I was today asked by one of my customers why there is some grinds (sediment) left in the bottom of the cups, this is something anyone can notice once a coffee has been finished, which is a good sign, but you may question ‘is it normal to have this sediment at the end of your cup of coffee?’
Well yes it is, they are called ‘Micro-fines’ and you will get them when using a metal filtration, as these micro-fines can even get through the very small holes. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it adds to the body and richness of the beverage, and a thicker mouthfeel, which some people prefer, as I say this can happen with any metal filter, Cafetiere, Mocha pot, Espresso.
With espresso you have the very fine grind an pressure behind it so you will get more of the fines through, of course the grind can be made slightly coarser and is recommended if the too fine grind is causing the espresso to taste over extracted and burnt, but too coarse an you will not be getting the correct espresso drink, it will lack in anything, it will be wishy, washy, thin and watery.
Espresso is supposed to be a concentrated, thick shot of coffee, so you will expect the odd fines, which adds to the oiliness and full feel of the drink. If there is too many though, and the coffee is tasting over extracted (Over bitter and burnt) it may be something you need to investigate and there could be some reasons to look at, such as the grinder burrs being blunt, this can shatter the brittle coffee into very irregular shards an cause more smaller pieces (Fines). Also the holes in the filter can get bigger an worn, so may also need replacing.
Make sure the spouts haven’t picked up strays an they are wiped along with the ears, rim and handle free from stray grinds, I call this blessing, as it looks like a blessing motion. also make sure the handle is in the machine tight an the cup is brought down from the top of the machine initially free from grinds obviously.. ( coffee grinds can get everywhere.)
Personal preference has a lot to play to whether you mind some fines in your cup or if you like a thick mouthfeel with the coffee oils it may be hard to get away from them totally.
There are coffee lovers that say their favourite is turkish style coffee, this is the thickest of all coffee types and doesn’t use a filter for the grinds at all, it is just the finest grind possible that turns into a liquor with the hot water, traditionally heated in hot sand and in a Turkish ibrik. Some people love the thick mouth-feel and the natural oils being allowed to filter through into the coffee, but if you don’t and you prefer a cleaner, thiner, lighter cup, you will need to use filter paper which holds all these fines back but also a lot of the coffee oils too, and it can come across as lacking in flavour and a bit weak and thin. As you can visually see the micro-fines in a thick cup of coffee, you can also see the appearance of a coffee that has used a paper filter e.g. Chemex, V60 or some sort of pour over method, has a very see through, pale colour.
When I did a coffee presentation for my STOP coffee customers on Sunday, I used the same coffee in 4 different brewing methods and allowed them to try, it is quite astonishing how the coffee tastes so different, as you can imagine, a different type of coffee can suit a different brewing method better.
I used the STOP blend in the Syphon (vacuum method), Chemex (pour over method, paper filter), aeropress (pressure and paper filter method) and espresso ( pressure and metal filter method) and everyone enjoyed each but said the Chemex didn’t do the blend justice as they found it too thin and the espresso was everyones favourite. Which is good as thats what we designed that blend for.
So I feel although this write up came from a question about the grinds sediment in the cup (Micro-fines), I have talked a lot about the Mouth-feel, and this really does have a big part to play when tasting coffees.
Mouthfeel refers to the physical sensations in the mouth caused by food or drink, as distinct from taste. It is a fundamental sensory attribute which, along with taste and smell, determines the overall flavor of a food item. Mouthfeel is also sometimes referred to as texture.
