The Art and Craft of Coffee (15 page)

5 BREWING

NOW
that we’ve got ground coffee, the real fun begins. Learning how to brew properly can immeasurably improve your coffee’s quality. Even the most refined, seasoned experts acknowledge that a properly brewed cup of mediocre coffee tastes better than an improperly brewed cup made from the best beans.

All brewing methods must accomplish the following:

• Expose hot water to direct contact with ground coffee for an exact time period, enough to extract the flavor but not the bitterness

• Extract a percentage of flavors from a given formula. (Most consumers want 18 to 22 percent extraction by weight. Use the formula of two tablespoons [10 g] coffee beans per six ounces [180 ml] of water.)

• Control the water temperature at 200˚F (93˚C), hot enough to extract the full flavors but not so hot that it overextracts bitterness

• Remove or filter the grounds from the finished brew

Each coffee brewing method discussed in this chapter accomplishes these tasks. The rules may seem simple, but brewing is not an exact science because the variables constantly change. If you don’t think you’re doing it right, don’t worry. Most of us don’t do it right initially. An automatic brewer usually doesn’t do it right either.

There is no process with more possibilities and variables than brewing. Every method allows for seemingly endless tweaks. A few moments spent analyzing your first brew will often offer some instructive changes for the next one. Once you finesse a taste formula, use it until you finish that batch of beans.

By the end of this chapter, you will know the basic brewing parameters and how to do the following:

• Fine tune your brewing formula for different varieties and roasts

• Brew coffee as well as any expert

< Brewing: The coffee lover’s most important stage.

The Well-Equipped Brewing Kit

In addition to your brewer and grinder, the following tools and implements compose any good brewing kit. (A more extensive tutorial about selecting a brewer follows on pages 95–125.)

A digital or instant-read thermometer (or if not instant, one that works quite fast) or one with a thin, flexible probe attached to a digital console. For accurate, useful temperature readings, the tip of the thermometer needs to access the spot where the grounds and water mix.

A digital kitchen scale to weigh your beans ensures that you will keep your brew formula consistent and allows you to more easily make micro-adjustments. Choose a scale that measures to the ounce or gram; most people brew coffee from relatively small grounds quantities.

A timing device like a kitchen timer or clock accurately tracks how long the hot water and coffee grounds have been in contact and ensures consistency in brewing formulas.

A coffee scoop. Often one comes with your brewer. If not, food or specialty stores carry them. A coffee scoop ensures accurate, consistent measurements.

A tea kettle to make it easier to pour scalding water for manual brew methods such as French press. However, a saucepan (or microwave-safe vessel) will also do.

A powerful heating element such as a stovetop (electric or gas) or electric hot plate either to heat water for pouring or to heat the brewer itself (not shown)

Heat-safe gloves or protective oven mitts for safely handling hot coffee brewers and tea kettles

Water (not shown). Bottled spring water is the best quality, but tap is fine if your local water has suitable qualities. (For more about water, see page 92)

A liquid measuring cup to ensure consistent water amounts

Fresh whole bean coffee, the freshest available. Grind only before brewing. (For more about selecting coffee, see
chapter 2
.)

Storage containers with tight-fitting lids to keep the precious beans as fresh as possible. (For more on storage, see
chapter 2
.)