victorbutler•2d agoProlific Poster

Always thought light roasts were weak until a dude at a cupping in Austin showed me the data

I used to only drink dark roasts because I thought light roasts were just sour and watery. But last month at a cupping session in Austin, this guy showed me the extraction numbers on a refractometer. Turns out light roasts can have higher extraction yields if you grind fine enough and brew hot. He pulled a light roast Ethiopian that hit 22 percent extraction and it was sweet, not bitter at all. I found the same stat on a James Hoffmann video later - light roasts actually have more caffeine by weight too. So I grabbed a bag of a light roast from a local roaster and adjusted my V60 method. Now I get way more flavor without any of that burnt taste. Has anyone else changed their mind after seeing actual numbers on extraction?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_hernandez2d ago

Heard my buddy tried the same thing and he finally stopped burning his coffee every morning lmao.

sanchez.blake1d ago

Depends on the person I guess. Some folks just have better luck than others with that kind of routine.

finleyl551d ago

Read some article saying it actually has something to do with your brain chemistry waking up at different speeds for different people. So like, some folks just hit the ground running while others are still foggy for an hour no matter what they do lol. My brother swears by waiting 30 minutes before his first sip of coffee, says it changed everything for him. I guess it's all about finding what clicks for your own body clock, not forcing someone else's routine.