# Does speed of water or timing influence extraction



## AlanB1976 (Jul 16, 2019)

Hi all

Got a question around extraction times. If I pull a great shot over 30s at 1:2, the grind has been in contact with water for those 30s, which has produced that flavour. If that shot happened to be way to course (just for example sake) and over that 30s I ended up with a ratio of 1:4, ignoring that the result would be weaker, surely the flavour profile would be the same as the grind has been in contact with water over the exact same time?

So, again, just for example, if I had an americano with the first good shot and one with the other, wouldn't the americano's taste the same as I just end up putting less water in the second to result in the overall americano volume? But they don't.... why is that?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

If you pulled a great shot at 1:2, it was because you got the grind setting right & didn't screw up the prep (inconsistent weight in basket, bad distribution in PF, sloppy non level tamp etc).

The shot would take as long as it took for your 1:2 ratio to happen at that grind. The time would be different if you changed beans, but extraction might not vary much.

Same goes for 1:4 but you would likely grind a little coarser, because a grind that worked well at 1:2 would likely make a1:4 shot a little silty.

Time does not drive coffee extraction to the extent you are implying. The coffee is not in contact with the water for 30s anyway. The puck will only hold a little over it's own weight in water. So, foe 1:2 the coffee & water were only in contact, on average, for half the shot time as the liquid in the puck was exchanged about twice, in a 1:4 shot it is exchanged 4 times.

How do you know that you extracted the 2 shots the same (time can't tell you that)? How do you know you had the same strength between the 2 (was one weake than the other)?

I drink the same coffee via filter & espresso, the basic profile is usually very similar, but rarely do 2 cups taste exactly the same...that's to be expected.

How much weight in the cup is your Americano?


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