Posted on 12/29/2023 12:35:53 PM PST by Red Badger
Stop with the salt: adding a dash of water to coffee beans before grinding them could be the secret to a better-tasting cup of caffeinated goodness, new research suggests.
The trick boils down to reducing the amount of static electricity generated by grinding whole coffee beans, which otherwise causes them to clump together and clog up the grinder, creating a whole lot of mess and waste.
Coffee buffs have long been spritzing their beans to moisten them before grinding. Now scientists have confirmed what makes sparks fly in ground coffee beans – and shown how budding baristas can reduce that static electricity to consistently produce a more intense cup of espresso, if that's your thing.
"Moisture, whether it's residual moisture inside the roasted coffee or external moisture added during grinding, is what dictates the amount of charge that is formed during grinding," says Christopher Hendon, a materials chemist at the University of Oregon.
Hendon, who has previously shown how freezing coffee beans improves the flavor, collaborated with former University of Oregon volcanologist Joshua Méndez Harper (now at Portland State University) to investigate which types of coffee tend to clump together and why, and how this impacts brewing.
Harper, Hendon, and colleagues compared a bunch of commercially sourced and lab-roasted coffee beans, which varied in their origin, roasting times, and moisture content. They measured the static electricity in each batch after grinding, as well as the particle size of the freshly ground coffee and the flavor of the final brew.
Grinding whole coffee beans into fine particles creates a lot of friction as particles rub against each other and fracture. This generates static electricity – a separation of charged particles – much the same as dust particles in volcanic plumes rub together and discharge to produce lightning.
By twice-grinding coffee beans, the researchers showed that most of the static electricity in ground coffee arises from fracturing beans, and less so the friction between them.
As for the types of beans that tend to clump together when ground, drier, darker roasts used in the team's experiments produced more electrostatic charges than lighter roasts, with a charge-to-mass ratio similar to particles in volcanic plumes and thunderclouds. The researchers suspect this may be because darker roasts are more brittle than lightly roasted beans that retain their moisture.
By comparing beans ground with and without a spritz of extra water, Harper and colleagues also showed that adding water before grinding resulted in a longer espresso extraction time and a consistently stronger brew. The water permeated through moistened coffee grounds and pulled more flavor from the less clumpy beans.
Speaking to New Scientist, Hendon recommends adding around 20 microliters of water per gram of coffee, or about half a milliliter for a typical espresso shot, to improve its consistency and flavor.
While further experiments are needed to test different types of grinders and brewing methods, the researchers conclude that "a few simple squirts of water have solved the problems of clumping, channeling, and poor extractions while aiding in the pursuit of attaining the tastiest espresso."
They also hope their coffee-fueled collaboration yields new insights about earth science as well. "There's a lot more to know about how coffee breaks, how it flows as particles, and how it interacts with water," says Harper, the volcanologist who led the study.
"These investigations may help resolve parallel issues in geophysics – whether it's landslides, volcanic eruptions, or how water percolates through soil."
The study has been published in Matter.
Lol, you left that part out.
I avoided sugary drinks like the plague (well, except that vodka is sugar).
Gotcha. I will occasionally throw some Bailey’s in my coffee (weekends only), but not to get a buzz.
I made a roaster out of a flour sifter and use it with a heat gun bought at Harbor Freight. About $30 total and the results are great. Eventually it’s an art to watch the color and listen to the pop. I only roast outside. Smell is one reason but the chaff can be messy. I did inside only once. I only make enough to last. 10 days.
I prefer running the beans through the alimentary canal of a small furry animal. We don’t have civets here but the squirrels seem cooperative enough. You just chase the little buggers up a tree and give ‘em a good squeeze. A medium grind seems to work best...
Adding 1/16th tsp of water to my 2/3rds cup of beans should eliminate the static electricity. It should allow me to put the grinds into the filter easier. Before, handling the grinds with the filter has been the messiest part of the operation.
We grind with an antique Crystal Arcade #3 wall mounted grinder. It tastes great - I wouldn’t change a thing. We’ve been using Pete’s Major Dickerson
Definitely. A touch of milk or cream helps neutralize the pH. Easier on the stomach and for me, a little tastier but taste is a matter of preference. I can enjoy black coffee for the hit of caffeine, but to enjoy the drink a little milk or cream. I’ll have to look for premium milk. Generally we don’t keep milk in the house because we only use it to add it to coffee and it goes to waste.
Thanks! Bkmk coffee roaster.
Drink it black and enjoy the bean.
Drip, perc’d, pour over, pressed, cowboy style... it don’t matter none. The key is drinking it black. Any other way in a strictly latin definition is effeminate.
Does it really???? I know it is owned and started by veterans...I didn’t know it was liberal...
—> Does it really????
1. Founder donated to Obama and McCain
2. Key employees donate to liberals
3. When Rittenhouse had to use the 2nd amendment right to save his life, the founder criticized him.
4. BRCC does donate to veterans, which is good.
DYODD
Yep.
When I see stuff like this, I’m ready to just go back to cowboy-style coffee over a campfire, which our carbon overlords would not appreciate at all.
I did not know that...Thanks.....
I did not know that...Thanks.....
I’ve been doing this for decades. It does reduce the static cling of the ground coffee
Anyone here make cowboy coffee? I’ve heard it’s good.
Send their research to Starbucks.
I have never bought anything at a Starbucks..................
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