Lesson 10: Brewing the Best Coffee‏

The aim of this lesson is to get you to think in a light hearted
way about the basic principles of brewing coffee. We could call
them guidelines or just some basic principles of brewing the very
best coffee possible, but these are the 'Has Bean Ten Commandments'
for great coffee:


1. Thou shalt know your machine

Whether it is an expensive espresso machine or a simple French
press, it is important to learn as much as you can about the
particular method that you are using. A good place to start is
reading the instructions. Okay, you may already know how to use a
French press (covered in lesson seven), but the instructions will
let you know exactly how it was intended to be utilised. Knowing
the 'ins and outs' of any brewing method can only make the final
product that little bit better.


2. Thou shalt have basic machine hygiene

Equipment hygiene is of vital importance. You can have the
freshest, highest quality beans from your favourite origin and
farm, but with a dirty brewer it will taste awful and not show the
final drink at its best. It never ceases to surprise me when
visiting some high volume coffee shops that we supply with beans,
who have some of the finest espresso machines money can buy, just
how dirty they allow their machines to become. Do have a routine
that suits you, but always keep it clean at all costs.

Something as simple as taking apart the mesh filter from a French
press or cleaning the funnel on a moka pot can have huge benefits
to your brew. Professional cleaning products like Cafiza are widely
available and will help you keep your machine clean for a
reasonable price.


3. Thou shalt grind

The biggest asset to fine coffee is a quality grinder. If you buy
nothing else, get a good burr grinder. Spending wisely at this
stage can save the need for an upgrade later (see lesson seven
about coffee on a budget).

Spending as much as you can afford on a grinder will reap its
rewards. "So should I buy pre-ground coffee?" people often ask, and
the simple answer is always "No" (see lesson eight). Without going
into too much detail here, coffee when ground releases CO2. CO2
acts as a delivery service for all those lovely unique tastes. Once
the CO2 is released those great tastes are stranded without a
courier to deliver them to your tongue.

Grind just before brewing or as close to it as you can. When I
first became involved in coffee, I was once told as an experiment
to grind coffee, and smell it straight away. Then after ten minutes
return and smell again. In just ten minutes what was great coffee
had become good coffee. Just imagine what days and months can do to
it.

Practice with your grinder to find the perfect grind for you and
your machine. I have used many hundreds of kilos in the past
'dialling-in' grinders, but not a gram of it was a waste. Don't be
afraid of short term pain for a long term gain. There are rewards
to be reaped.


4. Thou shalt use quality water

An underestimated factor in coffee brewing surprisingly is water
(see lesson eight). Considering it makes up to 99% of the drink, I
am amazed that more attention isn't paid to it.

Fresh water is a must. For some machines it is imperative it
passes through a softener, although in a recent experiment with
a friend we discussed that overly soft water in some brewing
methods is a bad thing. Filtered water is a good idea and if your
mains water is particularly bad even bottled water can be used
providing it contains the correct amount of calcium (this needs to
be low).


5. Thou shalt use the correct water temperature

I feel a contentious issue coming on here. There are many schools
of thought where water temperature is concerned, however, for the
sake of this article, I am right and they are wrong! Water for
brewed coffee should be just off boiling at around 95-97ºC (and a
little cooler in espresso machines). Too hot and it will taste
nasty and bitter, ("boil the bean, spoil the bean"), too cold and
you will not get a proper extraction, which is vital in the pursuit
of the perfect cup.


6. Thou shalt extract correctly

Just as important is the amount of time the water is exposed to the
ground coffee. Using a drip brewer this is not too much of a
problem, though making sure the grounds are evenly distributed
helps, but, for example, with an espresso or a vacuum pot, boy oh
boy, is it important!

I am not going to go into the ins and outs of each individual
method and discuss them here, but it is crucial to make sure that
extractions are spot on. Once again, instructions will help you
understand the perfect extraction time for your chosen method of
making coffee.


7. Thou shalt Drink it fresh

If I ever see a filter brewer with a hotplate, I am immediately 99%
certain that the coffee is going to be bad. If I see my espresso
pulled and sitting on the side whilst the others are prepared, I
am fairly sure that it is not going to be good. The simple message
here is to drink coffee as soon as it is brewed. If you must keep
coffee made in, for instance, a filter or French press then putting
it in a vacuum flask is best. Never re-heat it and never keep it
warm on a hot plate.


8. Thou shalt only drink speciality coffee

Think about it. Why would you drink anything less?


9. Thou shalt think about the farmer and workers who produced your
coffee, whilst you drink it

Coffee people are passionate and proud of their profession. Farmers
work hard to produce the finest coffees possible for your
enjoyment. Rejoice in their knowledge and skill.


10. Thou shalt enjoy your coffee
Always, if you follow a few simple guidelines.

So that is the end of the course. It is all finished. Of course, if
you want to learn more about coffee, the internet is a wonderful
tool with which to increase knowledge.

There are the Has Bean resources at:


www.hasblog.co.uk

www.hasbean.co.uk

www.coffee101.co.uk

www.inmymug.com

Coffee forums are also a great place to learn more about coffee or
seek help from friendly people. Three great sites are:

www.toomuchcoffee.com

www.coffeegeek.com

www.homebarista.com

There are also many more out there. You will have no problem
finding one to suit your needs. Brew with knowledge!Coffee101.co.uk