Caffeinated feeling with percolation vs infusion brewing?
- TomC
- Team HB
- Posts: 10552
- Joined: 13 years ago
Has anyone else noticed a difference in caffeine jitters from the way they produce their brew? The thought popped in my mind just a few moments ago and I'm typing this out with vibrating fingers. I'm absolutely lit on caffeine right now and I hardly ever feel it normally. I often drink coffee on an empty stomach, especially in the morning since I usually skip breakfast and get out the door. But I haven't felt like this in a very long time.
I made one cappuccino nearly 2 hours ago. 30 minutes ago, I was playing with the Sowden I just picked up on the Buy and Sell forum and now I feel like I have nuclear energy blasting thru my arteries. It was a 4 minute steep of a medium coarse press pot grind that I pre-sifted for a cleaner brew. I'm loving the results, but that's for a different thread. I'm just curious if others have felt a stronger caffeine blast from a infusion brew versus an equally timed filter brew. I normally do my Kalita Wave at 3.5 minutes minimum, and often 4.
I did a modified approach to the Sowden, I didn't pour pre-heated water over the grinds and stir. Instead I heated the pre measured water in the microwave, in the brewer itself while I ground and sifted the coffee. When the temp came to 203 I added the micro pore basket with the coffee already in it, and gave it a gentle stir for about 5 seconds. I didn't repeat the stirring process after that. I just poured and sipped away after the timer went off ( I took the coffee basket out at the 4 minute mark) so it's not like I agitated the hell out of it, increasing the extraction.
Uggh, I need to buy a VST refractometer.
I made one cappuccino nearly 2 hours ago. 30 minutes ago, I was playing with the Sowden I just picked up on the Buy and Sell forum and now I feel like I have nuclear energy blasting thru my arteries. It was a 4 minute steep of a medium coarse press pot grind that I pre-sifted for a cleaner brew. I'm loving the results, but that's for a different thread. I'm just curious if others have felt a stronger caffeine blast from a infusion brew versus an equally timed filter brew. I normally do my Kalita Wave at 3.5 minutes minimum, and often 4.
I did a modified approach to the Sowden, I didn't pour pre-heated water over the grinds and stir. Instead I heated the pre measured water in the microwave, in the brewer itself while I ground and sifted the coffee. When the temp came to 203 I added the micro pore basket with the coffee already in it, and gave it a gentle stir for about 5 seconds. I didn't repeat the stirring process after that. I just poured and sipped away after the timer went off ( I took the coffee basket out at the 4 minute mark) so it's not like I agitated the hell out of it, increasing the extraction.
Uggh, I need to buy a VST refractometer.
Join us and support Artisan Roasting Software=https://artisan-scope.org/donate/
-
- Posts: 72
- Joined: 13 years ago
I'm fairly sensitive to caffeine and I've always felt that I get more caffeinated from a french press vs espresso (for the same weight of beans). My usual "dose" is a single espresso made from 8g; I don't get any jitters from that. On some mornings I don't have time for the espresso routine at home so I do the press at work, usually with a mix of decaf and regular beans. If I use 8g of regular (same as my espresso dose), I'll get mildly jittery; I feel that around 4 to 5g regular gives me the same dose as my 8g espresso. I brew a small-ish cup on the press, usually from 15g total, so the decaf shouldn't be contributing a significant amount of caffeine.
As you said, there could be variability in the extraction, but I don't think I could be off by that much! Anyone else?
As you said, there could be variability in the extraction, but I don't think I could be off by that much! Anyone else?
-
- Posts: 429
- Joined: 11 years ago
Hi Tom,
What kind of dose did you use on the Sowden? I think caffeine is more directly related to dose as I have heard it is extracted fairly early on. That said a French press (for a comparable dose, 4 min steep) would normally be less extracted than an espresso...though I don't think that is necessarily, directly related to caffeine content of beverage (I find an espresso in the evening less of an issue, sleepwise, than brewed coffee).
I do a slightly similar prep in the Sowden, hot water in first, right as the rolling boils stops, grounds added & quickly stirred into the water. I haven't noticed any difference in caffeine effects though, just less "off" flavours & better clarity. I typically steep for 40-60 minutes.
Some beans have a higher caffeine hit than others, I think Indonesians can be relatively highly caffeinated (Arabicas).
A refractometer would be a great idea, but I don't think it's going to help determine caffeine content.
What kind of dose did you use on the Sowden? I think caffeine is more directly related to dose as I have heard it is extracted fairly early on. That said a French press (for a comparable dose, 4 min steep) would normally be less extracted than an espresso...though I don't think that is necessarily, directly related to caffeine content of beverage (I find an espresso in the evening less of an issue, sleepwise, than brewed coffee).
