How to Brew 50-Degree Dark Roast Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee: A Deep Roast Sidamo Brewing Guide

Sidamo Coffee Region

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Region:

Sidamo is located in southern Ethiopia, at an altitude of approximately 1800-1900 meters, on the slopes of the East African Rift Valley shoulder. It is cultivated by over 2000 small coffee farms. The region receives ideal annual rainfall, approximately 1800 to 2180ml.

Flavor:

Wild fruit flavors, bittersweet chocolate, and red wine characteristics similar to Yemen Mocha.

Characteristics:

Sidamo coffee beans are refined through the washed method. Fully mature coffee cherries are picked from native forests, then the pulp and skin are removed through washing, followed by sun-drying on raised beds. On one hand, this completely prevents contact with soil that could cause off-flavors; on the other hand, it improves the drying efficiency of coffee cherries, more completely presenting the coffee's original fruit flavors.

How to Brew Dark Roasted Ethiopian Coffee?

When encountering medium-dark roasted Ethiopian coffee beans, many people face this problem during brewing: the coffee tastes overly bitter. Today, the barista at FrontStreet Coffee is here to share some experience to help everyone reduce mistakes when brewing medium-dark roasted beans, keeping the coffee flavor within an acceptable range.

Medium-dark roasted beans typically exhibit flavors of caramel, cream, dark chocolate, roasted nuts... along with syrupy texture and full aftertaste. Subtle acidity adds interest to the flavor, but it's not the main focus.

Because the fiber structure of medium-dark roasted beans is relatively fragile, substances inside the beans are easily extracted, and there are more bitter compounds. So to summarize, brewing a delicious cup of medium-dark roasted coffee requires the following key points:

First, Low (Low Temperature)

Medium-dark roasted beans are recommended to be brewed with water temperature between 83-86°C. Lowering the water temperature can slow down extraction and reduce the extraction of bitter compounds.

Second, Gentle (Gentle Water Flow)

Inject water gently to reduce the impact of water flow on the coffee bed. Control the water level in the filter cup - after blooming, slowly pour water from a lower height, allowing the coffee grounds in the filter cup to be soaked. This can slow down the extraction rhythm, making it easier to produce coffee with smooth texture and solid flavor.

Third, Slow (Slow Circles)

Slowly pour water from inside to outside, then from outside to inside over the coffee bed. Too rapid circling increases the stirring effect of water on the coffee, easily making medium-dark roasted beans more bitter. Minimize disturbance of the coffee bed and let the coffee flavor be extracted through soaking. This effectively controls bitterness and astringency.

Fourth, Coarse (Coarse Grind)

Coarse grinding can reduce the contact area between coffee grounds and water, making it less likely for the coffee to develop bitter and harsh flavors at the beginning of brewing due to high-temperature water. Combined with slow brewing, this extends extraction time. As the water temperature decreases in the later stages, flavor and texture compounds are slowly extracted.

The above is my experience. By adjusting the extraction method for medium-dark roasted beans through these four points, you can make coffee less likely to be bitter and astringent.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473