HOW WE BREW OUR COFFEES:

ESPRESSO:

In our coffee shop, we brew on a Synesso MVP Hdyra that allows for 4-stage pressure profiling. We also use Pesado High Extraction Baskets (Size S) and their shower screens for faster, more efficient extractions. 

Our usual recipe is 16,5g : 45g in around 22s. You can find the exact recipe we use for each coffee under Brewguide for each recpective coffee. 

If you use a standart 18g basket, we recommend using tighter ratios of around 1:2 . 1-2,5 for more traditional extractions, although our coffees also behave very well as turboshots. 

What are turbo shots?

As the name suggests, it means brewing a coffee faster than usual. The standard we use for that kind of shot would be a 1:3 ratio in around 15-18s (in our case 16g : 48g, or 17g : 51g for more traditional baskets). Because we need to go coarser with our grindsize, we have less issues with channeling and get a more efficient extraction. Aditionally, the use of lagerger ratios (more water means more fresh solvant) counters lower contact time. That way we can reach very similar levels of extraction, altough -because of the shorter contact time - we usually lose less volatile aromas in the brewing process and have less bitterness, which results in very expressive and cleaner cups.


FILTER COFFEE:

We use the Next Level Pulsar Mini for all hand brews, a no bypass brewer with an integrated showerscreen that allows us to brew very consistent from cup to cup.

Our standart recipe for the Next Level Pulsar Mini:

91°C, very coarse grind size, 16,5g : 250g in around 2:15-2:45min

  • 0:00: with the valve closed, pour 125g in the center of the shower screen.
  • 1:00: open the valve and wait for the water to fully drain.
  • 1:20-1:30: pour the remaining 125g in the center again.

We also use different variations of the V60 regularly. If we do, we use the Cafec T90 Filter Paper. The classic Hario Filter Paper also works well, though it is slightly slower and produces more balanced, easier cups. Because it is slower, we would use a slightly coarser grindsize. That means slightly more energy is needed to extract our coffee, which is why we would try and aim for around 15-30s longer extractions or a few degrees higher temperature.

Our standart recipe for the V60:

91°C, coarse grind size, 16,5g : 250g in 2:00-2:30min

  • 0:00: Pour 50g in slow circles from the inside to the outside. Fresher coffees (up to three weeks off roast) might need a longer bloom to get rid of the carbon dioxide that gets trapped in the bean during roasting.
  • 0:30 - 1:00: once all the water is drained, start with the second pour to 150g. Start around 15cm above the bed and in the center, while  pouring in small circles the size of a coin.
  • 1:00 - 1:30: pour up to 250g, this time closer to the bed and more delicate

 

WATER FOR COFFEE:

By far the biggest driver in cup quality is water. It makes up over 98% of your filter coffee and over 90% of your espresso.

Having soft water is always a good starting point. If tap water in your area is hard like for us in munich, it can heavily limit the potential of your cup of coffee. There are different ways to improve your water.

  • Get a table water filter:
    • they are useful when water is not too hard. They can only do so much though. In places like munich, you need multiple passes to get to a desired ppm. In this process, you will also loose some of the good things in the water.
  • Bottled water that has the right mineralisation:
    • be careful using that in your espresso machine, as some bottled waters have very high mineral contet that can hurt your machine fast. Finding the right ones takes a bit of research.
  • Distilled water + Tap water:
    • Blend Tap water with distilled water to a ppm of 60-150ppm depending on the coffee and your taste preferences. For that, you can use a TDS-Meter. It tells you how many particles per millon are dissolved in the water. That way, you can make sure your espresso machine or other equipemtn does not take any damage.
  • Filtration system:
    • these might already be installed in some newer buildings. Custom solutions are available, but quite expensive if you want something optimized for coffee.
  • Distilled water + remineralization:
    • This is how we brew in our shop. We use Apax Lab Minerals, but other brands or even self made mineral concentrates also work well. This is the most precise way to influence how your coffee tastes. It allows to highlight the different attributes in a coffee. Think of it like seasoning after cooking, you simply have more control over how you want to present each indivdual coffee.
    • This works best for filter coffee or manual espresso machines that can handle distilled water. Never put distilled water in a boiler machine! It can corrode your boiler and cause irreparable damage.