Manual brew is coffee produced using a V60 dripper, French press, and moka pot. Making coffee manually is definitely more electricity-efficient than using an Espresso machine. However, because it does not use a machine, the manufacturing process must go through several stages.

Manual brew coffee

There are three stages of the manual brew method, namely blooming, pouring, and extraction. Blooming is the first stage of water soaking with roasted coffee beans. Followed by the second stage, pouring or pouring water on the coffee until the specified amount. The last stage is extraction, which is soaking the brewed coffee with the specified time, it is hoped that the extraction can run well.

The coffee looks “blooming” due to the water that has merged with the coffee beans, and you can see the air bubbles created at this stage.

Each stage has its own role and function. Blooming, or pre-bloom , is the first and most important step in the brewing process. It is called “Blooming” because the beans will appear to “bloom” at this stage.

Carbon dioxide and the roasting process

The air bubbles of the blooming stage are caused by the carbon dioxide contained in the coffee beans reacting with warm water. The presence of carbon dioxide in coffee beans is caused by the roasting process. Roasting is the process of activating the aroma and flavor compounds in the coffee beans using heat energy so that the coffee beans become mature.

Carbon dioxide is one of the compounds activated by this process. More precisely, carbon dioxide exists because of the Maillard reaction in the coffee bean, which involves sugars and proteins to produce the aroma compounds that you can inhale as you enjoy your coffee. The Maillard reaction occurs in almost all food cooking processes, as the result of this reaction causes the cooked ingredients to cook and brown.

However, carbon dioxide will not always be present in the coffee beans. This compound will release itself over time. The removal of carbon dioxide is called degassing. This process occurs after the coffee beans have gone through the roasting process and in the resting phase, approximately 10 – 14 days afterward. That’s why the coffee packet has an open “valve” to allow the carbon dioxide to escape and avoid the packet breaking under too much pressure.

Read also: Get to Know Roasting Levels for You Coffee Lovers

The importance of blooming in the coffee brewing stage

In the previous paragraph, it is known that the blooming stage when brewing coffee is the process of releasing carbon dioxide from the coffee beans. This stage cannot be underestimated, if skipped, it will result in carbon dioxide being trapped in the coffee you will drink. The coffee you will enjoy will not be as good, because carbon dioxide “repels” water, so your coffee does not experience the maximum extraction process.

The blooming stage is able to make the coffee taste better, as it is able to remove unwanted gases, and make extraction occur optimally. Coffee produced through the blooming stage has a rich, sweet, and aromatic taste, whereas poorly extracted coffee has a bitter, nutty, and watery taste.

How to do proper blooming?

At the blooming stage , it must be done with the correct technique and treatment. If it is not correct, it will result in a coffee flavor that is not what you expect. The first thing to prepare is ground coffee beans, and hot water of the desired temperature. Next, the coffee is first moistened with hot water until all the coffee powder is wet and submerged. Once the coffee grounds are fully wet, the hot water stops being added. At this time, gas foam will begin to appear, indicating the release of carbon dioxide.

The blooming process takes approximately 30 seconds for maximum results. The blooming technique is not fixed to one way, but each barista has their own “recipe” for brewing coffee. Even so, the barista does not lose the main principle of the blooming treatment itself.

Factors affecting the blooming stage

In addition to the techniques and treatments that must be considered, the blooming stage is also influenced by several factors that must be considered. The first factor is the roasting profile of the coffee beans, the darker the coffee, the more carbon dioxide it contains, so brewing coffee with this profile will produce a lot of froth at the blooming stage.

Water temperature is also a factor in the blooming stage, the higher the temperature used, it can help the coffee beans to maximize the release of carbon dioxide gas, compared to using a lower temperature. Moisture also pushes carbon dioxide out faster in the blooming stage .

Coffee that has been stored for too long will naturally degassing, so if you brew coffee that has been stored for a long time, it will produce less foam than fresh coffee. The flavor and aroma of old coffee is also not as good as new coffee, as many components in the beans are lost due to degassing.

What you should know is that the type and origin of coffee also affects the blooming stage, such as robusta coffee, which is generally “slower” to release carbon dioxide gas. There are so many influencing factors, make sure you are familiar with the coffee you brew. Otherwise, it will produce coffee with the flavor you want.

Read also: Looking to Buy a Roasting Machine for Your Coffee Business? Check out this article first

Conclusion

The process of brewing your favorite coffee may sound difficult and you have to really understand each stage of the brewing process, but by learning it slowly and practicing every day, you will get used to it and understand each stage well. It may not seem easy, but it is fun to explore each stage of brewing coffee.

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