The document outlines standards for water used in brewing specialty coffee as determined by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). It provides targets and acceptable ranges for 8 characteristics of water including odor, color, total chlorine, total dissolved solids, calcium hardness, total alkalinity, pH, and sodium. The targets are considered the most desirable points within the acceptable ranges listed to ensure optimal extraction of coffee solids during brewing.
The document outlines standards for water used in brewing specialty coffee as determined by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). It provides targets and acceptable ranges for 8 characteristics of water including odor, color, total chlorine, total dissolved solids, calcium hardness, total alkalinity, pH, and sodium. The targets are considered the most desirable points within the acceptable ranges listed to ensure optimal extraction of coffee solids during brewing.
The document outlines standards for water used in brewing specialty coffee as determined by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). It provides targets and acceptable ranges for 8 characteristics of water including odor, color, total chlorine, total dissolved solids, calcium hardness, total alkalinity, pH, and sodium. The targets are considered the most desirable points within the acceptable ranges listed to ensure optimal extraction of coffee solids during brewing.
The document outlines standards for water used in brewing specialty coffee as determined by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). It provides targets and acceptable ranges for 8 characteristics of water including odor, color, total chlorine, total dissolved solids, calcium hardness, total alkalinity, pH, and sodium. The targets are considered the most desirable points within the acceptable ranges listed to ensure optimal extraction of coffee solids during brewing.
SCAA Standard | Water for Brewing Specialty Coffee
Published by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA)
Revised: November 21, 2009 • Pages: Cover + 1
WATER_STANDARD • VERSION: 21NOV2009A
SCAA Standard | Water for Brewing Specialty Coffee
Purpose
The Statistics & Standards Committee of the Specialty Coffee Association of America has determined the following standards for the water used to brew specialty coffee. For a superior quality extraction of coffee solids, the brewing water should have these characteristics:
Characteristic Target Acceptable Range
Odor 1 Clean / F Fresh, Odor free
Color 2 Clear color
Total Chlorine O mg/L
TDS 3 150 mg/L 75 - 250 mg/L
Calcium Hardness 4 grains or 68 mg/L 1 - 5 grains or 17 mg/L - 85 mg/L
Total Alkalinity 40 mg/L At or near 40 mg/L
pH 7.0 6.5 to 7.5
Sodium 10 mg/L At or near 10 mg/L
1 Odor is based on sensory olfactory determination
2 Color is based on sensory visual determination 3 TDS measured based on a 4-4-2 conversion
The Target is the most desirable point in the Acceptable Range, although falling within the range is considered meeting the standard. These variances are in place to take into consideration real world circumstances, and the target gives the optimum measurement of each characteristic to strive for.
For details of testing equipment & protocols, please see the SCAA Water Quality Handbook.
