Kalita Wave: The Story & Brewing Guide

Kalita Who?

The Wave is another offering from Kalita Co., the family-owned Japanese company which has been making coffee equipment since the 1950s. The Wave’s streamlined style is characteristic of their products.

The Kalita Wave dripper, available in stainless steel, ceramic, or glass. 

Kalita as a Brew Method

The Kalita Wave dripper is a pour-over, similar to a Chemex or V60, which makes for a clean cup. This contrasts with the robust profile of full-immersion brews, such as the French Press or Clever.

Yet while similar to the Chemex or V60, the Kalita Wave has a markedly different extraction configuration. Rather than water dripping through a singular hole, it features a flat bottom with three extraction holes. This eliminates any channeling of water in the coffee bed, resulting in an extremely crisp cup. The dripper also has minimal contact with the filter, allowing for consistency in temperature and an even dispersion of water.

There are two filter types: the 185 and the 155. The 185 filters go with the larger 185 dripper. The 155 is good for those who only plan on drinking one cup per brew.

The Three Factors of a Perfect Coffee

Before we begin looking at the Kalita Wave in detail, let’s talk about the three constants that are important for brewing the perfect cup of coffee:

1. Grind:

This will dictate how well the coffee brews. For the Kalita Wave, the grind setting should be 7.5 on a scale of 10 (1 being espresso fine, 10 being French Press coarse).

You really need a burr grinder for this—a blade grinder just isn’t capable of providing consistent granule sizes.

2. Water:

Water purity is crucial, as is the temperature. If the coffee’s brewed at boiling point, it risks being scorched. If it’s brewed at too low a temperature, the oils will never be properly integrated. It’s widely accepted among enthusiasts that 90-96°C is ideal.

Precision pouring is also a necessity—and the Kalita Wave just so happens to be one of the most accurate (and elegant) kettles on the market.

3. Ratio:

There’s a lot of speculation on the best ratio of water to coffee. The best ratio actually depends on several variables, but the Kalita Wave works best between 14.5-16(ml):1(g). This range allows for variations based on the type of coffee being used and the time since roasting.

Time to Make Some Coffee

With the Kalita Wave, you want to do incremental pours every 30 seconds. The amount of water needed will vary based on what stage it is in the brewing process, while the finishing time should be between 2(m):45(s) and 3:15, depending on how much coffee is being made.

The brew I’m going to describe uses 20 grams of coffee to 360 grams of water. 

1. Bloom:

Be sure to wet the filter before adding the grounds; this will get rid of any papery taste. Once the grounds have been added, pour 40-60g of water and let it bloom for 30 seconds. This will help the gas within the beans from the roasting process to escape.

2.  Brew:

Next, pour 150g of water in a constant stream for 20 seconds. Wait until the timer reaches 1 minute, and pour 50g over the next 20 seconds. Wait for the 1:30 mark, then repeat. At 2 minutes, proceed to fill the dripper all the way up to 360 grams. Wait for the water to clear from the dripper, and you’re ready to serve.

Kalita Wave Brewing Tips

• The Kalita Wave kettle is stove-top friendly, so don’t be afraid to get it hot. This will help ensure the water being used will stay warm, unlike when you pour boiled water from a hot kettle into a cold one.

• A microfiber cloth and a bit of water polishes nicely, so you can keep your dripper and kettle looking like new.

• When measuring the water you need, go ahead and fill the kettle to the top. This will allow enough margin to wet the filter, warm the server, and preheat the cup. The last thing you want is to run out of water while brewing.

Written by G. Pugh and edited by T. Newton.

Feature Photo Credit: Gavin Pugh.

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The History of Italian Espresso: How Well Do You Know your Coffee History?

The espresso shot: the base of every non-filter coffee. The purest form of the drink. And the key to understanding Italy’s coffee culture.

In giving us the espresso, Italy is the progenitor of both the second and third wave. She redefined what coffee meant.

