A word about refractometers and their use in the industry. If you are unfamiliar, they measure coffee strength and with brewed coffee mass and ground coffee mass the flavor extraction can be calculated and tracked. Coffee
is all about taste. Hands down, if it doesn't taste good what the
numbers say don't matter. This, I believe, is why there is such
resistance to the use of instruments (refractometers) to help brew
coffee and espresso more consistently. Used purely to brew by numbers
(extraction and strength %) they don't necessarily work. WHY? Because
if the homework that tracks the ideal flavor profile of the coffee
being brewed to the numbers (extraction & strength %) hasn't been
done the ideal cup won't be achieved. As an example, I generally enjoy
coffee brewed at 19.5% extraction and 1.3% strength which tends to be
the sweetest cup. Some amazing coffees are actually dull at those
numbers because the sweetness actually flattens out the flavors and
nothing really stands out. Cupping remains THE method of analysis for deciding on the best flavor profile. Once that profile has been agreed upon it should be analyzed so that that profile can be repeated consistently, day after day, shop to shop. This is where refractometers really shine. The
other main and highly beneficial use of refractometers is to tune the
palate to the numbers. In doing this, the user learns the specific
difference between an Ethiopia Deri Kochoha at 18, 20 & 22%
extraction/1.25, 1.3 & 1.35 strength and a Guatemala Xeucalvitz at
the same extraction. It is an excellent objective tool so that coffee
professionals can all be on the same page. The fact remains that the
palate is a very subjective and highly suggestive analytical tool that
changes with personal mood. Numbers do not change at all, which brings
up another point for determining flavor profile, multiple opinions. If
you are deciding on brewing and roasting profiles by yourself there is a
margin of error you will have, namely, your mood. The more trusted
people cupping with you the more objectively better the cup profile will
be and the numbers will reflect this as well. It is like a computer:
good in, good out, garbage in, garbage out. It comes down to the fact that if you don't know where you are you can't get to where you want to be. |
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