this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2023
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My coffee arrived at about 10:30, broke straight into it. Not bad, but I do find brand new coffee a bit acidic, I think there are preparation strategies but I'm no good at it.
I drink coffee for the taste (and to hold a warm mug). I often drink decaf, or cut the caffenated stuff with decaf for lower caffeine but better flavour.
I can't drink tea, I just don't like I've tried to like it but have made no progress.
Some regions/roasts are naturally more acidic. I find south American beans to be too acidic. African origins are less acidic and maybe a bit more earthy.
Either way if you want to cut the acidity a good option is to make cold brew or cold press coffee. Basically just pour cold water over coarse grounds, and let sit in the fridge over night.
I don't really like drinking coffee cold. Is it against the rules to make cold brew then microwave it? (I'm guessing I shouldn't do that when others are around)
With a super fresh batch, when you pour the hot water over it bubbles with foam reasonably vigorously. I've read that you should pour a small amount of water over to wet the beans and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then proceed to put your normal amount of water in. This apparently lets more carbon dioxide escape from the beans into the air instead of going into the water to make the water acidic. I always forget to try this though, and I'm not really sure it's made much difference from the times I have tried it.
I know this one. Kinda.
Freshly roasted coffee has excess carbon dioxide, which gets released over time. You generally want to rest it for a few days before you start brewing with it.
In brewing, as soon as you wet the grounds, they start releasing carbon dioxide rapidly. This is important to know for some brew methods, like pourover, where you want to lightly wet the grounds and let them sit for half a minute before brewing.
I'm not really sure about how effective it would be for coffee that's too fresh. You might end up with a brew that's uneven in other ways. Best thing is to plan ahead with coffee purchases, so you've always got a bag in that peak window. But failing that, can't hurt to experiment.
What's the peak window? Like 3-7 days after roasting?
Is there a cheat sheet for this stuff? I struggle with getting coffee prepared how I like it. I make the occasional fantastic coffee but am never sure what I did differently.
It varies by the coffee. Safest window is probably between 1 week after roasting, then 2 weeks after that. Lighter roasts last longer, but I imagine Raglan is medium-to-dark.
Oh, and pre-ground coffee won't last as long. If you don't have one, a grinder can really help get the best cup of coffee.
Thanks! Yeah I grind my own these days. I didn't realise coffee was supposed to be rested so long!
Sites are so keen to get you to sign up to a subscription to get the freshest coffee every week, I had assumed that made the best coffee.
Yeah, a week can feel like an eternity when you've got coffee you really want to try. I usually buy my coffee from cafes so it's ready to go.