Yet drinking coffee in Italy is different to in the rest of the world: specialty has struggled to take hold and big chain cafés have failed to gain a foothold. And to understand why, we need to look at how the modern espresso came into being – and how that shaped Italy’s culture and identity.

The Espresso Machine: A Coffee Groundbreaker

Around 1901, thanks to the innovations of the Industrial Revolution in Europe, the first version of espresso came into being – although the machine that created it certainly didn’t look like a La Marzocco.

The original concept of an espresso was something that could be prepared quickly; translated literally, “espresso” means express. Luigi Bezzara, a Milanese inventor, registered a patent for a machine with recognisable groupheads onto which portafilters with compressed coffee could be clamped. This was the first time coffee had been preparedexpressly for the customer.

By 1905, the patent had been purchased by Desidero Pavoni, who put into production the first commercial espresso machine: the Ideale

.                                                

The very first commercial espresso machine by La Pavoni.

It still bore little relation to our modern machines; the Ideale groupheads reached temps of up to 140°C, at a much lower 1.5 bar of pressure than our modern-day 9-bar machines. And its shots, extracted in 45 seconds, had a consistency and taste that resembles modern filter coffee more closely than modern espressos.

                                                                    

The Faema E61 Legend: Modern espresso machines look very different to the first models.

An Early Espresso Culture

As a result of these new machines, the term “espresso” first entered the Italian lexicon around 1920, in Alfredo Panzini’s Italian dictionary: “Caffè espresso, made using a pressurised machine or a filter, now commonplace.”

Panzini remarked that nineteenth-century coffee houses were tranquil places; by the 1935 edition, he noted that they had rapidly become bars for workers. As the strength of the brew grew, evidently this encouraged working men to frequent them in search of that strong caffeine hit.

In 1938, the first record of the word “barista” emerged (no, it wasn’t invented in the ‘90s by Starbucks). Before that time, the term “barman” appears to have been the fashionable word. However, with the success of Mussolini and the Fascist movement came a nationalist campaign to “Italianise” common words. Barman, considered too American, was substituted for barista, a more Italian-sounding word. In that way, espresso was further entwined with the Italian identity.

                                                                               

Barman or Barista? In Bar Termini, Soho.

Refining the Modern Espresso Machine

In the ‘30s and ‘40s, Italian coffee consumption declined (at first due to restrictive policies on importation, and then due to wartime scarcity), yet the Ideale espresso machine saw several improvements by big coffee names, such as Francisco Illy and Achille Gaggia.

Then in 1947, the next great development was made: Gaggia’s hand-pumped machine. With these machines, far more pressure could be exerted over the coffee puck, meaning that essential oils and colloids were squeezed through. The result? Crema, an essential part of the modern espresso.

By 1948, Gaggia’s invention had been bought by Ernesto Valente, head of Faema, a company whose machines are synonymous with cafés to this day. Gaggia and Valente fundamentally disagreed on the market for these high-pressure machines. Gaggia saw his invention as a luxury item, to be enjoyed in high-end establishments only. Valente, however, had other ideas; he worked to produce cheaper machines. And then, in 1961, he released the now world-renowned Faema E61.

The Faema E61 is the father of modern espresso. It was the first semi-automatic machine that required no elbow grease yet allowed the barista to manage the parameters of extraction. The internal boiler was set horizontally instead of vertically, instantly converting the café bar into a social space where customer and barista could chat while espresso shot was pulled. And the explosion of neighbourhood espresso bars and cafés in Italy was phenomenal.

                                                          

The Faema E61 Legend, a homage to the original E61, in Bar Termini, Soho.

Italian Caffeine Culture Today

The Italian coffee culture created in the ‘40s remains fairly consistent to this day, despite increasing levels of globalisation. Italians go to their local café, order an espresso (refusing to pay a high price for it), and then head to their next appointment.

