S1: Episode 6: Coffee Strength: More Than Just A Number
This episode picks apart the tangle of what we mean when we talk about strength in coffee. Encouraged by supermarket labelling, you might fall into the trap of thinking that the strength of a coffee is merely a consequence of its roast level but in fact the brewing method and a coffee’s inherent character also have a part to play in its strength. This week’s FACQ tackles how to reduce the strength of your coffee without compromising the flavour.
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Hello and welcome to The Coffee Drinker’s Guide, a podcast for the coffee curious where I explore and explain the world of specialty coffee to make your daily coffee better and more satisfying.
I’m Angela Holder a coffee roaster and writer on a mission to fight back against bad coffee by giving you the knowledge you need to help you get good coffee and a happier (coffee) life in coffee-break sized episodes. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair and take a break…
This week's episode is about coffee strength - and there’s a lot to untangle when it comes to talking about the strength of a cup of coffee: how its brewed, the level of roast and the inherant character of the coffee itself all come into it…
… and later I’ll be answering a question on how to brew coffee to the strength you prefer….
I have to confess that back in the day when I occasionally did a stint on the shop counter selling coffee beans to customers, my heart would sink when in answer to my usual enquiry about what coffee a customer liked they said ‘nothing too strong’. I knew then that I was in for a long conversation as I tried to get to the bottom of what strength actually meant to them. As I said at the start there’s a lot to untangle when talking about strength in coffee…but let's give it a go…
Firstly strength and the brew
In the specialty coffee world the strength of a coffee is pretty straightforward. It is the amount of coffee that is dissolved in water in brewed coffee. This can be measured after a coffee is brewed by using an instrument called a refractometer, which is used to determine how much of the potentially dissolvable coffee solids in the beans were actually extracted by the water. There are a number of things that can affect the extraction of those flavour compounds and by extension, its strength. Notably the brewing technique used, the ratio of coffee to water, the grind size of the coffee and the quality of the brewing water will all affect the measurable strength of a brew. These things are all brewing variables - or in other words each one is a factor that can potentially be different every time a coffee is brewed. And when a brewing variable changes it will have an impact on the finished brew. Brewing variables are of course completely in the hands of the person brewing the coffee. Use tap water rather than filtered, a coarser grind size or more coffee and you will affect the strength of the coffee that you brew. So if you do want to change the strength of your coffee, take a good look at the brewing variables under your control …
Next strength and the taste
For many people, the strength of a coffee is determined by the perceived level - or intensity - of bitterness. Coffee which is very bitter is described as ‘strong’ while coffee with low bitterness is ‘less strong’. The perceived level of bitterness is then often used as a proxy for the amount of caffeine present in the beans, using the reasoning that caffeine is bitter therefore more bitterness equals more caffeine. So bitter dark roasted coffee is perceived as being ‘stronger’ than lighter roasts - and therefore higher in caffeine. You may be surprised to hear that this apparent correlation is actually incorrect. If you want to know why, I will be doing a deep dive into bitterness in an upcoming episode so make sure you don’t miss it by subscribing to the show if you haven’t already. Nevertheless, the association of bitterness with roast level and therefore strength underpins the rationale of numbering systems on many supermarket coffee packets: the higher the number the darker the roast which leads to a higher level of bitterness and the perception of a 'stronger' coffee. So if those supermarket packet numbering systems confused you - now you know!
Finally strength and the bean
The final factor in a coffee’s strength is the intensity or boldness of the coffee’s flavour. This is intrinsic to the coffee itself. It is not a function of brewing variables or how it was roasted, although these can affect it. A coffee’s flavour is determined at origin where its grown and is a result of the coming together of the coffee’s botanical variety, it’s terroir and the processing method used to turn the coffee cherries into green beans. There is a wide range of flavours and intensity of flavour to be found in coffee. It can be bright fruity and tart as with high grown African coffees or smoky, earthy and mushroomy as with Indonesian coffees. These are both examples of bold flavour profiles in coffee which could also be called ‘marmite’ coffees: you either love ‘em or hate ‘em! On the other hand, traditional Central American coffees are generally very mild with a gentle fruit and chocolate profile which is more universally appealing. You are not going to know how intense a coffee’s intrinsic flavour is for you until you try it (and everyone’s preference is different) - but its worth noting your reactions to different coffees as you taste them. Keep a note of what you like with as much detail as possible about those coffees and over time you will build up your own personal profile of flavour - and intensity - preferences.
Each episode I answer a Frequently Asked Coffee Question…This episode’s question is:
How do I reduce the strength of my coffee without compromising its flavour?
As mentioned earlier you can make adjustments to your brewing variables to affect the brewed strength of your coffee. This is likely to take some trial and error as you fiddle with variables until you get to a result that you like. If you want a shortcut, a quick hack is to brew your coffee using the appropriate brew ratio of coffee quantity to water volume for your preferred method then dilute it afterwards with brewing temperature water. This means that the coffee will be properly extracted and allows you to add just the right amount of water to achieve the strength that you want.
Thank you for listening to this episode of The Coffee Drinker’s Guide and that was all about coffee strength. I hope you found this useful. Let me know if you now finally understand what those supermarket strength numbers mean. If you have a coffee friend who would also find this useful please tell them about the show and rate and review this podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts to help other coffee curious people find the show too. In the next episode we tackle decaf coffee and even if you are a fully committed ‘caffeinated’ coffee drinker its worth a listen to get the low down for that ‘decaf drinking’ friend we all have. Hit subscribe so that you don’t miss it. If you have a question about coffee or a topic that you would like me to cover please get in touch. I’m on Instagram @thecoffeedrinkersguide or email me at thecoffeedrinkersguide@gmail.com Thanks to my executive producer Viel Richardson at Lusona Publishing and Media Limited. You can find him at lusonapub.co.uk. Until next time I’m Angela Holder thanks for sharing your coffee break with me - the best way to tackle life is one coffee at a time and here’s to better coffee!
The Coffee Drinker’s Guide is a Blue Sky Coffee Project