Chapter 3 Recap
We explored the extracted mass in a liquid form known as the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).
TDS is usually expressed as a percentage value.
There are sensory implications where TDS is in an inappropriate range for the style of drink being prepared; when it is too high we experience generic strength bitterness and when it is too low, coffee beverages can be insipid and unexciting.
These conditions can vary with different brew methods i.e. a weak cezve could have a higher TDS than an overwhelming drip coffee.
There are some primaeval explanations for the negative response of the human palate to high concentrations of bitterness.
To help you more efficiently locate the margins for brew methods we commenced a survey to establish common brew ratio ranges across the TDS spectrum.
The condition of your bypass water and where it comes from has flavour implications for beverages like americanos and large-scale drip coffee.
Colloids in a brew can positively affect flavour perception by reducing sensitivity.
An excess of this muting of your gustatory system can negatively affect the flavour intensity of a beverage.
We introduced you to two new calculators from the Tool Kit to help you play with bypass water in your coffee and to calculate the strength of milk drinks.
New Terms
Alkaline: having a pH higher than 7.
Astringency: the dry puckering sensation in the mouth caused by tannins binding with proteins in saliva which causes them to precipitate.