Great Coffee at Home Made Easy

The Art of Coffee Brewing

1 About the Author

Shlomo Krudo

Home Brewer

An Artist, Designer, coffee lover, and a who has heard it all from the coffee professionals and has 30+ years of experience as a home coffee brewer. .

2 Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Why Should You Be A Home Barista

What’s In A Perfect Cup Of Coffee

Chapter 2: Quality Coffee Beans

What Influences Quality?

Robusta vs. Arabica

Processing the Beans

Storing Coffee

Chapter 3: Freshly Ground Coffee Beans

Roasting Beans

How Fresh is Your Coffee

Chapter 4: The Degree of Grind

Type of Grinds

Blade Grinders vs Burr Grinders

Hand Grinders

Chapter 5: The Water

Coffee is Mostly Water

Hard Water vs. Soft Water

Chapter 6: Quality Brewing

What's brewing

Conclusion

3 3 Introduction

Is your goal to recreate that one coffee that you can never forget? Are you on a journey to discover your perfect cup?

This eBook is to start you off on your journey to find your ideal cup of joe.

It's written from my perspective of a coffee lover who has heard it all from the coffee professionals and has 30+ years of experience as a home coffee brewer.

I don't know about your coffee knowledge, budget, or level of passion. I realize though that you are a coffee enthusiast, and that you will need to figure out what stage you are at and make coffee decisions that reflect that.

This eBook explores the coffee knowledge you will need to start your journey as a home barista and offers guidance, perspective, practical advice, and a healthy dose of my opinion to make those decisions and develop your personal preferences.

My goal is to provide you with the baseline of knowledge you will need to discover your own Coffee Cherries perfect, delicious cup.

There is no one right way for any of it; just remain curious and enthusiastic.

We all enjoy good coffee, but we don't have to appreciate it in the same way.

4 5 Chapter 1 Why Should You Be A Home Brewer? Discover your perfect cup of joe and craft a great coffee that is adjusted to be just right for you. Why?

I can think of at least 5 reasons.

4 5 Reasons to Become Home Brewer

1. Brew Quality Coffee When you start brewing a great coffee Using old coffee grounds does not cup at home, you will find that you can enhance the flavor of the coffee. control the quality of your cup. Now you can grind your beans right You can get the beans and the gear of before brewing, and get the freshest your choice anywhere these days without coffee. spending an arm and a leg, or order them online. 4. Have More Variety Unlike at a coffee shop, where you can You can control the entire process to choose from a limited range of coffee, at make great coffee every time. home, you can make many different kinds of coffee. 2. Pay Less for a Cup of Coffee At a coffee shop, the cost of a cup of If you create custom blends, you can also coffee is not cheap. adjust your brew's strength to be perfect for your taste. You can make great coffee at home for a fraction of the cost. So start making 5. Make it More Convenient coffee at home. Going to a coffee shop once in a while is fun, but if you do it daily as part of your You'll be glad you did because you will routine, it consumes a lot of time. learn to make your coffee just the way you like it, it will be your perfect coffee You have to drive to the coffee shop, cup. order, pay, pick up your coffee, drink at the shop, or take it to go. 3. Drink Fresher Coffee You can make the coffee as fresh as Once you can brew at home, you will possible, right before you drink it. make a great coffee and impress your family and friends. I have noticed that coffee shops grind beans in batches, which means the grounds are sitting around for a while- maybe even a day or more.

6 6 What’s in A Perfect Cup of Coffee?

A great cup of coffee is one that is tuned perfectly for your senses.

It has great, complex flavors; it is fresh and served at just the right temperature, it smells great, it is just right.

You know great coffee right away when you have it.

