Four Key Elements for Brewing Single-Origin Pour-Over Coffee & Methods to Identify Fresh Roasted Beans

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe single-origin coffee beans, Indonesian Mandheling single-origin coffee beans, Kenyan single-origin coffee beans, and Brazilian single-origin coffee beans are the four most commonly heard coffee beans from different regions. How to brew these four regional coffee beans to taste great requires specific techniques~ FrontStreet Coffee will now explain how to brew coffee beans from these four regions.

Before explaining how to brew single-origin coffee beans from these four regions, FrontStreet Coffee will first discuss the four essential elements of pour-over brewing: freshness, grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, and brewing water temperature.

Coffee Bean Freshness

Are fresher coffee beans always better? Not necessarily, but stale coffee beans are definitely not good. FrontStreet Coffee often emphasizes that the most crucial aspect of brewing coffee is the freshness of the beans. This freshness refers to the period when coffee beans are at their optimal flavor window, which is 3-4 days after roasting (during the degassing period) and within 15 days of roasting. While coffee beans can have a shelf life of up to one year, don't even mention coffee beans stored for a year—even coffee beans stored for one month will have lost most of their coffee flavor and aroma. Therefore, once you receive coffee beans, try to brew them within 30 days. The longer coffee beans sit, the worse they become!

What is Bean Degassing?

Freshly roasted coffee beans from FrontStreet Coffee release large amounts of aromatic compounds and carbon dioxide through small pores created during roasting. When grinding, these carbon dioxide gases escape. During brewing, these gases can hinder contact between coffee grounds and water, resulting in insufficient extraction. As time passes, the carbon dioxide layer becomes thinner and decreases, increasing contact area and making the coffee more flavorful. Therefore, many people don't call this process "bean aging" but rather "degassing" or "exhausting" process.

Coffee Bean Grind Size

This is one of the most important reasons for problems in coffee brewing. While roasters might provide grind size recommendations and reference points, every grinder is different. We need to pay attention to whether our grinder grinds evenly, the amount of fine particles, and the particle state. Even the same model of grinder can produce different grind states (usage time can cause grinding deviations), let alone when you and the seller are using different machines.

The solution to this problem is to establish unified standards. For example, FrontStreet Coffee uses Chinese standard #20 (850 microns) sieve for screening and calibration. According to SCAA cupping standards, cupping grind size should have a 70-75% pass rate through a #20 standard sieve. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee's pour-over brewing grind size for light roast coffee is generally in the 75-80% range.

Coffee Bean Brewing Water Temperature

Pour-over coffee water temperature is generally recommended between 86 to 93 degrees Celsius. Lighter roasted coffee beans (such as FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Gotiti coffee beans) use temperatures between 90 to 91 degrees Celsius, while darker roasted coffee beans (such as FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Golden Mandheling) use lower water temperatures (between 88 to 89 degrees Celsius). In other words, darker roasted coffee beans use water temperatures not lower than 86 degrees Celsius and not higher than 89 degrees Celsius, while lighter roasted coffee beans use water temperatures not lower than 90 degrees Celsius and not higher than 93 degrees Celsius.

Brewing Coffee-to-Water Ratio

This is based on the SCA Golden Cup extraction theory for pour-over coffee water-to-coffee ratio extraction parameters and taste differences:

Rich Flavor: 1:10-1:11 (equivalent to Golden Cup standard 1:12.5-1:13.5)

Balanced Flavor: 1:12-1:13 (equivalent to Golden Cup standard 1:14.5-1:15.5)

Light & Fresh: 1:14-1:16 (equivalent to Golden Cup standard 1:16.5-1:18.5)

This is also why FrontStreet Coffee has always recommended using a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio. FrontStreet Coffee summarizes the information provided by the above SCA extraction ratio parameters as follows:

1. The larger the coffee-to-water ratio, the lighter the coffee flavor; the smaller the ratio, the stronger the coffee flavor.

2. Increasing water amount to increase the ratio affects more flavor compounds but results in lighter flavor; reducing water amount to decrease the ratio affects fewer flavor compounds but results in richer flavor.

3. Increasing coffee amount to decrease the ratio reduces extraction of large molecular compounds in the later extraction stages while making the flavor stronger; reducing coffee amount to increase the ratio extracts more complete flavor compounds before reaching limits, while reducing flavor intensity.

After discussing the four essential elements, let's talk about how to brew FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe single-origin coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee's Indonesian Mandheling single-origin coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan single-origin coffee beans, and FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian single-origin coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee · Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee, through cupping Yirgacheffe region coffee beans, found that Yirgacheffe coffee beans are bright and clear, rich in fruit aroma, with uplifting acidity, providing a light and fresh tasting experience. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters use medium-light roasting for FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe coffee beans to showcase the floral and fruit flavor characteristics of this region.

