How Grind Size Help You Brew Better

The secret of good coffee is extraction, but what does extraction represent? Extraction is the process by which the flavor and aroma of coffee beans are released into the water and combined with water, resulting in a delicious cup of coffee.

However, these flavors and aromatic substances all represent a certain flavor. Some substances bring sweetness, some are bitter, some bring fruit flavor, and some bring astringency. These substances will also be extracted at different time points.

Todd, the 2014 and 2016 American brewing champion, told the author that the order of substances extracted from coffee is:

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Acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and finally astringency.

This means that you can control how many substances will dissolve into the coffee while controlling the extraction rate. In other words, you can determine the flavor of the coffee. These are the basic guidelines for creating a brewing recipe, whether you are brewing or brewing espresso by hand.

The grinding size is, of course, also a consideration.

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There are many reasons that affect the flavor of coffee: grinding size, brewing time, water temperature, coffee bean quality, roasting degree, etc.

Let us quickly define these variables:

• Coffee bean quality: different origins, varieties, and processing methods will affect the taste of coffee.
• Roasting degree: If it is not cooked, the coffee will have a sour taste. If it is over-roasted, the coffee will be bitter and smoky. But excluding these two conditions, the degree of baking can be divided into several types: shallow baking has more fruit flavor and acidity; medium baking has more sweetness; deep baking has high mellowness, more obvious bitterness, and complex flavors. The degree is low (so many high-quality bean roasters tend to choose light to medium roasts for baking). But this not only affects the flavor. The darker the roasted coffee, the faster the release of substances during brewing. This part will be discussed later.
• Brewing time: The longer the time, the more substances are extracted.
• Water temperature: The higher the water temperature, the more substances will be extracted.
• Next is grinding size, one of the most powerful variables in controlling extraction.

Grinding size is one of the biggest variables in the brewing process. It increases the surface area of ​​the coffee so that the hot water can extract more substances at the same time.

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We are all talking about the correct grinding result above. But what if you wear the wrong size today?

If the coffee powder is too coarse, the coffee will usually have a thinner taste and lower concentration because the extracted flavor and substances are less. Remember, when the grinding is coarser, the surface area is smaller, and the extraction rate is reduced.

In addition, if you grind it too finely, too much material may be extracted, and you may get a bitter or even ash-like taste. At the same time, the coffee flavor will be too strong, making it difficult to swallow or even taste.

The correct size makes the coffee more delicious, and the grinding is too coarse or too fine to make the coffee bitter, astringent, and sour. How do we adjust? What other factors will affect it?

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The ideal grinding size depends on many factors:

• Coffee beans: Since coffee has so many flavors, you must adjust the grinding settings to bring out the best flavor of this bean when you buy new coffee beans.
• Brewing utensils: Different brewing utensils may adapt to different grinding sizes. For example, espresso is finely ground, while French filter presses usually use coarser grinding to achieve the best results.
• There are many reasons for these differences. French filter presses are immersed coffee and require a longer brewing time, usually about four minutes. At this time, coarser grinding slows down the rate of substance release. On the other hand, espresso is brewed in a short time, usually about 20-30 seconds, and uses pressure to force hot water through a high-density coffee powder cake, so it is suitable for finer grinding.
• Roasting date: Don’t forget that coffee is a crop. Coffee is like bread or milk. It has its best taste, period. When the beans are roasted, they will begin to decay and lose their flavor. In order to compensate for the effect of flavor decay, the size can be adjusted. First of all, you can increase the amount of coffee powder, and adjust the grinding a little bit thicker, so that you may be able to reproduce the flavor of coffee beans that have been left for a period of time.
• Roasting degree: Different baking degrees affect the extracted flavor and the speed of substance released during extraction. Because of the longer roasting time and lower moisture content, deep-roasted beans will absorb water, which means that the extraction speed will be faster. Generally speaking, it is recommended to use coarser grinding for deep roasting and finer grinding for shallow roasting.

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If grinding size is only one of the many variables that affect extraction, why should we pay so much attention to it? Because it can be said to be the most influential variable.

Grinding size is easy to control and is the main source of contribution to coffee flavor. Of course, many other variables will affect the final extraction result, but the grinding size is easier to adjust and reproducible compared to other variables.

In addition, the grinding size will also affect other variables. The brewing time is the time after the water flows through the coffee powder and through the filter material, so the size of the grinding will affect the time for the water to flow through. Imagine a cup of sand and a cup of pebbles. Pour the same amount of water into the two cups at the same time. You will see that the water in the sand will flow more slowly.

This means that the test flexibility of the variable factor of grinding size will be lower than that of the variable factor such as water temperature. The wrong size can have a huge negative impact on coffee quality.

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In addition, if you use hand brewing and large-volume brewing methods, the grinding size will affect the turbulence of the water. How much will the coffee ground be taken away by the water during brewing? The turbulence will also have a significant impact on the extraction.

You want all the coffee powder to be extracted to the same degree or as consistent as possible so as to maintain the quality of the coffee and replicate the brewed flavor. This means that the powder and water must be in contact for the same length of time.

Slight turbulence is a good thing. The turbulence will drive the coffee powder and ensure that the water and the powder are in full contact. However, you don't want the turbulence to push up the powder layer during brewing so that the powder that forms a wall of powder on the side of the filter cup cannot be completely extracted. This will cause the coffee to have a stinky sour taste, and unfortunately, the more finely you grind, the more likely this will happen.

The wrong grinding size cannot be compensated only by adjusting other variables because it will also affect many other variables. Once you confirm the coffee powder to water ratio, then you must confirm the grinding size. This will help you adjust the brewing time if you want to hand brew or make a lot of coffee. After that, the focus will be on water temperature, turbulence, and other variables.

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You already know how much impact the correct grinding will bring, but how do you determine that the grinding size is accurate?

First of all, remember that the stability of the grinding is the key. If the size of this coffee powder is uneven, there will be a different extraction rate, resulting in an unpleasant flavor. Even if this cup of coffee is delicious, it is difficult to reproduce this beautiful flavor. The stability and quality of the grinding are very important.

But buying good equipment is not enough, you have to keep the machine in good condition. The state of the grinder is mainly affected by the maintenance situation and cleaning habits, so make sure to clean the grinder regularly and replace the cutter head when necessary (also consider the manufacturer's recommendations).

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When choosing the correct grind configuration, make sure that the grind size matches your brewing method, the beans you brew, and then figure out the size you think fits. Make sure that the brewing recipe is recorded, and then taste the coffee and Record the feeling of drinking.

If the brewed coffee does not taste as expected, adjust only one parameter on the grinder at a time, and leave the others alone. Of course, some grinders have more adjustable settings. The purpose is to make adjustments easier and easier. Better control, but no matter how you adjust it, remember what grinding degree you use to ensure that this practice can be replicated in the future.

Grinding size has a huge impact on the flavor of coffee, and it is very difficult to control it completely, but fortunately, as long as you can understand its logic, it will be very easy to use.

The easiest way to find the correct grind setting is to test, taste, and record what you drink, adjusting only one variable at a time until you find the best combination.

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