The ratio of coffee powder to water is a very important parameter for Pour over(V60) coffee. In layman's terms, when the amount of powder is fixed, there is a water injection amount that is just enough to fully express the aroma of coffee. Therefore, learning to find the correct powder to water ratio for coffee is also an important part of learning to brew coffee.
What is the pink to water ratio?
The so-called powder-to-water ratio is the ratio between coffee powder and the total amount of water, which can directly affect the concentration of coffee. No matter which brewing method is used, Front Street will first determine the powder-to-water ratio before operating. For example, Front Street stores generally use 15 grams of coffee powder to produce a cup of Pour over(V60) coffee for a single person, and then use a powder-to-water ratio of 1:15, which means approximately 225 ml of hot water needs to be injected.
When other parameters remain unchanged, the more water is injected, the lower the concentration of coffee, and the more dispersed the taste; the less the amount of water is injected, the higher the concentration, and the more concentrated and thick the flavor of coffee is. In addition, the more water injected, the higher the coffee extraction rate will be, and more soluble substances will be obtained. As water is injected later, the extraction efficiency will continue to decrease. The good things in the coffee have been released, and the remaining ones will release bad bitter substances, making the coffee bitter and astringent. Therefore, we need to find the appropriate powder-to-water ratio of coffee to adjust the optimal concentration and extraction rate.
In terms of coffee beans, Front Street chose medium-light roasted Front Street Kenya Azalea. The amount of powder was fixed at 15g, and then it was extracted using three different powders and water. The three sets of parameters are 1:10, 1:15, and 1:20, that is, the water filling volumes of the three pots of coffee are 150ml, 225ml, and 300ml respectively. The grinding degree is 80% through the No. 20 sieve (the thickness of fine sugar), the water temperature is 91 degrees Celsius, and the water injection method remains the same, using a three-stage method.
But it doesn’t mean that if you want a stronger drink, add less water, and if you want a lighter drink, add more water. Because in addition to concentration, the amount of water injected also affects another parameter related to coffee taste-coffee extraction rate. After knowing the concentration of the coffee liquid, we can easily calculate the coffee extraction rate. The extraction rate of 1:10 is 16.43%, the extraction rate of 1:15 is 18.55%, and the extraction rate of 1:20 is 19.72%.
In other words, although you can get a higher concentration of coffee when you add less water, the coffee extraction rate is lower, that is, the overall coffee substance is less. This is why coffee brewed with a powder-to-water ratio of 1:10 only tastes strong, sour, and bitter. Too high a concentration can also cause discomfort.
When more water is injected, more substances will be extracted from the coffee, but since the extraction efficiency is greatly reduced as the water is injected later, the concentration will also become very weak. Moreover, the water-soluble coffee substances come out with the sweet and sour flavor that we like, as well as the unpleasant bitter taste. If there are more substances extracted, there will naturally be more bitter substances. Just like coffee with a powder to water ratio of 1:20, it tastes light, has no coffee flavor, and has an insignificant bitter taste.
Therefore, the appropriate ratio of powder to water is to adjust a balance point between concentration and extraction rate, so that they can reach the best state.
The ratio of Pour over(V60) coffee must be the universal 1:15?
Maybe you have seen that the recommended ratio for Pour over(V60) coffee is 1:15. If you read too much, there will be a fixed parameter that the ratio of powder to water is unbeatable. In fact, this is not the case. The recommended parameter for hand-pour powder to water ratio is 1:15 because 1:15 is a relatively safe ratio (it is difficult to overturn), and because the recommended parameters target a wide range of audiences, including many people who have just started to contact hand-pour.
Therefore, a very stable parameter is needed, usually focusing on parameters such as powder-water ratio, water temperature, and water injection method that are easier for everyone to grasp, thereby reducing variables. Everything is designed to serve the very difficult variable of grinding (many beginners’ problems with poor coffee brewing come from incorrect grinding).
If you have already started studying the ratio of coffee powder to water, it proves that you have already started and have a certain understanding of brewing parameters. Then for beginners, fixed variables such as the ratio of powder to water and water temperature will become variable factors that can be adjusted to make the coffee taste better.
The difference between 5ml water volume
What is the difference between injecting 5ml more water and injecting 5ml less water? The difference in the data measured using a concentration meter is only 0.02%. Adding the error, the difference between the two is almost negligible.
Front Street will tell you a story. Once, when Front Street was brewing a Front Street Geisha coffee, they used a powder-to-water ratio of 1:15 to produce a more concentrated flavor without feeling the "taste of money." The second brewing adjustment was just to inject 5ml more water than the last time (230ml in total). This time, it felt much more comfortable to drink, and the flavor layer suddenly increased.
Finally, Front Street summarized some experiences on the powder-to-water ratio to share with everyone.
1. 1:15 is not the only ratio of powder to water, nor is it necessarily the most suitable ratio of powder to water. Depending on different coffee beans and your own flavor preferences, it may be 1:14, 1:16...
2. Generally, the ratio of powder to water in Pour over(V60) coffee ranges from about 1:13 to 1:18. Within this range, it is easier for everyone to find a flavor that suits them.
3. For some coffee beans with high hardness, the powder to water ratio can be appropriately increased, such as between 1:16-1:17. Hardness refers to cooked beans, such as coffee beans grown at high altitudes and lightly roasted.
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
