Pour-over coffee can control the characteristics of the extraction result. It is the advantage and the most troublesome part of hand brewing because there are many variables to consider, including grinding sizes, powder-to-water ratio, water temperature, etc. Still, you only need to understand the variables. The relationship between them can be used to grasp the flavor of the brewed coffee.

One of the keys to mastering the extraction and brewing better coffee is understanding the three stages of hand brewing coffee.

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1. Pre-steeping(steaming)

The first stage of brewing coffee is called pre-steeping or steaming. A small amount of hot water is injected to moisten the coffee powder, and then wait for about 30 seconds. The purpose of this is to eliminate carbon dioxide.

When the coffee beans are roasted, the gas generated will be trapped in the coffee beans. After roasting, the coffee will exhaust slowly, and it will exhaust when the coffee is brewed. When the coffee powder comes into contact with the hot water, the remaining gas will be exhausted. Released, and this process is smoldering. If more gas is discharged, the degree of expansion of smoldering will be greater.

Steaming contributes to the development of coffee flavor mainly in two points: First, carbon dioxide itself has a pungent, sour taste, and this taste will not be pleasing when it is incorporated into coffee (the sourness mentioned here is related to fruit acid and lively acidity). Are different).

Secondly, when the coffee powder releases gas, the gas will interfere with the contact between the coffee powder and the water, causing the extraction process to be affected by the gas. You would want this process to occur in the pre-steeping and steaming stage rather than the subsequent extraction process. Pre-steeping will not cause inconsistent flavors.

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2. Extraction

The next stage of hand brewing coffee is to control the flavor of the brewed coffee. Each stage of brewing will extract different chemicals. First, the fruit acidity in the coffee is extracted, then the sweetness, and finally, It is bitter (but it is worth noting that not all acids are as pleasing as the acid of fruits. For example, chlorogenic acid will produce astringency, dryness, and bitterness. In this article, we will only look at acids that produce positive acidity).

Since different coffee chemicals are extracted at different time points of hand brewing, you can adjust the brewing technique to create the coffee flavor you like. The best way is to control the water temperature and brewing time.

Generally speaking, the ideal hand-punching temperature is about 90-96 degrees. According to the degree of baking, flavor characteristics, solubility, the freshness of the beans themselves, and the grinding size, these have the most suitable water temperature.

The important thing at this stage is the “pulsing”. That is, the brewer divides the water into multiple injections. When brewing coffee by hand, some people suggest reducing the number of pours to improve the stability of each brew, And this removes the human errors caused by the barista.

Pulsing is very important, and it can lead to more stable and more efficient extraction. The extraction time will be shortened because the water flow is large, and the number of water injections is small. However, the coffee powder bed can be made flat if the water injection is performed multiple times with a small water flow. The number of water cuts varies depending on the nature of the coffee and the grind size.

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3. Finishing

The end of hand-brewed coffee is defined here as brewing the last 40% of the water volume. Patrik said that this part should be controlled very carefully because the final stage of the extraction will quickly release the bitterness and other unpleasant flavors in the coffee. Even if the first is done well, the final over-extraction will ruin the cup of coffee.

It is recommended to adjust the brewing time and water temperature carefully. In the final stage, less substances may be extracted due to the drop in water temperature. Similarly, if you can master the brewing water temperature at this stage, you can create a cup with a good balance—coffee with texture, sweetness, and sourness.

If it is hand-punched, the water temperature will naturally drop, but if you are using a coffee machine or a hand-pushed machine, you may be able to set the staged water temperature. The Hipster hand punch machine can be set at 97 degrees for pre-soak steaming, 94 degrees for extraction, 89 degrees for finishing, etc. The end of the sample data is even five degrees lower than the water temperature used for extraction.

Although it is recommended to set different brewing parameters for different coffees, the water temperature is still the key to affecting the sweetness, fruity aroma, and balance of coffee.

Whether you are making a single serving of coffee at home or making a large amount of coffee at one time, it is crucial to understand these three brewing stages. The control of water temperature is one of the most critical variables.

As long as we can understand the connection between these three stages, it will help create the coffee we like.

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