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What Are The Best Dose and Brewing Ratio? by Scott Rao

The document discusses several factors to consider when determining the optimal dose and brewing ratio for espresso or filter coffee: 1) Desired TDS (total dissolved solids) and extraction yield, as each combination requires a unique brewing ratio. 2) Risk of channeling, which higher ratios can increase, so grind quality and prep method are important. 3) Optimal bed depth ranges for different brew methods like espresso, v60, or batch brewing. 4) Masking flavor defects in poor quality beans by lowering the ratio and extraction. 5) Beverage sizes, as shots need enough dissolved solids to stand out in larger milk drinks. Standard doses may

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675 views3 pages

What Are The Best Dose and Brewing Ratio? by Scott Rao

The document discusses several factors to consider when determining the optimal dose and brewing ratio for espresso or filter coffee: 1) Desired TDS (total dissolved solids) and extraction yield, as each combination requires a unique brewing ratio. 2) Risk of channeling, which higher ratios can increase, so grind quality and prep method are important. 3) Optimal bed depth ranges for different brew methods like espresso, v60, or batch brewing. 4) Masking flavor defects in poor quality beans by lowering the ratio and extraction. 5) Beverage sizes, as shots need enough dissolved solids to stand out in larger milk drinks. Standard doses may

Uploaded by

kevnwong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What are the best dose and brewing ratio?

How should you determine the optimal dose and brewing


ratio for espresso or filter?  Ongoing conversations I’ve been
having with Jonathan Gagné and the recently published piece
of espresso research by Chris Hendon et al, have been
keeping this issue top of mind. I hope this post will provide
readers with food for thought when making brewing
decisions. 

Rather than always relying on standard, popular ratios (eg


2:1 for espresso, 17:1 for filter), I recommend baristas
consider a few factors when deciding on a ratio for a
brewing method. 

Desired TDS and Extraction Yield: each particular


combination of EY and TDS can only be achieved by a
unique brewing ratio.  If for some reason you desire a
specific TDS and EY combination, such as 1.4% TDS
and 22% EY, there is only one ratio that can produce
that pair of numbers. This also means that you may
want to use different brewing ratios with different
grinders. I recently brewed the same coffee as a v60 on
my DE1 using two different grinders; one grinder
achieved 24.5% EY/ 1.6 TDS. The other grinder could
achieve only 21% EY/ 1.4 TDS. If my goal is to always
have a TDS of 1.4 at the highest possible EY, I would
consider using a higher brewing ratio with the first
grinder.

Channeling: In percolation methods, it’s important to


use a ratio that won’t lead to noticeable channeling or
astringency. In espresso brewing, better puck prep will
allow a barista to use a higher ratio (say, 3:1 as opposed
to 2:1) without channeling. If you have poor puck prep,
or if your grinder produces a lot of clumps, you may
want to consider decreasing your brewing ratio to avoid
astringency due to channels. In drip brewing, the more
evenly you spray or pour the water over the coffee bed,
the less channeling will occur. The more evenly the
water extracts from the coffee bed, the higher the ratio
(within reason) you can use without channeling. 

Bed Depth: Whether pulling an espresso, brewing in a


v60 or using a Fetco, each basket you use has an
optimal range of bed depths. Batch brew bed depth
should typically be 3cm—5cm. A device such as a v60
generally brews best in a range of 15g—22g of coffee
(5cm—6 cm.) Coffees of extremely high or low density
may require small adjustments in dose to maximize
extraction.  Note that many cafes that serve two-liter
batch brews use baskets designed for larger brews. If
you brew two-liter batches, the smallest-diameter
baskets available for your batch brewer may help to
increase the bed depth of your doses into the
recommended range. 

Flavor defects If you’re brewing a defective or poorly


roasted coffee, you may improve flavor and mask some
of flavor defects by lowering your ratio and extraction
level. Intentionally underextracting charred, baked, or
underdeveloped coffee can sometimes make it more
palatable. 

Beverage Sizes When planning a dose and ratio for


espresso,  it’s important to consider the sizes of your
milk drinks, and how much total dissolved solids your
shots will contain. For example, a 15g dose at 22%
extraction would provide 3.3g of dissolved solids, while
a 22g dose at a more modest 22% would provide 4.84g
solids.  While the 15g dose may be appropriate for a
cappuccino or a cortado, its 3.3g of dissolved solids
would nearly disappear in a 12oz latte.  The 22g shot
may be just right (for some) in the latte. Some cafes
choose to use larger (20—22g) doses and to “split” the
shots so they can use a single shot for straight espresso
and very small milk drinks and two shots for larger
milk drinks.

Do you have some thoughts on other factors to consider


when determining a dose and brewing ratio? Please share
your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading.

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