Unwashed Brazilian naturals have dominated the roasting scene for decades and, by 1990, 44% of coffee imports were Robusta. High-quality service and rapport with proprietors have always been considered important, perhaps more so than the coffee profile, allowing brands to maximise on their reputation. Even today, the top four roasters (such as Lavazza and Illy) dominate, having a 75% market share.

For many of us, drinking espresso means tasting excellent coffees with a complex flavour profile, often unobscured by milk or sugar. But for a lot of Italians, it may conjure up fond memories sitting on the small neighbourhood piazza, sipping a cafe latte on a hazy afternoon in southern Italy. Or walking into a neighbourhood bar, grabbing an adrenaline-pumping, robusta-lined shot before heading to work on a cool morning in central Milano. That sense of place, of localness, is an important part of the Italian espresso.

                                                                         

Marco Arrigo, Head of Quality at Illy and proprietor of Bar Termini in Soho.

Italy’s Relationship with a Global Coffee Culture

Yet while Italian coffee culture remains unaffected by globalisation, it’s safe to say that global coffee culture has been very affected by Italian coffees. The exportation of the espresso has been an astonishing success: from Seattle to Sydney, this Italian-style extraction forms the basis of the majority of coffee drinks.

Yet that doesn’t mean that all these espresso-based coffees are strictly Italian. In fact, the variations are enormous. Take an American cappuccino: compared to its Italian equivalent, it often contains double the quantity of milk but the same amount of coffee.

Italy is aware of this distortion of what they perceive to be almost a national drink – and attempts have been made to reappropriate the concept. At one point, the Italian government appealed to the World Trade Organisation in an attempt to restrict the use of the phrase “Italian espresso”. There have also been several attempts in US courts to restrict the term to coffee made by Italian roasting companies. And the Italian Parliament now sends inspectors around the world to “certify” whether coffee produced in various locations matches Italian quality standards.

These attempts to control the concept, while understandable (just imagine how much money there is to be earned by controlling the intellectual property of an espresso!), have all failed. Simply, while Italy invented the first modern espresso machine, they have been found to not have enough cultural hegemony over coffee; it is a beverage that exists all over the world in many different formats. Or put it this way: espresso may be a crucial part of Italian culture, but an Italian heritage is not a crucial part of an espresso. 

These attempts do, however, show a fiercely proud and defensive attitude from Italians for their coffee. The failure of big café brands and specialty coffee alike to penetrate the Italian scene comes down to an ironclad, decades-old coffee culture: one that values sociability, service, and affordability above all.

Written by E. Greaves and edited by T. Newton.

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http://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2016/04/history-italian-espresso-well-know-coffee-history/

Red Espresso: The Tea You Can Drink as Espresso?

The espresso: an emulsified, syrupy, all-encompassing marvel that forms the basis of nearly every drink served in a café—providing it’s a coffee.

Rooibos: tea.

Put rooibos in your espresso machine instead of your coffee, and what do you get? A red espresso.

Yes, a red espresso is 100% pure rooibos tea. There’s no coffee involved at all.

The first time I heard of this drink, my curiosity was piqued. I had to discover more.  

 What’s Rooibos?

Rooibos (pronounced roy-boos, meaning red bush in Afrikaans) is the national drink of the Rainbow Nation. An indigenous shrub plant that grows exclusively in the Cederberg region of the Western Cape, the rooibos plant is grown at higher altitudes and is harvested seasonally. The needle-like leaves of the plant are harvested, graded and then fermented. 

 Harvesting Rooibos. Credit: www.redespresso.com

Culturally, rooibos has always been an integral part of South African life. Imitating British tea culture, it’s sipped and savoured throughout the day by locals.

But here’s where it gets interesting: rooibos tea is 100% caffeine-free. This adds an extra dimension to the rooibos tea culture, because you can now drink it at any time of the day without worrying about the sleepless night that might otherwise follow. It also means that South African children are usually introduced to rooibos at an early age, particularly if they’re suffering from colic or tummy aches.

