Grinder adjustments for drip
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Arpi
Today I had some time to spare so I decided to test the flavor of different grind settings.
I chose 5 grinder settings from higher (coarsest) to lower (finest). All doses equal. I try to get a 1:17 ratio of coffee to water, 205F temp at kettle (it drops ~6F in cup), 3 mins wait. 1 week old beans.
The flavor does change.
coarsest setting cup 1 (grinder setting = 9)
finest setting cup 5 (grinder setting = 5)
cup 1 = Is this coffee or tea?
cup 2 = most pleasant cup BEST
cup 3 = most acidic flavor
cup 4 = some bitterness gets in
cup 5 = most bitter shot WORST
The finals were between 1 and 2. Number 1 was not like coffee. It was like honey tea. Number 2 was between 3 and 1 and was the winner in my books since it was like honey and had some acid characteristics. 1 was nice and a very easy to drink type of coffee. I could drink a gallon of that stuff, which makes it dangerous
Some pics. Right cup is coarsest. Left cup is finest. Testing grinder settings at the same time (cupping fashion style) helps comparing flavors by looking for the contrasts.
It was a fast way to determine the correct grind settings according to my taste. The total beans used for this test were less than 20 grams! So I didn't waste much, but selected the best setting for my grinder, bean type, and flavor preference. I wonder if the same results would apply if I were to change doses (coffee/water ratio). Don't know if the same settings apply to all coffee bean types. These beans were very light roasted.
Cheers
I chose 5 grinder settings from higher (coarsest) to lower (finest). All doses equal. I try to get a 1:17 ratio of coffee to water, 205F temp at kettle (it drops ~6F in cup), 3 mins wait. 1 week old beans.
The flavor does change.
coarsest setting cup 1 (grinder setting = 9)
finest setting cup 5 (grinder setting = 5)
cup 1 = Is this coffee or tea?
cup 2 = most pleasant cup BEST
cup 3 = most acidic flavor
cup 4 = some bitterness gets in
cup 5 = most bitter shot WORST
The finals were between 1 and 2. Number 1 was not like coffee. It was like honey tea. Number 2 was between 3 and 1 and was the winner in my books since it was like honey and had some acid characteristics. 1 was nice and a very easy to drink type of coffee. I could drink a gallon of that stuff, which makes it dangerous
Some pics. Right cup is coarsest. Left cup is finest. Testing grinder settings at the same time (cupping fashion style) helps comparing flavors by looking for the contrasts.
It was a fast way to determine the correct grind settings according to my taste. The total beans used for this test were less than 20 grams! So I didn't waste much, but selected the best setting for my grinder, bean type, and flavor preference. I wonder if the same results would apply if I were to change doses (coffee/water ratio). Don't know if the same settings apply to all coffee bean types. These beans were very light roasted.
Cheers
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Arpi (original poster)
These beans were Ethiopia Amaro gayo from Roastmasters.com
http://www.roastmasters.com/amaro.html
They came out with medium acidity (light roast, OK but not their best roast). Last weekend I also did light roasted Kenyas but the acidity was too overpowering. They tasted pretty much like after descaling the espresso machine (citric acid). The Ethiopians came out with strong blueberry muffin flavor but other factors that accompany light roasts in general brought down the overall appealingness. Maybe one day I'll figure out how to improve my light roasts.
Cheers
http://www.roastmasters.com/amaro.html
They came out with medium acidity (light roast, OK but not their best roast). Last weekend I also did light roasted Kenyas but the acidity was too overpowering. They tasted pretty much like after descaling the espresso machine (citric acid). The Ethiopians came out with strong blueberry muffin flavor but other factors that accompany light roasts in general brought down the overall appealingness. Maybe one day I'll figure out how to improve my light roasts.
Cheers