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Brewing to Perfection

Essential coffee-making tips, techniques and tools of the trade from a seasoned pro

By Tristan Scott
Zach Farnes, roastmaster at Montana Coffee Traders, pours coffee for a tasting on Jan. 18, 2018. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

From his post at Azul Coffee Bar in Columbia Falls, barista Matthew Bussard is the personification of a purist — ritualistic and fastidious, simple yet refined.

Still, he’s no snob. Call his style “upscale but accessible.” Just because he owns a custom tamper and engraved cupping spoon doesn’t diminish his passion for educating all kinds of folks on the properties that make coffee special, which is what makes a visit to his coffee cart inside Uptown Hearth such a treat — well, that and the coffee.

Coffee is a cultural mainstay in America, even though tracing its spiritual roots leads us across the pond, where Italy gave us the lingo — espresso, cappuccino, latte — while Ethiopia is the birthplace of the coffee plant. But a cup of coffee is a daily, revitalizing ritual for many Americans, 64 percent of who report drinking at least one cup of coffee on an average day, according to a 2015 Gallup poll. In total, approximately 150 million Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee per day — or more than 140 billion cups per year — making the United States the leading consumer of coffee in the world.

In an era where coffee shops are as ubiquitous as social media selfies, and the café culture is as vibrant as ever, it’s easy to forget that, for most Americans, this elixir of life is often born out of your own kitchen.

Here are some tips, tools and techniques for making that perfect cuppa comfort while you’re still wearing pajamas and sporting an epic case of bedhead, or entertaining guests after a monumental meal.

Visit Bussard at Azul Coffee Bar, 619 Nucleus Ave. in Columbia Falls, or check out his website at azulcoffeebar.com to learn more about at-home brewing techniques.

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Essentials

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The Beans

Great coffee begins with great beans, and quality selection is critical to the success of your brew.

Beginning with a single-origin coffee bean, meaning its origins can be traced to a single geographic region, farm or a specific collection of beans, is a pretty foolproof way to start.

Try purchasing your coffee from your local specialty coffee roaster or coffee shop. They will have the freshest coffee and most knowledgeable staff to answer your questions.

Resist the urge to freeze or refrigerate your coffee. The drastic changes in temperature can rob your coffee of subtle aromas and flavors. Store in an airtight container, safely set away from heat and humidity.

Pro-tip: “Think of roasted coffee as you would fresh produce or baked bread,” Bussard says.

The Grind

Grind the coffee beans yourself to ensure freshness. While the ease of pre-ground coffee is tempting, investing in a good grinder will pay off with a fresher, more flavorful cup.

A Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is a long-lasting tool that every coffee enthusiast will agree is important to include in your coffee-brewing quiver. Be sure to match your grind to your brewing method, with French presses requiring a coarser grind, similar to sea salt, and pour-over or drip methods a finer touch.

Pro-tip: “There is a correlation between batch size, grind size and length of brew. The more coffee you’re brewing, the larger your grind must be, and the longer your brew time,” according to Bussard. “Inversely, smaller batches of coffee require smaller grind size and brew times.”

The Weight

Weight matters, and matter weighs. There are several reasons to consider weighing your coffee instead of eyeballing the volume when mastering your preferred brewing method. Different beans have different densities and, like snowflakes, no two beans are the same. A gram scale is the best way to guard against the crushing disappointment of a weak, dishwater-y brew or an unbearably bitter beginning to the morning.

Pro-tip: “Gram scales will allow you to reproduce your coffee recipe over and over,” Bussard said. “They also come in handy if you need to make coffee for two or more people — simply multiply your quantities and go.”

The Temperature

Even if you want your coffee hot, you don’t want it too hot. Remember to keep your water temperature below boiling to avoid scorching the grounds. The brewing temperature of the water used is important, and should fall between 195 degrees and 205 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pro-tip: A temperature-controlled electric kettle with a gooseneck spout is a perfect tool for pour-over brewing methods and French presses alike.

