As important as it is to have top quality beans and a good brewing method, the water that you use to brew your coffee can strongly impact the overall taste. Keith Black, Managing Partner at WaterWise, gives the 4-1-1 on why water can make – or break – your cup of Joe.
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has outlined the ideal water parameters for coffee, defining a specific mineral content for making coffee (which you can read here!). For example, if you have soft water, Keith says, “you won’t have a good extraction as there is no mineral content to carry the flavour of the beans. It will lack body, flavor, and character. Conversely, if the water has too much mineral content (hard water), the coffee will taste chalky and the crema will rapidly dissipate.”
So how can you improve your water quality at home or work, thus improving your coffee? Keith suggests referring to the three-step process outlined by the SCA; Measure, Aim and Treat. “You have to understand what’s in your water before you can implement a plan to improve it.”
If you live in New York City, the city's hard water is perfect for making bagels and pizza dough, but when it comes to brewing coffee, it's a different story. As the ideal mineral content is 4-6 grains of carbonate hardness for the perfect cup, you'll typically need to add mineral content to water in NYC to achieve acceptable taste and aroma for coffee extraction.
Keith says, “In all areas of North America, treatment chemicals are used that impart off-putting taste and odour issues which must be addressed." Basically, every area has different water and therefore, requires different water treatments.
Intrigued to learn more? Head to WaterWise.pro and contact one of their professionals today to learn more.
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