Characteristics of Great Coffee

• Quality coffee Beans

• Freshly ground coffee beans

• The perfect degree of grind

• The water

• Quality brewing

7 7 Chapter 2

Quality Coffee Beans

Even high-quality beans will produce low-quality coffee when brewed in a reduced- quality coffeemaker. Quality Coffee Beans

Quality Coffee Beans Even high-quality beans will produce low- Another way to look at this is to realize quality coffee when brewed in a reduced- that there are limits to what a great quality automatic coffeemaker. roaster and a great brewer can do to improve the bean's quality, if the quality is It's crucial to start with great beans. not there. Espresso machines of the best quality and proper techniques can only do so much. Robusta vs. Arabica The variety of coffee tree and the No matter how much you perfect your conditions where it is growing also make a technique, you won't be able to improve big difference in the flavor of the coffee. the quality that much if you're starting with low-quality beans. There are only two important species of coffee trees that produce coffee beans In fact, coffee scientist Christopher H. that are widely sold: Hendon suggests that the outcome of any Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora (also given cup is dependent on four key known as Coffea Robusta). variables: the quality of the green (unroasted) coffee beans, the roast, the Arabica beans have a better, sweeter water, and the brewing technique. flavor and are the way to go for making great coffee. However, he doesn't give each of these equal weight. Robusta coffee is easier to produce and has more caffeine, but Robusta is bitterer What influences cup quality? than Arabica.

Hendon says the quality of the green You may be able to tell the difference coffee beans has the most significant between Arabica beans and Robusta beans influence on the brew (50%). by looking at them- Robusta beans are more round, and Arabica beans are more Its impact is enormous compared with elliptical in shape. those of the roast (20%), water (20%), and brewing technique (10%) to emphasize, this is assuming that the brewer uses the best methods.

9 Quality Coffee Beans

Processing the Beans Coffee processing is the stage after a crop When buying coffee beans, you should of coffee cherries is harvested, and the find on the label or listed on the website coffee seeds or coffee beans are extracted what process the coffee is. But if from the coffee cherry and can significantly you don't, leave and buy from someone affect the taste of the beans. else.

Here are some of the conventional methods Storing Beans of processing coffee and how they affect By storing your coffee beans correctly, you flavor. can keep it fresh for up to a couple of weeks from the time it was roasted, but There are several processing methods. not more than that. The main ones are natural or dry process, pulped natural or honey process, or washed To freeze or not freeze? or wet process. There is a debate in the coffee industry regarding freezing coffee. Each processing method will have an effect on the flavor of your coffee. Some say you should and some say not to freeze. When brewed, natural process coffee tends to have robust fruity notes and full body I go by what my roaster tells me, just buy texture. enough for a couple of weeks at most, and keep it in a dark cool place. Pulp natural coffees will lack the natural process coffees' fruity notes, but it will have The enemies of coffee are oxygen, a very similar body texture. moisture, heat, and light.

It will have the sweetness and the acidity So the best way to store it is in airtight, similar to washed process coffee. opaque canisters in a dark, cool, and dry place. Wash process coffee tends to be juicy as far as texture and will have delightful bright One right way to store coffee is to divide it flavors and good acidity. into smaller portions. Keep about half of it in one container and the rest in another.

This way, you can use one container for one week, and the other half of the coffee won't be exposed to air every time you open the can.

10 CHAPTER 3 Freshly Ground Beans

You found the perfect blend of coffee beans roasted correctly, but if you don't get the grind right, you can ruin the cup of coffee you are about to make. Freshly Ground Beans

Roasting Beans Coffee beans, not roasted, would be Because coffee is freshest immediately unpalatable, and will remain no more upon roasting, if you happen to live close than the light green seeds of coffee. to one of the many small artisan coffee roasting companies can easily purchase A roaster decides at what temperature the freshest of coffee beans. and for how long the beans should roast to achieve the sensory profile required. Freshly roasted coffee emits carbon dioxide for several weeks following Often, a few seconds beyond the exact roasting, and it is a natural process. roasting time makes all the difference in the ideal degree of roast. The Enemies of Fresh Coffee The enemies of fresh coffee are oxygen, Chemical and Physical Processes moisture, high temperature, and light, all Chemical and physical processes that of which speed up the oxidization occur during roasting change the process. composition of the green beans and transforms them into ready-to-grind This process of oxidization causes the oils coffee beans. in coffee beans to turn rancid, losing taste and aroma, leaving you with stale coffee. Heat causes carbohydrates, proteins, oils, and acids to interact with each It's not that coffee suddenly turns from other causing the cell walls to expand. being beautiful, flavorsome, and aromatic to being stale, dull, and rancid. The beans increase in volume and could double in size, some of the oils rise to Instead, it is a slow process, and proper the surface of the bean, and the coffee packaging works to prevent oxygen, loses moisture, which creates many moisture, and light from getting at your aromas. coffee beans.

