Glossary

Acidity – the vibrancy and brightness of the coffee. A pleasant and positive quality that makes the mouth water inviting you back for more.

Aftertaste – the lingering sensation, flavours and aromatics of coffee once consumed. Whether it be pleasant or unpleasant qualities.

Balance – the harmony between acidity, sweetness and body and integrity of the coffee as it cools.

Bitterness – a sharp sensation that dries the mouth.

Bloom – When the water hits the coffee grounds, the coffee will expand and the CO2 within the bean is forced out and slowly replaced by water that will allow the extraction process to take place.

Body – the viscosity, mouthfeel or weight of the brewed coffee.

Brew Ratio – mass to volume ratio: mass of coffee grounds to brew water.

Cleanliness – referring to faults, defects and roughness or lack thereof. Transparency of flavours and aromas.

Dose – how much dry coffee grounds are used when preparing a recipe.

Extraction – the action of dissolving soluble organic compounds from the ground coffee. Time, temperature and agitation are the core variables controlling the extraction process.

Immersion – ground coffee below the water surface until the brew is complete.

Intensity – the strength of attributes such as acidity, sweetness and body.

Pour over – water is poured over the coffee grounds and gravity pulls the water through a filter and into the vessel below.

Sourness – an intense and unpleasant acidic sensation that causes the mouth to water profusely.

Strength – The concentration, potency or intensity of the brew.

Sweetness – the pleasant taste of sugars; whether sugar browning or ripe fruits.

Yield – final brew weight of the brewed coffee in the carafe, cup or container.

Tare – a function on scales; the weight of an empty container or object. Minus the gross weight from the container the weight of goods is determined.