How to Use a Siphon Coffee Brewer for Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

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Let's start with a brief introduction to the origin of the siphon pot. The siphon pot originated in Europe, emerging 70 years earlier than pour-over coffee. Between 1830-1840, Loeff from Berlin, Germany, first invented the glass material, dual-chamber siphon extraction method and obtained a patent. Later, after continuous improvements by countries including France, Britain, and Germany, it was introduced to Denmark and Japan in the mid-20th century, beginning its large-scale market entry and reaching its peak popularity in the 1950s.

As Blue Mountain, the most popular specialty coffee of the new millennium, enjoys a reputation known to everyone, what would be the taste if we use the cool siphon pot setup to brew FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans?

What is Blue Mountain Coffee?

Blue Mountain coffee beans are a type of single-origin coffee beans. The reason Blue Mountain coffee is called Blue Mountain coffee is because the Blue Mountain coffee beans are produced in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica. Jamaica's Blue Mountains are surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. When the weather is clear, sunlight directly hits the azure ocean, and the brilliant blue light reflects on the Blue Mountains, hence the name "Blue Mountain."

However, not all coffee produced in the Blue Mountain region can be called Blue Mountain coffee. Blue Mountain coffee beans are also classified according to planting altitude into Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaica High Mountain Coffee, and Jamaica Prime Coffee, and further divided into No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and PB grades based on the size and quality of the green coffee beans.

Among these, Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans refer to those grown at altitudes between 1,000 to 1,700 meters, with green coffee bean sizes of 17/18 mesh, and defective bean ratios not exceeding 2%, making them the highest grade of Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee. Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans have superior quality, which is also reflected in their Blue Mountain coffee prices.

Authentic Blue Mountain coffee is expensive. This world-class premium coffee bean grows in fertile volcanic soil with suitable environmental temperatures, possessing rich nutty flavors and a balanced, full-bodied taste. Blue Mountain coffee beans are generally used for pour-over coffee. Many friends worry they cannot brew a cup of Blue Mountain coffee with balanced acidity, bitterness, and full body, so they visit FrontStreet Coffee's stores to seek help from FrontStreet Coffee's baristas.

Siphon Principle

The lower chamber of a siphon pot can be called the capacity pot, spherical in shape and marked with water level measurements for several cups, used to hold coffee liquid. The upper chamber is cylindrical and used to extract coffee. This principle actually utilizes the siphon phenomenon in physics.

When the water in the siphon's lower chamber is heated, it generates steam and pressure, pushing the hot water from the lower chamber up through the glass tube to the upper chamber, beginning to brew the coffee powder in the upper chamber. After extraction is complete, turn off the heat and remove the heat source. At this point, the lower chamber is in a semi-vacuum state and loses upward pressure, so the lower chamber draws the coffee liquid from the upper chamber back down (if you want to speed up the return of coffee extract, you can wipe the lower chamber with a damp cloth, which reduces the pressure difference between upper and lower chambers, making the coffee extract return faster.) The coffee grounds are blocked by the filter cloth in the upper chamber, completing the extraction.

Stirring Method

Parameters: 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio, 20g of coffee, fine grind (EK43s grinder setting 9/Chinese standard 20-mesh sieve pass rate 85%), water temperature 90°C.

Technique: Put 200g of water in the lower chamber. When the lower chamber water reaches 90°C, insert the upper chamber tightly. When water reaches the upper chamber, add the coffee grounds and stir to ensure full contact between coffee powder and water. After 30 seconds, stir in a cross pattern back and forth once to break the crust. At 56 seconds, remove the heat source to let the coffee liquid return (timing starts from when coffee grounds are added). Extraction time is 1 minute 8 seconds.

Immersion Method

Next, let's try an immersion method.

Parameters: 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio, 20g of coffee, medium-fine grind (EK43s grinder setting 9/Chinese standard 20-mesh sieve pass rate 85%), water temperature 90°C.

Technique: Put 200g of water in the lower chamber. When the lower chamber water reaches 90°C, insert the upper chamber tightly. When water reaches the upper chamber, add the coffee grounds and stir to ensure full contact between coffee powder and water. After soaking for 1 minute, remove the heat source to let the coffee liquid return (timing starts from when coffee grounds are added). Extraction time is 1 minute 32 seconds.

Siphon Pot Blue Mountain Coffee Flavor Profile

Chocolate, nuts, pine, cream, pu-erh tea, caramel.

The difference between these two extraction methods with the siphon pot is that the stirring method extracts richer dark chocolate flavors with a full-bodied texture, and when the temperature drops, there's a slight tea sensation; while the immersion method extracts more prominent caramel aroma, with nutty flavors at lower temperatures, and a slightly thinner but very sweet taste. One is fuller-bodied, while the other is more refreshing.

Of course, taste varies from person to person. Everyone can choose their preferred extraction method based on their own taste preferences~ However, regarding siphon pots, FrontStreet Coffee has more to say: siphon pots extract coffee under continuous heating conditions. The water temperature should be maintained between 86-94 degrees Celsius as much as possible, so that the coffee powder extraction rate is higher and continuously stable with fewer variable factors. The extracted coffee taste will be more stable. Even if you're a coffee beginner just starting out, you can brew a full-bodied, aromatic cup of coffee. Remember to clean the filter cloth after each use, and replace it after a period of time, otherwise it will easily affect the coffee taste~

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473