brewing time, lower strength, clean taste.

In contrast, espresso is a short-brew, strong drink that is characterized by amplifying two or three of the main flavors in coffee. These two types of coffee have different ideal powder-water ratios, grind coarseness, brewing time and other conditions.

Espresso: Very finely ground coffee with a short brew time (usually about 25-30 seconds) and a very small amount of water, usually in a ratio of 1:1 to 1:3. Long brew times are called lungos, and short brew times are called ristretto.

Generally speaking, immersion coffee (such as French press, AeroPress or cupping coffee) uses coarser ground coffee and takes longer to brew. For drip/pour-over coffee, the ideal grind size and brewing time are somewhat different. Immersion and pour-over require more water and coffee to brew, for example, you may see a coffee to water ratio of 1:15 or 1:18. Usually, immersion coffee requires less ground coffee and less water than pour-over.

These descriptions can help you create your own brewing recipe, but to find the best way, you still need to experiment on your own and try different coffee powder:water ratios.

Does the perfect powder-to-water ratio exist?

Yes, and no.

First of all, you need to understand that different cultures have their own preferred ways of brewing coffee. Some countries like delicate flavors, while others prefer stronger ones.

Next, although many people will recommend different coffee powder:water ratios, this varies from coffee to coffee.

So what coffee to water ratio should you use? For example, if the drip coffee is 1:20, the whole cup of coffee will be too bland; if it is 1:10, the coffee will be too strong. Both of these situations are extreme presentations, and you must find the right balance for each cup of coffee. You want to get the aroma, acidity and all the delicate flavors in the coffee so that you can enjoy the coffee.

In addition, some people use bypass brewing, which uses less water to brew coffee first to get a higher concentration of coffee, and then dilutes the coffee with water to prevent the coffee from being too strong and affecting the taste.

The powder-water ratio is not just this

The coffee powder to water ratio is certainly important, but there are still some factors to consider: water quality, grind particle size distribution, water temperature and even water injection method, there are too many variables.

If your coffee doesn’t taste right, try changing one variable at a time without changing the others. The easiest thing to adjust is grind size:

If the coffee is too acidic, salty, or thin, grind it finer. This increases the surface area that the water comes into contact with, which increases the extraction rate and makes the coffee closer to sweetness and flavor.

If the coffee is too bitter, grind it coarser. This will reduce the surface area that the water comes into contact with, reducing the extraction rate and preventing too much bitterness from being released during brewing.

Note: Extraction rate (how quickly the substances in the coffee grounds are released during brewing) and brewing time (the total time the water is in contact with the coffee grounds) may sound similar, but they actually mean different things, so be careful not to confuse them.

It is not so easy to make good coffee, especially the drip brewing method, because the drip brewing method has too many variables. But as long as you can control the variables, it is worth it, because you can drink the flavor written on the bean bag, such as jasmine, red apple, raspberry or honey.

When you have good control over the extraction of coffee, it means that you use the appropriate powder-water ratio, grinding coarseness, etc., thus achieving the sweet spot we are looking for.

This article was written by Luis Armijos of Coffee Capital blog.

Translated from Perfect Daily Grind

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