Lake Wind Coffee Brew Guide
A practical guide from the roaster.
You scanned the bag, so start here. These are the ratios, grind notes, and small adjustments I'd give you across the counter at the roastery in Port Wing.
What's inside
Start with the ratio, then adjust one thing at a time. Good coffee is not fragile, but it does ask you to pay attention.
Clean and bright
Use 1 part coffee to 16 parts water. Start with a medium-fine grind, water just off boil, and a slow pour that keeps the bed evenly wet.
Good start: 22g coffee and 350g water. If the cup tastes sharp or thin, grind a little finer. If it tastes dry or bitter, grind a little coarser.
Full and forgiving
Use 1 part coffee to 15 parts water. Grind coarse, steep about 4 minutes, stir the crust, then let it settle before pouring.
Do not force the plunger hard through the coffee. Press gently to the surface and pour with a steady hand. Less sludge, better cup.
The machine you own
Use 1 part coffee to 16 parts water. A medium grind is usually right. Rinse the filter if you can, and do not be afraid to use enough coffee.
Most weak coffee is not a roast problem. It is too little coffee, too much water, or a grind that is too coarse for the brewer.
Strong, quick, travel-ready
Use 15g coffee and 220g water. Grind medium-fine, stir well, steep 60 to 90 seconds, and press slowly.
AeroPress is flexible. If it tastes too sharp, lengthen the steep or grind finer. If it gets muddy and heavy, back off a little.
Slow and low-acid
Use 1 part coffee to 8 parts water for concentrate. Grind coarse, steep 12 to 16 hours, strain, then dilute to taste.
Cold brew hides some brightness and brings out chocolate, body, and sweetness. It is good for darker roasts and hot days.
The thing people skip
If your coffee tastes flat no matter what you do, try different water before you blame the beans.
Good water should taste clean on its own. Very hard, very soft, or heavily treated water can make good coffee taste tired.
If it tastes sour Grind finer, brew hotter, or give it more contact time.
If it tastes bitter Grind coarser, shorten the brew, or use slightly cooler water.
If it tastes weak Use more coffee. That solves more cups than people think.
From someone who brewed it at home
"There is nothing that compares, it is literally the best coffee I've ever had. Roasted to perfection, freshly ground and brewed to a perfect flavor. You cannot beat it."
The roaster
I roast coffee in an old church in Port Wing, Wisconsin, on the South Shore of Lake Superior. My wife Jenny and I bought the building a few years back and turned it into a roastery and cafe. We began down the path of the impossible, and somehow it became Lake Wind Coffee.
I'm a second-generation roaster. My mom ran a roasting company when I was growing up, and coffee has followed me longer than almost anything else. When I'm not roasting, I tour as a roots musician with Old 13 String Bandits.
We roast in small batches and fill orders as they come in, because coffee is better when it has not been sitting around waiting for you. That is the work behind Lake Wind.
One more thing
If this coffee works its way into your morning, we can keep it coming. We roast in small batches in Port Wing and ship fresh from the roastery. Subscribe, order once, or just come back when the bag gets low.
No pressure. Good coffee should earn its place on the counter.