Pour-Over Coffee Techniques | Coffee Water-to-Bean Ratio | Coffee Blooming Tips | Coffee Bean Resting Period

Introduction

Hello everyone! Many coffee enthusiasts purchase coffee equipment and beans to brew at home. As an editor, I frequently receive various questions, and the enthusiasm among our readers is remarkably high. Today, I'd like to share several common questions that beginners often ask and provide comprehensive answers to all of you.

Question 1: Pour-over Coffee Blooming - No Water Dripping?

This is our first question: "When pouring water for blooming in pour-over coffee, I notice no water is dripping through. Is this the correct technique?" Let me explain - this is actually the proper approach!

The purpose of blooming is to allow hot water to gradually penetrate the center of the coffee grounds, allowing substances within the coffee powder to dissolve into the hot water first, forming a high-concentration coffee liquid. During the second brewing stage, the physical phenomenon of concentration gradient takes effect - the high concentration (bloomed coffee liquid) moves toward lower concentration (fresh hot water) to achieve equilibrium (uniform concentration).

Therefore, if you use too much water for blooming and a large amount of coffee liquid drips through, the situation becomes: the water doesn't停留停留 but directly extracts substances from the outer layer of coffee grounds... When the outer layer components of the coffee grounds are dissolved, the inner layer remains dry... As hot water penetrates the inner layer of coffee grounds... undesirable flavors and astringency from the outer layer also begin to dissolve. Coffee brewed this way will be both weak yet have the unpleasant flavors of over-extraction.

If the blooming water amount is insufficient and no water drips through at all, this means the coffee grounds haven't absorbed enough water, and some coffee particles haven't released sufficient gas, which will lead to under-extraction~

So how much water should be used for blooming?

Generally speaking, there are two calculation methods:

① Use 1.5-2 times the amount of coffee grounds. For example, if using 15 grams of coffee grounds, use approximately 23-30 grams of water for blooming. Light roast coffee can use slightly less;

② Use 1/10 of the total extraction amount. For example, to extract 240 milliliters of coffee, use 24 grams of water for blooming. Similarly, light roast coffee can use slightly less;

Therefore, the correct blooming state is when several drops of water fall through - this is ideal, but the prerequisite is that as shown in the image above, the blooming water pour is complete and evenly distributed across the coffee grounds, ensuring every coffee particle can absorb water~

Question 2: Where Does the Acidity in Coffee Come From?

The second question: let's first discuss where the acidity in coffee originates. Coffee is one of the plants with the highest chlorogenic acid content in the plant kingdom, and chlorogenic acid is a powerful antioxidant. Additionally, coffee contains formic acid (oxalic acid), citric acid, malic acid, and other acidic chemical compounds. During green bean processing, acetic acid (vinegar acid) and lactic acid are produced. Finally, during roasting, although some acids decompose with heat, generally speaking, citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid are more likely to be retained. Therefore, coffee always has some acidity~ after all, coffee is a fruit.

Consequently, even medium-dark roast coffees like Blue Mountain and Mandheling still carry acidity, though it's lower compared to medium and light roasts. Additionally, coffee flavor is a complex state where the four basic tastes - sour, salty, bitter, and sweet - both enhance and suppress each other. For instance, a certain level of sweetness can suppress acidity, while a certain level of saltiness can enhance sweetness, and so on. Furthermore, when we judge coffee acidity, besides considering the acidity level, we should also consider the acidity quality - that is, the quality of the acid~

For example, medium-dark roast Blue Mountain is often described as a coffee with very balanced mouthfeel, with low acidity but excellent acidity quality. This means Blue Mountain coffee has gentle acids that are of high quality, leaving a refreshing sensation in the mouth when consumed.

Another example is Kenya coffee with its bright berry and citrus acids. Although highly acidic, good Kenya coffee's acidity can transform into a fruit-like sweet-tart sensation, which is also considered excellent acidity quality.

However, low-quality acids, such as those that are highly acidic and make you pucker, or those that are low in acidity but dull and lifeless, cannot be considered excellent acidity quality.

Question 3: How to Control the Water-to-Coffee Ratio in Pour-over Coffee?

The third question: how should one master the water-to-coffee ratio for pour-over coffee? Honestly, as an editor, I believe when brewing coffee, whatever you like is best~ Some people prefer strong coffee, while others prefer it weaker.

However, what we need to discuss here is why we always recommend a water-to-coffee ratio between 1:14 and 1:16?

First, let's talk about the water-to-coffee ratio we use for cupping - 1:18.8

This ratio is designed to ensure that the coffee's concentration and extraction rate fall within the Golden Cup standard, which means: 1. Extraction rate between 18%-22%. 2. Coffee concentration within the range of 1.2%-1.45%.

As for pour-over coffee water-to-coffee ratio, it's the recommended ratio to make your coffee "taste better"! Because friends who have participated in cupping know that cupping coffee is relatively weak - this is to better distinguish the various flavors of coffee. Additionally, a cupping round lasts about 20 minutes, during which the coffee grounds are completely immersed, allowing flavors to be fully released. In contrast, pour-over brewing uses water to extract coffee contents within 2-3 minutes. Therefore, to achieve the same extraction effect, the water-to-coffee ratio needs to be reduced~1:14~1:16 (depending on the coffee's roast degree), and with such ratios, as long as there are no extraordinary errors during the brewing process, the result generally won't be too unpleasant!

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Personally, I enjoy brewing Hacienda La Esmeralda Natural Red Label Geisha at a 1:18 ratio, which can showcase its complete floral and fruit aromas~ You can also use a 1:13 or even 1:12 ratio to brew Blue Mountain or Mandheling, extracting only the early to middle-stage flavors~

As for pour-over techniques, they vary widely. My suggestion is: as long as the brewed coffee tastes good, who cares how you brew it!

Question 4: How Long Should Ethiopia Kochere Be Allowed to Rest (Degas)?

Today's last question: how long should Ethiopia Kochere be allowed to rest? Those who have read our article: "FrontStreet Coffee Teaches You Coffee Making | The Importance of Fresh Coffee - The Bean Resting Chapter" would already know~

Ethiopia Kochere is a light roast coffee. Light roast beans degas relatively evenly and slowly, so they require more time to complete maturation. Resting for 5-7 days is normal, and if your storage environment temperature is lower, resting for 8-10 days is perfectly fine~

Conclusion

The above only covers a small portion of beginner questions. If there are any omissions or inaccuracies, everyone is welcome to supplement and discuss~ If you have other coffee-related questions, we welcome you to communicate with us, and we will do our best to answer~

Looking forward to the next coffee beginner Q&A session! Let's work together to improve our professional standards!

Important Notice :

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