Scientific Brew Method
Just saying a cuppa tastes good isn't good enough for writer Scott RaoBy Dan Leif
In 2008, Scott Rao published “The Professional Barista’s Handbook” because he felt the coffee world lacked a data-driven take on espresso making. Two years later Rao is at it again, but now his sights are set on one of specialty coffee’s burgeoning niches: alternative brew methods. Rao, who’s a consultant and also owns Montreal’s Café Myriade, says that while many retailers and baristas have been quick to bring pour-over stations and siphon brewers to their counters, few have taken the time to understand how small differences in things like grind levels and stirring can make or break what ends up in the cup. His latest tome, “Everything but Espresso,” provides useful advice based on tedious experimentation.
Q: Why did this book need to be written?
A: There has been this proliferation of one-cup pour-overs and vac pots and all of these things, but I’ve actually never seen, even among the companies with the great reputations, the subject being approached in any kind of rational, systematic way. They all just kind of wing it and say “this tastes good” or “that tastes good,” but it’s not very consistent.
Q: How then did you go about adding a little more science to the process?
A: My business partner and I probably measured somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 extractions using a refractometer and an ExtractMojo. We logged data and very carefully changed variables to see what was going on, and of course we tasted all these as well. I feel like we got to the point where if someone asked me, “What’s going to happen here if I stir three times instead of once?” I would know the answer, at least when it comes to extraction and how it correlates to flavor.
Q: Online message boards are popular for exchanging this kind of info. Did you feel what’s out there on the Web just wasn’t enough?
A: I think there’s actually more than enough, but much like democracy to some degree, when everyone gets to chime in and say something, a lot of times the core message gets drowned out in noise. Certain names or companies will carry a lot of weight, but people don’t necessarily fact check, and people don’t necessarily go home and test something in a double-blind experiment for themselves. I think the online forums are good for certain information, but they’re terrible for parsing truth from fiction.
Q: Coffee people are notorious for following instincts instead of numbers. How do you convey scientific data in a way that won’t intimidate readers?
A: I studied physics in college, but I’m not a scientist by any means. I’ve spent the last 17 years running three different cafes and training a couple thousand employees [before Myriade, Rao ran Rao’s Coffee Roasting and a shop called Esselon, both in Massachusetts]. I’ve also done hundreds of consulting jobs. Every time I do one of these it teaches me a little more about how to communicate in such a way that the person on the other end understands me. It’s just practice—seeing the other person’s perspective and empathizing with what they’re seeing and hearing.
Q: What’s the most important thing to keep in mind when adding single-cup brewing to a café menu?
A: Most people don’t want to spend the few hours it would take to read a book and get the knowledge. That knowledge is going to have leverage that will last forever. Most people will happily go out and spend a bunch of money on some gizmo that’s kind of a fun machine. But if they spent a little more time reading and researching and a little more time tasting in a slightly more systematic way, they can really do the coffee justice.
Questions or comments? E-mail us
