Tips and Tricks: Brewing coffee at home
Mike Safai, our Master Roaster, always says he, as the roaster, controls half of the final cup taste but the other half comes from the barista or preparer and it’s up to them how that cup comes to life. We’ll go through some of the variables of brewing coffee and how they affect the final up, then finish off with a very timely home recipe for some luscious cold brew.
Firstly, let’s address one of the most critical tips for having great brewed coffee at home, where it’s stored. Fresh coffee will continue to release carbon dioxide for the first couple of weeks after it is roasted. Oxygen causes coffee to stale, losing the liveliness in the brew and that layer of carbon dioxide acts as a barrier against it. In order to keep coffee fresh that’s been sitting a while, transfer it to an airtight container to protect it from oxygen. In addition, you’ll want to keep your coffee at room temperature, out of the fridge and freezer. Coffee absorbs odors from your fridge, including that curry leftover! Refrigeration and freezing also drys out coffee, negating any benefit a cooling effect would have on degradation of the flavor.
Once you are ready to brew, manipulating variables during the extraction process will bring out favored flavor profiles. Grind size, water temperature, water quality, filtering methods and of course, the ratio between water and coffee grinds al impact flavors found in your final brewed cup.
Brewed coffee is a solution made from the extraction (hello high school chem!) of molecules from coffee grounds. Water molecules, with their slightly polarized poles, attract and pull caffeine, proteins, and minerals from the coffee grinds. Oils also come into play, especially with hot brewed coffee.
Grocery store pre-ground coffee is sized for a typical 10 cup automatic home brewer. Whole bean coffee can be ground just prior to brewing, or at the place of purchase, which often offers an adjustable grinder with variable sizes from Fine (Espresso grind), to Course (French Press). Grind size directly affects the extraction process in two ways, first by allowing more or less surface area of the coffee to come into contact with the polarizing effects of water, and second with the flow, or turbidity, of water through coffee grinds (time). Finer grinds produce a longer extraction with less water.
FINE GRIND
COFFEE BEANS GROUND TO THE SIZE OF FINE SAND, WITH A CLUMPING CHARACTERISTIC, USED FOR BREWING ESPRESSO AND Turkish coffee.
Coarse Grind
LOOSE WITH THE TEXTURE OF ROUGH SAND PAPER, COARSE GROUND COFFEE IS USED WITH LARGE SIZED FILTERS AS FOUND IN FRENCH PRESS POTS.
Ground coffee will stay suspended in solution unless it is separated by a physical barrier. Preferred grind size is mostly determined by the filtration method. Commonly used are paper filters, coned or flat bottom, depending on your brewing device. French press pots require a course ground to facilitate grind separation with the internal metal mesh. Coffee brewed in French Presses and through metal cones retain more oils and solubles in the solution, making it a richer, fuller experience with a thick body. Paper filtration will remove many oils and fine “silt”, resulting in a “clearer”, brighter brew.
Water is 99% of a brewed solution, and therefore has a significant impact on taste. Tap water can work well, depending on your city’s water quality. Alternative water solutions to strong seasonal odors, highly chlorinated or soft water will make a drastic increase in quality coffee. Filtered water is best, as used in most coffee shops. Spring water is a close second. Distilled water is terrible, including water put through an osmosis system, as all minerals have been removed, reducing polarizing properties and leaving many molecules in coffee grinds. Finally, the temperature of the water for brewing hot coffee should be just below boiling, between 201-206. Too hot, and too many bitters are extracted early in the brew cycle, too cool will under extract with a stale, flat brew, except for with cold brew, which brings us to…..
Ahhh, COLD BREW
Could there be a better concoction for a searing hot summer afternoon? There could be a close second, but cold brew really hits the spot.
Cold brew method is just as it’s name describes. Instead of the extraction process happening for 3- 5 mins with hot just boiled water, cold brew method is room temperature water steeped with coarse ground coffee typically overnight, from 12-16 hours (recipe to follow). The cold brew method extracts less bitters while the long, slow process pulls more of the sweeter, nuanced flavors making a smoother sweeter drink compared to hot brewed coffee. Often resulting in a concentrated brew, cold brew can have a higher caffeine content per ounce. It also can have up to 60% less pH acids, making it a great solution for folks sensitive to acids.
Although there are many ready-to-drink options out there, the following brewing-at-home recipe is a cinch, especially when using Safai Coffee’s amazing specialty coffee! We use Tanzania at our coffee shops. Another classic, Ethiopia, is divine with blueberry hints and lemon undertones. Honduras has a simple sweetness to it with a lighter body. Honestly, they are all amazing. The cold brew method simply requires a container with a lid, which can be as fancy as a French Press or Toddy, or it can be as simple as a Mason jar. Just place coarsely ground coffee into a container, and add room temperature water. Can shake it, or stir it after an hour if you like and let steep for 12-15 hours.
Once the brew is filtered, it will be fairly concentrated (read super caffeinated). Pour the brew over ice to adjust strength with water, milk, sweetened condensed milk or, our favorite right now, oat milk. Fun variations: add whole clove or cardamom to the grinds prior to adding water. We have heard some people will add a little water or milk to the final brew and heat it as a morning cup. Could be something interesting to try.
Basic Ratios and Steps:
1 part Coarse Ground Coffee
5 parts Spring Water
Sit overnight on counter
Press French Press OR Filter with Paper Filter or Cheese Cloth through a Chemix, Pour Over Funnel, or Brewing Basket from Automatic Brewer
Yields 75% Solution
32 oz Container:
3/4 cup ground coffee
Fill to bottom of rim with spring water
Yields 20-24 oz of sweet, sweet joy
16 oz Container:
1/3 cup ground coffee
Fill to bottom of rim with spring water
Yields 8-10 oz of brew
Over 14 specialty coffee single origins and blends with a plethora of grind sizes and filtering methods, offers literally thousands of new ways to experience coffee. We hope that you find that exciting! It keeps our hearts pumping and makes it easy to love waking up and getting on with our day.