When we correctly use a siphon to make a pot of coffee, the coffee's aroma is fuller and its mouthfeel is richer. The reason is that the siphon filters coffee grounds with a cloth filter, and the gaps in the cloth are relatively large, so it cannot filter out some fine coffee particles. As a result, coffee made with a siphon has a pleasant texture in the mouth. To bring out the above advantages in the final coffee, Front Street believes that some details still need attention when using a siphon, as well as choosing the right coffee beans.
First, let's briefly talk about the origin of the siphon. The siphon originated in Europe, even 70 years earlier than pour-over. Between 1830 and 1840, Loeff in Berlin, Germany, was the first to invent and patent the glass dual-chamber siphon extraction method with upper and lower chambers. Later, through continuous improvements in France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, it was brought to Denmark and Japan in the mid-20th century and began to enter the market on a large scale, reaching its peak in the 1950s.
Siphon Principle
The lower chamber of the siphon can be called the capacity chamber. It is spherical and marked with water volume scales for several cups, and is used to hold the coffee liquid. The upper chamber is cylindrical and used to extract coffee. This principle is actually the siphon phenomenon in physics.
When the water in the lower chamber of the siphon is heated, it produces steam and pressure, pushing the hot water from the lower chamber through the glass tube up into the upper chamber and beginning to brew the coffee grounds in the upper chamber. After extraction is complete, turn off the heat and remove the heat source. At this point, the lower chamber is already in a semi-vacuum state and has lost upward pressure, so the lower chamber then draws the coffee liquid from the upper chamber back down. (If you want the coffee extract to flow back faster, you can wipe the lower chamber with a wet cloth. This reduces the pressure difference between the upper and lower chambers and makes the coffee extract flow back faster.) The coffee grounds are blocked by the cloth filter in the upper chamber, completing extraction.
There are many ways to brew coffee. Different equipment, different techniques, different grind sizes, different times, and so on can all extract a cup of coffee. Or, with the same set of equipment, you can also play with different variations, and maybe the extracted coffee will surprise you quite a bit~~ Today let's share the stirring method and the immersion method in siphon brewing!!
Don't rush, first follow Front Street and take a look at the basic information of this bean used in this brewing experiment~~
Costa Rica Canet Musician Series Mozart
Front Street Coffee: Costa Rica Mozart coffee beans
Region: Tarrazu Canet Estate
Variety: Caturra, Catuai
Altitude: 1950
Processing: Raisin honey processing
Flavor: Raisin, osmanthus, berry, pineapple, caramel
This Costa Rica Canet Estate · Music Series Mozart bean has rich floral aromas and soft fruit acidity. The raisin processing method also gives this bean fermented aromas and flavors of berries and raisins! Alright, without further ado, let's hurry up and brew. First, let's look at a stirring method～
Parameters: 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio, 20 g coffee, fine grind (EK43s grinder setting 9 / China standard No. 20 sieve pass rate 85%), water temperature 90°C.
Method: Add 200 g water to the lower chamber. When the water temperature in the lower chamber reaches 90°C, insert the upper chamber tightly. When the water rises to the upper chamber, add the coffee grounds and stir to allow the coffee grounds to fully contact the water. After 30 seconds, stir back and forth in a cross pattern around one full circle to break the crust. At 56 seconds, remove the heat source to let the coffee liquid flow back. (Start timing when the coffee grounds are added.) Extraction time is 1 minute 8 seconds.
Front Street Mozart siphon coffee flavor: Floral, berry, fermented wine aroma, raisin.
Next, let's do an immersion method.
Parameters: 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio, 20 g coffee, medium-fine grind (EK43s grinder setting 9 /China standard No. 20 sieve pass rate 85%), water temperature 90°C.
Method: Add 200 g water to the lower chamber. When the water temperature in the lower chamber reaches 90°C, insert the upper chamber tightly. When the water rises to the upper chamber, add the coffee grounds and stir to allow the coffee grounds to fully contact the water. After 1 minute of immersion, remove the heat source to let the coffee liquid flow back. (Start timing when the coffee grounds are added.) Extraction time is 1 minute 32 seconds.
Front Street Mozart siphon coffee flavor: Osmanthus aroma, berry, raisin, caramel.
The difference between using these two methods to extract with a siphon is that the coffee extracted by the stirring method has a stronger fermented wine aroma and a thicker mouthfeel, with raisin-like sweet acidity as it cools; while the coffee extracted by the immersion method has a more obvious osmanthus aroma, and when a bit cooler has berry and raisin notes, with a slightly thinner mouthfeel, but very clean and sweet. One is fuller, while the other is more refreshing.
Of course, taste varies from person to person, and you can also choose your preferred extraction method based on your own taste~~ However, regarding the siphon, the editor still has something to say. The siphon extracts coffee under continuous heating, and the water temperature should be kept between 86-94°C as much as possible. This way, the extraction rate of the coffee grounds is higher, and it remains stable, with fewer variables, so the extracted coffee tastes more consistent. Even if you are just a beginner in coffee, you can brew a cup of coffee with a rich body and full aroma. Remember to clean the cloth filter after each use, and replace it after a period of time; otherwise, it can easily affect the coffee's flavor~~
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
