stronger coffee does not have to mean darker coffee or longer brew time.
when i want a stronger cup, i start with the coffee-to-water ratio.
use a little more coffee for the same amount of water. or use a little less water for the same amount of coffee.
weigh both if you can. it is much easier to fix a recipe when you know what you used.
change one thing at a time.
if you add more coffee and also grind finer and also brew longer, you will not know which change made the coffee bitter.
strength and extraction are different.
strength is how concentrated the cup feels.
extraction is how much flavor the water pulled from the grounds.
a cup can be strong and still taste sour if the coffee did not extract evenly. it can also taste bitter if the grind is too fine or the brew runs too long.
start by adding a small amount of coffee. keep the grind and brew method the same. taste it.
if the cup is stronger but still balanced, keep the new ratio.
if it is strong and sour, the water may need more contact with the coffee. try a slightly finer grind next time.
if it is strong and bitter, go slightly coarser or shorten the brew.
my basic rule is ratio first. grind second. one change at a time.
Couplet has coffee when you want to test a new recipe.
coupletcoffee.com / @couplet
gefen