How To Brew Coffee For Different Roast Profiles

Brewing a perfect cup of coffee requires many elements to consider – from which filter to use to brew method and recipe.

But what about different roast profiles?

Perhaps you have a favourite recipe for making an excellent pour-over. However, do you adjust your brew ratio if you change from a light roast to a dark roast?

Different roast profiles and the way you brew them can significantly affect the taste of your coffee. So let's give you an insight on how to adjust your brew recipe for your roast profile.

What are the Different Roast Profiles?

Roasted coffee is broadly categorized into light, medium and dark. Generally, light roast coffee is more nuanced and flavorful with floral and citrus notes.

On the other hand, dark roasts harken back to a rich, full-bodied experience with chocolatey and nutty flavours.

Medium roasts tend to be less acidic than light ones and strike a happy balance between complex notes and roasted flavours.

How to Adjust the Brew Recipe for Different Roast Profiles?

Grind Size

When your grind is finer, extraction will take place more quickly. Usually, finer grinds work well for a light roast coffee. So, if you're used to brewing with a medium roast and are trying out a light roast, grind it a little finer for better-tasting coffee.

Likewise, if you usually use a light roast coffee but want to experiment with a dark roast, go with a coarser grind size. Since dark roasts tend to be more bitter naturally, they need less contact time with water; otherwise, it will result in over-extraction.

Water Temperature

A key factor to consider is adjusting the water temperature to bring out the preferred flavours in your coffee.

Hotter water leads to a faster extraction time. A lower temperature for brewing a dark roast will avoid over-extraction and thus a bitter-tasting coffee. However, a higher temperature is recommended for better extraction if you are using a light roast.

Brewing Time

When choosing a brew method, keep in mind that extraction will be more when coffee is exposed to water for a longer time. Therefore, for a light roast coffee, letting it steep longer will allow more time to extract its nuanced and intricate flavours. For example, you can try pouring water more slowly when making a pour-over or let the French press sit for a tad longer before serving.

We have categorized all our coffees according to their roast level to make it easy for you. See the full coffee lineup here if you are in for some experimenting. And if you have any home brewing tips to share with us, we would love to hear them in the comments below!