Rooibos: All Grown Up

When a product beloved by children is remarketed for adults, it’s typically a booming success. Think alcoholic gummy bears or amped-up grilled cheese sandwiches. Anything that induces feelings of familiarity and nostalgia is a recipe for popularity.

Red espresso is so successful in South Africa because it brings consumers back to the time when their mom made them rooibos tea as a kid—except this time, they can drink it at business meetings or get it to go at a trendy café.

Red Espresso vs. Espresso

Despite tea being a readily available product in every café, drinking it is a very different experience to drinking coffee. Tea is a lighter tasting drink made to be drunk slowly. It invokes feelings of serenity and calm (ask anyone on tumblr); it’s almost zen. The flavors are often subtle, light and aromatic. It’s a drink that tenderly whispers to you.

Espresso-based drinks, on the other hand, assault your senses (and we mean that in a good way). They’re meant to be drunk quickly; milk is always steamed at a lower temperature so there isn’t a “wait-for-it-to-cool” lag period, and espresso is, as it’s name suggests, made for express. The flavours are powerful and hit you hard. Acidity! Wham! Bitterness! Pow! COFFEE! Kablam!

Red espresso serves as the combination of the two very different drinking cultures. You get the hard-hitting flavours that are so awesome in coffee-based drinks but all the health benefits and antioxidants you get from tea.

I really need to mention that red espresso really doesn’t taste anything like espresso. In fact, it just tastes like incredibly strong aromatic tea. But the idea of concentrating a tea to emulate the strength of espresso gives it a new dimension; it’s a completely different drinking experience.

The pressurised rooibos actually pulls just like its coffee counterpart and forms a lovely, rich crema that can be stretched with steamed milk. 

Red espresso shot and red espresso cappuccino. Credit: www.redespresso.com

Rooibos: a Growing Trend

Because of its healthy properties and delicious taste, rooibos has recently taken off in several trend-setting cities. Tokyo, in particular, has taken a strong liking to it, with the drink appearing on the menu of nearly every trendy café in Japan’s capital.

Having red espresso on a café menu as a decaf alternative could become a major phenomenon because it is a genuinely good product that caters to a genuine need—that of drinking something without caffeine that would give you the feel of drinking coffee, but with a better taste and quality than decaf.

My Thoughts on Red Espresso

Coming from sunny Singapore (which is only 2 continents away from South Africa), I was introduced to the product by a South African regular customer who insisted that I try whipping something up with the stuff.

I made him a red cappuccino as per the instructions on the red espresso site and served it with a little drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The result? Delicious with a capital D.

Since then, I’ve been serving red espresso as a special off-menu item for customers who ask for decaf. It’s been a resounding success so far, and having it as a permanent menu item seems like a viable option for me at this point.

How awesome would it be to be able to give customers the option of getting their latte black or red? And, even more awesome, to be able to give South African expats a little taste of home?

Written byC. Seah & S. Aupiais and edited by T. Newton.

Special thanks to contributions by: Red Espresso and Dylan J Goddard.

Feature Photo Credit: http://www.redespresso.com/

Perfect Daily Grind.

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http://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2015/09/red-espresso-the-tea-you-can-drink-as-espresso/

Bonmac Dripper: The History & Brewing Guide

The history of Bonmac

With so many filter brewing devices on the market today it’s often hard to keep up with them all. Depending on where you are located you’re probably asking, ‘what’s a Bonmac dripper? Well, to begin with there wasn’t much of a transparent history to this Japanese brewing device on the internet. So PDG put the work in for those of you who are interested.

The Bonmac dripper was created by the research and development team at the Japanese company, Lucky Coffee Machine Co. Ltd. The Pro Cone was produced by Counter Culture Coffee and Jay Egami, a renowned coffee expert and representative of the Ueshima Coffee Co, (the company that imports the brewing equipment to the U.S. for Lucky Coffee Machine Co. Ltd). He is also well known in the United States for having introduced the first $20,000 syphon brew bar to Blue Bottle Cafe in San Francisco back in 2008. Now, these may not be names that you hear often, but for pour over fanatics, does the Takahiro pour over kettle ring any bells? Well, these are the companies who produce and export it amongst other quality brewing products.

