Welcome back, coffee aficionados! Today, we’re diving into the critical aspect of coffee brewing: timing. Understanding how to time your coffee extractions and how this fits into your brew recipe can make all the difference in achieving the perfect cup. So, let’s break down the process step-by-step.
The Key Components of a Brew Recipe
In any coffee brew recipe, there are three essential components:
- Dose: The amount of coffee used (dry grounds).
- Yield: The liquid coffee extracted into the cup.
- Time: The duration of the extraction process.
Today, we’ll focus specifically on timing, a crucial element that significantly impacts the flavor and quality of your coffee.
Timing in Coffee Extractions
At Artisti Coffee Roasters, we begin timing as soon as water activates in the coffee machine. For a standard recipe using 22.5 grams of coffee, our ideal extraction time is around 30 to 32 seconds, yielding 45 grams of coffee. This two-to-one ratio is a staple for a balanced and flavorful espresso.
Measuring Time
Depending on your equipment, timing can be measured in different ways:
- Built-in Timer: Some machines start timing automatically when the extraction begins.
- Manual Timer: Use a phone or stopwatch to track the duration from the moment you activate the machine.
- Scales with Timers: Devices like digital scales begin timing when they detect liquid in the cup.
Pre-Infusion: A Crucial Step
Pre-infusion refers to the initial phase where water saturates the coffee grounds before full extraction begins. This phase is vital as it allows the coffee to bloom, minimizing channeling and promoting even extraction. Fresh coffee expands more during this phase compared to older coffee, affecting the overall extraction time.
Adjusting Grind Size
Grind size plays a pivotal role in extraction time and coffee flavor:
- Finer Grind: Slows down the extraction, leading to a longer brew time. It’s essential to monitor as a too-fine grind can cause over-extraction, resulting in a bitter taste.
- Coarser Grind: Speeds up the extraction, potentially leading to under-extraction if not monitored closely. This can yield a sour or weak flavor.
Practical Demonstrations
Baseline Extraction
With a standard grind, we timed our extraction to 32 seconds, yielding 45 grams of coffee. This timing ensures a balanced extraction, producing a rich, well-rounded espresso.
Finer Grind Extraction
Using a finer grind increased our extraction time to 39 seconds, slightly over-extracting the coffee. Signs of over-extraction include larger bubbles and a paler color towards the end of the pour.
Coarser Grind Extraction
A coarser grind decreased the extraction time to 24 seconds, indicating under-extraction. The coffee was lighter with fewer bubbles, lacking the full-bodied richness of a well-extracted espresso.
Conclusion
Mastering the timing of your coffee extraction involves understanding the relationship between grind size, pre-infusion, and brew time. By experimenting with these variables, you can tailor your brewing process to achieve the perfect cup every time.
If you have questions or want to share your experiences with coffee extraction, leave a comment below. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more coffee insights and hit that bell icon to stay updated on our latest videos. Happy brewing!
