What to Do When Brewed Blue Mountain Coffee Tastes Too Acidic - Tips for Brewing a Perfect Cup

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FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee Brewing Guide: 7 Methods

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee has arrived home, so how should you brew it? Here are 7 recommended brewing methods:

1. Espresso and Latte

Did you know that FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain can also be used for espresso! How is Blue Mountain SOE made? With proper puck distribution techniques, leveling the coffee surface, then tamping with about 25kg/m² pressure (but we use a calibrated tamper, so the tamping force is basically consistent), grind size #1.9, very fine level, salt-like granularity. For a single shot, we use 13.5g to extract 20g liquid weight, extraction time 27 seconds; for a double shot, 20.5g to extract 40g liquid weight, extraction time 26 seconds (single full load 14g, double full load 22g). Because the beans are quite fresh, the crema is moderate, presenting a golden color with rich caramel aroma. When tasting, you first experience soft fruit acidity, followed by caramel sweetness, with chocolate and brown sugar in the finish.

Blue Mountain espresso mixed with hot water to make Americano enhances the sweetness significantly, making the sweet feeling lighter, reducing fruit acidity, leaving a concentrated dark chocolate taste in the mouth.

Blue Mountain Latte: We use Kowloon Dairy fresh milk, steamed to 60 degrees, with foam and milk evenly blended. When combined with espresso, it delivers hazelnut-like sweetness with distinct creamy chocolate notes, while not overpowering the fresh, sweet taste of milk - a truly eye-opening flavor experience.

2. Pour-Over Coffee

(1) Kalita Wave, Cake Cup, and Kono Dripper Brewing:

Coffee brewed with Kalita Wave, cake cup, and Kono dripper will have a very full body with excellent flavor persistence. During extraction, the Kono dripper uses the air pressure generated by the siphon effect to extract, so coffee particles achieve high initial water saturation. This immersion-style extraction increases concentration, and soluble substances are carried out with the water flow. For those who prefer a heavier body, FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain would be highly recommended with this method.

Prepare 17g of coffee, water temperature 88°C, grind size BG 6M (Chinese standard #20 sieve, 47% pass rate), water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:14.

Technique: First use 30g of water for bloom, bloom time 30s. Pour water close to the coffee surface. First pour to 120g and stop pouring. When the water level drops by 1/3-1/2, proceed with the second pour, stopping at 234g. Control brewing time around 2 minutes 15 seconds. If time is up but it hasn't finished dripping, you can discard the remaining liquid.

(2) V60 Dripper Brewing:

Hario V60 series drippers have larger openings, plus unique spiral ribbed design that allows air to be more easily released, improving extraction quality. The ribbed design can extract soluble substances in a short time, primarily through rinsing, creating a juice-like light body with distinct sweet and sour notes and aroma. Paired with different pouring techniques and methods, you can achieve different body and flavor profiles in coffee, making it highly versatile.

Prepare 15g of coffee, water temperature 88°C, grind size BG 5R (Chinese standard #20 sieve, 60% pass rate), water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15.

Technique: First use 30g of water for bloom, bloom time 30s. Pour water close to the coffee surface. First pour to 120g and stop pouring. When the water level drops by 1/3-1/2, proceed with the second pour, stopping at 225g. Control brewing time around 2 minutes 5 seconds.

Flavor Profile:

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee has a very clean, gentle taste with chocolate sweetness and very strong body. The flavor is rich and mellow, with perfectly balanced sweet, sour, and bitter notes - completely without bitterness, only moderate and perfect acidity, with a persistent fruity finish. Kono, Kalita Wave, and cake cup brewing increase concentration, creating a solid, heavy body with intense flavors; while V60 dripper brewing creates a refreshing, sweet taste with cane sugar sweetness, followed by nuts and concentrated dark chocolate aftertaste and sweet return.

3. Siphon Coffee

Preparation Steps:

(1) Add water to the bottom chamber of the siphon. For making two servings of coffee, add water 5mm above the 2-cup mark on the siphon. Because the coffee grounds will absorb water, if you want to make two servings of coffee liquid, you need to add slightly more water.

(2) Grind coffee beans, prepare 25g of coffee grounds (for single cup, grind about 15g), medium grind BG 6M (Chinese standard #20 sieve, 47% pass rate), meaning particles between white sugar and brown sugar.

(3) After adding water, remember to wipe the outside of the bottom chamber dry with a soft cloth, leaving no water residue to prevent the pot from bursting during heating.

(4) Add hot water to the bottom chamber and heat with a gas stove. Generally, single cup coffee uses about 180g water, double serving 300g (coffee-to-water ratio 1:12).

(5) Once the above steps are completed, start heating the water!

When the water is heated to brewing temperature, install the filter cloth in the top chamber. Make sure to hook it as shown in the picture below! Otherwise, when water from the bottom chamber rushes up to the top chamber, the filter will be pushed open.

Post-Ground Addition:

This method creates a richer body with more prominent caramel and honey flavors in the mid-section.

Unlike pre-ground addition, post-ground addition means adding coffee grounds after all the water from the bottom chamber has completely risen to the top chamber. Before adding the grounds, we have ample time to reduce the heat source to just enough to support the water in the top chamber from falling back. Then adjust the position of the filter screen to keep it centered, and finally wait a few minutes for the water temperature to drop slightly. When water first rises from the bottom to the top chamber, the temperature will be around 90-95°C, so we can let the water temperature drop by 2-5°C before adding the coffee grounds.

