BREWING BASICS

For the perfect cup of hot coffee every time, follow these tried and true steps:

Step 1: Buy Fresh Coffee Beans

Purchasing beans as soon after they’re roasted will ensure maximum flavor. The best way to do this? Find local roasters and get your beans straight from the source. Avoid the grocery store bins which tend to build up oils that go rancid and alter your coffee’s flavor.If you are grinding your own beans, make sure to do it right before you brew. For the most uniform grinds with the optimum coarseness, ask your roaster to grind them for you.

Make sure you keep your grounds as fresh as possible in an airtight
container at room temperature.

Step 2: Choose Quality Beans

Not every bean tastes the same so be careful what you choose. Look to the expertise of your local roaster to help you select single sourced or blended varieties that will satisfy your discerning palate. Many of the bags state the country, region, or estate of origin, especially on specialty coffees. This is how you know you’re stepping away from the boring, often stagnant flavors of mass produced products.

Step 3: Use Good Water

That means don’t just grab it from the tap; unless you have to. And in that case, make sure to run the water a few seconds to rid it of any build-upYour best bet is to use bottled water. That way your coffee flavor is what shines through and isn’t altered by any flavors found in the water itself. Distilled or softened water will ruin your coffee!

And start with cold water, too. Coffee brewed at too hot a temperature will over-extract and cause bitterness. Technically your coffee needs to be brewed at 200 degrees for about 45 seconds.

Step 4: Measure Right

The standard measurement ratio is 1-2 tablespoons of grounds for every 6 ounce cup of coffee. You, of course, can alter this for your own tastes but methods like using less grounds with hotter water won’t extend your grounds – it’ll only turn your coffee bitter.

Step 5: Filters Matter

There are a lot of good products on the market to ensure that your coffee is filtered properly. If it’s in contact with water too long or not long enough, it will cause a really discernable flavor difference – and you won’t like it!

Step 6: Keep it Clean

The more you grind and brew, the more build-up settles on your equipment. And of course, this stuff gets stale and rancid and will affect the flavor profile of your coffee. Make sure to clean your equipment a couple times a month to remove oils and mineral build-up. Running vinegar through your machine works wonders!

And for those days you just don’t have the time or inclination to brew fresh coffee at home, just come visit Fort Findlay! We’ll have a pot waiting for you!