I do a slightly similar prep in the Sowden, hot water in first, right as the rolling boils stops, grounds added & quickly stirred into the water. I haven't noticed any difference in caffeine effects though, just less "off" flavours & better clarity. I typically steep for 40-60 minutes.
Some beans have a higher caffeine hit than others, I think Indonesians can be relatively highly caffeinated (Arabicas).
A refractometer would be a great idea, but I don't think it's going to help determine caffeine content.
- TomC (original poster)
- Team HB
- Posts: 10552
- Joined: 13 years ago
It was a 20g dose, 340g H2O. The refractometer was just a knee jerk comment about wanting to know yield better.
You steep for 40-60 minutes? Sowden Iced Coffee?
You steep for 40-60 minutes? Sowden Iced Coffee?
Join us and support Artisan Roasting Software=https://artisan-scope.org/donate/
-
- Posts: 429
- Joined: 11 years ago
Well, that equates to reasonably similar weight of dissolved coffee solids to a 18g dose espresso, so there may well be more caffeine per g of dose in a brewed coffee? I have also noticed that if I get a noticeable amount of solids in the cup, this gives me the jitters - quite apart from dissolved solids (which I tend to keep <3.5g per cup). I grind so that I don't get more than a light dust in the cup & always leave the siltiest bit in the brewer. If I go under 1.6-1.7 turns out on the Lido, I notice the solids creeping in. Also, I used to lift out the filter, then let it drain into the brewer, slightly on its side...I think this encourages particles to pass through the filter wall, so now I just do a quick, 'straight up & into the sink' lift (it's a bit messier though).
Much more than an hour and the coffee is "warm" rather than "hot", but the Sowden holds heat well, 40-50 minutes is still a good drinking temp (I use the 1.2l mostly, the smaller ones lose heat quicker). I go for sweetness over hotness. I do leave to go cold for the last cup of the day, sometimes chill it down.
Much more than an hour and the coffee is "warm" rather than "hot", but the Sowden holds heat well, 40-50 minutes is still a good drinking temp (I use the 1.2l mostly, the smaller ones lose heat quicker). I go for sweetness over hotness. I do leave to go cold for the last cup of the day, sometimes chill it down.
-
- Posts: 340
- Joined: 17 years ago
Yes - I don't use french press/cafetieres, generally either Technivorm (paper) filter or Cona if I want non-espresso coffee. Can definitely tell after drinking it that there's slightly more caffeine in the Cona than the filter. The one that really hits me though is the Krups Moka Brew, to the extent that although I like the brew it produces, I really can't drink it in any volume.TomC wrote:Has anyone else noticed a difference in caffeine jitters from the way they produce their brew?
Have read elsewhere that gram for gram of grounds, espresso extracts less caffeine than other methods, but I don't know the science behind that..
- RioCruz
- Posts: 631
- Joined: 14 years ago
I don't know the science behind it either--other than the longer it steeps, the more caffeine is extracted. I really don't like the feeling caffeine gives me, which is one of the reasons I like single espressos, and brew a 6 oz. morning cup with the Aeropress. Only 10 seconds of "steep" time...then into the cup. I started using the Aeropress because I felt I got better tasting coffee. The lower caffeine content was a bonus.keepitsimple wrote:Have read elsewhere that gram for gram of grounds, espresso extracts less caffeine than other methods, but I don't know the science behind that..
"Nobody loves your coffee more than you do."
~James Freeman, Blue Bottle
~James Freeman, Blue Bottle
-
- Posts: 1302
- Joined: 12 years ago
I notice brewed (v60 filter) gives me a feeling of caffeine jitters halfway through the cup, if not sooner. With espresso, I never feel jitters. After the first I feel more alert, and after two or three I feel ready to accomplish something, but never the classical caffeine high. As a reference of my tolerance: I often have six or more 21 gram ristrettos in the morning.
LMWDP #366
- RioCruz
- Posts: 631
- Joined: 14 years ago
Very interesting, Brandon. I noticed the same thing after our espresso blowout on Saturday. I'd never had so many espressos at one time but I didn't feel jittery at all. Just...ummm...light and speedy. I had 4 single espressos this morning a few hours after my Aeropress cup and experienced the same thing. No jitters...just very alert and zippy! Not an unpleasant feeling.
"Nobody loves your coffee more than you do."
~James Freeman, Blue Bottle
~James Freeman, Blue Bottle