The Bonmac dripper with its matching and much-desired coffee geek kettle, the Takahiro Pot.
Credit: @mdkmrym

What can you expect from the Bonmac dripper?

If you have been looking for a dripper because you want to start brewing some awesome specialty coffee but all you see are Hario V60’s, Bee House, Kalita Wave, Clever, Bonavita etc, Bonmac is the ultimate dripper for beginners.

The Bonmac dripper has a wedge shape, and just like the V60, this dripper also has ridges, but they are vertical and are only at the bottom portion of the device. The ridges are designed to help water flow evenly through the coffee bed, so you could get away with not using a gooseneck kettle for this method. But by all means do get one if you can justify the purchase as it will always help control flow.

The brewer also has a small single hole rather than a large one, or multiple holes. It was designed this way to aid water to flow at just the right pace with the right grind size. The wedge-shape plus the small single hole will also help give the final brew a full-bodied mouthfeel with very complex flavors. This is because the water has more contact with the coffee than other drip methods. The Bonmac is capable of delivering a very consistent cup no matter what the expertise level of the user might be. And if you were wondering what the hole in the base is for, this is a bonus so that when brewing directly into a cup, you can see how much coffee you’ve made.

Bonmac dripper bloom (original cone)
Credit: @holeinthewallcoffThere are some important differences between the original cone and the ‘Pro Cone’. It has two small center holes and vertical ridges all around the inner walls of the brewer. If you know that your pour-over skills are above average and you prefer a more flexible brewer for experimentation, then the pro version is definitely for you. The two holes and the ridge height reduce flow resistance so the dose, grind size, & the pour over flow technique affect the final result. This is also more coffee-shop friendly because it brews faster.

Bonmac Pro by Counter Culture Coffee
Credit: @losantivillecoffee

How to brew like a pro (instructions for original cone)

1. Grind size

In order to brew a high quality cup on a Bonmac dripper, it’s important to take into account that the grind size for this method is crucial since it is pretty much the only variable we can experiment with other than water temperature. The Bonmac dripper is predisposed to get clogged due to the small single hole, so it’s important to use a medium grind size, but not too chunky because you will under extract your coffee’s best attributes. Don’t worry if you see that water flows slowly, that is completely normal, but it shouldn’t stop dripping.

2. Coffee dose/brew ratio

Chose your brewing ratio and bear in mind that this dripper produces a full-bodied cup. 1:15 is my favorite ratio for this brewer (1 gram of coffee per 15 ml of water).

3. Water temperature:

Try brewing with water between 90-96 degrees celsius to begin with. Considering that this device leaves little room for experimentation, make the most of testing different temperatures to add an extra variable that you can control.

4. Brew time:

The Bonmac won’t let you do fast brew times (2-3 minutes) unless you’re using the pro version. Your brew will generally take between 3-4 minutes.

Brew Process

he Bonmac dripper uses its own bamboo unbleached filters. They do not have bleached ones but don’t worry, they don’t have such a papery taste.Start by boiling high-quality water. It is recommended to boil twice as much water as you will brew in order to rinse the paper filter, preheat the device and the cup or carafe. Remember that the water’s temperature should be between 90-96º.

Grind your fresh coffee beans. Rinse the filter, heat the cup, discard the water and add the grounds to the Bonmac and you’re ready to go. Good news! You don’t need a gooseneck kettle for this method because the dripper itself controls the water flow and you don’t have to pour in circles. That’s why this is a very friendly method to use at the office, in a rush or at 7am when you still want to go back to sleep.

Start by pouring enough water to saturate all the grounds and let them bloom. After 30-45 seconds, you can start adding the water, just be careful not to overflow. Once there is more room for the water, add the rest of it until you get the desired amount.

