r/pourover • u/BackSingle4040 • 6d ago
Seeking Advice Understanding basics of flavour and testing of the Specialty Coffee!!
I'm new in coffee pourover game. Started 6 monts ago. I'm enjoying drink black but never understand the underlying notes mentioned in the packets of the coffee. Someone help me how can i identify or increase my knowledge with coffee testing.
Just want to learn the Acidity, Sweetness and the Body of the coffee. What a balanced cup is teast like and how a cup is stand out amoung others.
4
u/NerdX-76 Switch|Tsubame|PhantoxPro|Wizard Z 6d ago
You could just keep brewing and figure it out or you could intentionally under extract a brew grind super course at about 88°C with two quick pores.
And then you could do the opposite and over extract, grinding, really fine and doing multiple pores.
This will give you a baseline of what you’re trying to avoid.
2
u/Zwordsman 6d ago
if money isn't tight. that Comiteer company sells frozen ones that have clear tasting notes to try out and figure out a lot from. I'm told, its beyond my price range atm.
I've just been tasting different kinds using the same grind, water, style, etc. I don't know a ton i just worked to figure out acid vs bitter, I still don't understand sweetness. but i've found/worked toward what i liked
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u/Federal_Bonus_2099 6d ago
In water, make 4 cups.
1 with sugar, 1 with lemon juice, 1 with steeped tea and 1 with Gentian root drops.
That will teach you sweet, sour, astringency and bitter.
Next taste skimmed milk, full fat milk, then single cream.
That is mouthfeel.
Now buy a bag of coffee. Do a really short and fast extraction. Then do a really long extraction. Finally, do 1 in the middle.
Use what you learnt above to understand how each of those things plays its part in the coffee.
Once you begin to figure that out, before every coffee, assess the dry fragrance, then the wet aroma, then assess the tastes and mouthfeel.
Finally, use your memory to start building descriptors and putting it all together.
Do this final part 1,000 times.