(1) When the water temperature reaches 90°C, hold the top chamber upright. When water rises to the top chamber, pour in the coffee grounds, stir, and start timing. Use circular stirring to ensure the coffee grounds fully absorb water.

(2) Adjust the heat to appropriate size. After blooming for 30 seconds, perform the second stir.

(3) Perform the third stir around 50 seconds. After stirring, remove the heat source, wipe the bottom chamber with a semi-dry cloth, and let the coffee liquid flow back. Total time around 2 minutes 15 seconds.

Flavor Profile:

Newly brewed siphon coffee will definitely be very, very hot - of course, wait for it to cool slightly before tasting. The caramel flavor is very rich, the body becomes heavier, but this doesn't affect its clean taste. The fruit acidity becomes more stable and has a distinct sweet aftertaste.

4. AeroPress

It combines the immersion extraction method of French press, the paper filtration of pour-over coffee, and the rapid, pressurized extraction principle of espresso. Therefore, in theory, coffee brewed with AeroPress can have the richness of espresso, the purity of pour-over, and the smoothness of French press.

AeroPress Standard Accessories:

AeroPress main body (rubber seal already installed), funnel, filter paper holder, filter cap, filter paper, measuring scoop, stirrer

AeroPress Advantages:

(1) Clean and smooth taste: With appropriate warm water and proper pressure, you can brew coffee with low acidity and no bitterness, but full of flavor, with distinct sweet notes.

(2) Rich body: Make a perfect cup of coffee in 2 minutes, with actual pressing time of only 20 seconds. However, due to the pressurized extraction during the pressing process, you can actually get a cleaner taste than other immersion coffee methods.

Technique:

Inverted method, single serving 15g coffee, grind size BG 6A (Chinese standard #20 sieve, 50% pass rate), 85°C water. Preheat the AeroPress, add hot water and stir 2 circles to wet all particles, bloom with 35g water for 30 seconds, then add 200g water, stir gently for a few circles at 1 minute 45 seconds, press at 1 minute 50 seconds, apply pressure vertically and evenly, finish extraction at 2 minutes 17 seconds.

Flavor Profile:

The sweetness becomes quite fresh and prominent, with light fruit acidity. In the sweetness, there are milk chocolate flavors, with a slight sweet aftertaste in the finish. The overall mouthfeel is tea-like.

5. French Press: No complicated techniques, no filter paper needed, easy to use

Grind Size:

BG 6M (Chinese standard #20 sieve, 47% pass rate)

Technique:

20g coffee beans, coffee-to-water ratio 1:14, pour 88°C water into French press to 280g, start timing. Put the lid on the French press, with the filter stopped at the highest position. Wait for 2.5 minutes, then press the filter to the bottom.

Analysis:

Using immersion extraction, faster at the beginning, slower later; all coffee grounds are soaked in water for even extraction, making FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee taste balanced and not prone to bitterness. Pressing through the coffee layer with a metal filter screen retains rich oils, increasing smooth mouthfeel, enhancing body and caramel sweetness.

Flavor Profile:

Compared to AeroPress, the caramel flavor is enhanced, but it retains more dark chocolate aftertaste and fruit acidity, with improved body.

6. Cold Drip Coffee

Grind size BG 4M (Chinese standard #20 sieve, 75% pass rate), cold drip doesn't have high requirements for grind size; 60g of coffee grounds to drip 600ml of liquid, generally using a coffee-to-water ratio between 1:10 or 1:12, using 0-2°C ice water, with ice and water in 1:1 ratio, dripping at 7 drops per 10 seconds.

After dripping is complete, remember to seal and refrigerate for 3-4 nights for fermentation. Why? Because freshly dripped coffee liquid doesn't have full flavor and tastes a bit dry and astringent. Medium-dark roasted beans need longer fermentation time to make the texture smoother and flavors fuller.

Detailed Notes:

For cold drip coffee, gently press the coffee grounds to maintain uniform structure in the filter tube; add a piece of filter paper on the surface of the coffee layer to allow water to evenly wet the particles; "pre-soaking" is also necessary, actually similar to the blooming process in pour-over coffee.

Flavor Profile:

When drunk without ice cubes, it immediately presents caramel, brown sugar, and dark chocolate sweetness. With ice cubes added, the texture becomes smooth, with faint fermentation notes, refreshing and accompanied by soft fruit acidity.

7. Japanese Iced Pour-Over

Equipment Preparation:

Ice cubes, coffee beans, pour-over equipment set (V60 dripper and filter paper, serving pot, electronic scale, thermometer, pour-over kettle, small spoon)

Technique:

Grind size BG 5R (Chinese standard #20 sieve, 60% pass rate), water temperature 89°C (1-2 degrees higher than regular pour-over), pre-place 100g ice cubes in the bottom server, bloom with 40g water for 30 seconds. During the process, you can use a small spoon to stir to promote degassing and speed up dissolution of substances. Then pour with small water flow to 160g, finally shake it gently, and the iced pour-over is complete.

Flavor Profile:

Through ice melting, the concentration is somewhat diluted, while enhancing the viscous, silky texture. Fruit acidity is enhanced, with faint melon, nuts, and roasted peanut aftertaste gradually appearing. The layered complexity of iced pour-over is somewhat weaker than hot pour-over, with less flavor change from beginning to end.

FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain has many different brewing methods, each with different flavor profiles. This is provided as reference for everyone, and you can adjust according to your own taste preferences and choose the brewing method that suits you best.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473