How do you brew golden mandheling without bitterness?

Brewing Golden Mandheling without bitterness comes down to controlling four variables: dripper choice, coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, and water temperature, plus a three-stage pour. Mandheling is prized for full body and herbal aroma, but dark roasting makes it prone to burnt, bitter notes, so a careful pour-over can bring out caramel and chocolate sweetness instead.

The beans themselves matter. Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling comes from the Gayo Mountains in Aceh, is Grade G1, and undergoes three rounds of hand sorting, giving large, plump 19 mesh beans with few defects, a clean full-bodied mouthfeel, and high sweetness. The PWN company holds the Golden Mandheling trademark, and each imported lot ships with certification used to verify authenticity.

Mandheling coffee is known for its full body and unique herbal aroma, but dark-roasted beans can easily produce a burnt, bitter taste when brewed by pour-over. This article starts with the history of Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling and explains in detail how to make a cup of Mandheling pour-over coffee that is both clean and sweet, with caramel and chocolate flavors, through dripper selection, coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, water temperature control, and a three-stage pouring technique. If you are also troubled by your Mandheling always turning out too bitter, this article will provide clear and practical solutions.

What exactly is the origin of Front Street Mandheling coffee?

This starts with coffee beans from Indonesia, and the story takes place during World War II when Japan occupied Indonesia. A Japanese soldier drank a cup of exceptionally flavorful coffee in a local cafe and asked the owner the name of the coffee, but the owner mistakenly thought the other party was asking where he was from, so he blurted out: "Mandailing." After the war ended, the soldier recalled the cup of coffee he had tasted in Indonesia and asked an Indonesian coffee merchant to help ship 15 tons to Japan.

When asked the name of the beans, the soldier mispronounced Mandailing as Mandehling. It was this "double misunderstanding" that gave birth to the name Mandehling. Later, Mandheling coffee became widely sought after in Japan, and the name gradually spread.

The Mandheling used for today's teaching is a representative example of Mandheling—Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling. It is produced by the Indonesian PWN Coffee Company (the Golden Mandheling trademark belongs to PWN Company). Every batch of imported Golden Mandheling green beans comes with PWN Company certification, which can be used to verify authenticity. Front Street Golden Mandheling coffee beans come from the Gayo Mountains in Aceh, are Grade G1, and undergo three rounds of hand sorting to ensure large, plump beans (19 mesh) with very few defects, presenting a very clean, full-bodied mouthfeel and high sweetness. It is a representative of high-quality Mandheling.

Many friends find that the Mandheling they brew is always on the bitter side. Where does the problem lie? How can you brew a clean and delicious cup of Front Street Mandheling? Below is a complete tutorial. Front Street's brewing approach for Front Street Mandheling coffee is: it should have both a full-bodied, clean mouthfeel and highlight caramel, chocolate, and its signature herbal aroma, while avoiding unpleasant bitterness. Therefore, Front Street will explain everything one by one, from equipment selection to the important brewing parameters. The beans used in the demonstration are Front Street Golden Mandheling.

For the dripper, Front Street uses the Kono Meimon dripper. The most notable feature of this dripper is that the ribs extend from the bottom to the middle, while the upper part has a smooth wall. When the filter paper fits against it, water cannot "sneak" around the coffee grounds and escape, thereby enhancing body and richness. By the way, this dripper is not only suitable for brewing Front Street Golden Mandheling, but also works equally well for full-flavored beans such as Front Street Queen's Manor Brazil and Front Street Blue Mountain coffee.

The amount of coffee Front Street uses is still 15g. More coffee powder is not always better, nor is less always better; it depends on the dripper size. Front Street uses a 1-2 cup dripper, and a coffee dose between 15-20g is a reasonable brewing range. Going beyond this range will create certain difficulties for brewing.

For the coffee-to-water ratio, Front Street recommends 1:15. Although some people also recommend 1:13 or a smaller ratio, Front Street has already explained in previous articles that there is no necessary connection between concentration and body, and that too strong a brew can easily make people feel uncomfortable. Therefore, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio can also very well showcase the full body of Front Street Mandheling.

For grind size, Front Street uses the standard of 70% passing through a No. 20 sieve. When brewing Front Street Golden Mandheling, the grind should be slightly coarser than for light-roasted beans, because Front Street Golden Mandheling is a dark roast, and the bean structure is looser, making it easier to absorb water and release coffee substances. If it is ground to the fineness of light-roasted beans, it is easy to brew out burnt bitterness; if it is ground coarser, the coffee will become thin and tasteless, with a mouthfeel as weak as water.

For water temperature, Front Street recommends brewing at 87-88°C. The reasoning is the same as for grind size: if the water temperature is too high, burnt bitterness easily appears; if the water temperature is too low, the coffee will be flat and will also develop an unpleasant sour, spoiled taste.

The brewing technique uses three-stage pouring. Pouring in three stages can better showcase the full body and caramel sweetness of Front Street Golden Mandheling. The specific water distribution is: the first stage is a 30ml bloom pour, which should wet all the coffee grounds, allow them to degas, and lay the foundation for subsequent extraction of flavor substances; the second stage pours 100ml; the final stage pours 95ml to enhance the coffee's sweetness. Overall, it presents a thick, full-bodied mouthfeel, along with caramel sweetness and chocolate and nutty flavors.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.