Wait until it pours completely, which should take between 3 to 4 minutes. If you decide to use the Bonmac “Pro Cone” then it should take 2-3 minutes.

Bonmac brewing tips

• This method is predisposed to get clogged because of its tiny hole, use a medium size grind.

• Remember to preheat the device. This only comes in ceramic which will easily absorb the water’s temperature if not preheated. This increases the chances of a less extracted coffee.

• Do not pour at the edge of the coffee bed & make sure you distribute the water evenly.

• Pour from a height that creates enough turbulence to improve the uniformity of extraction.

Written by F.Solano and edited by A. Guerra

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http://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2015/06/the-bonmac-dripper-history-brewing-guide/

HONEY PROCESSING

Have you ever picked up a pack of red honey processed beans and wondered what honey processing (let alone red honey processing) actually means? Or if it’s any better than the natural processed coffee you used last week?

This article is for you. We’re going to look at what honey processing is, why it’s good (most of the time), and what difference it makes to baristas and roasters.

SEE ALSO: Coffee Plant Species: Arabica vs Specialty Robusta

Why is Honey Called Honey?

The three most popular methods of processing coffee around the world are natural, washed and honey. Natural processed coffees are dried inside the cherry before being hulled and milled. Washed (or wet) coffees are pulped and then fermented to remove the mesocarp (also known as mucilage) layer before being dried and milled. Honey processing bridges the gap between wet and natural coffees; the coffee cherry is pulped and then dried with the mucilage layer still left on the parchment.

So, wait, where’s the honey?

The title “honey processed” leads many people to assume honey’s used in the making of the coffee or that the coffee itself resembles honey tasting notes—but in reality, neither is true. This process gets its name from its sticky, honey-like feel the bean has before being dried. Once a coffee bean is separated from its cherry, it’s left covered in a mucilage layer that, when dried, will continue to reabsorb moisture from the air and become sticky. 

 Green coffee beans remained covered in mucilage after being pulped from its cherry.

Why is Honey Processing Popular Among Farmers?

Honey processing originally became popular in Costa Rica, who adopted it after seeing consistent improvements in the quality of their beans. Its popularity has since spread.

Yet why did Costa Rican farmers decide to try honey processing in the first place? Well, a farmer who wants to raise the quality (and subsequently the price) of their coffee really only has three options: they can change the tree varietal they grow, change the terroir, or change the processing method. And just as most of you would change the grind and dose of your grinder before you start adjusting volumetrics, pressure, or temperature of your machine, most farmers would rather experiment with processing before going to the extreme of moving their farm or investing in a new varietal that may take years to pay off.

Honey Processing: Long & Delicate Work

It’s not easy to honey process coffee. In fact, it takes a long time and you have to be very careful. So what’s involved with honey processing?

The first thing the farmers do is pick only the ripest cherries from the trees. The beans are then pulped from their outer skin, and as mentioned above, left in a layer of mucilage. This mucilage layer contains a high amount of sucrose (sugar) and acids which is really the key of the honey process.

The next stage is the most intricate and sensitive part of the process: the drying phase. You have to get the timing of this perfect. It’s crucial that you don’t dry the beans too quickly. If you do, the flavours won’t be converted from the mucilage to the bean. It’s also crucial that you don’t dry the beans too slowly. You need to be quick enough to avoid fermentation within the bean, otherwise you’ll end up with mouldy coffee.

So how do you reach this balance? Well, once either laid on raised drying beds or concrete slabs, the beans need to be raked or agitated multiple times each hour until they reach the desired moisture percentage. This usually takes between 6-10 hours. After that, the coffee needs to be agitated once a day for a minimum of 6-8 days. It’s long, right? Sun-drying honey processed beans takes this long because each night the beans pick up moisture from the air, requiring more drying the next day.

Once the coffee has finally dried, it’s ready to be dry milled and roasted just like with the other processes.

Honey processed coffee being dried on concrete slabs.

Why is Honey Processing So Wonderful?

