Brewers Cup Series

Minerals from Apax Lab

The thing with water and coffee is like that.
Coffee is made up of 98 percent water, but not everyone gets the right water from their tap. Not for home brewing and definitely not suitable for world champion coffee.

In short: If you don't live in an area where relatively soft water (German hardness 2-4 for filter coffee, 3-6 for espresso) comes out of the tap, you should think about getting a water filter. Or just mix your own coffee water. One way to do this is with the mineral concentrates from Apax Lab.

World Brewers Cup winner Martin Wölfl did the same. For his victory in Chicago, he used: 1g TONIK, 1.5g JAMM and 1.5g LYLAC per liter of water.

Mineral concentrates from Apax Lab

Apax Lab is an Australian company dedicated to improving the coffee experience through innovative water solutions. Founded by Simon Gautherin in 2023, Apax Lab focuses on developing mineral concentrates specifically designed to improve the quality and taste of coffee. Simon Gautherin spent six years researching the effects of water on coffee flavors, developing more than 2,000 water recipes, then creating Apax Lab's unique mineral profiles.

Apax Lab Philosophy

The company's philosophy is based on the idea that water is not just a variable, but a crucial ingredient in coffee making. (Which is true, as it makes up as much as 98 percent of your drink). Their mineral concentrates aim to accentuate specific attributes of coffee, such as improving acidity, sweetness, and texture. These concentrates can be used individually or mixed to achieve desired flavor profiles, making them versatile for different types of coffee.

Application of Apax Minerals

Application

Apax Lab's mineral concentrates take the natural properties of your coffee water to a new level. They are versatile. Each preparation on its own can improve your brew, but the concentrates are also designed to be used mixed.

It is recommended to use demineralized or distilled water. For every liter of coffee water, add 3 to 4 grams of mineral concentrate (if you use several concentrates, the total amount remains at 3-4 g/liter of water).

Alternative: Add a few drops of the mineral concentrates directly into your coffee drink.


  • Filter coffee (200 ml): 5-10 drops

  • Espresso (40 ml): 1-3 drops

  • Milk coffee drinks (150 ml): 3-6 drops

Recipe suggestions

To make mixing recipes easier to represent, Apax Lab has also given the products numbers.

TONIK [1] / JAMM [2] / LYLAC [3]

This means: 2/1/1
2g TONIK [1] / 1g JAMM [2] / 1g LYLAC [3] per liter of water.

  • Cupping: 2.5/1/0.5
  • Washed coffees: 2.5/0.5/1
  • Natural coffees: 1/2.5/0.5
  • Honey Coffees: 1/0.5/2.5
  • Highly fermented coffees: 1/2/2
  • Light roast: 1/3/0
  • Dark roast: 3/0/1

Dilution table