How Fresh Is Your Coffee The Packaging is Important Enjoy the best cup of coffee possible; the The packaging is important and why most coffee must be fresh. But how is a of the larger commercial coffee companies freshness to be judged? package their coffee in sealed bags with a one-way valve that allows the carbon Here are a few fundamental principles dioxide to escape but prevents oxygen will guide you. from entering the bag.

12 Freshly Ground Beans

The Packaging is Important/Continued Vacuum packed coffee beans can last for a considerable time without spoiling while still retaining (most of) their freshness, taste, and aroma.

Once you have bought coffee beans, you should keep the package away from moisture, high temperature, and light.

So much for roasting and packaging, but what happens when coffee is ground?

Ground coffee exposed to air begins to stale immediately. Whereas deterioration of whole beans is a slow and gradual downhill process.

If you want to keep your coffee the freshest, grind your coffee immediately before brewing.

13 Chapter 4

The Degree of Grind

The type of grind depends on the brewing method. French Press uses coarse grind while Turkish coffee uses the finest grind. The Degree of Grind

The Degree of Grind You found the perfect blend of coffee This type of grind is used in the French beans roasted correctly, but if you don't press method. get the grind right, you can ruin the cup of coffee you are about to make. If you use a finer grind in French Press, you'll get "mud" at the bottom of your cup. Coffee begins losing flavor and aromas as A medium grind looks like granulated soon as it is ground, so you should grind sugar. your coffee immediately before brewing. It is used in drip coffee makers, which have But it's not just about grinding your a flat coffee filter. You have to grind in coffee daily, you also have to get the short bursts and keep an eye on the coffee grind right. to eyeball the level of the grind. The type of grind depends on the brewing method. A find grind looks like powdered sugar, but if you hold it between your thumb and French Press uses coarse grind while forefinger, you should still feel a little grit. Turkish coffee uses the finest grind. All other brewing methods fall somewhere in between.

Drip coffee makers use a medium to fine grinds. Espresso makers use fine grinds. So the brewing method you are using will dictate the type of grind you need.

Type of Grinds Blade Grinder We'll talk about brewing methods in the next chapter, but now, let's focus on the type of grinds.

A coarse grind is the easiest to distinguish visually. It has a lot of coarse particles that you can probably even pick up separately.

It is also the easiest to grind; you just need to grind for a short amount of Burr Grinder time.

15 The Degree of Grind

This type of grind is used in drip Burr Grinders coffee makers with conical filters and Burr grinders are more expensive but in espresso coffee makers. also more consistent.

A Turkish grind is the finest grind you They use two disks or cones to grind can get. The coffee looks like flour and has the coffee, and you can set the level of no grit. grind you want.

And obviously, you use it only to For espresso makers, burr grinders make Turkish coffee. are preferred over blade grinders.

It leaves "mud" at the bottom of the You can also find hand grinders which cup, which is acceptable in Turkish coffee might be blade or burr type but use even though most other coffee drinkers hand power instead of electricity to don't like it. run.

You have to let the mud settle at the bottom It might sound crazy, but you can also and not stir or shake the cup too much while use a more traditional method to grind drinking the Turkish coffee. coffee. It's something known as a "mortar and pestle.“ Blade grinder vs burr grinders You can use either a blade grinder or a burr grinder to grind your coffee.

Blade Grinders Blade grinders are cheaper and grind the coffee quickly. mortar and pestle But they also have drawbacks. They grind unevenly and make a lot of noise. This is how coffee was grounded for ages before human beings became lazy. And their motors can get hot, which can It requires a lot more effort and time, start cooking the coffee even before it goes but you have full control over the level into the coffee maker. Also, blade grinders of grind. can't provide the finest levels of grind.