When honey processing is so tricky to do right, and so time-consuming, you might wonder: Is it really worth it?

The answer: yes, unquestionably yes.

Honey processed coffees generally possess great sweetness and a balanced acidity with fruity undertones. The flavours are typically less powerful than natural processed coffee, but the clarity and definition of them is much clearer and more pronounced. Who doesn’t want that?

The key to this flavour difference is the sugars and acidity in the mucilage. Over the drying period, the sugars in the mucilage become more and more concentrated, and then these sugars begin to soak through to the coffee bean.

Yellow, Red, and Black Honey: What’s The Difference?

If you want to buy a honey processed coffee, you’ll find yourself presented with a choice: yellow, red, or black. You may also hear these described as a percentage. So what do these actually mean?

Well, farmers will often separate their crop into different categories. Some will have less mucilage, and therefore dry quicker. Others will have more mucilage, and will need a greater drying time. A yellow honey (approx. 25% mucilage) typically has the least cloud/shade cover during drying in order to speed up the drying time, and will gain a yellow colour. Red honey (approx. 50% mucilage) takes longer and is typically developed with cloud cover or shading. Black honey (approx. 100% mucilage) is usually covered so as to elongate the drying period.

Yellow, red and black honey processed coffee.

 Yellow, Red, & Black Honey: Which Is Better?

So which is better?

Well, it might seem that black is obviously better. The flavours of a honey process become more intricate and hold more depth relative to the amount of mucilage left on the parchment. The higher the mucilage, the stronger the flavours.

Yet for coffee producers, it has to remain a business decision. Although you may produce much better quality coffee (and be rewarded with a higher price) using the black honey method, the effort, risk and cost factor increase so much that it may be difficult to consider the option. The longer the coffee is dried, the more likely it is to ferment and develop bacterial infections, leading to defects. It also needs to be agitated and cared for far more regularly, and takes up space on the drying beds for up to twice as long, than with yellow honey coffees. Coffee isn’t always about producing the highest quality cup; it’s about producing what will be the most marketable product for the farmer.

So What Does Honey Processing Mean For You?

• Roasters: Consistency Is Key

As a roaster, you’re usually challenged to either create blends or keep certain blends tasting as consistent as possible year round—even though most crops aren’t available for more than a season at a time. This means that understanding not only the general profile of honey processed coffees, but all other processes of coffees, is a great help in blend construction. You can more accurately make substitutions, create new blends and narrow down the selection of green beans to choose from in order to fill mentioned flavour profiles.

However, it’s also important treat generic flavour profiles (based on things such as region, process, and altitude) as a guideline only. There are so many different variables that affect growing coffee, and any of those can change the final product. Don’t purchase a coffee without trying it just because you know it’s honey processed. It will probablyhave a great sweetness, acidity and fruity undertones—but it’s not guaranteed.

• Baristas: Coffee Knowledge Remains Valuable

Day in, day out, you dial in your grinders to produce cups of liquid gold for the community. Knowing how your coffee is grown, processed, harvested and roasted can be a huge step forward in understanding how to pull the best shots possible and unveil some incredible flavours in your coffee you haven’t tasted before. Each coffee pulls different on the machine to another. A house blend that has strong chocolate and caramel flavours may pull very differently to a single origin naturally processed Ethiopian coffee that has high sweetness and low acidity.

Being able to understand the difference why is such powerful knowledge to have, not just for yourself but also for the consumer. A customer is much more likely to return to your café if you can explain to them why the above natural Ethiopian coffee is so much sweeter than the wet hulled Sumatran they tried last week. People love learning and will return if they think their local baristas understand what they are doing.

Do you have a fondness for honey processed coffee? A preference for red, yellow, or black? Let us know your experiences of this coffee in the comments or on facebook, Instagram, or Reddit.

Written by R. Lynch and edited by T. Newton.

Perfect Daily Grind, Specialty Coffee Blog

Nguồn:
http://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2015/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-honey-processing/