FrontStreet Coffee · Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Gotiti Coffee Beans

Region: Yirgacheffe Gedeo Zone

Producer: Gotiti Cooperative

Altitude: 1900-2300m

Variety: Local Heirloom

Processing: Natural Process

Grade: G1

Frontsteet Yirgacheffe Region Coffee Bean Brewing Parameters & Techniques

Dripper: V60

Coffee Amount: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Medium-fine (Chinese standard #20 sieve pass rate 78%)

Frontsteet Brewing Technique: Three-stage extraction. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, pour with small circular motion to 125g for stage separation, continue pouring to 225g when water level is about to expose the coffee bed, remove dripper when water level is about to expose the coffee bed (timing starts from bloom), extraction time 1'55".

Brewing Flavor: Entry notes of citrus and black tea, with cream and caramel as temperature changes, distinct almond aftertaste with obvious sweetness and clean, sweet口感.

FrontStreet Coffee · Indonesian Mandheling Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee, through cupping Indonesian Mandheling coffee beans, found that FrontStreet Coffee's Indonesian Mandheling coffee beans have persistent herbal and spice flavors in the nasal cavity, high body, and low acidity. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters use medium-dark roasting for FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling coffee beans from the Indonesian region to present this region's rich coffee flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee · PWN Golden Mandheling Coffee Beans

Region: Aceh Gayo Highlands, Sumatra

Altitude: 1100-1600 meters

Variety: Ateng

Grade: G1, 3-time hand sorting

Processing: Wet-hulled

Frontsteet Indonesian Region Coffee Bean Brewing Parameters & Techniques

Dripper: Kono dripper

Water Temperature: 88°C

Coffee Amount: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium-fine (Chinese standard #20 sieve pass rate 73%)

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, also called three-stage brewing: Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, pour with small circular motion to 125g for stage separation, continue pouring to 225g when water level is about to expose the coffee bed, remove dripper when water level is about to expose the coffee bed (timing starts from bloom), extraction time 2'15".

Brewing Flavor: Multi-layered, rich and clean, high balance, intense nut and caramel aroma with chocolate notes, persistent aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee · Kenyan Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee, through cupping FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee beans, found that FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee beans' berry juice sensation provides a full mouthfeel. The most special characteristic of Kenyan coffee is its bright acidity while simultaneously providing a full mouthfeel—this is what distinguishes it from Ethiopian region coffee beans and makes it special.

FrontStreet Coffee · Kenya Assalia Coffee Beans

Region: Thika, Kenya

Processing Station: Asali Honey Processing Station

Altitude: 1550-1750 meters

Grade: AA TOP

Variety: SL28, SL34

Processing: Kenya 72-hour washed

Frontsteet Kenyan Region Coffee Bean Brewing Parameters & Techniques

Dripper: Hario V60

Coffee Amount: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Water Temperature: 91°C

Grind Size: Medium-fine (Chinese standard #20 sieve pass rate 77%)

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction: First stage, pour 30g of water for 30-second bloom, then pour 95g (scale shows around 125g), completing in about 1 minute. When water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, pour remaining 100g (scale shows around 225g), completing in about 1 minute 40 seconds. Complete drip filtration at 2'00", remove dripper, finish extraction.

Brewing Flavor: Entry notes of smoked plum and cherry tomato, with strong and thick acidity on the palate, prominent sweetness in the middle, juice-like sensation, berry fruit and brown sugar sweetness in aftertaste, with green tea aroma.

FrontStreet Coffee · Brazilian Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee, through cupping FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian coffee beans, found that FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian coffee beans have enticing nut and cocoa aromas, high body, low acidity, and obvious sweetness. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters use medium-dark roasting for Brazilian region coffee beans to present this region's rich and obviously sweet coffee flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee · Brazil Queen Manor Yellow Bourbon Coffee Beans

Region: São Paulo State, Brazil

Estate: Queen Manor

Altitude: 1400-1950m

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Processing Method: Pulped Natural / Natural

Frontsteet Brazilian Region Coffee Bean Brewing Parameters & Techniques

Dripper: Kono dripper

Water Temperature: 88°C

Coffee Amount: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium-fine (Chinese standard #20 sieve pass rate 75%)

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, also called three-stage brewing: Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, pour with small circular motion to 125g for stage separation, continue pouring to 225g when water level is about to expose the coffee bed, remove dripper when water level is about to expose the coffee bed (timing starts from bloom), extraction time 2'05".

Brewing Flavor: Fresh sweetness of sugarcane juice, black tea, soft and pleasant fruit sweetness, obvious nutty flavor, balanced and smooth acidity, clean and subtle bitterness, rich chocolate aroma and nutty flavor, bright and clean口感, smooth and delicate texture.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473