Total Dissolved Solids is a technical coffee-related term that refers to the dissolved particles of roast and ground coffee that have dissolved and ended up in your brewed coffee. In this article, we will tell you all about it and explain how this value can be important when you start making coffee.
The ‘dissolved solids’ are the soluble parts of coffee that are dissolved and extracted by water and end up in your coffee beverage. The term TDS, therefore, refers to the number of these dissolved particles in your coffee. TDS is a matter of debate; one person attaches great importance to the result of this term, while the other prefers other methods. In fact, TDS makes your extraction measurable. You do this by means of a refractometer. This device measures the value of the light refracted by the liquids. The refractometer is often used in combination with software. You use the data from the TDS measurement in your software, which analyzes the data and lets you know whether you have reached your goal.
Why use Total Dissolved Solids?
So how can data concerning Total Dissolved Solids be of interest to you? This method provides easy-to-analyze data that can help you consistently brew coffee to compare your roasts and beans. If you make sure your TDS values are the same, you can write off the brewing variable so that you can compare other values independently.
When testing, keep in mind that TDS is one of many measurement methods. Which you let lead in this is up to you; it is a combination of factors. When setting up your coffee, your overall taste palette should be leading. The purpose of brewing and roasting coffee is not to achieve a certain percentage, but to make tasty coffee. TDS is just a tool to gain insight into your process.
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