Brew Ratio

This is a central concept in better understanding how to master your morning cup of coffee. Industry standard is 1:15 ratio. So if you’re weighing your coffee, and you make 20 grams of coffee, you’ll use 300 grams of water to brew that coffee. This helps scale your recipes for multiple cups and also helps develop a basepoint, from which you can increase or decrease that ratio to your tastes.

Pro-tip: “A single cup of coffee uses 20 grams of coffee beans,” Bussard said. “So if you’re making coffee for two, it’s 40 grams, for three it’s 60 grams, and (you get the point).”

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Master the Method

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Chemex

This classic coffee brewer was first introduced in the 1940s, but has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years with specialty coffee roasters brewing more and more hand-poured, small-batch coffee. Best suited for one to three cups per batch.

Grind: Medium-Coarse

Dose/Brew ratio: 60 grams coffee to 900 grams water

Brew time: 5-7 minutes

Water temperature: 195-205 Fahrenheit (just off a boil).

Flavor notes and cup character: Strong, full-bodied cup similar to a French press. Allows subtle flavor notes of delicate, single-origin, light-roasted coffee to come through.

Instructions: Place filter in and wet it with hot water to help it stick to your Chemex. Add just enough water to wet your grounds (approximately 70 grams). Begin a timer when you “bloom” grounds — a brief bubbling up of carbon dioxide and coffee grounds that occurs when freshly roasted coffee is brewed.

Wait 45 seconds. Aim your water at the center of the slurry, gently circling clockwise. Slowly add 130 grams to make your total 200 grams. Wait 45 seconds. Slowly add 100g every 30 seconds. Do this until you reach 900 grams.

French Press

This brewing device offers one of the easiest, oldest and least expensive ways to make great coffee by steeping the grounds in hot water and then
pressing the grounds out. Best suited for three to four servings.

Grind: Coarse, even

Dose/Brew ratio: 60 grams coffee to 700 grams water

Brew time: 4 minutes

Water temperature: 195-205 Fahrenheit (just off a boil).

Flavor notes and cup character: Sweet, smooth and heavily bodied flavor profile.

Instructions: Gently pour twice the amount of water than you have coffee onto your grounds, so if you have 35 grams of coffee, start with 70 grams of water. Allow the coffee to bloom for 30 seconds. Add the remaining water and position the lid on top of the grounds. Don’t plunge immediately, but let the coffee steep for four minutes.

If it’s hard to press, your grind is too fine. If it’s too easy to press, your grind is too coarse. Pressure-wise, 15-20 pounds is the sweet spot.

Pour-Over Drip

Many new designs have surfaced in recent years, and these single-cup coffee makers are perfect at home or the office for one to two cups at a time. Make sure you take note of the filters, as they each are engineered with a filter that works best for the design. You’ll definitely want a gooseneck kettle for these delicate coffee brewers.

Grind: Medium

Dose/Brew ratio: 24 grams coffee to 340 grams water

Brew time: 3-4 minutes

Water temperature: 195-205 Fahrenheit (just off a boil)

Flavor notes and cup character: Pour-overs will deliver flavorful cups with mild body and nuanced flavors.

Instructions: Bloom with 50 grams of water for 60 seconds. Add 50 grams every 30 seconds.

AeroPress

Cheap and compact (and created by the inventor of the Aerobie flying disk) AeroPress is the perfect recipe for a rich, espresso-like cup of coffee without an espresso machine. Best suited for a single serving.

Grind: Medium-Coarse to Medium

Dose/Brew ratio: 15 grams coffee to 255 grams water

Brew time: 1 minute, 45 seconds

Water temperature: 212 Fahrenheit.

Flavor notes and cup character: Full bodied and complex

Instructions: With an Aeropress in the standard position on a decanter or mug and a washed, paper filter in place, add coffee, start timer and immediately top with 255 grams of water. Stir north-to-south five times and east-to-west five times and cap with plunger. At 1 minute, uncap Aeropress and stir again. Recap and press, slowly, for 45 seconds.