When you get a bag of fresh coffee beans, the key to fully releasing their original alluring aroma lies in adjusting the brewing plan to suit their roasting characteristics. Whether you want an aromatic hot pour-over or plan to steep a refreshing, thirst-quenching pot of coffee in the fridge, fine-tuning the water temperature, coffee-to-water ratio and steeping time can directly change the final taste direction.

Light-roast coffee beans usually retain very rich fruit acidity and floral notes, with a relatively dense cell structure. To let these light flavor molecules dissolve out just right, we need to pay extra attention to water temperature and extraction rhythm when setting the brewing plan. Suitable parameters can turn bright acidity into a clean, sweet juiciness, making the whole cup taste transparent and clean.

Take the light-roast Qianjie Yirgacheffe Gudingding as an example; this bean carries alluring citrus and berry notes, with a finish that also has an elegant sweetness reminiscent of green tea. To clearly capture these delicate layers, it needs to be treated with a slightly slower extraction method, letting the floral and fruity aromas slowly unfurl as they soak in the water, thus achieving a comfortable drinking experience.

When making it as a pour-over, it is recommended to set the water temperature at 90°C, weigh out 15g of coffee grounds, and prepare 225ml of hot water at a 1:15 ratio. During brewing, use a two-stage pouring method: first pour a small amount of water to wet the coffee bed, then slowly pour the remaining water in two circular pours, keeping the total time to 2 minutes 10 seconds. This fully brings out its citrus aroma.

If you use it to make cold brew, the plan should change accordingly. Prepare 20g of slightly coarser coffee grounds, pour in 300ml of room-temperature purified water directly, shake slightly, then refrigerate and steep for 12 hours. The low-temperature, long-duration extraction process greatly slows aroma volatilization; the originally lively fruit acidity becomes extremely soft after cold brewing, and the green-tea-like sweetness becomes more prominent.

For beans with tropical fruit aromas and fuller sweetness, the brewing plan is often more forgiving. This type of coffee is not only suitable for brewing with hot water to show rich layers, but also very suitable for cold-water steeping to amplify its own sweetness, making it a great choice whether as a morning wake-up drink or an afternoon leisure companion.

Qianjie Ethiopia Huakui is just such a vibrant bean; it gives off tropical fruit aromas like strawberry and passion fruit, with very lively sweetness. Facing such rich fruity characteristics, we can slightly adjust the pouring rhythm and water temperature, letting the water pass through the coffee bed more times, thereby fully releasing those sweet substances hidden deep inside.

When brewing this bean, you can fine-tune the water temperature to 91°C, use 16g of coffee grounds, and likewise pour 240ml of hot water at a 1:15 ratio. Here, a three-stage pouring method is recommended; pause briefly after each pour to let the coffee bed breathe fully, keeping the total time at about 2 minutes 20 seconds. The impact of multiple water streams makes the strawberry sweetness especially intense.

When making it as cold brew, the parameter settings can lean more toward increasing concentration. Take 25g of coffee grounds, put them in a filter bag, pour in 350ml of cold water, first let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours, then transfer it with the container to the refrigerator and chill for 10 hours. This steeping method, first at room temperature and then at low temperature, can very completely lock in its lively passion-fruit-like sweetness.

There is also another type of coffee bean with strong dark berry flavors and very obvious juiciness. When brewing this type of bean, to avoid a dry, astringent feel from overly high temperature, or too much agitation ruining the originally clean fruit flavor, we can choose a relatively lower water temperature and use a gentler, more continuous pouring method, letting the extraction process flow smoothly in one go to preserve a pure taste.

Qianjie Colombia Xizhua has exactly these traits; it carries a flavor of ripe passion fruit, blueberry and grape interwoven, with a very obvious juiciness on the palate. As long as you set reasonable parameters in line with its rich berry character, whether making it as iced pour-over or slowly extracting it with room-temperature water, you can perfectly present that alluring aroma.

When brewing it with a pour-over device, it is recommended to lower the water temperature to 88°C, take 15g of coffee grounds with 225ml of hot water. Use a single-stage, single-pour method throughout, that is, after wetting the coffee bed, keep a steady stream and slowly circle in the center until finished, keeping the total time to 1 minute 50 seconds. As long as you master the method of fine-tuning these parameters in line with the bean's characteristics, you can brew a good-tasting cup.