Hand-brewed coffee class 5 | How to reduce the bitterness in hand-brewed Yirgacheffe? How to correct hand-brewed coffee that is too strong or too weak

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Yirgacheffe beans are usually roasted to medium to light roasts.

For medium-light roasted Yirgacheffe, my brewing preparation is usually medium-fine grinding + lower water temperature of 89-90 degrees.

When brewing, the following factors will affect the taste of the coffee:

• Water temperature (the temperature of the water when it comes into contact with the coffee grounds)

• Time (contact time between water and coffee powder)

• The size of coffee powder particles

Some fans have asked whether Yirga’s bitter taste is due to deep roasting (this is also possible, but today we have ruled out the beans as a 1-2 degree difference is actually within the normal range). The following factors may lead to the extraction of bitter Yirga:

1. Some of the smaller particles (fine powder) are extracted from the beginning to the end

2. The overall water flow is too thin, which results in the water flow not being able to be discharged quickly, and repeated extraction of a certain part of the coffee. For example, no matter how the thin water flow circulates, it only circulates within the range of the diameter of a one-yuan coin, and then the coffee on the edge is not extracted.

3. Water temperature

The temperature of the water used to brew coffee can change the taste of your coffee

When talking about water temperature, everyone will immediately think of the temperature of the water poured in during extraction. In fact, the water temperature here refers to the water temperature when it comes into contact with the coffee powder.

If the water temperature is too high (above 94 degrees), the ingredients in the coffee powder will dissolve faster.

• The sour taste itself dissolves very quickly, and even if the water temperature is high, the total amount of it dissolved in water will not change much.

• Bitterness dissolves relatively slowly. If the water temperature is too high, the speed at which the bitterness moves from the center of the coffee powder to the surface will suddenly increase. The total amount dissolved in the water will be greater, and the proportion of bitterness in the coffee will increase.

On the contrary, if the water temperature is low (below 83 degrees), the bitterness in the coffee will be reduced.

[Give an example]

Yirgacheffewoka, Ethiopia

Grade classification: G1

Variety: Heirloom

Planting height: 1650m~1800m

Treatment method: water washing

First Brew:

V60 filter cup, 15g powder, water temperature 90 degrees, grind 4 (ghost teeth), water-to-powder ratio close to 1:16

35g water, steaming time is 35s

Segmentation: Fill water to 110ml, cut off water, and slowly fill water to 230ml

The taste is a bit bland and the flavor is weak

The other steps remain unchanged, just adjust the grinding degree to be finer. This will increase the number of particles that absorb water and retain the hot water longer, which will naturally increase the concentration of the coffee liquid.

Second brew (correction):

V60 filter cup, 15g powder, water temperature 88.9 degrees, grind 3.5 (ghost teeth),

The water-to-powder ratio is close to 1:15

35g water, steaming time is 32s

Segmentation: Fill water to 110ml, cut off water, and slowly fill water to 228ml

Smooth taste and richer flavor

Coffee extraction time can change the taste of coffee

• Sour taste dissolves quickly , so there is not much difference between the amount dissolved in water in 3 minutes and the amount dissolved in water in 5 minutes.

• Bitterness dissolves slowly , so the amount dissolved in water in 3 minutes is different from the amount dissolved in water in 5 minutes. In short, if you increase the extraction time, the longer the time, the more bitter the coffee.

The powder layer condition cannot be ignored in hand brewing, this must be emphasized! The powder layer plays a delicate role, one of its functions is to provide resistance, so that the hot water can stay in the filter cup long enough to ensure that enough flavor components are dissolved. The powder layer must also have a certain support force to play a "blocking" function. In order to prevent the powder layer from weakening, it is necessary to grasp the [strength of the water column], [the position of water injection], and [stable circling technique], which is a complete set of [water injection skills].

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How to correct hand-brewed coffee that is too strong or too weak:

(Note that the taste here refers to the three situations when the hand-brewed coffee tastes light, strong, or has too much unpleasant flavor)

1. How to correct the light taste of hand-brewed coffee:

1. Other steps remain unchanged, just adjust the grinding degree to be finer. This will increase the number of particles that absorb water and retain the hot water longer, which will naturally increase the concentration of the coffee liquid.

2. Keep other steps unchanged, but try increasing your coffee powder (same grinding degree as before) by 3-5 grams. This will increase the thickness of the powder layer, enhance its water absorption, and also improve the concentration.

3. Keep other steps unchanged and replace the coffee beans with darker roasted beans. Generally speaking, darker roasted beans have better expansion and water absorption capabilities. You can retain the hot water in the powder layer to extract more ingredients and achieve the purpose of increasing the concentration. However, it should be noted that the flavor of the coffee will become slightly different due to the change in the roasting degree of the coffee beans. Generally, Xiaoka recommends not making such adjustments.

4. Other steps remain unchanged. You can adjust yourself and slow down the water injection frequency. If it takes one minute and forty-five seconds to brew 240 grams of coffee, you can adjust it to two minutes or two minutes and ten seconds. If it is still not strong enough, you can do the same.

5. Other steps remain the same. You can make the hot water in the brew pot a little hotter than before. The higher the water temperature, the higher the extraction capacity, which means more flavor can be brewed. However, this method should never be used on coffee beans that are roasted too dark. High temperature + dark roasted beans = Chinese medicine!

2. How to correct the strong taste of hand-brewed coffee:

1. Add some water directly to the strong 1:8 – 1:10 coffee liquid, the ratio will be 1:15-1:16 and the taste will be clearer

2. Other steps remain unchanged. Just adjust the grinding degree to be coarser, reduce the number of coffee particles that absorb water, and shorten the time it takes for hot water to pass through the powder layer, so as to reduce the concentration of the coffee liquid.

3. Keep other steps unchanged, but reduce the amount of coffee powder (same grinding degree as before) by 3-5 grams to make the powder layer thinner, reduce its water absorption capacity, and reduce the concentration.

4. Other methods remain unchanged, but replace the coffee beans with beans with a slightly lighter roasting degree. The expansion ability and water absorption capacity of medium-light roasted coffee beans are relatively weaker, and the extraction time of hot water staying in the powder layer becomes shorter, and the concentration of the coffee liquid is naturally reduced.

5. Keep other steps unchanged, just speed up the water injection frequency. Instead of taking two minutes to brew 240 grams of coffee, you can adjust it to one minute and fifty seconds, try the taste of the coffee, and so on.

6. Other methods remain unchanged, only lower the extraction temperature to weaken the extraction ability of water, and the taste will become lighter and weaker. However, this method will also cause your coffee to lose the flavor that can only be extracted under relatively high temperature conditions. It depends on how you choose.

3. How to correct the problem when coffee has too much unpleasant taste.

1. Keep other methods unchanged, lower the extraction temperature and reduce the extraction rate, so that the unpleasant flavors in the coffee will not be extracted too much.

3. If you do not change other methods, change the brewing water source. Poor water quality will also make your coffee taste weird. If you want to make a good cup of coffee, try using the more popular Moufu Spring or Jingtian.

4. All the steps remain unchanged. If you cannot replace the grinder, sift some fine powder so that the taste will not be too mixed.