When it comes to coffee brewing, the powder-to-water ratio is one of the most important factors to consider. But becauseIt does not need to be adjusted according to the roasting degree of the coffee beans like water temperature and grinding, soMany times we have a fixed ratio for brewing coffee of all roast levels.For example, Front Street often recommends novice friends to use a conservative ratio of 1:15 or 1:16 to brew coffee. Over time, when we get used to brewing a certain amount of powder and matching a certain ratio for extraction, the amount of water becomes easily "fixed". Even if the amount of powder changes, it is still easy for us to habitually inject the previous amount of water.For example, the amount of powder often brewed by Front Street is 15g.Then using a powder to water ratio of 1:15, the amount of water injected will be fixed at 225ml. But when the amount of powder brewed on a certain day becomes 14g or 16g because there is not enough, or there is a little extra, according to the powder to water ratio of 1:15, the amount of brewing water needs to be increased or decreased accordingly. However, we may habitually inject 225ml of water. So what kind of results will a situation like this lead to?That's right! It will change the flavor and texture of the brewed coffee to a certain extent.Even if there is only a 1g difference in the amount of powder before and after, because the amount of water is fixed, the ratio of powder to water will change accordingly.The powder-to-water ratio refers to the ratio of coffee powder to water used.The size of this parameter affects the extraction rate and concentration of coffee.When other parameters remain unchanged, the larger the ratio of powder to water, the lower the extraction rate of coffee and the higher the concentration; conversely, the smaller the ratio, the higher the extraction rate and the lower the concentration.The extraction rate and concentration of coffee determine the flavor and texture of coffee, so when the ratio of powder to water changes, the flavor of coffee will also change. As for the specific extent of this change, Front Street will share it with you through an experiment~In this experiment, Front Street will use the same amount of water, that is, 225ml of hot water to brew 14, 15, and 16g of coffee beans respectively. Then converted, their corresponding powder-to-water ratios are approximately 1:16, 1:15, and 1:14 respectively. Then compare them through concentration measurement and tasting to see what the differences are in taste and concentration.In order to reduce human influence during brewing, Front Street will use Switch smart cups to make coffee this time. Not only does immersion extraction reduce human impact, it also allows for a more even extraction of coffee! The coffee beans used this time are Front Street Yirgacheffe Red Cherry from the Front Street Bean List. The extraction parameters are as follows:The water volume is 225ml, the water temperature is 100°C, the time is 9 minutes, the grinding degree is Ek43 10 scale, 75% screening rate of No. 20 sieve, fine sugar grinding, C40 24~26 grid.Because the brewing process is relatively complicated, Front Street has also shared it in previous articles, so I will skip it here. Interested friends can search for it by themselves~Front Street tasted and measured the concentration of each pot of coffee when it was brewed. The final results were as follows:14g：The concentration is 1.40%, the extraction rate is 20.83%; the flavor is strawberry, citrus, floral, and oolong tea. The overall aroma is relatively bland and the mellowness is low.
15g：The concentration is 1.47%, the extraction rate is 20.22%; the flavor is citrus, strawberry, apricot, berry, white floral, and oolong tea. The overall aroma is clear, the mellowness is appropriate, and the sweetness, sourness, and bitterness are balanced.
16g：The concentration is 1.53%, the extraction rate is 19.55%; the flavor is lemon, berry, white floral, and oolong tea aftertaste. The overall aroma and finish are relatively thick, but the acidity is slightly higher.It can be seen that although the difference in powder quantity is only 1g of powder, there are obvious changes in taste, flavor and mouthfeel, and this change can be clearly identified. As the amount of powder increases, the proportion of powder to water becomes smaller and smaller, the taste of the coffee becomes thicker and thicker, and the flavor begins to concentrate. This is the impact of the change in the proportion of powder to water.Therefore, if you still want the brewed coffee to have the same performance as before when increasing or decreasing the amount of powder, it is best to remind yourself during brewing and remember to adjust the amount of water injected accordingly.(If you remember...)It should be noted that the difference in powder volume in the example cited here is only 1g, so it will not have a big impact on the extraction and taste. But if there is too much difference in the amount of powder, for example, if it differs by more than 5g from the original amount, then in addition to the amount of water injected that needs to be adjusted, the grinding of the coffee powder, the way of brewing, and the filter cup used may also need to be adjusted.Because the more powder you use, the more water you need to inject, and vice versa. The amount of water will directly affect the brewing time, which will also affect the extraction rate and concentration, so everyone needs to pay attention. When the amount of powder is too different from the original, other parameters may also need to be adjusted~
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
