S.O.E Coffee and AeroPress: How Grind Size Changes Dark Roast Results
For medium-dark beans in the AeroPress, use a medium-fine grind, a 1:13 coffee-to-water ratio, and a short extraction. The test fixed water at 85°C, used inverted pressure extraction, and kept total time under two minutes, changing only the grind (BG 6M, BG 6A, BG 5R) and the ratio (1:14, 1:13).
Results separated clearly: BG 6M gave bright fruit acidity, BG 6A brought out chocolate and nutty notes with slightly weaker sweetness, and BG 5R delivered the fullest cocoa and caramel sweetness. The bean was a washed Typica from Clifton Farm at 1,310 meters, roasted medium-dark, a profile that also works well pulled as s.o.e coffee. Grind coarseness, not bean size, drove most of the difference.
The AeroPress excels at immersion extraction, usually producing a balanced and smooth cup. But when the coffee beans are switched to a medium-dark roast and you want to highlight a rich, full-bodied mouthfeel, the original parameters often fall short. This article uses [Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain] as the experimental bean, fixing the water temperature at 85°C, using inverted pressure extraction, and controlling the total time within two minutes, changing only the grind size (BG 6M, BG 6A, BG 5R) and the coffee-to-water ratio (1:14, 1:13) for comparison. The results showed: BG 6M had noticeably bright fruit acidity, BG 6A highlighted chocolate and nutty notes but with slightly weaker sweetness, while BG 5R delivered the fullest cocoa and caramel sweetness. The final recommendation for dark-roasted beans is to use a medium-fine grind, a 1:13 coffee-to-water ratio, and a short extraction time to achieve a rich and balanced cup.
Previously we've used the AeroPress to make coffee with a flavor-forward profile, but this time let's take a different approach and try making a cup with a full, substantial mouthfeel using the AeroPress!
The AeroPress mainly relies on immersion for extraction, so the final cup tends to be quite balanced. However, I'm curious: if we use it on a darker-roasted bean, what parameter changes should we make to preserve the richness while maintaining balance?
【Experiment】
The bean chosen for today's experiment is [Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain], from Clifton Farm in Jamaica, a washed Typica variety. We typically use a medium-dark roast to showcase its rich texture and the balance of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness.
【Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain】
Country: Jamaica
Estate: Clifton Farm
Altitude: 1310 meters
Processing method: Washed
Variety: Typica
Roast level: Medium-dark roast
I first tried using the everyday pour-over parameters, changing only the coffee-to-water ratio while keeping everything else the same, using inverted pressure extraction.
Parameters: Grind size BG 6M (50% pass rate on China Standard No. 20 sieve), water temperature 85°C.
【Coffee-to-water ratio 1:14】
Take 16 grams of coffee into the AeroPress, pour in 223 grams of hot water, stir 5 times to let the coffee grounds fully contact the water; at one minute of immersion, stir 5 more times; at one minute thirty seconds, flip and press out, total time one minute fifty seconds.
Flavor: The aroma has a faint chocolate note; on the palate there are milk chocolate, nutty, and creamy notes; as the temperature drops slightly, tropical fruit sweetness and acidity become more pronounced, with a slight astringency, overall crisp and refreshing.
【Coffee-to-water ratio 1:13】
Take 16 grams of coffee into the AeroPress, pour in 203 grams of hot water, stir 5 times to let the coffee grounds fully contact the water; at one minute of immersion, continue stirring 5 times; at one minute thirty seconds, flip and press out, total time one minute forty-five seconds.
Flavor: Chocolate aroma on the nose; on the palate, chocolate and nutty flavors accompanied by some floral and smoky notes; as the temperature drops slightly, berry acidity emerges, with a relatively rich mouthfeel.
The [coffee-to-water ratio 1:14] version of Front Street Blue Mountain had prominent sweetness and acidity with a crisp mouthfeel; while the [coffee-to-water ratio 1:13] version was comparatively richer, with the fruit acidity less dominant. However, under both ratios, the chocolate and nutty flavors weren't particularly clear. So I adjusted the grind finer to BG 6A to see how the Blue Mountain would perform.
Parameters: Grind size BG 6A (54% pass rate on China Standard No. 20 sieve), water temperature 85°C.
【Coffee-to-water ratio 1:14】
Flavor: Berry acidity on the palate, faint chocolate and tea notes, with a slight fermented aroma, relatively thin mouthfeel, bright fruit acidity.
【Coffee-to-water ratio 1:13】
Flavor: Dark chocolate, herbal, smoky notes and soft berry acidity on the palate, with a finish of nutty aroma and caramel sweetness, rich and smooth mouthfeel.
After adjusting the grind to BG 6A, the fruit acidity was no longer as bright, but the sweetness was still lacking. I continued adjusting, setting the grind to BG 5R, which is the coarseness used for everyday pour-over, to see the results.
Parameters: Grind size BG 5R (58% pass rate on China Standard No. 20 sieve), water temperature 85°C.
【Coffee-to-water ratio 1:14】
Flavor: Soft fruit acidity on the palate, with cocoa, nutty, and creamy flavors appearing; relatively thin mouthfeel but clear sweetness.
【Coffee-to-water ratio 1:13】
Flavor: Soft citrus acidity on the palate, with pronounced cocoa, creamy, and caramel sweetness; overall balanced with a rich mouthfeel.
Testing three grind sizes with two coffee-to-water ratios: at BG 6M, whether 1:14 or 1:13, Front Street Blue Mountain showed relatively prominent fruit acidity and an overall crisp profile; at BG 6A, the chocolate and nutty flavors were clearer, with softer fruit acidity but slightly weaker sweetness; at BG 5R, the cocoa, nutty, and caramel flavors were very prominent, and the sweetness was especially striking.
Since I basically keep the extraction time under two minutes when making AeroPress, the time is on the short side, so a finer grind can be used to increase the contact area between the coffee grounds and water, thereby raising the extraction yield.
I suggest that if you're brewing dark-roasted coffee with the AeroPress, you might try the medium-fine grind + [coffee-to-water ratio 1:13] , short extraction time approach.
END
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
