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One of the biggest lies we have been told by huge commercial coffee roasters is that fresh is best. The closer the coffee is to the roast date when brewing, the better the coffee will taste.
But did you know that just like humans, coffee needs to be properly rested in order to be at its best? Too little rest (too close to the roast date) and the flavour of the coffee can be metallic and murky in flavour.
Today we will explore how you can properly rest your coffee to achieve maximum flavour clarity. A properly rested coffee will have a crystal clear flavour profile that just pops out of the cup!💥
The amount of rest a coffee needs is highly dependent on roast level, density, and how you store your coffee - but today we will be going through some general guidelines on how to properly rest coffee at home.
How long to rest your coffee depends on whether you want to brew filter coffee or espresso.
Filter Coffee
Lucky for most home brewers - the window for maximum flavour clarity when making filter coffee is longer than for espresso. This is because the gasses trapped inside the coffee easily release into the air once the water comes in contact with the coffee (this is why we bloom)
For light to medium roasts, I recommend resting the coffee for at least 1 week, and I aim for a 2-6 week window post roast to brew the coffee for maximum flavour clarity.
Espresso Coffee
Espresso is made by forcing hot water through a finely ground, compacted coffee puck at approximately 9 bars of pressure, within a sealed system. This high-pressure extraction within the sealed environment makes it impossible for the gasses to escape, which makes it difficult for the water to extract the coffee properly - what then happens is the gasses are forced out into the crema of your espresso (it might look visually appealing, but don’t be fooled by the looks). This leads to your espresso tasting metallic and muddy!
Another side effect of brewing espresso that is too fresh is that channels can be created within the puck as the gasses are released... Not ideal! 👎
That’s why properly resting coffee destined for espresso is super important!
For espresso, I aim for a 3-8 week window for resting the coffee, and the flavours usually peak around 3-4 weeks!
It’s important to note here that the coffee beans go stale quickly if you just put them in an espresso hopper. I would recommend having no more than a week's worth of coffee sitting in the hopper, and storing the rest of the coffee in an airtight container.
“ - But what if I only have freshly roasted coffee at home?” I hear you ask.
Well, lucky you signed up for The Brew Journal! If you’re going to make a pour-over you can go ahead and brew your coffee with a slightly longer bloom (40 - 50 seconds instead of 30 for example). For espresso - grind the coffee and wait a couple of minutes before pulling your espresso shot. This alone should give you more clarity in your espresso - even if the coffee is ultra-fresh! Happy Brewing!
-P.T.
The Brew Journal is a twice-weekly email newsletter that helps you brew better coffee at home in 5 minutes or less. Join our growing community of coffee lovers who are levelling up their coffee game at home - sign up link below 👇