Coffee Syphon

It's smooth, dramatic, and uses science for the best possible cup of coffee of brew!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everybody. I can't thank you enough for stopping by
for another episode of the Coffee and Cafe Podcast. The
first part of Waking Up Now, I can't say that
that's somebody else's slogan. This show is dedicated to all
you caffeine and coffee fiends and addicts out there. Coffee
has played a pretty major role in humanity. Today, we're

(00:25):
going to dive into some really scientific ways of making coffee,
or least boutique ways. You say scientific, I say boutique.
Today's episode is gonna be dedicated towards the coffee siphon.

(00:47):
There are types of coffee siphons, standalone or tabletop vacuum
pots includes a built in standpirit lamp or buttane burner
and a glass globe their ideal for manual control and presentation.

(01:09):
The stove top variety is designed to be used directly
on a gas or electric stove, often more compact, less aesthetic,
but convenient for home brewers. There are also electric siphon brewers.
These plug and brew options have built in heaters and timers.

(01:30):
They sacrifice the show for convenience. Let's dive into the
anatomy of a siphon brewer. The lower chamber or globe
or bulb holds the water. Heat expands the vapor, forcing
water upward. The upper chamber is where coffee grounds meet

(01:54):
the water and extraction occurs. There's a filter asimo that
is attached to the upper chamber. It's usually cloth or
metal discs. It filters the brew as it returns to
the lower globe. There is usually some sort of stand
or heat source that supports the upper chamber and positions

(02:16):
the flame. Nextly, let's take a look at these types
of siphon filters. Cloth filters are most traditional. They deliver clean,
full bodied cup, but must be kept moist and are
easily prone to mold if neglected. Metal mesh filters are

(02:38):
more convenient, easier to clean, but allows more oils and
finds through. Paper filters are rare, but some models adopt
pour over filters. These give you an extremely clean taste,
very light bodied. Some models have glass rods. These use

(02:59):
a spiral or ball to control flow. They're delicate and uncommon.
Some common brands for siphon coffee pots include Hairio and Japan.
These are classic tabletop designs. The Areo TCA three in
the TCA five are iconic. Yama Glass of Taiwan is

(03:23):
affordable and well built siphons for entry level and pros
Alike Kono is a high end Japanese brand known for
precision craftsmanship. In Botom offers the Santos model that's electric
with no open flame. It's good for home use. Heat
sources that are typically used with coffee siphons are the

(03:46):
alcohol lamp. These are traditional and elegant. They use denatured alcohol,
but they're very slow, probably the worst option when you
want coffee fast in the morning. Buttane burners offer fast,
adjustable flame control. They're popular in competition and pro cafes.

(04:10):
Halogen heaters are precise, they have no flame or futuristic.
They're used in Japanese cafes for stability. Electric stove and
induction heat sources are for stove top siphons. They're not
aesthetic but are practical. Here are some typical tools used

(04:31):
in siphon brewing. A bamboo stirring paddle. This is non abrasive.
It's used to agitate coffee during brewing. A thermometer is
used to ensure optimal brew temperatures between one hundred and
ninety five and two hundred and three degrees fahrenheit. You'll

(04:51):
want timers and scales for accurate timing and measuring of
your water to coffee ratio. In Brushes and wheezers are
use for cleaning filters and other tide spaces. Here is
a step by step guide to siphon brewing. Fill the
lower globe with hot water around two hundred degrees fahrenheit.

(05:14):
Assemble the filter into the upper chamber and set it
atop the lower globe. Ignot your heat source beneath the
lower globe. Water rises into the upper chamber via vapor pressure.
Once the water has come up to the upper chamber,
add coffee grounds, Stir gently after thirty seconds, Brew for

(05:36):
sixty to ninety seconds, and remove from the heat source.
Brew gets sucked down by vacuum force into the lower chamber.
Remove the upper chamber, stir and serve. The ideal brew
water temperature is around one hundred ninety eight to two
hundred and five degrees fahrenheit. If too hot, this can

(05:58):
scorch grounds and over extract. Time in contact with the
grounds is usually one two a minute and a half.
For siphon brewing, you're going to want a medium fine
grind size slightly finer than drip, coarser than espresso. Uniform
grind is crucial. Bur grinders are preferred. Too fine, you're

(06:23):
going to experience clogging and a muddy brew. Two courses
going to lead to under extraction. For your water to
coffee ratio, a standard one in fifteen or one to
seventeen is used. Take twenty grams of coffee per three
hundred milligrams of water. Adjust based on being roast level

(06:43):
and desired strength. Here are some stirring techniques. First stir
gentle circular motion just enough to wet all grounds. You
can optionally include a second stir halfway through the brew
to maintain even extraction. Avoid aggressive stirring, which can overagitate

(07:05):
and over extract. Let siphon a coffee rest for about
thirty seconds after drawing down. Its ideal serving temperature is
around one hundred and thirty two one hundred and fifty
decreased fahrenheit. To appreciate of flavor notes, serve it in
a ceramic glass or insulated cup to preserve the profile.

(07:27):
Here is some troubleshooting tips for siphon brewing. Common issues
if the water won't rise, your heat is too low,
you have a leak in your seal or a bad
filter placement. If brew doesn't draw down, you have a
clogged filter, a bad vacuum seal, or your grounds are
too fine refer back to clogged filter. If you have

(07:52):
over extracted coffee, there's too much time in the upper chamber,
or your water was too hot. If you have under
extracted coffe, you have weak heat, low temperature, or a
short brew time. Let's take a look at how Siphon
brewing affects flavor on coffee. Siphon brewing creates a clean

(08:14):
cup with bright acidity and complex layers. It preserves the
aromatic compounds. Due to being a closed system. Siphon brewed
coffee has a slightly more body than pour over, but
less than French press. Best coffee beans for Siphon brewing
include single origin beans which really shine here, especially Ethiopia,

(08:37):
which are floral and citrusy. Kenyon beans are berry and
have a whiny acidity, and the Panama Gesha is complex
and tea like light. Two medium roasts are preferred to
highlight the clarity. Next, let's take a look at grind
size and how it affects the flavor if you have

(08:59):
coarser grinds or notes will be muted and you will
likely have a weaker body. Too fine, though, and you'll
be bitter and muddled. The optimal size balances body and brightness,
retaining nuanced notes. Let's have some comparisons over other brewing methods.

(09:21):
Siphon brewing method gives you medium body with high clarity
and high complexity, while the French press gives you heavy
body with low clarity and medium complexity. Poor over coffee
offers light body but high clarity and medium complexity, while
espresso gives you heavy body, medium clarity in high complexity.

(09:43):
Light roast is best for bright floral notes. This allows
nuance to shine. Medium roasts often have balanced the city
and sweetness. These are good for crowd pleasing cups, and
dark roast can taste flat or too bitter, not ideal
for the sipha. Let's take a look at the science
and mechanics involved in siphon brewing, like how vapor pressure

(10:07):
drives the brewing process. Heating water causes a vapor expansion.
Pressure builds, forcing water up the siphon tube into the
upper chamber coffee bruise. Then cooling lowers pressure vacuum pulls
the coffee back down. As heat is removed, steam condenses

(10:29):
back into liquid. This creates a pressure drop in the
lower globe. Atmospheric pressure forces the brewed coffee down at
high altitudes. Water boils at lower temperatures, so slower pressure
build up and this affects the timing. Cold rooms also
increase vacuum speed and a draw down rate. Unfortunately, that's

(10:53):
all the time that we've got for today's episode of
the Coffee and Cafe podcasts. My cup is empty, what's
in yours? Going to go make another brew until next time.
I can't thank you enough for listening, and until then,