16 Chapter 5 The Water

As a cup of coffee is more than 98% water, the water's condition and taste are at least as critical as the coffee. The Water

Coffee is Mostly Water People quite often buy coffee from a coffee and would need a “pinch of salt” to shop where they enjoyed an excellent cup bring out the flavor. of joe. Wrong! Because it contains nothing to They take the coffee beans home, grind and interfere with extraction, coffee brewed brew it and then wonder why it doesn't with tasteless, distilled water has a robust taste the same. coffee flavor, which in the process of brewing, especially with a cheap blend, As a cup of coffee is more than 98 % water, could easily be too strong. the water's condition and taste are at least as critical as the coffee you use, and only Very soft water requires less coffee per water from the same source will re-create brew, or a slightly coarse grind, or less an exact feeling. contact time, which works to ensure that there is no over-extraction. Hard Water vs. Soft Water Coffee experts agree that the best water for The old wife's habit of adding a “pinch of brewing is slightly *hard; a few minerals will salt” might have worked not to bring out enhance the coffee flavor and the old the flavor, but instead toning it down and custom of adding a “pinch of salt” to bring modifying the taste for the better if the out the character. original water was very soft.

If the brewing water is very hard, the Filtering Water calcium and the magnesium ions can get Chlorinated or other chemically treated between the water molecules and the water or water polluted by old pipes, rust, coffee particles, interfering with the or different tastes can affect the flavor of extraction process, and the brew will have a the coffee. little flavor. One choice to filter water is permanent When we check out the effect of *soft water fitting that attaches to the kitchen main in brewing coffee, we find out that the water system, Another choice, is filtering softest water possible, is distilled or de- devices, which filter and removes bad ionized water, it has virtually no taste, and tastes, are available in a carafe. no one would dream of making coffee with *Hard water has high mineral content it. Except me. made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicar bonates and sulfates. Therefore, let's assume that coffee made with distilled water would also be tasteless *Soft water contains no minerals and is De-ionized, in other words, distilled.

18 Chapter 6

Quality brewing

Before you can improve your brewing skills, you must know what happens when water meets coffee. Quality Brewing

What's Brewing Before you can improve your brewing skills, Then there are the Moka pot lovers, and you must know what happens when water the French press plungers! meets coffee. There are a lot of different brewing Making coffee is simple, but the bean itself methods, and every brewing method has really isn't. its own loyal fan base.

The more time you spend trying to But the truth is that it all comes down to understand the bean, the more personal choice. complicated it becomes. One thing that's common to all brewing It's almost as if coffee beans do everything methods is that roasted coffee beans are in their power to give you a hard time. ground into a powder, and then hot water is added to the mixture in different By nature, the beans are inconsistent, and ways. if you want to improve your coffee, you must account for the irregularity. Of course, there's also cold brewing, which doesn't use hot water. Here you will find out about coffee's inconsistencies and how water and coffee The water extracts the flavors from the interact to make our beloved beverage. coffee, but the timing has to be right; otherwise, it will extract the bitter flavors It also describes how (and why) you can and result in a bad tasting coffee. manipulate factors such as brew ratio, dose, and grind size to make your brew just right.

With a solid understanding of these concepts, you can create the coffee you want to enjoy day after day.

Which is the best brewing method in the world? On the one hand, we have caffeine- addicted espresso nuts, and on the other hand, we have the drip coffee aficionados.

20 Quality Brewing

Brewing Great Coffee This guidebook will focus mainly To top it all off is the crema, a on espresso, as it is the method I love layer of emulsified oils found in and have the most experience with. coffee, and cannot be formed by any other method. Brewing great coffee is about being precise and consistent, and no There is no set standard about how to pull brewing method is better or worse than the perfect shot, every barista does it in the others, it's just different. their own way.

