Have you ever noticed that on chilly mornings your coffee extracts different to summer afternoons?

Did you know that the weather can affect the aging of coffee and your extraction times? 

In this article we are going to give you some tips and solutions to keep your espresso extraction times consistent in an ever-changing environment. 

How does the weather affect the coffee beans?

Coffee begins releasing carbon dioxide gas and oils after it has been roasted. It is an essential part of the roasting process and the timeframe the degassing takes determines the coffee prime brewing period.

The degassing process normally takes 5-7 days. However the hotter the temperature the faster the coffee will degas and in the colder the temperature the slower it degasses.

As the weather is getting colder, the degassing process can now take up to 10 days.

Do keep in mind it is not just the temperature that plays a factor, humidity levels will have an affect also.

On a humid day the coffee will absorb moisture from the air faster than it does on a dry day. This means on a more humid day, the water from an espresso machine will take longer to penetrate the coffee resulting in a slower extraction and vice versa for dryer weather.

If your espresso shots are extracting fast they will likely taste sour, thin, watery possibly even grassy or herb-like.

The Solution:

• Adjust your grind – make your grind finer or coarser and keep adjusting until you hit your ideal extraction times again. (we have listed our suggested extraction times below) If your extraction is too fast, make your grind finer. If your extraction is too slow make your grind coarser
• Look for roasted coffee that is around 10 days old.
• Keep your coffee in an air tight container in your pantry where is won’t be hit by the cold overnight. (we suggest an Airscape – click here to see our range)

 

Suggested Extraction times:

Dose: 21-22g

Shot:   30ml

Time: 15-20sec

Dose: 21-22g

Shot:   60ml

Time: 30-35sec

Dose: 14g

Shot:   30ml

Time: 30-35sec

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Always purge out a dose of coffee when you adjust your grinder. This ensures your next shot will be extracted with the finer adjusted grind.
• Make small adjustments to grinder. Purge out a dose and test the extraction time again. Minor adjustments to grind size can make significant change to your extraction time.
• We put the roast week and date we roasted you coffee on our bags and recommend drinking our coffee within 8 weeks after the roast date.

 

By following these tips, you can improve your espresso shot and make sure coffee tastes great no matter the weather. Happy brewing!