How Does an SOE Americano Change Yirgacheffe Coffee?

Brewing the same washed Yirgacheffe Gedingding beans three ways produces three distinct cups. An SOE Americano, meaning a single-origin espresso diluted with water, pushes the coffee's citrus and floral notes forward with a clean, concentrated structure. Pour-over highlights acidity and clarity, while cold brew rounds out the body with a sweeter, fuller mouthfeel. None is objectively better; the choice depends on which expression you want.

The beans come from Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region, Gedeo Zone, grown at 1,900 to 2,300 meters from Heirloom variety, washed and graded G1. Dry aroma shows citrus and white floral. Grind matters at every method: too coarse and the body turns thin and watery, too fine and high-temperature extraction brings out bitterness. A medium-fine grind is the recommended starting point, with water temperature adjusted to control how much acidity reaches the cup.

The same Ethiopian Yirgacheffe washed Gedingding coffee beans can present completely different flavor profiles when brewed using different methods. This article focuses on Front Street. Washed Gedingding, first introducing its origin information and dry aroma characteristics, then breaking down pour-over parameters in detail—the specific effects of grind size, dripper selection, and water temperature range on acidity and body. It then provides the coffee-to-water ratio, steeping duration, and flavor change patterns for cold brew, as well as the extraction parameters and operating steps for SOE Americano. Whether you prefer the bright citrus notes of a hot brew or the round, full mouthfeel of cold brew, you can find a brewing method that suits you.

Everyone has somewhat different habits when it comes to drinking coffee. Some prefer it hot, brewing a cup and drinking it all in one go while it is still warm; some drink half and set it aside, waiting until the remaining half has gone completely cold before continuing; and some simply drink from hot to cold, experiencing the flavor shifts brought about by temperature changes. Which way of drinking is actually superior? There is really no standard answer—it all comes down to personal preference. As a beverage, coffee has its own expressiveness whether served hot or cold, and both are worth trying.

Next, let us take Front Street. Washed Gedingding from the Yirgacheffe region as an example to see what kind of relationship exists between brewing temperature and the final flavor.

Front Street. Washed Gedingding Coffee Beans

Country: Ethiopia Region: Yirgacheffe Gedeo Zone Altitude: 1900-2300m Variety: Heirloom Processing Method: Washed Grade: G1

Let us first talk about the dry aroma of this coffee. It smells of refreshing citrus notes paired with white floral fragrance. When sipped and tasted at different temperatures, you can perceive bright citrus notes, honey-like sweetness, and a clean mouthfeel, with floral and tea notes interwoven throughout.

Extra attention is needed during grinding: if the grounds are too coarse, the body-giving compounds are difficult to extract, and the coffee will taste thin and watery; if the grounds are too fine, over-extraction is likely at high temperatures, and bitterness will emerge. Front Street Coffee recommends a medium-fine grind size (78% passing rate on the Chinese standard No. 20 sieve), corresponding to setting 10 on an EK43s electric grinder and setting 24 on a C40 hand grinder.

As for dripper selection, Front Street Coffee specifically chose the V60 dripper to highlight the fresh, alluring aroma of washed Yirgacheffe beans. This dripper's spiral rib design helps the coffee bed degas more effectively, allowing acidic and aromatic compounds to volatilize and dissolve as much as possible.

Beans of different roast levels require corresponding adjustments to brewing water temperature. For a medium-light roast like Front Street. Gedingding, a water temperature of 91-93°C is recommended. A relatively high water temperature can effectively extract the aromatic compounds and acidity (floral and fruity acidity) from light-roasted beans, because light-roasted beans are harder in texture, and raising the water temperature can speed up extraction efficiency while avoiding unpleasant flavors such as sharp acidity.

To divide it even more precisely: if you want a bright, uplifting acidity with a tea-like finish, you can keep the water temperature between 90°C-91°C; if you want fuller acidity and a more pronounced body, brew with a water temperature of 92°C-93°C.

Front Street Yirgacheffe Gedingding Brewing Parameters

Dripper: HARIO V60

Water temperature: 91-93°C

Grind size: fine granulated sugar

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Pouring technique: three-stage

As for the brewing method, Front Street Coffee uses three-stage extraction, with the goal of allowing different flavor compounds to be fully released as the coffee bed rises in temperature in stages. During cupping, Front Street Coffee had already noticed that this coffee performed differently at different temperatures, so targeted adjustments were made to the brewing technique.

Front Street · Washed Gedingding Coffee Beans Flavor Description: At high temperatures, it presents berry, cream, honey, citrus, and a juicy mouthfeel, with bright acidity; after the temperature drops slightly, it shows berry, cream, smoothness, and citrus.

Front Street. Yirgacheffe Gedingding Cold Brew Coffee Method

Take 40 grams of coffee beans and grind slightly finer than for pour-over, to a coarseness of about 85% passing through a No. 20 sieve. Place the coffee grounds into a glass jar, pour in 500 milliliters of room-temperature drinking water, for a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:12. Use a stirring rod to mix the coffee grounds and water thoroughly, then seal it well and place it in the refrigerator.

The cold brew time is recommended to be controlled between 12-24 hours. The longer the steep, the stronger the coffee's flavor, but it is best not to exceed 24 hours.

Steeped for 8 hours: The coffee shows bright acidity and is refreshing and pleasant.

Steeped for 16 hours: The flavor becomes rounder and fuller, with abundant sweetness and acidity.

Steeped for 24 hours: The mouthfeel is thicker and richer, and overall balanced.

After refrigeration is complete, filter out the coffee grounds using filter paper. For the clean filtered coffee liquid, Front Street recommends bottling it and continuing to refrigerate for 4 hours before drinking, so that the cold brew coffee's aroma will be even better.

Front Street. Yirgacheffe Gedingding SOE Americano Method

Coffee grounds amount: 20g

Coffee liquid amount: 40g

Coffee-to-liquid ratio: 1:2

Extraction time: 26-32 seconds

Grind setting: Galileo 2.0

The espresso machine used by Front Street is equipped with a double basket, requiring 20 grams of coffee grounds each time, with an extraction ratio of 1:2, meaning 40 grams of coffee liquid is extracted within a reasonable time. Extraction time is directly related to the flow rate of the coffee, and a single extraction is usually controlled between 20-35 seconds. If it is less than 20 seconds, the coffee tends to taste weak and thin; if it exceeds 35 seconds, over-extraction is likely, leading to burnt and bitter flavors. Therefore, when producing drinks, Front Street keeps espresso extraction time stable within the 26-32 second range.

Before extraction, first wipe the basket clean, turn on the grinder to grind a double dose of coffee grounds, and place it on an electronic scale to weigh and adjust until it is exactly 20 grams. Then use a distribution tool to level the coffee bed, and then use a tamper to press straight down with force to compact the puck, ensuring a more stable extraction process.

Then turn on the extraction switch and let water run for 1-2 seconds, which both wets the group head and rinses away any residual coffee grounds on it. Place an electronic scale under the cup that will catch the Espresso, tare it to zero, and place it together under the group head during extraction.

Gently lock the portafilter onto the group head and flip down the extraction switch to begin extraction. Watch the changes in the extracted liquid, and when the electronic scale shows the coffee liquid has reached 40 grams and the time is around 30 seconds, flip down the extraction switch to stop.

The Front Street. Gedingding SOE made this way carries a faint, light citrus aroma. Then add ice water or warm water at a 1:4 ratio, and a refreshing Gedingding SOE Iced Americano is complete.

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