Mixture of Science and Art You place 7-9 grams of coffee grounds are Espresso, to me, is on the top of the hip packed in tightly in the basket. of brewing methods. An espresso machine pushes hot water under pressure The water is heated to just below boiling over finely ground coffee beans. automatically, it is pushed through the coffee with about ten bars of pressure for Brewing a shot of espresso is a mixture 20-25 seconds, You get a single shot. of science and art. When making a double shot, you need to Espresso represents a coffee culture prorate the amount of coffee and the that has spread throughout the world. time.

The shot of espresso is different from any other brewing method, with a thick, silky texture, concentrated flavors, caffeine, and It contains more suspended solids and nutrients.

21 Quality Brewing

Brewing Espresso Start brewing by turning on the machine. Lower the steamer away from the wand until the wand is just below the Check that there are enough coffee milk surface, Keep it there while it begins beans in the grinder and enough water in to froth, and when you hear a espresso machine by looking at the sight hissing sound. glass that indicates the water level, and lastly, Clean the group head screen. When you feel that the frothing is done, Insert the wand Start by detaching the porta-filter from further into the milk and turn the the last brew from the machine, Clean up steam down. the porta-filter and the basket in it and Let the milk steam, and in a few seconds, prepare it for the next drink. there will be a rise in volume.

Get the porta-filter under the grinder, When you see a gentle smooth foam check that the grind setting is correct, forming, and it has reached the steamer's and fill the basket with freshly ground rim, close the steam valve and give the coffee. steamer a few swivels to make the foam even consistency, and it's ready to pour on From there, use the tamper and press the the espresso. coffee well and mount the porta-filter to the group head. How to Ensure the Perfect Espresso? Making slight adjustments to the grind, When you notice that the brewing light dosage, and tamping pressure can result in went off, which means that the water has the ideal shot. reached its temperature, and you're good to go. The appearance of the crema on the surface is an excellent way to find out if Press on the brew button and watch the your cup of espresso is perfect or not. rich, thick brew dripping, creating your espresso shot. If the crema is more white than brown, the coffee is under-extracted, and it needs a Frothing finer grind and/or a more firm tamping. To start frothing, you inset the steam wand almost the steamer's button, open If the crema is burnt or is very dark in the the steam valve most of the way, and middle, the coffee is over-extracted: keep the steam wand like that for a few possibly the grind is too fine, the dose too seconds, until the bottom of the large, the tamping too hard, or too much steamer feels warm to the touch. water was run through the coffee.

22 Quality Brewing

Keep in mind that it will take some time to master the art of brewing espresso.

Espresso also forms the base to a variety of other popular coffee drinks such as the cappuccino, latte, Americano, macchiato and more.

These drinks are made by adding frothed milk to the espresso shot.

Each drink varies in how the milk is added to the shot and what ratio is used.

Macchiato: one part of espresso with a thin layer of micro foam. Cappuccino: one part espresso, one part steamed milk, and one part micro foam. Americano: one part espresso, two parts hot water. Latte: one part espresso, three parts steamed milk, a thick layer of micro foam. Cortado: one part espresso, one part steamed milk. Flat white: one part espresso, two parts steamed milk, a thin layer of micro foam. There are more variations of drinks made by using espresso coffee by adding different things to it.

Flavored coffees can be made by adding syrups of different flavors. Spices can also be added to enhance the flavor. For example, cappuccino is often served with cinnamon spice.

23 Conclusion

I hope the information and advice in this eBook will help you in the pursuit of your perfect cup, like anything else you pursue, making the ideal cup at home will take you on your own unique journey.

In this eBook, I provided you with some milestones to help you along on your quest.

Each milestone is/will be a marker that signifies a stage in building a body of knowledge and experience in the wide world of coffee.

There are so many different kinds of coffee beans, brewing methods, and gear you can try; every experience will change your view and taste.

I started with an espresso machine I stumbled upon in a grocery store and bought as a birthday gift for my wife, little I knew, that started my exploration of coffee that hasn't stopped to this day.

Keep learning and trying new blends of beans, and latest brewing techniques and tips, and what's new right here at Brewing Java. CTA GOES HERE I will always be here to answer any questions you might have.

If you enjoyed reading this eBook, tell your friends about it.

www.brewingjava.com [email protected]

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