tags: [] - coffee/brewing - coffee/brewing/water aliases: - Water chemistry coffee - Coffee water chemistry - Brewing water chemistry
Coffee - Water Chemistry¶
Tags: #coffee/brewing #coffee/brewing/water Aliases: Water chemistry coffee, Coffee water chemistry, Brewing water chemistry Related: Water in Coffee MOC | Water Composition | Water Hardness | Water Treatment | Extraction Status: 🌱 Stub
Overview¶
Water chemistry in coffee refers to the study of how the dissolved mineral content, ionic composition, pH, and contaminant profile of brewing water affect coffee extraction and cup quality. Water constitutes approximately 98–99% of brewed coffee by mass, making its chemistry the single most influential variable beyond the coffee itself. Key parameters include total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness (calcium and magnesium concentrations), alkalinity (bicarbonate buffering capacity), sodium levels, and the complete absence of chlorine and chloramine. The SCA has published target water standards for brewing, and the specialty coffee community has developed detailed water recipes — mineral-by-mineral formulations — to optimise extraction for specific brew methods and coffee styles.
Key Facts¶
- Water makes up approximately 98–99% of brewed coffee; its mineral composition directly shapes extraction chemistry and flavour
- SCA target: TDS 75–250 mg/L (150 mg/L ideal), hardness 50–175 mg/L (as CaCO₃), zero chlorine
- Calcium and magnesium ions enhance extraction of desirable flavour compounds; bicarbonate buffers acidity but can flatten cup quality at high concentrations
- Chlorine and chloramine react with coffee's phenolic compounds to produce chlorophenol off-flavours; both must be removed before brewing
Related Notes¶
- Water in Coffee MOC
- Water Composition
- Water Hardness
- Water Treatment
- Chlorine and Coffee
- Chloramine
- Alkalinity in Coffee Water
References¶
- Specialty Coffee Association — Water Quality Standards
- Colonna-Dashwood, M. & Hendon, C. (2015). Water for Coffee
Changelog¶
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-02 | Compliance review: full rewrite — original was a navigation stub with ../ wikilinks, non-coffee/* tags, no frontmatter, no sections, no copyright; rebuilt as stub |
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