Just read an on-line article about
brewing coffee on Coffee Zen. There are
five primary ways of brewing coffee. Each
method has brewing variables – introduction of water, brewing temperature, and
separating the brewed liquor from the coffee grounds. These five methods are
called Turkish brewing, concentrate brewing, percolating, drip brewing, and
French Press brewing.
“Turkish”
or “Greek” Coffee
Turkish coffee (or kahve, the
traditional name) is made in small containers set directly on the flame until
the water and finely ground coffee comes to a boil. Often times it is brewed up with sugar already
introduced. In some traditions they will
pour off a little into each cup and then bring it to a second boil, pouring the
rest off into each cup insuring an even distribution of grounds. In some
regions they serve the Turkish coffee with added spice, usually cardamom. The
coffee is not filtered from the liquor which leaves a thick pungent and muddy
brew. The mud settles to the bottom of the tiny demitasse cups the coffee is
served in. In many countries they read the coffee mud after you have drank your
coffee and tell you your future.
Concentrate
Brewing
Concentrate brewing is very popular
in Latin America and other parts of the world. It is beginning to make a
comeback in the U.S. Concentrate brewing
takes large amounts of coffee that is already brewed with small amounts of
water to brew a concentrate. To make a cup of coffee you mix some of the
concentrate with hot water. The concentrate is brewed either hot or cold. When
it is brewed cold you must let the coffee sit for at least a day. This method
creates a mild light-bodied coffee with little aroma and a little acidity with
a muted flavor.
Percolating
This procedure involves a continuous
brewing of the coffee grounds using boiling water which then turns to boiling
coffee liquor brewing over the grounds. This method is practical but is an
insult to the coffee bean. Brewing with boiling water is bad enough, then
boiling the liquor is asking for a thin, bitter and tarry coffee. Though this produces an awful cup of coffee
many people still prefer percolation. If that’s what you like then more power
to you!
Auto drip
This is the most popular way to brew
coffee in the U.S.A. Pouring hot water
over grounds in a filter and letting the brew drip out the bottom is rather
simple. Drip brewing can produce an excellent cup of coffee if the proper
equipment is used. One of the biggest issues with auto drip machines is they
don’t brew at the right temperature. You can buy coffee makers from a few
companies that calibrate their machines to the proper temperature. If you have
a good auto drip brewing machine then the next hurdle to tackle is the filter.
Paper filters can deposit a flavor in the coffee and also do not allow a lot of
the coffee oils and organic compounds through. A gold-plated reusable filter is
the perfect option for drip brewing. It will not deposit a taste in the coffee
and doesn’t trap as much of the coffee’s essence as paper filters do. It just has to be rinsed out each time.
French
Press or Press Pot
French Pres brewing gives you
complete control. It is more labor intensive than auto drip but the brewing
variables can be better controlled. Coarsely ground coffee is placed in a glass
carafe. The hot water is then poured over the grounds. When the brewing is
complete the top is placed on and a plunger that consists of a metal mesh plate
is pressed down pushing the grounds to the bottom. The coffee liquor is on top
ready to be poured off. The mesh filter allows the oils and fine coffee
particles through without a problem. Also because a coarser grind is required a
longer brewing time is required. A general rule of thumb is four minutes for a
French press. This direct contact of the grounds to water allows a more
complete, controllable, and even extraction. Even though. a coarse grind will
still produce some fine particles. A cup of French-pressed coffee will be
fuller, have more body, and certainly more flavor. It will also have sediment
on the bottom of the cup.
How did you make your coffee this
morning?
The
purpose of this blog is to unite Kona coffee lovers and perhaps learn a little
about coffee and all the benefits of coffee at the same time. Join up, become a member, comment and have
fun! You can find the Kona Coffee Fiends
group on Facebook and we’d appreciate it if Facebook users would “LIKE” the
Kona Cowboy Coffee Company page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kona-Cowboy-Coffee-Company/222070817858553. Just copy and paste to your browser. You can also find us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/jackshuster. And on the web at www.KonaCowboyCoffee.com to order your
gourmet coffee and coffee products.
You know you’re a coffee fiend when you'd be willing to spend time in a Turkish prison. So enjoy your coffee, make it Kona, and
remember, Kona is the home of the Hawaiian cowboy…and we had cowboys in Kona
before there were cowboys in Texas!
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